Posts
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Modifying a Singer 27 shuttle for a Kayser model L vibrating shuttle sewing machine
When you can’t get parts for an old machine.
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Fishbone tangles on a rotary hook Pfaff sewing machine
When what looks like a thread tension problem is really something else.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Flux and lead-free solder
When supposedly simple tasks turn complicated.
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Duplicating the pocket eyeglass clip
How many tools does it take?
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A horizontal thread holder for a vintage sewing machine
Making things most folks would just buy.
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A case for a Fairphone 3 - Prototype
Reconciling plans and reality.
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Reassembling the upper thread tensioner on a Pfaff 297 sewing machine.
Surprise: It’s broken!
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A case for a Fairphone 3 - Plan
Making measurements and drawing plans.
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A case for a Fairphone 3 - Concept
Begin at the beginning.
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A case for a Fairphone 3 - Table of Contents
A DIY leather sewing project from start to finish.
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A holder for some more sharpening stones
Showing how I did something the second time around.
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A handle for a tea strainer
Cleaning a teapot the long way around.
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Sharpening stones for the repair cafe
Donating more than just time to a worthy cause.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - The sound of a functional snubber
The answer to a non-Zen non-koan.
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A vintage tripod to make pictures of my vintage sewing machines
Two from one instead of two for one.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - A snubber for Bigfoot
Protecting the flyback diode that protects the MOSFET.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - When you really need an engineer's help.
Kerplunk. Kablooey.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - A better solder sucker
A modern replacement for the old fashioned solder sucker ball.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - A look at the insides of the finished control
A lurid crawl through Bigfoot’s entrails.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - Functional
A look at a functional DIY sewing machine motor speed control.
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Replacing the broken controller on a Pfaff 801 Hobbymatic sewing machine
Old isn’t always better, especially when it comes to electronics.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - Nearly there
Got the hardware. Where’s the software?
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The Pfaff 30-31 sewing machine - Reassembly
Putting back all the things I took off.
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Sewing machines of the Black Forest
What can you discover from a quick look?
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The Pfaff 30-31 sewing machine - Repainting and applying decals
Looking good.
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The Pfaff 30-31 sewing machine - Stripping the paint - carefully
Mind the lead.
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Privileg 1510 sewing machine - A favor for a friend
The book is right, even when it is wrong.
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The Pfaff 30-31 sewing machine - Disassembling the machine
Removing all the bits and pieces before stripping the paint.
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The Pfaff 30-31 sewing machine - Refinishing the cabinet
Unlocking the beauty in an old oak veneer sewing cabinet.
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The Pfaff 30-31 sewing machine - Fixing a small problem
Jams are for music and toast, not sewing machines.
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The Pfaff 30-31 sewing machine - Table of Contents
Returning a favor.
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The Pfaff 30-31 sewing machine - What have we here?
Well darn it! (Not.)
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A sewing machine motor speed control - Mounting brackets
Sawing, drilling, sanding and tapping.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - Making the box
Drilling, sawing, and filing.
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Photographing the invisible - adding a photo scanner to the GUI
Progress and a mystery.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - Putting things together
No smoke, but not quite done.
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Headset earpads - don't fear the imperfection.
If you don’t try, you’ll never get better.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - A long over due update
Collecting parts and drawing schematics.
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The Pfaff model K sewing machine - Secrets of the vibrating shuttle
The first rule of the vibrating shuttle oiler is that you don’t talk about the vibrating shuttle oiler.
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The Pfaff model K sewing machine - Beech wood, shellac, and brass
A quick look at a couple of weeks of hobby time.
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The Pfaff model K sewing machine - Threading the machine
A heckuvalotta photos.
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The Pfaff model K sewing machine - Installing the motor
Anachronism time.
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The Pfaff model K sewing machine - Reassembly
Back together again - clean and smooth running.
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The Pfaff model K sewing machine - Disassembly and cleanup
Removing the ick and doing things I’d rather not.
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Pfaff 262 sewing machine - Unhacking a hack
When new old stuff reminds you of old old stuff.
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Pfaff 262 sewing machine - Maintenance stories
Adventures with a Pfaff 262 sewing machine.
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Latched but not locked
A couple of brass thingamabobs for the thingamajigs on an old wicker basket.
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A favor for my father-in-law
Tools find tasks.
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The Pfaff model K sewing machine
Taking a Pfaff model K from sad to glad.
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The Pfaff model K sewing machine - Tryout
Stiff but functional.
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A parking cradle for vintage sewing machines
Keeping the oil off the workbench and the grit out of the machines.
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Trying out a commercial electronic motor speed control for vintage sewing machines
Cheaper than DIY, and nearly as good.
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Root beer roadtrip
A survey of root beer brands from Missouri to Georgia.
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The Pfaff model K sewing machine - A blast from the past
Coincidences are strange things.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - Alternative bobbins for Wheeler and Wilson 9 type sewing machines
Mmmmmm. Bagels.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - Putting the Adler to good use
When your pockets are too deep.
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Soil moisture monitoring in a flower garden - Catastrophe - or not
When planning pays off.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - A look at an original Adler sewing machine table
Resisting temptation.
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Fixing up a Dual HS135 - Repair
Curing a known disease and a little bit more.
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Fixing up a Dual HS135
Retro adventures with a Dual HS135.
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Fixing up a Dual HS135 - First sniff
What’s that smell?
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Soil moisture monitoring in a flower garden - An update after a very long pause
Mysteriouser and mysteriouser.
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The Pfaff 30 sewing machine - Threading the Pfaff 30
Another change in plans.
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The Pfaff 30 sewing machine - Taking it for a spin
Doing things people say you can’t do.
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The Pfaff 30 sewing machine - Clean up
Sometimes you have to look twice to see how beautiful something is.
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The Pfaff 30 sewing machine - Table of Contents
Just passing through.
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The Pfaff 30 sewing machine - A first look
A special machine that’s a product of its times.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - Modern consumables for a hundred year old sewing machine
Just screwing around a bit.
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Voltage multipliers - Part 9 Failure modes
Virtually releasing the magic smoke.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - Using a photointerrupter for speed control feedback
Works about as well as could be hoped for.
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Counting RPM with a photointerrupter
When things don’t work like they ought to.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - Threading the machine
Almost - but not quite - entirely like threading other machines.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - PWM + PID + current measured BEMF = Fail
A failure and a new plan.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - A pulse width modulation driver with PID as a motor speed control
Getting closer.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - A pulse width modulation driver with feedback as a motor speed control
Moving forwards again.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - A simple pulse width modulation driver as a motor speed control
One step forward and one step back.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - A MOSFET source follower as a motor speed control
Better, but far from good.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - Basic ideas on how not to make a motor speed control
Simple but not really useful.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - Table of Contents
Replacing simple mechanics with electricity and electronics.
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A sewing machine motor speed control - Musings on motor speed control for universal motors
Ideas for taming my Adler.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - Adjusting the thread tension
Thread tension from scratch.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - The thread tensioning mechanisms
A lot simpler than it looks - but still complicated enough.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - A problem with the thread tension
It’s the little things that make life difficult.
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Thread tension adjustment in vintage (and not so vintage) sewing machines
Get it right the first time.
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The Pfaff model 31 sewing machine - Refinishing the cabinet
Really glad I did something I wasn’t planning to do.
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The Pfaff model 31 sewing machine - Table of Contents
Reassembling a family heirloom.
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The Pfaff model 31 sewing machine - Initial state
A first look at the Pfaff 31 and its cabinet.
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Black, gold, and blue
A leather phone holster for my Motorola G8 Android smartphone.
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Pfaff 262 sewing machine - Sunday afternoon emergency
When the zig-zag only zags.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - Refurbishing some unobtainium
Not like new, but at least functional.
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An Android phone patch adapter
Connecting two Android phones for fun and profit.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - Sorting a box of unobtainium
An embarrassment of riches.
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Reversing a universal motor
Easier than you might think.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - Building the base for the Adler
Lots of woodworking.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - A new base for the Adler
Looking good.
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Cleaning up a brass oil can
Cooler than its modern counterpart - and more practical.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - Not doing what I had planned
Red crayons for better legibility.
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Fixing a floor lamp
Swiss cheese - or a block of hole-y steel.
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A hat full of electrometers - Finished
A bunch of electrometers on the wrong hat.
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D43 oscilloscope software - Oneshot capture and the D43 time base
I feel the need — the need for speed!
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A hat full of electrometers - Mass production
A bunch of electrometers in need of a hat.
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - Oops
Correcting a mistake - an update for Rodriguez.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - Planning the base
Simple is where it’s at.
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TEAC MP390 battery replacement
A quick fix.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - Clean up
Shiny and black is hard to photograph.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - Initial state
In a word - filthy.
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The Adler class 8 sewing machine - Table of Contents
The eagle has landed.
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Rejuvenating a Blaupunkt Granada Radio - Bluetooth for the blue dot
Bringing the Granada into the twenty first century.
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - How do you use this thing, anyway?
Some instructions and wiring diagrams to make things easier.
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D43 oscilloscope software - Pre-compiled binaries for easy use
GitHub to the rescue.
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Building a firewood rack
Under-engineered and over-built - but the price is right.
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Transcribing phone calls with Google Live Transcribe - A properly functioning loop-back adapter
A CTIA four pole plug and a few spare parts.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Repair an Android headset
Everything it takes to replace a broken Android headset plug (4 pole CTIA.)
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Transcribing phone calls with Google Live Transcribe - An adapter made from common parts
Not the cheapest way but certainly a reproducible way.
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Transcribing phone calls with Google Live Transcribe - Measurements and optimization
Making sure that Live Transcribe can hear properly.
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Transcribing phone calls with Google Live Transcribe - A prototype and a test
Electrically functional, but not quite ready for prime time.
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Transcribing phone calls with Google Live Transcribe - A first look
It ain’t rocket science, but it ain’t trivial, either.
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Transcribing phone calls with Google Live Transcribe - Table of Contents
An aid for the hard of hearing.
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A rabbit for the rabbit (ein Hase für den Hase)
Getting a grip on a wood burning stove.
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Soil moisture monitoring in a flower garden - The Mud-Py monitoring software
Django + MQTT = Easy.
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The Simpson 467 - my new old multimeter
I’ve got this thing about old equipment.
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Soil moisture monitoring in a flower garden - Solar power for the monitoring system
Assembling a few modules.
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - Taking a look at a tunnel diode
Surprise time.
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - Designing a common emitter amplifier with Rodriguez - part 4
Three time’s a charm.
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - Designing a common emitter amplifier with Rodriguez - part 3
Revising Rodriguez’s base current measurements.
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - Designing a common emitter amplifier with Rodriguez - part 2
Lets take a “do over” on that biasing.
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - Now that I've got it, how do I use it?
Designing a common emitter amplifier with Rodriguez.
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Learning about GNU Radio - Sources of error in the impedance tester
That’s got the inductors covered, but what about the capacitors?
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - Fixing some bugs and changing names
Oversampling by any other name is just as slow.
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - Back on track and making progress
A functional tracer with revised hardware and software.
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A hat full of electrometers - Testing the first electrometer
A miniature, gold plated electrometer.
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A hat full of electrometers - Table of Contents
A special request.
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - Refocusing on the task
Forget the ‘gators, I was supposed to be doing something else.
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - A simple Python program to get started
Just doing some math and writing a bunch of numbers to a file.
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - Adding it all up
Just do the easy stuff in the Arduino.
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A rustical picture frame
“And Now for Something Completely Different” - Monty Python’s Flying Circus
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Revisiting the D43 one-shot capture function
The Electrical Engineering StackExchange strikes again.
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Rejuvenating a Blaupunkt Granada Radio - Renovating the power supply
I’m not much on the smell of rotten eggs.
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - Measuring current with an Arduino
Ohm’s law doesn’t require a current shunt.
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - Generating the bias voltage with stone knives and bearskins
Use what you’ve got.
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - Why am I doing this?
When I’m right, I’m right.
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Building an IV plotter from an Arduino Nano - Table of Contents
Making a point the hard way.
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What's wrong with this piece of cheap junk?
Flashing lights are for the disco, not the dining room.
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Fixing what isn't broke
At least, the manufacturer wouldn’t see it that way.
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Rejuvenating a Blaupunkt Granada Radio - Clean up and assessment
Clean is good, but it doesn’t do much for bad capacitors.
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Rejuvenating a Blaupunkt Granada Radio - First look
What’s wrong, and how hard is this going to be?
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Rejuvenating a Blaupunkt Granada Radio - Table of Contents
Refreshing my wife’s childhood memories.
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Learning about GNU Radio - More functions for the impedance tester
More math and a little more software.
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Learning about GNU Radio - Hooking up the impedance tester
Pretending I don’t have a room full of tools and equipment.
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Nostalgic interlude - Remembering a project from long ago
Undoing things that were never meant to come undone.
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Learning about GNU Radio - How the impedance tester works
A program doing mostly what computers do best - math.
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Learning about GNU Radio - A GNU Radio Companion flowgraph to measure impedance
A first (successful) experiment with GNU-Radio.
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Learning about GNU Radio - Table of Contents
All about my experiments with GNU Radio.
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Soil moisture monitoring in a flower garden - A little bit of planning
What am I doing here, anyhow?
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Soil moisture monitoring in a flower garden - An infrastucture for testing my ideas
A garden from the inside out - first the servers, then the yard work.
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All about my experiments in soil moisture monitoring
A list of all my posts on monitoring soil moisture in a flower garden.
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Soil moisture monitoring in a flower garden - A first look
How much is enough, and how do you know?
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Generating extreme low frequency signals with a PC and an audio amplifier
I don’t need this, but I did it anyway.
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A persistence control for the D43 oscilloscope camera software
Making use of long sweep times.
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A voltage multiplier and a crazy idea
Re-modulating the subflexive fasarta.
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Making the base for the salt block lamp
A crooked base for a crooked salt block.
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Improving the blog
Making my posts more visible on search.
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Dual traces and the Telequipment D43 oscilloscope
That ain’t fair, there’s twos of you there.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Regular or unleaded
What kind of solder is best?
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Meet my new soldering iron
The hardware store cheapy left me hanging.
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My Telequipment D43 projects - Table of Contents
All my posts about my Telequipment D43 analog oscilloscope in one spot.
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The Telequipment D43 high voltage replacement board
What to do when your D43 explodes.
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The simple voltage booster - Table of Contents
All about the “Art Attack” LED voltage booster project.
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Returning to the salt block lamp
Preparing the salt block for mounting and lighting.
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The salt block lamp - Table of Contents
All my posts on the salt block lamp.
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Fixing a K-type thermocouple
When cheap crap breaks and ordering a replacement will take too long.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Remove SMD ICs
They ain’t pokemons - you can’t get ‘em all.
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RF camera and radio telescope - Table of Contents
All about my experiments in photographing the invisible.
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Voltage multiplier experiments - Table of Contents
All my voltage multiplier experiments listed in one place.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Solder SMD ICs
Any SMD IC that has pins or pads that you can see, you can solder.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Removing simple SMD parts
Anything you can see, you can remove.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Soldering simple SMD parts
Anything you can see, you can solder.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Using a solder sucker
Making good use of a cheap tool.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Remove through hole parts
Not the way most folks expect.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Solder through hole parts
Some of the most common things you’ll solder.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Solder wires together
Finally getting somewhere.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - First steps
Things are finally heating up.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Before you get started
Make a habit of it.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Materials
Just a few things you’ll use up.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Your tools
It really doesn’t take that much.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Your work place
You’ve got to get close to your work.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Vision check
You can’t solder what you can’t see.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - Table of Contents
All the steps it takes to master your soldering iron.
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HowTo: Solder by hand - An introduction
Learn a basic skill for your electronics hobby.
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EyeGore - The mad scientist's helper
When you absolutely positively have to convince your wife that you’ve lost your marbles.
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The box o' buttons
Ten, because two is a stupid number.
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Upgrading the workbench
Making better use of the D43 software.
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Portable peace of mind
A backstop for partiers.
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The cellphone detecting hat band concho
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Photographing the invisible - software to display what the hardware saw
A work in progress.
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Photographing the invisible - software to drive the hardware
An Arduino program as firmware.
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Photographing the invisible - the interesting hardware
Not the hardware store stuff, but the electronics.
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Photographing the invisible - building the hardware
Hardware store stuff - not the electronics.
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Photographing the invisible - the very first steps
Is this even worth trying?
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Implementing a one-shot capture function for the D43
A slight change in plans.
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Photographing the invisible - a camera for microwaves
Inspired to follow a childhood dream.
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The Sunday afternoon junkbox LED driver
Whiling away a rainy Sunday afternoon with a block of salt and an LED.
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A new camera for the D43
That was easier than expected.
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Electrical energy: volts, amperes, watts, joules - and play-doh
Visualizing the invisible with a child’s toy.
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One last word about the simple voltage booster
Ulterior motives revealed.
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Revisiting the inductor for the simple voltage booster
“Missed it by that much.” - Maxwell Smart
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How the simple voltage booster works
Time to get abstract.
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Fun time - A voltage booster so simple a child can build it
Electronics - “Art Attack” style.
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Voltage multipliers - Part 8 Wrap up
Enough’s enough.
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Voltage multipliers - Part 7 Impedance of the Cockcroft-Walton voltage multiplier
That got complicated real quick.
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Voltage multipliers - Part 6 Impedance and current in voltage multipliers
Where did my voltage go?
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Voltage multipliers - Part 5 Tying it all together
Haven’t we met before?
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Voltage multipliers - Part 4 More on the Cockcroft-Walton voltage multiplier
Why do something that looks like a problem?
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Voltage multipliers - Part 3 The Cockcroft-Walton voltage multiplier
The big league.
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Voltage multipliers - Part 2 The Greinacher voltage doubler
Getting better.
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Voltage multipliers - Part 1 The Villard voltage doubler
Start with the simple things.
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Diodes and capacitors and volts - Oh, my!
Let’s talk about voltage multipliers.
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A simple signal generator
Making your own tools.
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Oscilloscope camera adapter design considerations
Hardware for the software.
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A digital camera for analog oscilloscopes
New tricks for old dogs.
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Github pages setup
The trials and tribulations of carrying out a “trivial” task.
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