windows movie maker

I remember back about 2000 after the milenium i was running across all these intriging pictures and I just started to save them thinking I'll do something with them sometime. Well after i got a pc magazine with a tutorial for windows movie maker I was like hmmm... I could make a slideshow and put music to it. And my very fisrt video was born, i still like to come back and watch it from time to time. Not cause its mine but because my warped brain likes weird crap like that.

Terrarium

I started this project a while back as a way to wet my feet in working with styrofoam and concrete. It has since been on my to do list and althought its ready to be finished i just think something is missing. The idea is that i make a rock wall and a platform out of styrofoam then in front of the platform will be a little pond in which a frog newt salamander or whatever can swim. the water will filter under the platform through gravel and then be pumped up behind a waterfall and then gravity will take it down the wall and through a river that is carved in the platform. I used 1/2" pink styro from home depot for the walls and platform the kids even helped shape the rocks that went on the wall. I picked up a box of concrete resurfacer from hd ( homedepot) to put over the styro walls. I have 1 coat on now im think as i type this it is a prototype so i may as well just finsh it and then find out what i am missing once its finished. Pics below.

uv led for night time camcorder

id like to try to make a uv led light for my camcorder. Possible uses would be tape to kids sleeping, use as a wildlife camera or just tape where lighting isnt possible. Im thinking i could mod a pen light first with a few AA bateries and see how that works. I could probly cram in 3 500mn uv leds with a single or double battery configuration and see how that works. Hmmm ill have to come back to this idea later since its getting colder out and wont be doing much outside anyways. Hey i just thought of 2 more things i could use this for, Night Time trick or treating and sledding.

Ceiling fan windmill

Well i was thinking about altenative energy for the skamper ( a 1970s camper i have up north wi) and i kinda had to rule out solar for now because the camp site is very heavily wooded and i doubt i can get any juice to flow through the trees. Then i started thinking about wind. Hmmm i thought if i can make a generator and blades on the cheap ( im all about makeing on the cheap) what kind of power would i make. i ran accross a few sites that make a magnetic flux alternator out of and old ceiling fan. That sounds just cheap enough for me and what do you know theres an old ceiling fan right there. cost to date is about $20. $15 for the neodynium magnets from the science and surplus store and $5 for some jb weld. this is an ongoing project for me and i also made a few different prototype turbine blade designs that i am currently testing out. i like the vertical blade design way more than horizontal just because this will be around kids and i dont want blades flying apart and injuring them.



this isnt mine but i plan on prototyping something simalr to this soon

Xbox mod, a tivo of sorts?

My idea is to take my old modded xbox (that i no longer play) and use a program like xbmc or boxee and get it to stream netflix and hulu vids from the internet to my bedroom tv. I am pretty sure that tversity can do some streaming but i would have to setup each video link. That wouldnt be bad to use to link a video folder or something on a network pc but thats not really what i have in mind.

Motor powered bicycle trailer

Well this is a new idea i have for a trailer to hookup to my pedal powered bicycle. I was first thinking about a electric powered one to take the kids around town with however i came accross a forum with some ice (internal combustion engine) powered ones. So my train of thought has swictched. I think i will try to make one with a 3.5hp ice engine i have from an old go kart project and scrap bike frame and a wheelbarrow tire. The idea being to make it cheap ( like no out of pocket money) and practical. It will have to power me and a few things around at a minimum of 25mph. something like the pic below but with a shopping cart cage on top.