01/06/17: Updated my pages on the LM317 regulator with info on corresponding circuits using the LM337 negative regulator. See here and here.
29/04/17: HP1345A vector display font added to the single-line font page
29/03/17: I was able to measure the displacement amplitude on my ultrasonic horn
21/02/17: I've at last made a video on ultrasonic transducers - how to measure them and design suitable horns. Check down the bottom of the page.
16/12/16: Zodiac Tiles - ceramic tiles featuring characters from the Chinese Zodiac
20/06/16: Valved top for drinks bottle
07/06/16: Drawing the Lorenz attractor in Rhinoscript and using a UV laser on the AxiDraw to expose Cyanotype paper
01/06/16: Big update! Linear power-supply potentiometer feedback, LM317 adjustable current source/regulator, AxiDraw laser cutting/light painting/phosphorescent vinyl, and drawing the Lorenz attractor on the AxiDraw, also using light painting and glow in the dark vinyl.
30/05/16: Vacuum cleaner motor commutator cleaning
11/05/16: Modifying a 12V power supply to give an adjustable 5-15V output
18/03/16: Review of Arachnid Labs' miniature M3 angle brackets
21/02/16: Asteroids font added to the big list of single-line fonts
27/12/15: Sliding bandsaw table
29/11/15: UV quartz sleeve - good source of large-diameter quartz tubing
02/11/15: Cutting rubber tubing on the lathe with a razor blade
25/09/15: Shredder adjustment screw repair
24/09/15: Hot-foil machine, grinding disc arbor for Sherline, grinding a D reamer on the lathe, and a SSR relay switched mains socket
17/09/15: Low-profile knurled thumbscrews (rope knurl)
30/08/15: Some photos of the valve added to the page on the petrol to steam conversion
20/08/15: Macro photography stand
01/08/15: Powder coating capped starlock washers - a better example of the process. Hot-melt glue as a strain relief.
13/07/15: Freeze frame effect
09/07/15: Arbor press ram machining - sprucing up a cheap 1-ton arbor press
06/07/15: Current-fed inverter advantages for induction heating
30/03/15: Injection mould for belt tensioners, split clamps for lathe work
27/02/15: Celtic/Pictish circuit board coasters!
23/02/15: Bottoming tap modifications
14/02/15: Eccentric turning using two chucks
03/02/15: Summary of lots of single-line engraving fonts
09/01/15: Accurately measuring lathe topslide angle. I've put the RSS feed back again since, according to my logs, quite a few people were using it after all! I've also added CSS and XSL stylesheets to the RSS file, following the fantastic guide here, to make the feed display nicely in a browser.
02/01/15: Tube swaging drawbench
22/12/14: Gate drive transformer testing. I've ditched the RSS feed - you can use Twitter to keep up to date with what's new on the website.
07/10/14: Oscilloscope probe contact tips
28/09/14: Telescoping bore gauge
25/09/14: Height setting gauge for the laser cutter, extending a lens tube
19/09/14: Some measurements of the efficiency of hard drive mirrors
18/09/14: Using hard drive platters as mirrors for a CO2 laser cutter
17/09/14: Making knurled thumbscrews from standard socket-head hex cap screws
16/09/14: Calculating the force exerted by a band clamp
06/09/14: Clamp-type shaft coupler
29/08/14: Repairing a threaded hole in aluminium
26/07/14: Planetary multiturn potentiometer
25/06/14: 6mm single-tooth broach cutter, more Taylor Swift "The Giver" trailer screencaps
12/06/14: The end of the RED tour
09/06/14: USB connector panel insulator
07/06/14: Miniature tube drill for broken screw removal
01/06/14: Old TV tube neck assembly
28/05/14: Digigrams packing puzzle, Sherline chuck arbor
18/05/14: Solvent spray fireball
30/04/14: Air-gap flash photos of air gun pellet + optical sensor
27/04/14: Adjustable microscope eyepiece holder
11/04/14: Sidebar adverts have been removed since they had been killing the website visits. Apologies to anyone who was annoyed by them!
20/03/14: Mitutoyo SPC readout, Taylor Swift $13 bill, Taylor Swift frames from "The Giver" trailer
17/03/14: Converting an IKEA LED lamp into a microscope lamp
09/03/14: Flicker LED macro photos
06/03/14: Added an RSS feed. Updates will now go on both the news page and the RSS feed.
20/02/14: Laser-cut flexure translation stage
06/02/14: Inductor design (energy-storage types)
31/01/14: Brushless motor driver for hard drive motors
19/01/14: Magnetron sputtering gun plasma
15/01/14: Damping grease demonstration
13/01/14: How to grip threaded retaining rings and a tool for holding DC jacks while tightening.
10/01/14: Using WM_COPYDATA messages to transfer data between applications, X-ray image of my hand
20/12/13: Geiger-Müller tube detector circuit, nail clipper wire strippers.
15/12/13: RMS and average values of waveforms
12/12/13: High-current shunt resistor
09/12/13: Molybdenum disulfide laser marking
08/12/13: Glow discharge in acrylic channels - solving the shortest-path problem
06/12/13: X-ray of IKEA "wood"
05/12/13: A better electric hotplate
04/12/13: Procedural Rhino texture, laser-engraved instrument panel
26/11/13: PCB drilling video
25/11/13: Desoldering using a custom brass "iron" and desoldering an SOIC chip
22/11/13: IC decapping
20/11/13: Added a quick video of applying solder paste to the pick-and-place page, some links on the inductor tester page, and chopping up a halogen bulb to get the quartz tubing.
19/11/13: Thin diamond saw
19/11/13: Laser wire stripping
17/11/13: LED ring light for mill
10/11/13: Pick-and-place CNC router conversion
07/11/13: Measuring CO2 laser tube current and voltage
15/09/13: Video of the petrol to "steam" engine conversion, laser-cut transformer bobbin
01/09/13: Finding window handles
23/08/13: Bench punch leverage measurement
18/08/13: Film capacitor dissection, resonant charging equations, and focus stacking.
13/08/13: A better ICSP adapter and also a pogo-pin programming jig. Imitation Mitutoyo dial test indicator.
27/07/13: Lawnmower repair
19/07/13: Put a "latest updates" scrollbox on the front page. Modified the stylesheet slightly so that the header and navigation bar are now hidden when you print the page. Added thumbnails for the different page categories.
04/07/13: Webcam crosshairs using Processing
22/06/13: Garage tour
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.
