It's amazing how much family bonding happens when you take on a DIY home project, like replacing 60' plus of fence in three days on a budget.
This slideshow shoes you how easy it is, but keep in mind it is time consuming.
Thanks Ma & Bo for making this happen.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Making your memories vintage
Keeping your red wheelbarrow moments vintage are fun. I once made a photo album of polaroids at my friend's wedding many moons ago and the next morning she and her husband open gifts and it was the first pictures she had seen of the wedding, which looked similar to her grandmother's polaroid wedding photos. She teared up with joy and wrote me the most amazing thank you letter.
You can still purchase color and bw Fuji film for Polaroid land cameras - just need to apply a bit of "pressure" with your finger to bend the pressure clip back to accept the Fuji film cartridge the first time.. The metal land cameras like the Polaroid Automatic 100 Land Camera can be found for free on Craigslist and Freecycle or purchased for $10-15. You can use a 9v battery to power it and save on the $10 battery it says it needs.
A fun thing to do is to not only keep the picture, but to immediately hair dry the negative so the chemicals do not damage the print or anything. Then scan on a flat bed scanner and reverse the image. Then print it digitally. If you are hosting a wedding, consider using this technique at the guest table. Two friends can run the table. One takes the picture and gives the print to the guest who then puts it into a photo book and writes you a note, while your other helper hair dries the negatives to dry out and stop the chemical developer from ruining the print and everything else. Late you can scan these and produce a nice iPhoto book with them. It will look timeless. And your guests will have so much fun.
In the end you will have images that resemble ones from long long ago.
The black/white film is currently being discontinued, but who knows what the future holds. You can buy it expired too - keep it in the freezer - you'll be fine. By the way, the color film is totally available. And will remain available. You could still treat the negative the same or scan black/white and see what results you get.
Film in bulk on eBay is the way to go.
Fuji FP3000B for B/W
Fuji FP100C for color
* Both images taken by Jonathan Canlas with a high quality Polaroid SE600 (good lens. The land camera lenses are not as crisp, but still meet most peoples' needs well).
You can still purchase color and bw Fuji film for Polaroid land cameras - just need to apply a bit of "pressure" with your finger to bend the pressure clip back to accept the Fuji film cartridge the first time.. The metal land cameras like the Polaroid Automatic 100 Land Camera can be found for free on Craigslist and Freecycle or purchased for $10-15. You can use a 9v battery to power it and save on the $10 battery it says it needs.
A fun thing to do is to not only keep the picture, but to immediately hair dry the negative so the chemicals do not damage the print or anything. Then scan on a flat bed scanner and reverse the image. Then print it digitally. If you are hosting a wedding, consider using this technique at the guest table. Two friends can run the table. One takes the picture and gives the print to the guest who then puts it into a photo book and writes you a note, while your other helper hair dries the negatives to dry out and stop the chemical developer from ruining the print and everything else. Late you can scan these and produce a nice iPhoto book with them. It will look timeless. And your guests will have so much fun.
In the end you will have images that resemble ones from long long ago.
The black/white film is currently being discontinued, but who knows what the future holds. You can buy it expired too - keep it in the freezer - you'll be fine. By the way, the color film is totally available. And will remain available. You could still treat the negative the same or scan black/white and see what results you get.
Film in bulk on eBay is the way to go.
Fuji FP3000B for B/W
Fuji FP100C for color
* Both images taken by Jonathan Canlas with a high quality Polaroid SE600 (good lens. The land camera lenses are not as crisp, but still meet most peoples' needs well).
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Motorized 4x4s for kids
If my son were more into trucks, like my nephew, I would host a 4x4 birthday. Instead of kids receiving a gift bag I would provide them with a Defiants 4x4 toy (includes battery) and a handheld garden shovel. Gift bags run $4+ to create and are often filled with soon to become landfill toys. Defiants 4x4 can be bought for $4 often on sale at Toys-R-Us.
My son and I made his own 4x4 track.
At a birthday party you could provide materials and a location for the kids to dig. They could make bridges and much more. I imagine this birthday, for the right enthusiast, would be a life-time memory.
Plus your gift bag is not crap.
I am part of the Stomper & Rough Riders generation and played at length with these vehicles - for hours. I remember playing like this:
You can read about Defiants here. They also have a Face Book page. The customer service is awesome.
My son and I made his own 4x4 track.
At a birthday party you could provide materials and a location for the kids to dig. They could make bridges and much more. I imagine this birthday, for the right enthusiast, would be a life-time memory.
Plus your gift bag is not crap.
I am part of the Stomper & Rough Riders generation and played at length with these vehicles - for hours. I remember playing like this:
You can read about Defiants here. They also have a Face Book page. The customer service is awesome.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Push go-karts
Wheel - Sku #7161003 4 Laurel Ace Hardware
5/8"x6" Lag Bolt 4 Bay Bolt
5/8" Washer 8 Bay Bolt
1/2"x4" Carriage Bolt 1 Bay Bolt
1/2" Washer 2 Bay Bolt
1/2" Lock Washer 1 Bay Bolt
1/2" Nut (recommend using nyloc nut) 1 Bay Bolt
1-1.5" Panhead Screws (for seat) 9 Bay Bolt
2.5-3" Wood Screws 16 Bay Bolt
10' 2x4 Construction Grade 1 Economy Lumber
5' Nylon Rope 1 Ace Hardware
5/8"x6" Lag Bolt 4 Bay Bolt
5/8" Washer 8 Bay Bolt
1/2"x4" Carriage Bolt 1 Bay Bolt
1/2" Washer 2 Bay Bolt
1/2" Lock Washer 1 Bay Bolt
1/2" Nut (recommend using nyloc nut) 1 Bay Bolt
1-1.5" Panhead Screws (for seat) 9 Bay Bolt
2.5-3" Wood Screws 16 Bay Bolt
10' 2x4 Construction Grade 1 Economy Lumber
5' Nylon Rope 1 Ace Hardware
Bathroom Plunger from Dollar Tree (this is the brake for the go-kart)
Optional for wheels:
Wheels - $3.25 per 10" spoke wheel BUT no bearings. * Requires different sized lag bolt and washer Laurel Ace Hardware
Wheels - $4.99 per 10" Pneumatic Tire plus many other options. *May require different sized lag bolt Harbor Freight Tools http://www.harborfreight.com
Wheels - $4.99 per 10" Pneumatic Tire plus many other options. *May require different sized lag bolt Harbor Freight Tools http://www.harborfreight.com
Below is where this project began . . .
Go-karts can be made for pennies from scraps and wheels and parts from Freecycle, Craigslist Free Stuff, and abandoned curb side materials (training wheels, carts, wood, etc.) or for well under $60 from a trip to Ace Hardware or Home Depot.
Here's the simplest plan in the world and it is sturdy enough to carry a 200 lbs adult:
A friend pre-cut all the wood and my 5-year-old assembled the kits. I am a high school teacher and can quickly and easily collect plastic seats from broken desks and chairs by drilling out the rivets. Repurpose them so they do not end up at the dump. You can score a plastic seat from Freecycle or Craigslist or buy something cool looking from the "as-is" area at Ikea for cheap.
If you have access to drill press for 20" you can pre-drill the kits:
Here is the shopping list:
You will need 4 wheels. Ace Hardware sells ones which work very very well. They cost $10/each. Although for $6, I think these from Harbor Freight Tools would work as well or better -they come in silver or gold. Another excellent option for wheels comes from Ace Hardware. You want 10" plus tall wheels with bearings (not plastic sleeves) for top performance. There are also tread'd versions of this exact tire. Among all the kids with these wheels on their go-karts their go-karts performed the best; although I suspect the Harbor Freight Tools ones would be excellent and hold up just as well. Put the money into the wheels, because you will be able to reuse them with multiple karts.
* After you buy the wheels take them to a hardware store and find a long bolt that fights tightly in the middle of the wheel. You want it to go into the 2x4 axle about 5 or 6 inches.
You also need:
Qty: 1
3/8" eye bolt / locknut / qty: 3 washers
Qty: 8
3/8" washers for the wheel mounting
Qty: 30
2 and 3/4s" wood screws
Qty: 25
2" wood screws
30" of thin nylon rope for steering wheels
22" length 2x4" or 2x2" to mount your brake to. Check Home Depot scrap pile for cheap. You will also want need to buy qty: 10 some easy on the butt carriage screws with washers and nuts at 6" to mount your seat to the frame and not have the screws pull through the seat.
* Remember, with patience, you can find wheels for less or free. That is the major cost of the go-kart.
We built in the morning and drove in the afternoon:
This project started off with just my son making a go-cart (but I STRONGLY recommend against a seat like this. He falls off when he turns. So do I!):
I argue this is fun from toddler to teen. A great way to keep the kids busy for a weekend.
The name 510cc plays off of (1) engine size and (2) our area code + car club. If you start a go-kart club in another area code, ie "503cc" please send pix link or a youtube video link. Would love to see more or new variations on the road.
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