News

15/06/13: Salvaging ferrite transformer cores

07/06/13: Plastic optical fiber fittings, translating text files with Google Chrome, single file PHP gallery.

19/05/13: Bursting speed of rotating disc, read-modify-write problem

14/05/13: Another example of a toner-transfer PCB

03/05/13: Thermal measurement of laser power

31/03/13: High-speed photodiode

22/03/13: Making PCBs, flyback high voltage supply

18/03/13: Split clamp handle and Android tablet info

10/03/13: Nails as tommy bars

10/02/13: Online calculators added

04/02/13: Test indicator contact bar tip

25/01/13: Sherline coolant tray

24/01/13: Added photo of using the magnetic arm to hold a magnifying lens. High-value resistor mixture.

23/01/13: Displaying monospaced code in the <pre> tag. Added list of ultrasonic suppliers to the ultrasonic driver page.

21/01/13: Vacuum hold downs

20/01/13: Magnetic indicator arm, Rhino DXF export schemes

15/01/13: Rotary slit scanning

07/01/13: Powder coating

20/12/12: Video of Mandelbrot set zoom added to page on distance estimation methods

12/12/12: Links page

25/11/12: Distance estimation methods

21/11/12: Basic calculator program and electric hotplate.

20/11/12: Sharpening a tap

12/11/12: Load resistance on PIC programming pin

21/10/12: Adding a TTL output to the laser cutter. Video of glass lathe running added to the glass lathe page.

17/10/12: Electric field plotter software

12/10/12: Warning note about driving larger ultrasonic transducers

11/10/12: Turning between centers and hot air pencil

02/10/12: Reason for dip in expansion curve added to solder glass page

01/10/12: Fixing a thermal cutout in a desk lamp transformer and Sherline spindle drawbar remover

30/09/12: CRT stem pin holder

23/09/12: Warning about grounding laser diode added to UV laser diode page.

21/09/12: Small variac transformers

20/09/12: How adding noise and averaging can increase ADC resolution. Brandenburg flyback transformer.

19/09/12: More photos of an Edwards glass lathe

16/09/12: Using a webcam in VB6

09/09/12: Changed the appearance slightly (background, centered body, and rounded corners). PCB via size test.

04/09/12: Inductor properties vs. turns and air gap

03/09/12: Using external coil with induction cooker

31/08/12: Gamepad controller for mill. Links page.

29/08/12: Infrared projector lashup and series HV trigger

28/08/12: Removing my old number board from behind the wall

23/08/12: Wire butt welder

22/08/12: UV laser diode. Myst game Selenitic Age mazerunner map.

13/08/12: Triggered spark gap. Added years to the category pages to sort things out a bit. More links and another knurl example on the rope knurling tool page.

10/08/12: Soft drink bottle top thread size

08/08/12: High-voltage diode stack

02/08/12: Bench punch

15/07/12: Wide-range pulse generator and inductor tester

06/07/12: Added where to get needles for the micro gas torch.

05/07/12: Hot air gun circuit and operation

30/06/12: Large resistor and IC models.

24/06/12: Punch and die set for washers

16/06/12: Modifying a rotary switch for 1-pole 12-way operation

15/06/12: Mapping Num Lock key to a comma

10/06/12: Extruding solder wire with the hydraulic press. Taking shadow-free photos.

09/06/12: Useful suppliers spreadsheet. Example of knurled knob added to rope knurl page. Hydraulic press.

11/04/12: Swarf guard and travelling steady

05/04/12: Card creasing punch

30/03/12: Added video of laser engraving and cutting card

29/03/12: Example of laser-engraved anodised aluminium added to laser cutting pages

27/03/12: Better example added to the page on the double sided exposure alignment jig

23/03/12: Resistor colour code chart

08/03/12: Miniature rope knurling tool

01/03/12: Capacitive high voltage probe

18/02/12: DIY diecutting and making curpous oxide

11/02/12: 40-400V power supply

07/02/12: Magnetron launcher and removing ground connection from a site transformer

27/01/12: Shop added with my first product!

23/01/12: Sandblasting glass

18/01/12: Single-arm water manometer

17/01/12: Propane burner furnace, making a split mould ring for a tile press, storage drawer retainers.

12/12/11: Laser-cut happy Mac (bottom of page)

05/12/11: Faulty PCB pin header connectors

04/12/11: Bayonet bulb plug adapter

24/11/11: SOT23-6 adapter boards

18/11/11: TV CRT socket

16/11/11: The photos of my jamjar Panaplex display were used in the countdown clock at the Nerd New Year event in Redwood City, CA. For more info, see http://www.phantomgalleries.com/SJ/2011/11/carter_needs_your_numbers.html and http://nerdnewyear.com/.

05/11/11: Another example of using solder glass powder (see bottom of page)

27/10/11: ICSP adapter for EasyPIC5

19/10/11: Current-sense resistor and potentiometer end-stop modification.

18/10/11: How to do simple animations in Rhino 3D

24/09/11: Changed the logo to a new style

21/09/11: Uses for disposable syringes

20/09/11: Dismantling a freewheel cogset

15/09/11: Machinable wax. Trick of using the carriage DRO to measure tailstock travel. Using bicycle sprockets. Cheap bevel/mitre gears. Air atomising nozzle.

11/08/11: Flexible shaft coupling

31/08/11: A few explanatory photos added to the lathe DRO page

26/08/11: Lathe quick change toolpost

22/08/11: Surface mount adapter boards, PowerPAD heatsink, surface mount component soldering arm, PCB drilling viewer, Excel interpolation wizard, aligning successive cuts with laser cutter.

27/07/11: Anodising aluminium

23/07/11: Lathe DRO

21/07/11: Updated the page on solder glass to include dilatometry results and a full explanation of what's happening.

18/06/11: Manual orbital TIG welding

14/06/11: Laser wood burn examples. High-temperature strain patterns added to the solder glass page.

11/06/11: Test samples added to solder glass page. TIG welder arc lamp attachment.

10/06/11: Running a mercury arc lamp from a TIG welder and spark radiation detector.

08/06/11: More examples of electrolytic etching. Power ultrasonic driver and ultrasonic drilling. Americium 241 source holder.

27/05/11: TIG footswitch and timer. Two more pictures added to reed switch wires as glass-metal seals.

21/05/11: Webcam crosshairs/alignment software and hardware. Excellon to G-code converter.

16/05/11: Added a better video of cutting glass tubing in the lathe

15/05/11: Ribbon burner for the micro torch

12/05/11: HV trigger and capacitor dumper

11/05/11: Added some better photos of the glass lathe

03/05/11: Link to Adams & Chittenden's video of cutting glass tubing added to cutting glass tubing page.

27/04/11: Mirror of a page on a home-built TIG welder. Also electric melting furnace, Planté rheostatic machine and a dual-spindle glass lathe.

13/04/11: Added example of joining a CRT stem using solder glass

05/04/11: Added stuff on cutting mica, engraved wooden boxes, and protecting wooden surfaces to the laser cutting examples page

27/03/11: Using solder glass

23/03/11: Electrolytic etching and a better 3V supply for my digital camera.

14/03/11: Pulse arc welding using TIG torch

10/03/11: Custom text discharge tube

09/03/11: Digital camera spectroscope

24/02/11: New valve on vacuum filling manifold. Added an example of sealing a reed-switch wire to glass tubing. Page on double-sided exposure alignment jig

07/02/11: Page on vacuum filling manifold

25/01/11: Added page on digital Kirlian photography.

21/12/10: Added the bit about my CO2 lasers from the Physics Dept. newsletter to the homebuilt CO2 lasers page. Added old page on the oscillating mercury drop.

16/12/10: Moved the page on cutting glass tubing in the lathe to the Workshop section

14/12/10: Finally uploaded the old pages on my homebuilt CO2 lasers

13/12/10: Changed the logo text from Century Gothic to Papyrus (download the Papyrus font here)

07/12/10: Page on a rotary valve steam engine

06/12/10: Page on converting a petrol engine to a steam engine

05/12/10: Pages on Stuart Turner 10V steam engine, Roberts boiler and prismatic rings

04/12/10: Added new page on an air inlet guide for the laser cutter

03/12/10: Old pages on Zeeman effect, sodium street lamp and my very first ever webpage on a copper pipe spudgun. Also page on uranium marbles.

30/11/10: Uploaded old pages on the fusor and my first "neon" sign.

25/11/10: New page on the second Panaplex display!

23/11/10: Added a "favicon" to the site

20/11/10: Thermionic emission, Thin-film thermopile and helical gear

19/11/10: Stainless-steel bellows, reed switch wires as glass-metal seals and diffusion-pumped vacuum system

17/11/10: Added a video to the Houskeeper seal page. New page on high-current feedthroughs.

16/11/10: Cutting glass tubing on the lathe

14/11/10: CNC coil winder, induction cooker, capacitance manometer dissection and simple HV feedthrough

04/11/10: Degassing chamber

31/10/10: RF CO₂ laser head and spot welder

30/10/10: Page on LTD Stirling engine.

27/10/10: Page on copper tubing pinch-off tool.

22/10/10: Added pages on micro gas torch and laser-cut solder paste stencil.

21/10/10: Uploaded the old pages on the CO2 laser cutter. The Panaplex display has been mentioned in the Make Magazine blog!

19/10/10: Pages on Panaplex display and LED mounted on conductive glass.

18/10/10: Page on Houskeeper Seals.

07/10/10: Added page on Nixie counter.

06/10/10: New site (v7) constructed using lots of nice CSS. Added page on AA battery eliminator.