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Canadian store, but I doubt it'd be hard to find a similar set elsewhere.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wo...

How am I now going to do my woodworking?

It only happens with electric routers.
Use a wireless router, like this one.

Even if you only do it a few times, a better tool is still nicer to work with...

Long as you don't mind spending the extra
http://www.leevalley.com/en/ho...

Cubit tape measure - scroll to the bottom. It's $6.50.

(Yes, I'm aware of what day that became available.)

They're fantastic. If you're in Canada (well, US too, I suppose), this is a much better price. If you're a serious woodworker or gardener, you may know about this place already. Ikea also has some nice cabling solutions.

How about this thing?
It's entirely made of wood.

Many amateurs or hobbyists have faced this dilemma in their own personal (and professional) work spaces for centuries nows. Two groups I know a little about are wood workers and machinists, who have written dozens of books and articles about this subject, in both the general and specific case.

0. Safety equipment: dust masks, goggles, safety glasses (with side protection), gloves (nitrile, latax, neoprene), hearing protection (ear muffs, ear plugs), and as needed!
1. Tools
2. Storage / management of those tools
3. Hard copy (dead-tree) documentation, it is being rapidly moved online thanks to cheap and compact computers and laptops, but much older reference material is still in old-school paper form (which can be handy) (example references to collect: ARRL Handbook, Art of Electronics, Machinery's Handbook, Woodworking Basics, Understanding Wood, Wiring Simplified)
4. Commonly used materials (lumber, hoses, holes clamps, fabric, sheet metal, dowels, nuts & bolts, wood and metal screws, etc.)
5. Parts (in anti-static containers for any static sensitive parts like CMOS ICs)
6. Labelling tools
7. Log / Lab notebooks . These should be paper-based, though can be complimented with online documents, a honest to goodness hard copy lab book is essential.
8. Chemicals
9. Large, easy to read clock
10. Test equipment: rulers, tape measures, calipers, digital multi-meter
11. Plenty of AC mains circuits and outlets. Preferably with a separate circuit for lighting versus wall outlets. - Avoid extended use of extension cables, and excessive use of power bars.

And time.

The Stirling engine seems like an overly-complicated way to use heat to spin a fan. Why not use the thermoelectric effect (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_effect) and leave out all the pistons and what-not. My mother-in-law has a big thermoelectric fan sitting on her wood stove(http://www.leevalley.com/gifts/page.aspx?c=1&p=50246&cat=4,104,55967) that works great. Why not a little one on my CPU?

The first thing to realise there are plenty of technology related hobbyists around the world, although most are not high profile and some may be different very different demographics than yourself.

Some (hobby) groups to consider looking towards for ideas and help include: woodworkers, metalworkers (hobbyists using micromills and mini-lathes from TaigTools and Sherline, etc.), model railroads, model aircrafts (static and RC), robotics, amateur radio (ham), 2600, LUGs, and Artist Run Centres/Communities

Random list of some I use or know of:
  Make magazine http://www.makezine.com/
  Instructables http://www.instructables.com/
  ARRL http://www.arrl.org/
  http://www.sparkfun.com/ (check out their tutorials)
  http://www.fpga4fun.com/ / http://www.knjn.com/
  QRP-L http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/qrp-l/>
  GQRP http://www.gqrp.com/
  http://www.pololu.com/ (cheap stencils laser cut, e.g. 3x4 for $32)
  http://www.diyaudio.com/
  http://www.digikey.com/ (if you're still buying electronics from Radio Shack, get these 3 catalogs now!)
  http://www.mouser.com/
  http://www.jameco.com/
  the ton of various surplus/NOS dealers online
  http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/
  http://www.seattlerobotics.org/
  http://www.chibots.org/index.php
  DorkBot
  http://eyebeam.org/production/production.php?page= tools
  MIT CBA FAB http://fab.cba.mit.edu/
  http://www.leevalley.com/
  http://www.smallparts.com/
  http://www.danssmallpartsandkits.net/
  http://www.wmberg.com/
  http://www.acklandsgrainger.com/
  http://www.grainger.com/
  http://www.onlinemetals.com/
  http://www.amqrp.com/
  http://www.princessauto.com/
  http://www.sherline.com/
  http://www.taigtools.com/

As a gardener, an automated greenhouse would be neat (maintains temperature with opening and closing of flaps, and an internal heater if needed).

As a gardener, an automated greenhouse would be neat (maintains temperature with opening and closing of flaps, and an internal heater if needed).

I am curious - did you do it so you could read it in the mirror, or so someone looking at your chest could read it? What tool do you use? A ballpoint (or fountain) pen, or perhaps a nice chisel from Lee Valley - http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=4603 5&cat=1,41504 or maybe even a tool designed for leather - http://www.loonfeatherleather.com/Product.taf?_fun ction=detail&_ID=402 ???

Not only ship to Canada, they are Canadian and very good to deal with.
Lee Valley Magnets

Material Safety Data Sheet

There are usually some Indian locks in the Lee Valley Christmas catalog. One is a puzzle lock, which has no apparent keyholes, and requires three keys and four sequential operations to open. Another is the trick lock, which has a visible fake keyhole, with a hidden real keyhole.

There are usually some Indian locks in the Lee Valley Christmas catalog. One is a puzzle lock, which has no apparent keyholes, and requires three keys and four sequential operations to open. Another is the trick lock, which has a visible fake keyhole, with a hidden real keyhole.

Watchmaker's cases are a godsend for anybody who has a hobby that involves lots of little bits. The little containers have glass lids so you can see what you've got inside, and the ones I've linked come in a nice aluminum carrying case. I've got a couple trays of them for all my electronic bits.

Damn! Brilliant.

It Is Already There ( unlike the sticky-tape theory ), and it isn't likely to run away, either.

IWIHTOT ( I wish... )

Remembering to remove the magnets before putting the case back, though, yeah, that can be a problem...

Oh, wait! What about them new piezo speakers, that don't have magnets on 'em...

hmm..

Ah HA! just bring one's OWN magnets, and put 'em in the computer for sticking screws on! Goody goody .. I love magnets...

I've heard there's something called Forced Warm-Air Drying, that uses things like Warm Air and Fans ( coupl'a cheap electric blowing heaters, gettable from Home Hardware, costs less than $100 ea, standard plug-in )...

Similar to the theoretical 'Dryer' thing that laundry types may use, in concept...

I don't know why you only worked with dry-by-ageing method, but it isn't, I believe, the only drying-method 'round...

I could be rong, though...

( and yes, if using ultra-sonic to get stuff clean, then a bit of 'agitation' may be necessary, say by tapping the keyboard against something, to help dislodge the bigger drops of water, but that shouldn't kill one, fer difficulty, or a simple shop-vac with .. where'd that go .. really-good filters could be used in the 'dehydrating-room' to help... )

: )

Motor Assisted Bicycles are a Good Thing[tm]
( unless one's Gov't has decided to destroy one's possible choices, for the benefit of their authority, OR for the benefit of their preferred lobby-groups ) ...

... compared with many alternatives...

BUT:

MX5 Super Bike Engine seems to be the one that works best ( though I gather it requires a bit of break-in/tuning ), and unfortunately, it's a 2-stroke, and

( halfway down the page ) Honda 4-stroke 31cc Bicycle Engine, while it is a 4-stroke, it boshes one's ability to stack stuff on the rear rack...

Also, I'm told that Small Engine Care & Repair is the best book to get with 'em.

/dev/motor-assisted-bicycle(random||forum) can be found here

Is the Red Swingline in the Museum of Modern Art, like this one?

Lee Valley Tools, besides being a generally cool place with some delightful woodworking tools, has spherical magnets.

And, no, to presuppose the silly question I was asked earlier, of course one of the poles isn't in the centre of the magnet. If it were, how the hell would the flux lines get to the outside?!

These would be the equivalent of a bar magnet lathed spherical, allowing them to roll around and do other neat shit.

FWIW, Lee Valley also has awesome rare-earth disc magnets. I've got a handful of them. They can suck through a good 2" of wood. Damn near impossible to get off the fridge door. Does nasty shit to any nearby wallets, too. And don't even think about letting them near your monitor.

What about Spherical Magnets ?

Pretty cool. Now if I could only think of a use for them... :)

If you're in the market for super magnets, check out [Lee Valley Tools]. They're mainly a woodworking tools store, with some of the world's most beautiful and best tools.

They have also invented any number of handy tools and accessories -- an example where patenting is a good thing, because Lee Valley deserves to make a bundle from their brilliant innovations. It doesn't hurt that they price their stuff reasonably, too!

Anyway, back to their magnets: they sell rare-earth magnets in sizes from .25" to 1". The direct-pull strength, when sandwiched between two pieces of steel, ranges from 2.5lbs to 30lbs.

Or in other metrics, their 3/4" magnet will, when placed in a steel cup, hold 3lbs on your fridge door... and that's with a felt pad to keep your enamel from being scratched!

They seel 'em flat and thin, as tall cylinders, or as rings. They're great fun to play with!

Alas, you can't mail-order them. You'll just have to go to the store, where you will then be tempted to spend thousands of dollars on all sorts of workshop toys!

--

Interesting article. However, the lapping advice really sucks!

You can't lap the heat sink mounting plate much flatter with sandpaper on your granite countertop (or any old glass plate for that matter). As a woodworker who tunes his handtools, I can tell you that lapping requires a VERY flat surface. These can be had relatively cheap, but you have to go out and look for them. I got mine from Lee Valley Tools. Then mount the sandpaper very carefully. It's best to use plastic backed abrasives, rather than cloth or paper backed stuff. Or simply use loose grit.

You also have to hold the tool to be lapped at a very consistent angle and apply consistent pressure/force over the entire surface to be lapped and over the entire lapping stroke. No rocking, no twisting, just smooth moves.

If you use just any hard surface that appears flat to you and don't practice your lapping technique, you might end up with a severely dished surface!