Do it yourself, dude!
Keychains are simple fashion accessories that I have never found a reason to buy. My keys sit in my pocket most of the time, and thus, a keychain would only be seen when I’m driving, or when they’re hanging up at home. However, if the charm provided a useful function, I might consider adding it to my key ring. Take, for example, these RJ-45 keychains that not only look geeky, but can also be used to hang up your keys…
When working on various projects around the house, you’ll undoubtedly run into the need to use a soldering iron at some point. That’s why last week we pointed you to the Learn to Solder Kit. As you might know, the puffs of smoke you see when soldering are not good for you. In fact, you should always do this in a well-ventilated area, so as to avoid inhaling the fumes. If you are working in a small space, or just…
My favorite type of keyboard is one that uses mechanical switches. A lot of people have no idea that there are different types of keyboards. If you are one of those people, then if you can ever remember using a keyboard that was exceptionally loud, then that was undoubtedly a mechanical keyboard. A lot of people (myself included) also believe that they are just more comfortable to use. You don’t find a lot of them these days (though there are…
We tend to show you cool DIY guides here at Red Ferret, since we’re fans of making things with our own two hands. However, one skill that comes up on a regular basis is soldering. If you don’t know how to solder, you’re going to have a hard time working with electronics. If you don’t know where to start, I’d recommend checking out this Learn to Solder Kit. This kit is being sold by the people over at MAKE, so…
In the event of a major disaster, it’s always good to have a radio on hand. You might think that your cell phone is going to get you through a crisis, but if it’s something on a large scale, such as an earthquake, you might have trouble getting calls through. Generally, you can flip on your radio and find some sort of up-to-date information on what’s going on. But how many of you actually have a radio that’s battery-powered? And…
If I’m at home and listening to music, I’m probably using my computer to do it. There are times when I’m going to be out in the garage, or another part of the house, and I’d like to have that same music with me. I can generally do this with my phone, but I don’t have all of my music on there. Instead, I could construct a pair of WiFi speakers to stream my music anywhere. One hacker had the…
I’m sure that everyone has a list of things that they hope to do someday. Maybe you want to climb a mountain, learn how to ride a unicycle, or perhaps construct your own camera. If that last one is on your list, then you might check out this 135 Camera Model DIY Assembly Kit. This kit has everything you need to assemble your very own 35mm camera. It actually looks rather easy, with just 38 parts to put together with…
Cheapass Games produce and supply free DIY board and table games for all to enjoy. Just select your game, download and print off the required elements and you’re good to go. They even supply a box label where appropriate. They also supply commercial games for real money, so if you like the free stuff, make sure to give those a look-see. You can print these games, copy them for your friends, and give them to whomever you want as long as…
Have you ever been interested in recording video that’s been magnified a great deal? This can obviously be done with a fancy USB microscope. But what if you already have a spare webcam, and don’t feel like spending the money on something new? That’s when you put your DIY skills to good use. If you already have a webcam, you can go get yourself a small Illuminated Microscope, and attach the cam to it, as per this guide. It will…
When I was a kid, I spent many a summer day mowing my neighbor’s lawn. It was the best way to earn money at that age, but the work was long and tiring. It wasn’t your average suburban lawn, but one that spanned a few acres. One of the most annoying things was when the blades would get gummed up with grass, which forced me to stop and turn the mower over to clean it out. If you’re looking for…
Hot glue guns are one of the most useful tools to have around if you do any sort of DIY craft projects. In a pinch, a dab of hot glue can make a world of difference. However, it’s not always easy to find the sticks in the right color. Usually you’re just stuck with the boring clear stuff, which can stick out like a sore thumb if you’re not careful. Wouldn’t it be great if you could make your own…
I’m the kind of geek that likes to sit around and pass the time with my friends by playing games like D&D and Magic. While playing video games is great fun, nothing is quite so social as a table top game. And nothing gets a geek’s heart pounding like the roll of a dice. I’ve seen some pretty cool custom die, and thought about how awesome it would be to make my own, but since I lack a laser engraver,…
When you’re watching a movie or TV show and you see the camera slowly pan across the screen, you’ll notice how smoothly the camera moves. Now when you try recreating this with your own video camera, you’ve no doubt noticed that your movements are much rockier. The reason for this is that the professionals actually use a track system to move the camera very precisely. Naturally, this sort of thing is rather expensive, unless you go the DIY route. A…
Riding a bike can be a lot of fun, especially on a nice day. However, there are times when you just need to get from point A to point B in as little time as possible. If you’d like to occasionally speed up your trip while still making it on two wheels, why not add a motor to your bike? For $120, you can add a gas-powered engine to your favorite mountain bike. You’ll only need 2-3 hours and some…
If you’ve ever been to a military surplus store (or actually served in the military), you’ve probably seen MRE’s. These are �Meals Ready to Eat� (thus the abbreviation), which consist of foods that can be stored for long periods of time and eaten without the need to add anything to them except water. I have a friend who used to bring these on camping trips, and the food actually isn’t that bad. Thus, having some on hand in case of…
