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I'm working on cleaning up an old traffic signal my Dad had from his days installing traffic signals a long long time ago. It's in decent shape I think and he had wired it to plug into a normal 110 outlet, but it has a manual 3-way switch on the back to control the lights and being a huge goon I really want to rewire it to be controlled with a raspberry pi so I can turn the lights on/off through a webpage. The problem is I'm not knowledgable at all when it comes to electrial wiring and my Dad isn't around anymore to give me some direction. Anyone know of any good places to start reading up on basic wiring/electric work? I found this guy's blog about getting it hooked up to the RasPi, so I'm probably good on that front aside from figuring out how to hook up the relay and make sure I don't burn my house down. Also, anyone have any ideas on how to clean up the middle and bottom sections? They are a little scuffed up, but they have a brushed aluminum texture and I'm pretty sure taking a dremel to it with a wire brush will just ruin the texture. Pic for your trouble, already kinda tore it apart a bit, but it has all the lenses and hoods, they are just dirty from being stored in the garage. 
Tev fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Aug 31, 2016 |
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Aug 31, 2016 22:49
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First Time Caller posted:My wife misses the bus all the time because she has to check her phone over and over again for bus warnings and updates. I wanted to build a simple display that we can put on the coffee table that will just tell her when the next bus comes. I'd actually thought about doing something like this with some small screen that would display my citie's mobile page for our stop but that's way cooler.
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Aug 31, 2016 23:13
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FISHMANPET posted:I'd actually thought about doing something like this with some small screen that would display my citie's mobile page for our stop but that's way cooler. http://github.com/chrisgillis/nextbusclock Here's all the source code and design. I'm working on V2 right now with an ESP-12 that should drastically simplify the circuit, the code, reduce the current draw, and reduce the footprint of the PCB to around 2"x2" or less. Considering changing from 7 segment to backlit LCD because of current draw (have to multiplex both displays so that one segment powered at a time right now) and for the ability to do something more like what you're displaying for rapid transit users where multiple routes stop at a particular location and you can take several of them. (the ability to display the route name + the time and scroll through several would be very useful). ALso considering building in a switch for BART vs MUNI. V2 will also have a webserver you can connect to, so that you're able to configure the stops / locations you want displayed. First Time Caller fucked around with this message at 23:56 on Aug 31, 2016 |
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Aug 31, 2016 23:53
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Working in a stone shop has its perks. I replaced a molded vanity top with a Grigio carnico marble top. It's stone that's been sitting in my shop for about 15 years. I had a bowl left over from a prior job and reused the old faucet. So no cost other than a couple of hours of my time. This picture is from before i set the bowl, that's why you can still see the rim. 
AFewBricksShy fucked around with this message at 02:50 on Sep 1, 2016 |
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Sep 1, 2016 02:47
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AFewBricksShy posted:Working in a stone shop has its perks. That reminds me: I'm looking for some nice countertop for some cabinets going into my wife's office, but the square footage we need is too small for most places to want to actually do something custom, only need about 9 square feet of something nice like a dark quartz or something. So we're looking at hitting up some countertop boneyards. Any tips on finding/working with such a place, since it sounds like you might have insider knowledge?
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Sep 1, 2016 02:53
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Tev posted:I'm working on cleaning up an old traffic signal my Dad had from his days installing traffic signals a long long time ago. It's in decent shape I think and he had wired it to plug into a normal 110 outlet, but it has a manual 3-way switch on the back to control the lights and being a huge goon I really want to rewire it to be controlled with a raspberry pi so I can turn the lights on/off through a webpage. The problem is I'm not knowledgable at all when it comes to electrial wiring and my Dad isn't around anymore to give me some direction. Anyone know of any good places to start reading up on basic wiring/electric work? I found this guy's blog about getting it hooked up to the RasPi, so I'm probably good on that front aside from figuring out how to hook up the relay and make sure I don't burn my house down. Another option to consider is using an esp8266 board. It's a control board with built in wifi that runs the arduino IDE. It could easily run this over a webpage on your local wifi If you use an MQTT system you could even control the lights over the Internet. There's a few instructables on it http://www.instructables.com/howto/Esp8266+switch/ The best thing is the controller is less than tenbux I just finished a project using an esp8266 to control a henhouse door using a phone app if anyone's interested.
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Sep 1, 2016 07:45
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Rapulum_Dei posted:Another option to consider is using an esp8266 board. It's a control board with built in wifi that runs the arduino IDE. It could easily run this over a webpage on your local wifi If you use an MQTT system you could even control the lights over the Internet. There's a few instructables on it http://www.instructables.com/howto/Esp8266+switch/ Thanks! I'll have to check that out.
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Sep 1, 2016 13:48
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I always thought it would be cool to use a crossover somehow hooked up between your audio source and speakers, controlling a a traffic light, so that the bass/mid/treble controls the different lights.
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Sep 1, 2016 14:37
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Bad Munki posted:That reminds me: I'm looking for some nice countertop for some cabinets going into my wife's office, but the square footage we need is too small for most places to want to actually do something custom, only need about 9 square feet of something nice like a dark quartz or something. So we're looking at hitting up some countertop boneyards. Any tips on finding/working with such a place, since it sounds like you might have insider knowledge? I would say your best bet is to find a place that deals with the public (we only deal with general contractors, it saves us a lot of headaches), and ask them if they'd let you take a look through their remnants for a countertop. The easier you make it for them, the cheaper it will be for you. Don't go in expecting to find a specific stone, go in there looking for something you like. Have your confirmed dimensions already, so they don't have to measure them, and assuming it's a top about 4' long by 2'6 wide, try and pick it up and install yourself. The caveat to this is that we don't deal with the public so I can't say for certain, but that's exactly what I'd like to see if we did. Basically you'd be giving them a little bit of shop work with almost no hassle.
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Sep 1, 2016 15:13
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Tev posted:I'm working on cleaning up an old traffic signal my Dad had from his days installing traffic signals a long long time ago. Did you post about this in another thread, maybe a long time ago? In any case it's a neat project.
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Sep 1, 2016 17:56
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Rotten Cookies posted:I always thought it would be cool to use a crossover somehow hooked up between your audio source and speakers, controlling a a traffic light, so that the bass/mid/treble controls the different lights. This is called a light organ
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Sep 1, 2016 18:06
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Happiness Commando posted:This is called a light organ gently caress. That's cool. I figured someone had to have already done it. I didn't know they had a name.
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Sep 1, 2016 19:28
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You sure your dad didn't just steal those? Because the signs are there. 
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Sep 1, 2016 19:47
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wormil posted:Did you post about this in another thread, maybe a long time ago? In any case it's a neat project. I don't think I've posted about it anywhere, I've had it for a few years hoping to fix it up at some point though. Trabant posted:You sure your dad didn't just steal those? Because the signs are there. LOL. He worked as an electrician foreman for a company installing them many years ago, we had a couple of them in our family from the time he worked there, but yeah how *exactly* they were acquired we'll never know.
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Sep 1, 2016 20:54
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Tev posted:I'm working on cleaning up an old traffic signal my Dad had from his days installing traffic signals a long long time ago. It's in decent shape I think and he had wired it to plug into a normal 110 outlet, but it has a manual 3-way switch on the back to control the lights and being a huge goon I really want to rewire it to be controlled with a raspberry pi so I can turn the lights on/off through a webpage. The problem is I'm not knowledgable at all when it comes to electrial wiring and my Dad isn't around anymore to give me some direction. Anyone know of any good places to start reading up on basic wiring/electric work? I found this guy's blog about getting it hooked up to the RasPi, so I'm probably good on that front aside from figuring out how to hook up the relay and make sure I don't burn my house down. This is very easy to do if you grab a relay board and follow a tutorial like this. There is an arduino thread that can probably help.
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Sep 1, 2016 21:03
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Now in PCB form!
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Sep 5, 2016 15:01
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loving rad dude
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Sep 5, 2016 22:10
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First Time Caller posted:Now in PCB form! I know the spaced out board is more expensive, but it really does look clean and neat
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Sep 6, 2016 09:24
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Cumslut1895 posted:I know the spaced out board is more expensive, but it really does look clean and neat It's not even that spaced out for THT stuff.
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Sep 7, 2016 01:18
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TTerrible posted:This is very easy to do if you grab a relay board and follow a tutorial like this. It did end up being really easy, all the electrical and raspi wiring was cake. However, the python script to control the lights running in the browser is pretty much the hardest thing ever. Still haven't figured it out, but I can still turn the lights on/off with my phone by cheating and using SSH. Close enough. Cleaned up pretty nice too. Anyways, here it is all lit up. 
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Sep 7, 2016 20:48
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Tev posted:It did end up being really easy, all the electrical and raspi wiring was cake. However, the python script to control the lights running in the browser is pretty much the hardest thing ever. Still haven't figured it out, but I can still turn the lights on/off with my phone by cheating and using SSH. Close enough. Cleaned up pretty nice too. Anyways, here it is all lit up. Do you have the code online? I can look at it.
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Sep 7, 2016 20:53
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TTerrible posted:Do you have the code online? I can look at it. Nah, it's something to do with the GPIO pins not being accessible by Apache's user, www-data. Not worth the trouble. Thank you for the offer though.
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Sep 7, 2016 20:57
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Tev posted:Nah, it's something to do with the GPIO pins not being accessible by Apache's user, www-data. Not worth the trouble. Thank you for the offer though. No worries! It looks awesome, nice job.
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Sep 7, 2016 21:00
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Tev posted:Nah, it's something to do with the GPIO pins not being accessible by Apache's user, www-data. Not worth the trouble. Thank you for the offer though. You could set up a local service that the Apache user can communicate with. Have a script running (as a user that can access GPIO pins) that listens on port 31337 or something, and the Apache user should be able to connect to localhost:31337 and send messages to that script.
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Sep 7, 2016 21:18
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My neighbors were throwing this bench away so I decided to steal it out of their trash and give it a brief makeover. Whole thing cost about $15, mostly for new galvanized bolts. All the bolts were rusted on so I had to grind them all off.  Took it all apart and sanded everything down.  Painted the ironwork and stained and varnished the slats.  Looks like new. 
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Sep 18, 2016 21:47
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Very nice restoration on the bench.
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Sep 19, 2016 04:41
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I have a project. Bought a house, had an unfinished pole barn on the lot: I want to make it my shop. So I had a slab put in. Cost plenty, but the work is top notch.   I also had some extra slab put off the side, the full 32' length of the barn (plus the 4' footer out front) and 10' wide, going to put a lean-to roof on it and use it for toy storage, welding, etc.  Next up is electric and a door on that open bay. I'm also going to put some braces and flooring across the rafters, that's 7' of open attic height up there that will make for some sweet storage.
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Sep 20, 2016 01:56
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That is gonna be amazing when it's done. I'm pretty jealous.
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Sep 20, 2016 02:12
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A shop like this has been about 15 years in the making. We had finally decided that I would get to build one at our next place, and then this showed up with the structure already in place. Could have been placed a hell of a lot more intelligently, but it'll do.
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Sep 20, 2016 02:15
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I'm jealous, you suck.
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Sep 20, 2016 03:42
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Bad Munki posted:A shop like this has been about 15 years in the making. We had finally decided that I would get to build one at our next place, and then this showed up with the structure already in place. Could have been placed a hell of a lot more intelligently, but it'll do.
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Sep 20, 2016 05:47
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Slugworth posted:Just to troll the thread, I hope you leave it completely empty save a lathe in the middle, and just turn pen blanks for the rest of your life. If he does this, I have a miniature lathe that's perfect for pen turning that I'd be happy to sell for a great price!
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Sep 20, 2016 06:18
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I'm building a bass guitar kit at the moment. It's the second kit I have on the go, and the second I've built. Neither are finished yet. This one came with a fretted neck and I've converted it to fretless by pulling the fret wires out, filling the gaps, and using CA glue to make smooth hard surface. I hosed it up about 5 times along the way, but the fretboard's done and polished up to a glassy awesome finish.  The neck and body are about 70-80% through the staining and finishing process. The body is ash, and I filled the grain with ebony Timbermate filler before staining. The stain is Walnut and Japan Black stain mixed about 90/10. I'd never worked with oil stains before, but I'm pretty happy with the result. The semi-gloss finish is Tru Oil, which is apparently a gun stock varnish but it doing a great job (gradually) making a slightly amber tinted top coat. Pictured after 10 coats of Tru Oil: 
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Sep 20, 2016 13:57
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Slugworth posted:Just to troll the thread, I hope you leave it completely empty save a lathe in the middle, and just turn pen blanks for the rest of your life. Shop is now 100% operational! 
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Sep 20, 2016 17:09
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Get a hook or something for it God drat what a loving mess
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Sep 20, 2016 17:40
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Wow, this is going to look badass.
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Sep 20, 2016 17:45
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Love the stain on the body. Why did you seal the fretboard? Just for looks?
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Sep 20, 2016 17:52
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The usual advice that I found around the internet (which I've followed because I have no idea what I'm doing) is to seal the fretboard because of some combination of "protects it", "feels nicer", and "looks cool". I'm not sure about needing to protect it beyond the usual wax etc, but the other two reasons were good enough for me. Having finished doing it, I'd add the following reasons for this particular neck*: The large inlays were very slightly recessed even after sanding the whole thing carefully, and I couldn't think how to fix them. Also there was a small amount of tear-out around each fret slot which I couldn't otherwise fill in a way that didn't look completely ugly. Also the filler I used for the fret slots needed something over it anyway. Plus I really wanted to try doing it. *Some of this stuff could probably be solved in a different way. My knowledge of woodwork and finishing has all been gained in the last few months as I learn each aspect of building these things as I come to it.
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Sep 20, 2016 23:10
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Bass strings will tear up a raw wood fretless fretboard. There's also tone issues a harder coating will provide a brighter attack. I have a fretless neck with an ebonol fretboard so I didn't need to do any sort of coating to protect it. It was super shiny like yours is now but after a few sessions that wears away as the strings vibrate against it. Even flatwounds will wear on the board a bit. I have mine strung with round wounds because I prefer that particular tone.
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Sep 21, 2016 01:17
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AlphaDog posted:Pretty bass guitar That fretboard is something to be proud of, the gloss is out of this world. Natural finish bodies are hot. I love this project.
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Sep 21, 2016 06:39
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