The "How To Guide" Leading To DIY Enthusiasm's

[V]

Abstract: (modified 11/01/09 due to thread relocation)
This thread will serve as a rolling DIY information HUB.

We will have a rolling series from the basics through to the advanced.
Items in focus will be on lighting & electrical principles, DIY metal & woodworking, tank principles, design concepts, calculators & member contributions.
Having a better understanding of such things will no doubt prove invaluable to people wishing to expand their knowledge base.




Quite a few of us are into the DIY practices. I suspect behind the scenes there are even more lurking.

From an electrical vantage, we will cover a wide range of topics such as

• Electrical Safety
• Understanding Multimeter's
• Introductions to Electrical Components
• How to Solder Correctly
• Electrical Algebra Calculations in Determining Equipment
• Designing Electrical Systems
• Redundancy & Proactive Safe Guard Measures
• Latest Trends
• Emerging Technologies
• Member DIY Projects

and everything else in between.

This is an open thread, so any & all are encouraged to post.

Welcome to the voyage of discovery, who wants to kick off the first topic?

[Captinsmooth]

Great Idea V !!!

Here I will add one. This is a great link to understanding multimeter's for people that have little or no experience with using one. Amongst allot of other helpful info.

Multimeter Tutorial

[V]

Exactly what we trying to achieve

sweet %^$ing tutorial bud, thats the best ive seen.
Definitely going to save that info so i can flog it off as my own well...well into the future

I liked the opening sequence though, i believe this is more a sound than a word

Temperature probe - I use the "Pease temperature test": a finger

[Captinsmooth]

Yeah that tutorial surprised me on how well written it was. It would of saved me many of 10 amp fuses in my multimeter when i was trying to teach my self how to test amperage on AC circuit...lol

[V]

I just bought a cheap entry level model, considering how often i actually would use it. However i noticed the cheaper ones give greater access to things like the fuses, where as the more advanced models have to much in the way.

[Captinsmooth]

I know what you mean a 600$ fluke meter takes a Ph.D in electrical engineering to change a ten amp fuse...lol

That and forgot testing amperage with multimeter test lead and just spend the extra money on one with the amp clamps its so much easier and safer to do it that way.

[THEJRC]

some handy references for the beginner...

metalworking
Curious Inventor - Guides : Metal Working

Coincedentally there are a few good guides for soldering

Curious Inventor - Guides : How to Solder

and surface mount soldering

Curious Inventor - Guides : Surface Mount Soldering

Something to build once you learn how to solder:

Main Page - Reef Projects

and for the record... I love my flluke graphing multimeter he he

[V]

sweet, i'll have a look at these tonight

[V]

JRC, thanks bud. the vids were good, should be visual enough dont you think!!!

you spend abit of time on that site or what> ?

[lReef lKeeper]

link >>> http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/ho...lass-tank.html

[THEJRC]

JRC, thanks bud. the vids were good, should be visual enough dont you think!!!

you spend abit of time on that site or what> ?

I've been working with my 6 year old nephew on a tank project (our own reef controller) since around March now (going is slow naturally) and it dawned on me that my teaching skills are as good as my skills at brain surgery so I dug around for some videos he could watch. I geek out with him quite a bit on stuff like that!

Instructables - Make, How To, and DIY is a mecca as well....

[V]

we're getting some great info in, pretty soon i'll do a write up linking some basic concepts so people can understand how it all relates.

If anyone else want to do the same by all means fire away.

[Captinsmooth]

Link >>>Reading Resistor Values

This link covers allot, from theory, to safety, to mathematics, to understanding components, pretty much everything you could want to know. >> All About Circuits : Free Electric Circuits Textbooks

[V]

link >>> http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/ho...lass-tank.html

i remember this, good work bud

[V]

JRC, thought you might like this one.

DIY JET TURBINE

[V]

DIY Lighting Hacks for Digital Photographers

[V]

Thermal Jets

[Ann Marie]

Great thread, but it's all over my head.

How about a thread for DIY-newbies? Basic wiring, plumbing, set up, etc... I've only been in the hobby 14 months but have enjoyed doing all my own plumbing and set up. With each tank I get better. To be honest, there have been the occasional f-bombs dropped when something goes wrong as well as the lesser-4 letter words when I've got to run back to the hardware store because I got the wrong item.

I figure it's like golf. If you can't say the f-word, you're not trying hard enough.

[THEJRC]

my tank runs on f-bombs

[V]

Great thread, but it's all over my head.

How about a thread for DIY-newbies? Basic wiring, plumbing, set up, etc... I've only been in the hobby 14 months but have enjoyed doing all my own plumbing and set up. With each tank I get better. To be honest, there have been the occasional f-bombs dropped when something goes wrong as well as the lesser-4 letter words when I've got to run back to the hardware store because I got the wrong item.

I figure it's like golf. If you can't say the f-word, you're not trying hard enough.

AM, this is what this thread is all about, Admittedly it is in the electrical thread section, however as you see, its not exclusive due to the title.

Theory on new stuff always seems daunting. Compound that with the thoughts of throwing it into your own DIY basket & you can have a rather weird pudding mix. However- Never fear, cause I is here.. lol

On a serious note, I do hear what your saying,
Firstly we're just getting in some reference material, pretty soon, we're break it down into some real world examples. Although you prob couldn't get any more real world than say bobby's glass cutting example.

You'll be surprised though, electronics for example, when i first opened a book on it, i was like, you have soooo got to be kidden. However, given a conscious effort to set some time aside to understand some of the basic underlying principles, you'd be surprised, stuff starts making a weird kind of sense.

[CarmieJo]

I thought that you might like to see this Got my LED's on the way! DIY actinic-supplement build...eventually full LED lighting! - Carolina Aquarium Community and High-power LED array DONE! TONS of pics!!! - Carolina Aquarium Community that one of the guys on my local board built.

[V]

yup, thanks carmie.

See, DIY for the first time, & still managed to create this light rail.
Not a bad job could definitely do well at cleaning it up, however these sort of things come about through experience. & That path is what its all about

[CarmieJo]

Here is a nice DIY site. http://www.aquariaforums.com/aquarium-diy-plans/

[THEJRC]

alrighty, dug this oldie but goodie up for another project I was working on this weekend and realized it's got application in the hobby (use your imagination).

Building your own Vacuum pump

it's a cheap DIY vacuum pump that I've used in the past for molding plastics and what have you, for the reef applications you might think in terms of leak testing, holding acrylic parts for cementing, and a variety of other projects. This ones along the terms of a DIY tool more than anything but it should spark interest with some of the more serious DIYers out there.

[V]

Sweet, getting the whole mixed bag now.

adaptation you say bud, hmmm, how bout vacuum forming components or even better, new skin designs with composite materials. although am i wrong here, but wouldn't a plain old vacuum cleaner using a space bag be a sh^t load easier?