Category Archives: Hobby

Workshop Cyanotype

The cyanotype (from Ancient Greek kuáneos, “dark blue” and túpos, “mark, impression, type”) is a slow-reacting, photographic printing technique. It produces a cyan-blue print used for art as monochrome imagery applicable on a range of supports, and for reprography in the form of blueprints. For any purpose, the process usually uses two chemicals: ferric ammonium citrate or ferric ammonium oxalate, and potassium ferricyanide, and only water to develop and fix. Announced in 1842, it is still in use.

This technique was also used as a method of copying drawings.
For example buildings and schematics. While making copies of drawings with the exact dimensions of the original, making the result untemperable was another big plus. ( You could not move/redraw walls for example on the copy)

I’ve printed a photo on transparant sheets to experiment with.
(Next time, i’ll take a larger size, and fix the contrast.

The most interesting ones i’ve made today:

Hidden remotes

While having a lot automated, and controllable via apps, we sometimes need the remotes (TV/Chromecast/Mediacenter/etc)

They are always … gone, lost.

So i made a little wooden thingamajig, which is hidden behind our couch.
Maybe an idea also useful for you?

The gap between, the couch and the wall is there because of airflow and the skirting boards.

When looking from a normal perspective, you can’t see them.
(I still have to paint them in the same color as our wall)

In the wooden compartments is some bubble wrap plastic.
It has long “feet” so i can position it anywhere.

On the sides are power outlets for laptops, and usb charging cables.

Not much new

Last days .. welllll doing al kinds of stuff.

Composite video print designed and ordered from china.

Changed some vlans in my network.
I need to think of a way to extract/migrate domoticz 433 info into a new instance.
For example .. i’ve got some instances in my device list which are only being controlled by domoticz, there is no remote i can reuse.

Tried welding again, because i could not do it for a long time, i noticed i have to practice again after 2 years.
(I’ve got a dedicated power outlet outside now .. 🙂

Last 8mm films work done. (Converted all of my dad’s old 8mm reels)

Designed a hidden remote cabinet, holding remotes out of sight for the occasions when automation doesn’t work.

Designed also a wooden wall with hidden cabinets in our bedroom.

Repaired a Gardena Leafblower .. again!

Hedgehog home webcam

A while ago i made a little hedgehog home, so i bought a little ipcam from china .. It should be able to run for a while on a little lipo battery.

And yes we’ve got one in our garden, sometimes he hides under our patio.

So lets see if this cam is useful.

Diorama’s progress

I like to work on mini models and diorama’s.
The fine miniature work helps me relax, it’s a zen moment for me.

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Workbench outside

One of the first designs of the workbench i made in blender.

I wanted to have a big workbench outside, which must at least have:

  • Wheels to move it around
  • Storage space
  • Place to put my tablesaw and miter saw
  • Electrical outlets
  • Adjustable in height, using a car-jack!
  • Large working space
    • Without holes, because it would be nice to use the table for boardgames!

So in 2021 i came up with this:

Got some wood deliverd and start working on it in may 2022

Today

Wooden structure below i can put stuff on i don’t use. It can be used as separate low working space.

Oak island

I was about 16 when i first read about Oak Island, it was the first book posted below (it’s from 1979 and i still got it, it already was a few years old before i got it.). It was mysterious and about a place that still existed and i never forgot about it in all those years.

I even wanted to build a model to understand how it could have worked, with the drain system and the ‘boobystraps’.

In 2014 a series started on History Canada about trying to solve this mystery.
I still watch it whenever a new episode is posted.

A few years back i’ve been playing with Unity and Unreal. I’m really a beginner, but it would be nice if some community effort was made to get a Oak Island in a game engine where you can explore some of the things they found.

Another book i got some years later.

Garden mapping using triangulation

Inkscape and some measurements.
Use some control points to check for deviation.
Choosing bigger distances gives greater accuracy!
Add radius of trees to your measurements

Inkscape gives you length and angle degrees.
Check your measurements : https://www.calculator.net/triangle-calculator.html

My Electronics Lab

Update: 20220829 – Microscope G1200

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Tools:

Bought some boxes for chips