Hardware hacker - gadgets and materials for home inventors

Whole Earth Review, Summer, 1990 by Don Lancaster

Don Lancaster is a pioneer tinkerer who developed a set of cookbooks" for making your own personal computers in the early seventies. These days he explores cheap ways to hock laser printers. Along the way he's found sources of thingamajigs that WER hadn't known about. He welcomes questions on his free helpline at 6021428-4073. -Kevin Kelly AIN Plastics 249 East Sandford Boulevard, Mount Vernon, NY 10550; 914/668-6800. Catalog free. This plastics wholesaler has on in-depth selection of engineering and commercial materials. Rigid vinyl is often a good and low-cost choice for modelmaking uses. Circuit Cellar ink 4 Park Street/Suite 20, Vernon, C-T 06066; 203/875-2751. $lA.95 year (6 issues). Steve Ciarcia's hands-on answer to my Hordware Hocking columns in Radio Electronics. Very heavy into computer applications, especially embedded microcontrollers. His other emphasis areas include security, machine vision, remote controls, and telecommunications.

a) By mounting single bar-shoped diodesin the configuration of a number eight, the digits 0-9 and characters A-F can be displayed by turning on the correct combination of diaodes. b) Adding seven more segments to a seven-segment display provides the capability of displalying of letters of the alphabet in addition to the numerals. c) A 5x8 matrix con be used to display alphanumeric information. ACRYL-HINGE NO NEED T0 DRILL BOLT RIVET * Transparent

Acryl-Hinges, made of clear acrylic, are completely

transparent. This transparency provides a distinct benefit

for bulk food bins, safety guards, dust covers, store

fixtures and display cases for museums and galleries. * Solvent Comentable

Mothylene chloride, ethylens dichloride and all commonly

used solvent and monomeric type cements will

bond Acryl-Hinges to acrylic. High strength can be

achieved using standard cementing techniques. * Ultra Touch

Molded of Acrylic DRO, Acryl-Hinges are ten times

tougher than regular acrylic. They are strong, light,

chemical-resistant and weatherproof. Additional information

concerning other properties of Acrylic DR is

available on request. HINGE PRICING PER PAIR Edmund Scientific 101 East Gloucester Pike, Barrington, NJ 08007; 609/573-6250. Catalog $5. The yuppie reign of terror here has at long lost ended, and the Perrier-filled birdbaths ore no more. Edmund is once again a good source of optics, electronic surplus, and scientific stuff. Now has superconductivity kits. DIP COAT OR BRUSH-ON ELECTROPLATING KITS Restore scratched or worn jewelery, guns, cameras, trophies, antiques, printed circuits-almost anything made of metal-in minutes with our safe, non-cyanide process electroplating kits. Create your own jewelry. Each kit includes brush and dip-coater heads with anodes, battery casse electrolyte (uses "AA" cells, not included) metal polish or conditioner, (to clean surface before plating), wire dip and instructions. Six kits to choose from. Coburn 1650 Corporate Road, Lakewood, NJ 08701; 201/367-5511. Sample packages free. Makes highly unusual and decorative sheet materials, including prismatics, foils, glow-in-the-dorks, diffraction gratings, glitters. Some are loser printable; others are not. Sample evaluation packages available. Evergreen Scale Models 12808 Northeast 125th Way, Kirkland, WA 98034; 206/823-0458. Catalog 1. Precut white styrene for modelmaking uses, especially in the sizes favored by architects, model railroaders, and dollhouse builders. Stocked by some larger hobby shops. Individual styrene strips were used for the porch and porch roof. The strips were heavily wood grained before cutting to the finished length. Fair Radio Sales 1016 East Eureka Street, Lima, OH 45802; 419/227-6573. Catalog free. The oldest of the old-line surplus houses, still stocking original World War II electronic gear. Particularly handy for older and higher-voltage components, hordto-get technical info. One of my favorites; I've bought everything from altimeters to servos from them. HANDCRANK Handcrank Magneto Generator removed from telephone equipment; features long crank with shaft which extends 2.5" from the generator and versatile mounting plate that allows left or right side or bottom mounting. Use to replace "dead" generator in your antique phone, or as remote signaler (ring bells/ buzzers), or as "worn shocker"; 4 lbs sh. #MAG-GEN-1085, used-checked, $15.00 Hygenic Manufacturing 1245 Home Avenue, Akron, OH 44310; 216/633-8460. brochures free. A great and very low-priced source of rubber tubing and sheeting, as well as doing custom die-cutting. For cheaper than most electronic materials sources. Braiding does not affect the natural flexibility at the core material plus it offers these additional advantages: 1) working pressures to 2,000 psi (depending on size and tube/braid material); 2) color-coding for simplified identification: and 3) protection against external abrasion, heat and chemical damage. Fomebords 2211 N. Elston Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614; 312/278-9200. Catalog free. Cardboard used to be cardboard and posterboard used to be posterboard, but today there are dozens of hi-tech materials available for architectural studies, models, and exhibits. Great stock selection. Jerryco 601 Linden Place, Evanston, IL 60202; 312/475-8440. Catalog $ .50. The finest mail-order surplus store in the world. Period. Where else con you get o matched set of 24 US Army urine specimen bottles for use as wedding presents? Insanely low prices on many items. Unusual materials for unusual uses. This GREEN GLOWER Looks like a neon lamp, but isn't. A white coating lines the inside of a 3/4" long glass envelope. Put a 50 to 100 k resistor in series and it glows green with 110 VAC applied. Like neon lamps it last forever and draws practically no current. We will supply the resistor and a little plastic lens to really jazz up the project. Nice way to have "go" on your project glow green instead of orange. Could it be a mercury lamp? Who knows?? 3628 Green Glowers, w/parts $2.25/pkg(3) PLAIN VANILLA TEST TUBES Actually, culture tubes to the semanitically correct. These are not heat resistant glass and should not be used in any direct flame. Great for storing and observing culture, for starting seddlings, for storing stuff, or arts projects, and for generally introducing oneself to the wonderful world of low-temperature chemistry. Sold in boxes of (250) K & S Engineering 6917 W. 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60638; 312/586-8503. Catalog free. Good source of modelmaking aluminum, stainless, and brass sheet and tubing in small sizes. Has racks in larger hobby shops. NEW! DOUBLE-GRIP CONNECTING HINGE With Easy-On Teeth This new deluxe panel connecting hinge applies easily to board edges, then grips firmly with special teeth. "Dual Durometer" plastic features strong gripping channels, flexible hinge. TUBING TOOLS