Useful tools Options

[SIMJEDI]

Searching tip.

Finding things can be made easier if you use an outside search engine like Google or whatever else one you prefer.

For example, if you want to find every time a word like "HTPC" is mentioned type this in:
htpc site:lumenlab.com

Hope this helps.


peace

This post has been edited by SIMJEDI: Jun 20 2005, 02:53 AM

[pjgibbs]

some tips on grinding drills to cut acrylic

http://www.plasticsmag.com/features.asp?fIssue=Sep/Oct-01

[jasonx]

need a table saw ?
got a circular saw ?
then build a improvised table saw


i used this to cut groves to mount my fresnels
BUT PLEASE BE CAREFULL YOU WONT ENJOY YOUR NEW PROJECTOR WITH NO FINGERS !

This post has been edited by jasonx: Jun 26 2005, 11:34 PM

[JZONE]

Thanks Rorshack, for this 'tool.'  I can't cut straight even with a table saw, so maybe this tool (aka clamped board) will do the trick for me.  This should work with Jig/Sabre saws as well, any saw with a base/foot on it. 

An addition to this setup would be to screw a piece of hard board to the bottom of the board, then make one cut with your saw using the board as a guide like you normally would. Now you can just line up the hard board edge to the cut marks on the piece you are cutting so you no longer have to measure back to place the board. I made an 8 footer and a 4 footer.

[makey]

I don't know if you could consider the following a tool, more like a callibration screen:
http://www.diybeamer.ch/portal/downloads.php
It may help if you want compare standard screen pics as opposed to movie clips (which I must say look fantastic on the projectors here)

[JimDandy]

Thanks Rorshack, for this 'tool.'  I can't cut straight even with a table saw, so maybe this tool (aka clamped board) will do the trick for me.  This should work with Jig/Sabre saws as well, any saw with a base/foot on it. 

An addition to this setup would be to screw a piece of hard board to the bottom of the board, then make one cut with your saw using the board as a guide like you normally would. Now you can just line up the hard board edge to the cut marks on the piece you are cutting so you no longer have to measure back to place the board. I made an 8 footer and a 4 footer.

This suggestion is the most important thing in the world! I have made such a "slide" for my cirular saw and beleive me! the cuts that are made from such a tool are amazing( no kidding) and set up time is cut in third!

[pantagruel]

Here is something that might help some people out.

It's a very small program (78K) that converts from one type of measurment to another. No installation to do, just the executable. Personally I've found it a very handy program to have. This is ver. 4.0 and there is a 5.0 but it has a advertisment kind of theme going on, so I stick w/ 4.0. Here's a quote.

some people might like to try the Frink programming language
http://futureboy.homeip.net/frinkdocs/#Conversions

as noted in the above link, enter 38 feet -> meters in the shell and it will return 11.5824, I find it useful when I have a bunch of calculations to run.

[trouble]

Not to overdo a great idea, but here are a few more tricks to making a strait-edge for a skil saw:




Insted of making the strait edge out of a board, since even the best board can be warped, make the whole thing out of plywood. The mill cut edge of a piece of plywood is VERY strait, and will not warp over time like even the best board can.

Make the first cut about 3-4" wide and as strait as possible. The next cut will be as wide as your saw base + the width of the first cut. Lay the first cut strip on top of the wider strip with the factory edge oriented as to be used as the guide. Glue and screw the two pieces together, as mentioned before, and when dry lay your saw on the guide edge and cut the final edge. This will ensure that you have an uber strait cut, that won't warp with time.

Other tips:

-If you find that clamps get in the way of your saw, and one side of your project will be hidden (i.e. the inside of your pj), drill a few pilot holes the length of the board about 1ft apart in the guide section. This way you can use 1-1/4" drywall screws to secure the guide to the workpiece, without them getting in the way.

-You can cut the pieces out of the plywood either lengthwise or widthwise to make different sized guides.

-Use pre-laminated shelving (the kind that has a plastic like laminate) to make your guide. The laminate will make your saw slide as if it were on Teflon!

Good luck, and I hope this helps.

-Dave

[Durachko]

I find these to be incredibly handy.

 nibbler.gif ( 12.98K ) Number of downloads: 81

[trouble]

I find these to be incredibly handy.

 nibbler.gif ( 12.98K ) Number of downloads: 81

Do those work well with norpo reflectors? Or are they only good with flat surfaces?

[Durachko]

Do those work well with norpo reflectors? Or are they only good with flat surfaces?

I have never had a norpro in my hands but these will work with non-planar surfaces to some extent. I've used them on stuff that's a bit curved. You'd want to attack something curved from the convex side. I see no reason you couldn't nibble something very convex. They just take teeny little nibbles out of the metal so can be somewhat tedious to use.

This post has been edited by Durachko: Mar 2 2006, 08:50 PM

[tameone]

An easy way to calculate screen dimensions when you know the diagonal. This method works for every ratio 16:9, 5:4, 4:3, etc.

This doesn't take a math wiz to derive, but it's good to keep handy

To solve the equation, use the following calculator http://www.hostsrv.com/webmab/app1/MSP/qui...ve&s3=basic

enter:

screen size = sqrt( (x^2) + ((x*ratio)^2))


when solved for X, you have the verticle dimension of the screen. multiple this value by the ratio to get the horozontal value.

Example

a 100" 4:3 screen. enter 100 = sqrt( (x^2) + ((x*4/3)^2))

the result will be x = 60. multiple 60 by 4/3 and you get 80. the dimensions of a 100" 4:3 screen are 80x60"

[bbob88]

for cutting circular holes, for this project and any others, this works well for me.

Attach a piece of metal strap ~@1cm wide and as long as you need to your jigsaw. You may need to modify the jigsaw base a bit to get the metal to fit and still keep the base of the jigsaw flat, some drilling and or filing may be required. Mount it as close to the sawblade as possible.

Whenever you need to cut a circle, drill a hole in the strap this distance of the radius of the desired circle from the blade (or just predrill the strap with a bunch of holes .5 cm apart before you mount it), drill a starting pilot hole in the wood for the blade to begin (indside the circle obviously) and manually jig-cut until you get on the circumference of the circle. (you may need some sort of compass/pencil here to find a small arc of the circumference to target)

nail the strap to the target wood at the desired centre of the circle and let it guide you around, cutting a perfect circle.

I have seen people use string instead of a metal strap, but the you are responsible for angling the jigsaw correctly. Imo, the string method is inferior to just compassing a line and following it manually.

I used this method to make some really nice speakers, cutting holes that look perfectly machined.

This works well for the fan openings, and perhaps for the lens opening, but there is a limit to how small a circle you can cut with this method.

Make sure and use a scrolling blade in the saw also (less that .5 cm wide)

hope this helps!

sg.

The same thing can be done with a router. Take a piece of metal (or wood might work, I never tried) about 1/4" thick, as wide as the base plate on your router, and as long as the radius of your router's base plate plus the radius of the largest hole you plan to cut, plus a few extra inches to accomodate the nail and added width of the router bit.

Next, remove the base plate of your router and place it on top of the end of your piece of metal. Trace the screw holes and the center hole (for the router bit) from the base onto the metal. Drill out the holes and attach your router. Then drill the holes for the nails, put in a small straight router bit, and you are ready to go.

This way you don't have to worry about anything but spinning the router around the nail, and it should be faster than a jig saw. I never tried making a small hole with this. It may be tricky.

Tips:
The smaller the bit (diameter) the better.
If possible, use a plunge router.
DON'T FORGET THE SIZE OF THE ROUTER BIT WHEN FIGURING OUT THE RADIUS OF THE CUT!!!

This post has been edited by bbob88: Jul 15 2006, 07:09 PM

[monopole]

For measuring the front and back focal lengths of large projection lenses.

Get a crosshatch or cross beam laser level (very handy in any case for alignment)
Using a front surface mirror align the laser level and mirror such that the reflection of the projected cross is centered on the laser output of the level.
Now place the lens in between the mirror and the level with the front facing the laser. Center and level the lens so that the reflection of the cross is once again centered on the laser emmitter. Now slide the lens until the cross pattern focuses to the smallest point possible. The distance between the lens and the laser is the front focal length for the lens. Reverse the lens and repeat the process for the back focal length.

[korndog]

a quick easy conversion to remember is 1"=25.4mm

(edited by dazzzla)

[Durachko]

The price of a non-contact thermometer has finally hit my price range. Harbor Freight is selling a Cen-Tech unit for $9.99 right now. Item 93983-1CJB (later you may want to try 93983-1VGA). I think I'll pick one up. Here it be:
 cheap_therm.gif ( 9.77K ) Number of downloads: 56

[pcpro_guy]

Not to overdo a great idea, but here are a few more tricks to making a strait-edge for a skil saw:


Insted of making the strait edge out of a board, since even the best board can be warped, make the whole thing out of plywood. The mill cut edge of a piece of plywood is VERY strait, and will not warp over time like even the best board can.

Make the first cut about 3-4" wide and as strait as possible. The next cut will be as wide as your saw base + the width of the first cut. Lay the first cut strip on top of the wider strip with the factory edge oriented as to be used as the guide. Glue and screw the two pieces together, as mentioned before, and when dry lay your saw on the guide edge and cut the final edge. This will ensure that you have an uber strait cut, that won't warp with time.

Other tips:

-If you find that clamps get in the way of your saw, and one side of your project will be hidden (i.e. the inside of your pj), drill a few pilot holes the length of the board about 1ft apart in the guide section. This way you can use 1-1/4" drywall screws to secure the guide to the workpiece, without them getting in the way.

-You can cut the pieces out of the plywood either lengthwise or widthwise to make different sized guides.

-Use pre-laminated shelving (the kind that has a plastic like laminate) to make your guide. The laminate will make your saw slide as if it were on Teflon!

Good luck, and I hope this helps.

-Dave

A square or a T square work good too.you cn get one at a picture frame store with a stop adj.. for about 10.00 at Micheals or at an art store..