Posts tagged: hack
How To Boost Your WiFi With a Soda Can.
By Chrisjob Extend the range of your wireless router for free with this handy video.
DIY Sprinkler (Using Recycled Materials)!
By ChrisjobI recently was given several boxes of ball-point pens, so here's the first of several projects towards their re-use.
Materials:
1 20oz plastic bottle with cap
1 universal male hose attachment (about $1.25 at the hardware store)
15 used ball point pens
Plumbing contact adhesive and sealant (such as Plumbing Amazing Goop)
Electric drill
3/8” drill bit
5/8” (or other) spade bit
Calipers or measuring tape
Utility » READ MORE
The DIY Wallet Revolution.
By ChrisjobBlack leather just don't cut it no more. You can make your own wallet, and do so out of recycled materials.
DIYLife has assembled some of the best how-tos from around the 'net.
- The Duct Tape Wallet
- The Plastic Bag Wallet
- The Playing Card Wallet
- The Soy Milk Carton Wallet
- The Cassette Tape Wallet
- The Paper Wallet
22 Alternative Uses for Petroleum Jelly.
By ChrisjobAccording to Wikipedia:
"The raw material for petroleum jelly was discovered in 1859 in Titusville, Pennsylvania where it was stuck to some of the first oil rigs in the U.S. The workers disliked the paraffin like material because it caused the rigs to seize up, but they used it on cuts and burns because it hastened healing. Robert Chesebrough, a young chemist whose previous work of distilling fuel from the oil of sperm whales had been rendered obs » READ MORE
Bicycle Lawnmowers.
By ChrisjobWhat a brilliant idea. And apparently, all sorts of people have imagined a bicycle/lawnmower combo, and had the skills to make one.
Treehugger has assembled a fine collection:
Ikea Hackers are Famous.
By ChrisjobPenelope Green of the New York Times published an article on Thursday about the burgeoning collective of Ikea Hackers- those whom create new items out of the inexpensive materials from the Scandanavian design giant. Readymade magazine, Make, and Etsy also get a bit of coverage.
Links:
All Sorts of Surprising Uses For Aspirin.
By ChrisjobHere's 10 non-pain killing or anti-flammatorying uses for aspirin from my new favorite site, Gomestic. It's potency comes from the salicylic acid in its makeup.
- Remove sweat stains from t-shirts
- Restore hair damaged by chlorine
- Pimple First Aid
- Keep cut flowers fresh
- Treat dandruff
- Ease mosquito bites and bee stings
- Treat fungal soil infections
- Prevent fungus in compost
- Remove grass and nicotine stains from hands
Additionally, the posts in the comments se » READ MORE
Bike Pedal Powered Washing Machine
By ChrisjobRide on over to Homeless Dave's website and check out how he built a manual clothes washer out of a bicycle and an actual washing machine.
DIY Microwave Popcorn.
By Chrisjob Store-bought microwave popcorn is kinda nasty: it tastes processed, gritty, and generally nothing like popcorn. Plus, when you can make your own, it becomes overpriced, and unnecessary. When one doesn’t have the time during a commercial break to stand in front of the stove shaking for seven or eight minutes, DIY microwave popcorn is a totally usable alternative that puts that toxic, yellow sludge-covered stuff to shame.
Ingredients:
A brown paper » READ MORE
25 Alternative Uses for Olive Oil.
By ChrisjobNutritionists will continue to tout olive oil for its high content of healthful, monounsaturated fats, like oleic acid, and polyphenols. The fruit oil practically propelled the entire Western world in antiquity, and is mentioned in nearly every sacred text this side of the Tigris and Euphrates. As a cooking fat, it’s high up on the heart-smart list…which works out, ‘cause it tastes darn good.
Keep Your Garlic Fresh with a DIY Garlic Keeper
By Chrisjob
These little guys are pretty cool: they’re designed to keep fresh garlic, well, fresh. Garlic should be stored in a cool, dry place (like in a cabinet, not the refrigerator). Presumably, using a close terra cotta container keeps out light, and the unglazed ceramic surface absorbs moisture- all of which can double the shelf life of your garlic.
And they cost 5 dollars. You can build one for less than 1 dollar. Your choice- but either way, use » READ MORE
Say Goodbye to Clumpy, Hard Brown Sugar (for 30 cents)
By Chrisjob
Brown sugar gets hard. And crusty. And crumbly. And eventually unusable.
So, some genius Canadians came up with this adorable option: a bear-shaped chunk of terra cotta that keeps your brown sugar pliable and granulated.
And at the best price of three dollars (plus shipping), it’s a pretty good deal. But three dollars is three dollars, and when you can DIY one for 29 cents, you could better spend the remaining $2.70 on something else, perhaps pos » READ MORE
Create a pizza oven for $5.00!
By ChrisjobTraditional bread and pizza ovens feature stone or brick floors (and walls), which retain heat and redistribute it evenly across the cooking surface. The intense and immediate heat from the preheated stone surface allows the dough to become crispy while maintaining a delightfully chewy texture.
To replicate this at home, one could spend $2,000-13,000 and buy a proper wood burning pizza oven, il forno di pizza. A more popular route is to p » READ MORE
Barcelona Cushion Clock [Hackable for sure]
By ChrisjobIt's about time for the Barcelona Cushion Clock from MonkeyNose:
Picture Hanger Hack
By DIY Maven
Have you ever wanted to hang some art that didn’t have a hanger on the back? If you drink soda pop from a can, you’re covered. Just wiggled the tab back and forth until it pops off the can. Using a small nail, nail the tab onto the back of your frame. I used two, one tab nailed to each side, of my latest project. You’ll want to bend the tabs a bit, either before you nail them down or after. I did so after with the help of a screwdriver slippe » READ MORE
Scandinavian Design Center Hack?
By DIY Maven
Check out Queenie, a bed ‘gable’ made of Plexi glass, available through Scandinavian Design Center. At about 320 bucks, it’s not terribly expensive, but for a fraction of the cost, the look could be easily replicated out of a piece of MDF and a jigsaw. Yes?
