[Brad]

We've got some creative and talented folks here; am I right? Aside from things that just involve poking your keyboard and clicking your mouse, what are some unique projects you all have attempted?

I'll kick off with two of my own that I'm rather proud of.

First is my home-made Nerf dart cannon. I made this bad boy a couple months ago over the course of a weekend. At my office, many of us have little Nerf guns like the Nite Finder and the Maverick, but I wanted to outdo them all. So, I got some PVC, a bike pump, and a fast valve and I made my own custom pneumatic Nerf gun.

I keep it hanging behind my monitor and have a stash of darts in my top desk drawer.



It can fire a single dart some 200 feet faster than you can blink (probably farther, but I've never tested outside the office). It can fire five darts in a shotgun-like spray over about the same distance. It can destroy darts from firing them with such pressure, ripping their heads from their crippled little foam bodies.



My current project is to make chainmail. Yes, chainmail. It's more tedious and time consuming than anything, but the result will be a custom-fitted "hauberk" shirt of cold steel. Fuckin' STEEL. How more badass can you get?

Progress so far:



So, pony up, everyone. What have you been creating in your off hours? Baked goods don't count.

[Wrao]

You should look into making your own darts for that beast, it'll add some more range and velocity if done correctly. Typically all you need is some foam, glue and a BB or ball bearing. It is also a lot cheaper in the long run.

[turtle]

Chainmail, now that's a cool one. My coolest was a battery powered iPod charger a few years ago. Problem with mine was the regulator I used had to low of an output making it an iPod power device, but not be able to charge it.

Next up, solar powered charger.

[zsummers]

Holy farking shizzle, Batman! Chainmail! Just saying "chain-mail" makes you manly!

Wearing it... well, jeez! I don't even think you need chest-hair to be considered a manly man! Chain-mail is the garment-equivalent of a "l-o-v-e h-a-t-e" tattoo.

What would be hilarious(ly ironic), is if you had a nerf war in your office and you all wore chainmail. I would pay good money to see that.

This is hard to say after such a manly project, but my best recent project was converting a non-working fireplace to a semi-working one by filling it with candles. I found all sorts of old looking brass, glass, and ceramic candleholders of different heights, and then picked an eclectic range of candlesticks--those bright red ones, thick white and dark brown ones, thin white and light green ones. Overall, I think it looks really cool without seeming too put-together. It matches by not matching... you know? If I had a pic I'd put it up... maybe later tonight.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Wrao You should look into making your own darts for that beast, it'll add some more range and velocity if done correctly. Typically all you need is some foam, glue and a BB or ball bearing. It is also a lot cheaper in the long run.

Yeah, I've thought about that before, but in all fairness, I'd like to keep compatible darts with everyone else. I imagine drilling into the foam to accommodate the standard Nerf gun's stabilizer rod wouldn't be an easy task.

Originally Posted by turtle2472 My coolest was a battery powered iPod charger a few years ago. Problem with mine was the regulator I used had to low of an output making it an iPod power device, but not be able to charge it. Next up, solar powered charger.

Nice! How exactly did you interface with the iPod itself? Did you figure out the pins and go straight to the dock port? Or did you modify the existing power adapter somehow?

Originally Posted by zsummers What would be hilarious(ly ironic), is if you had a nerf war in your office and you all wore chainmail. I would pay good money to see that.

You're on! Well, at the least I will be wearing the chainmail. Actually, I also want to build a better Nerf gun with a breech or some other better way of loading the ammo. Right now I'm simply dropping the darts down the barrel which is painfully inefficient. First thing's first, though...

Originally Posted by zsummers ...my best recent project was converting a non-working fireplace to a semi-working one by filling it with candles. I found all sorts of old looking brass, glass, and ceramic candleholders of different heights, and then picked an eclectic range of candlesticks--those bright red ones, thick white and dark brown ones, thin white and light green ones. Overall, I think it looks really cool without seeming too put-together. It matches by not matching... you know? If I had a pic I'd put it up... maybe later tonight.

Do share! Looking forward to pics.

[Kickaha]

One I'm still proud of, 18 years later... I had an old '76 Jeep Cherokee in high school that had no radio. Not even a frickin' AM deck. I ended up blowing $400 on a JVC boombox that had AM/FM/SW, a tape deck, subwoofer, a *CD player* (woo for 1989, man), and detachable speakers. The speaker went in the back seat, the main unit between the front seats, and we were ready to ROCK man!

Except it ate batteries like Sally Struthers goes through Snickers. D batteries. Big honkin' D batteries. *8* D batteries.

Well, I realized pretty quickly that 8 batteries in series * 1.5V = 12V. Awfully close to the 12V in the car.

$1.29 for a bridge rectifier at Radio Shack, some wooden doweling the same diameter as a D battery, the power cord from an old lamp, and a cigarette lighter adapter port later, and I had power from the Jeep for it. I ran it like that for a couple of years.

Hell, I still have the boombox *and* the power adapter.

RAWK!

\m/ >< \m/

[turtle]

Originally Posted by Brad Nice! How exactly did you interface with the iPod itself? Did you figure out the pins and go straight to the dock port? Or did you modify the existing power adapter somehow?

Actually I just got a switched AAA battery pack from RadioShack and same for the regulator. I connected it with a female USB port. This means you would just use your normal USB cable for your iPod to power it. I wouldn't mind doing it with a dock connector to lessen the cable length, but then I figured the cable length was actually good so you could just leave the battery pack stashed while working with your iPod.

Once I get back home I'll try to post a picture of it. abb did something similar at the same time I did mine (I think I got the idea from him) but he shoved his into an Altoids tin.

[World Leader Pretend]

I just made a sweet-ass lamp hanger from a scraps of metal I found around my garage. I mounted it up in my new attic and it looks cool. I'll post a pic...

[Artap99]

I cooked five chicken nuggets in my microwave as a snack.

[AsLan^]

A few months ago I learned how to make some origami. I'm not sure if it's awesome or not but I thought they turned out okay

[Freewell]

Originally Posted by Brad We've got some creative and talented folks here; am I right?

More than you know.

Originally Posted by Brad So, pony up, everyone. What have you been creating in your off hours? Baked goods don't count.

Babies.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Freewell Babies.

Disqualified!

I said no baked goods. Everyone knows that a pregnant woman just has "a bun in the oven".

Originally Posted by AsLan^ A few months ago I learned how to make some origami. I'm not sure if it's awesome or not but I thought they turned out okay

Origami is definitely awesome. I too have been into origami since I picked up an instructional book when I was in middle school. Granted, I don't make much time to practice the craft, but on rare occasions (like week-long conference sessions at work) I get bored and pass the time by coming up with a new creature.

Nice use of the double-sided paper and outside settings.

[Bryson]

I have chainmail at home too. After a while it becomes quite hynotic making it - like knitting with steel and pliers. Gives you hands like He-Man, too. I cheat though - I make mine from M6 sprung washers. I got kind of bored, so I have about 2 square feet.

Today we made an improvised projector shutter out of string, cardboard, gaffer tape and black foil. It's great.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by AsLan^ A few months ago I learned how to make some origami. I'm not sure if it's awesome or not but I thought they turned out okay

Nice...I like Origami too. However, check this guy out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbR5XRxKe8c&eurl=

[Moogs]

I uh... I made.... yah, ya see it's this thing that...


... well, think of it as a...


a...

Yah, pretty much I got nothin. How's a brotha supposed to compete with Brad's Nerf-Rail-Gun and Chainmail anyway? I think Brad just wanted to put us all to shame under the guise of a well-meaning thread. Way to go, Brad. Creative bastard.

[Freewell]

Originally Posted by Brad Disqualified! I said no baked goods. Everyone knows that a pregnant woman just has "a bun in the oven". ...

Bah! Bad call on a technicality nonetheless!!

*Kicks dirt on Ump's shoes mumbling creative new name suggestions then stalks off towards the "dugout"!*

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Moogs I think Brad just wanted to put us all to shame under the guise of a well-meaning thread. Way to go, Brad. Creative bastard.

I've been found out!

[Bryson]

That's it. Chainmail photos when I get home. Mine looks mean because the washers are black...

Brad, do you rivet each link? Or are not quite that hardcore? I know I don't. By god, it's boring enough.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Bryson Brad, do you rivet each link? Or are not quite that hardcore? I know I don't. By god, it's boring enough.

Nah, my links are just butted together. I wanted to have mine actually finished by the end of the year.

[AWR]

That's pretty impressive, Brad. I'd like to give it a shot.

My life time achievement in arts and crafts was making rope bracelets when I was 10-12 at summer camp. Nice ones. But that was the peak. Aside: I made one for my camp sweetheart (god it was a big crush, especially from my side) and her younger sister, who didn't attend the camp (which was overnight, 2 weeks at a time). Her name was Laura Silverman; her little sister morphed into Sarah Silverman.

Great origami.

My creative energy has recently gone into making babies and entertaining kids. And cooking. The arts and crafts world is better off without me.

[Freewell]

Originally Posted by AWR ... My creative energy has recently gone into making babies and entertaining kids. And cooking. The arts and crafts world is better off without me.

That's alright AWR, some of us know where the real talent (and fun) is!

[murbot]

Originally Posted by Brad

I will not be participating in this thread, as anything I could post would instantly be labelled a steaming pile of shit in comparison to this display of sheer awesomeness.

BTW, how much to make me one of those?

[Windswept]

A small accessory for Brad's chain-mail clothing ensemble:

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Bryson That's it. Chainmail photos when I get home. Mine looks mean because the washers are black...

How much does yours weigh? I imagine mine might end up around 10 lbs (5 kg).

Originally Posted by murbot BTW, how much to make me one of those?

A guy at work (actually, one of my Nerf arch rivals) asked me that a while back. I quoted him about US$100. The sprinkler valve is $15, the bike pump is $8, the schrader valve is $1, and the various PVC fittings and cement and spray paint add another few dollars. So, it comes out to about $30 for parts and $70 for labor, which is a pretty cheap rate compared to my day job. Add a few for dollars for an optional electric switch to replace/supplement the manual valve switch.

[Moogs]

We need video footage, Brad. Soon.

[AsLan^]

Originally Posted by Brad Origami is definitely awesome. I too have been into origami since I picked up an instructional book when I was in middle school. Granted, I don't make much time to practice the craft, but on rare occasions (like week-long conference sessions at work) I get bored and pass the time by coming up with a new creature. Nice use of the double-sided paper and outside settings.

Thanks

Originally Posted by Jason Nice...I like Origami too. However, check this guy out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbR5XRxKe8c&eurl=

That guy has some serious talent with the origami! I tried making a harder one that required some subtle crimping to give shape and body to it but it didn't work out so well. It's a lot harder than it looks!

[Bryson]

Ok, you made me do this: Chain mail a-go-go!

Mine looks darker and meaner because it's made from sprung washers. Many would regard this as cheating. It's very, very heavy - this piece, which is 25cm x 18cm weighs 500g, so a full hauberk is going to be about 10kg.

I love the way it flows like a material. I still can't quite get over just *how* flexible it is.


One for windy:
Yep, thats an iPod in there.


That's not all I have - my brother in law has the rest right now for research purposes. I should get some more washers and make some more, I guess.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Bryson ...my brother in law has the rest right now for research purposes.

*Research* purposes, huh?

Uh-huh, yeah right.




I think chainmail is extremely cool.

(I've always had a 'thing' for knights and all that. )

[Freewell]

I think Windswept should make Smiley Chainmail!

[turtle]

Here's my iPod Charger. In the pictures I have it connected to my cell phone though. 4 AAA batteries is all it needs. The battery pack I used even has an on-off switch.




Forgive the quality, I didn't feel like breaking out my real camera so these were taken with my camcorder.