A Little Ludwig Goes A Long Way

Tag Archive for Tools

Saturday morning software tools roundup

john / April 7, 2012 / No comments

Stuff I recently saw which intrigued…

GeometricTools (via @donpark) — great repository of code snippets for math and geo operations.
How to find freely usable photos on the net — excellent tips, I’d been using Wikimedia Commons as well (thanks @ellegold)
The Lean Startup Bundle OK I hope to gosh I would never need all these things but some good ideas in here
Step by step diffeq solutions in WolframAlpha. What a resource.
Charlie Kindel articulates why I need to flip to Powershell on my Windows box. He also makes a strong case for switching to Sublime Text 2

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Software, Tools, tweet

Tools I Want But Don’t Need — January 2012

john / January 19, 2012 / One comment

Since I am semi-retired from Halloween prop-building (tho I still have 2 storage pods full of gear if anyone wants to buy some skeletons, tombstones, etc…) I have not been buying as many tools and workbench gadgets as I used to. If I was buying, I’d be trying these out:

Planet Pocket Tool — small handmade tools with an arty bent. I never have time to follow the site and get in on the deals.
Grabber. indispensable for fat-fingered guys like me.
Fathead tweezers. ANother very nicely machined tool.
Blackfire flashlight. Always need a clampy light.
Cubify. I would LOVE to have a cost effective 3d printer.
Inpection Camera. OK no real use for this but isn’t it cool? I am sure I could justify somehow.

Photo Lens Burrito Wrap. Seems awesome.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Design, Tools

Things I need in my toolbox

john / August 30, 2010 / No comments

Wire Bender is a genius little thing. Cheap, rarely used, but the exact right tool for certain jobs.
Air hose swivel is another simple little thing that is exactly the right solution.
Rollo Knife. Rolling utility knife, purportedly a knuckle saver.
Butt splicers. I am the suck at splicing wires so these might be useful.
Skoobawraps. Trying to decide if these are awesome cool, or kind of stupid.
Fab@Home 3d printers. Seems cool but honestly, the constraining factor on my manufacture of 3d items is not lack of a 3d printer, but is my complete inability to design/draw anything.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Tools

Stuff I Want But Don’t Need — too late for Christmas edition

john / December 16, 2009 / No comments

Awesome Studio Mango rugs. Love the asymmetry.
Hometown Jigsaw Puzzle. Would order one but 2-3 weeks for production…
Compartes Chocolates. Not really a chocolate fan but these are just so great looking…
Blue shift bumper sticker. Geek humour.
Tyler Cowen’s book list. His recos have a high hit rate.
Pocket Ref book. If Kurt recos, it will be good.
3d power plug. Doesn’t exist but if it did…
Cole-Bar Hammer. OK I only drive about 30 nails a year but still this looks like a winner.
LED Bed. Looks like effective birth control to me.
Motif cube. Looks puzzle-ish but isn’t.
Power Plug with USB. Way underpriced.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Books, Design, Furnishings, Gifts, Tools

Halloween links

john / October 2, 2009 / No comments

Not doing a big Halloween thing this year due to other commitments. Saving these tips for the future…

Monsterlist. Starting point to find any kind of halloween project
Kurt’s tool wishlist. I can only aspire to Kurt’s skill and tool collection
Kurt on prop setup. The guy knows more than I ever will about this
Scott on controllers. Need to read and parse this, Scott is ahead of me here.
Kurt on foam construction. Foam is my best friend at halloween time
Measure tape tape. Simple but brilliant
French Curves. Who doesn’t need these.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Halloween, Props, Tools

Stuff I Want But Don't Need — August Edition

john / August 10, 2009 / No comments

Possibly the most ill-considered travel item ever — those TSA agents love a good joke. Ha ha ha, strip your clothes off sir.
Vex robotic kit. Never had robot love, but if i did…
Sticky tripod. No idea why but seems like I should have in my camera kit.
I don’t know why I don’t have an eye-fi yet.
Cooling bandanna. At less than $2 I should certainly get
Dramm fogg-it hose nozzle. Doesn’t the name sound like a spoonerized curse phrase?
Dynomighty wallet. If they had a buckeye one i’d be there
Digital rachet wrench. Seems like a horrible idea.
Traverse switchplates. Nice, I hate generic plastic switchplates.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Design, Outdoors, Photography, Robot, Tools, Travel

Stuff I Want But Don't Need — Themeless

john / July 12, 2009 / One comment

Solar Camping Lantern — I remember the old coleman lanterns using white gas, the pumping, the mantles. What a pain in the a$%. This looks way simpler.
King Cobra wristwatch — awesome looking. Tho I have completely given up on wristwatches.
Carabiners make everything better. So true.
Denture ice cubes. Seriously awesome.
Resistor cheat sticker. I can never remember how to speak resistor.
Antitheft lunch bags — brilliant.
Woven wood chairs. Beautiful. Probably uncomfortable as hell.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Design, Halloween, Lighting, Tools

Knots

john / May 3, 2009 / No comments

Animated Knots by Grog. — animations of how to tie nearly every knot you ever need.Â Oh and the forgotten Zeppellin knot — apparently critical in the production of Physical Graffiti.

Both via Make. The internet is freaking awesome.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Crafts, Knots, Tools

Stuff I Want But Don't Need

john / April 7, 2009 / No comments

* Graph Paper Napkins. To better help you design a breakthrough on the back of napkin.
* Defendius Lock System. Prevents you from going at night when you’ve had too much.
* Veneer Toolbox. I’m not handy, so maybe I can just make my tools look awesome.
* Rollaway bar. Actually I’d use it for gear stowage.
* Domino Coffee Table

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Design, furniture, Tools

Stuff I Want But Don't Need — Household edition

john / January 25, 2009 / No comments

Imm Living. Love these totem coffee cups.
And this woodgrain pillow tho the color choices don’t work for us anywhere
Brilliant little painting tool
Corner clamp — looks positively frightening when not in use, like some medieval dentistry tool

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Design, household, Products, Tools

Dremels, Drill Bits, and Other Pumpkin-Carving Tools

john / October 15, 2008 / 2 comments

Dremels, Drill Bits, and Other Pumpkin-Carving Tools — excellent set of tools from Brett. Funkins are awesome as they keep forever.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Halloween, Pumpkins, Tools

The eyeballing game

john / October 14, 2008 / No comments

The eyeballing game. Angle bisecting and right angling are apparently my special skills.Â I pretty much suck at finding circle centers and making parallelograms tho.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Games, Tools

Are You Smarter Than A Bolt?

john / October 13, 2008 / No comments

Toolmonger Â» Blog Archive Â» Are You Smarter Than A Bolt?. — awesome bolts that give you feedback when you are overtightening. I need hardware like this. I really need stud-finding, conduit-avoiding nails.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Blog Archive, Bolt, Bolts, Nails, Stud, Tools

The flashlight jumps the shark

john / September 23, 2008 / No comments

Toolmonger Â» Blog Archive Â» Preview: Stanley 3-in-1 Tripod Flashlight. For the person who already has 37 flashlights and wants more.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Lighting, Tools

Stuff I want but don't need — design edition

john / August 29, 2008 / No comments

Fluidforms :: Individual Design. — awesome topographical bowls and other objects.
Drippable adhesives as sculpting medium.Â There are some cool Halloween designs hiding in this idea
Fire fighting gun.Â Makes you want to have a fire nearby.
Bits needed for making wooden train tracks — i just like the idea of doing this
Recycled tire mulch — this actually seems like a disaster, i have a hard time believing all our plants would love this.
Good looking LED desk lights
Beyond the lunchpail and thermos.Â The Mr Bento one is cool

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Art, Design, Garden, Halloween, Lights, Plateware, Tools

Stuff I Want But Don't Need — Geekhouse Bikes Powder Coating, Boynq Iris, Cyclone, Earthworm Hydro Drill

john / August 11, 2008 / No comments

Geekhouse Bikes Powder Coating Graphics — I never ride my bike, but wow could it look cool collecting dust
Now that I’ve installed Edison, let me burn up all my savings with this dynamic LED keyboard
Boynq Iris webcam-speaker-light-mic combo. I was just asking myself, where can I get a webcam-speaker-light-mic combo?
Cyclone metal cleanup tool. As they say, if only this worked for sawdust
Earthworm Hydro Drill. I actually could use this for routing cables for Halloween in the yard, tho it seems like it might be a disaster.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Cables, Cyclone, Disaster, Edison, Gear, Halloween, Keyboard, Tools

24 Free Sawhorse Plans

john / August 10, 2008 / No comments

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Tools

Stuff I want but don't need

john / July 22, 2008 / No comments

Toolmonger Â» Blog Archive Â» Bending Over Is For Chumps — actually I totally need this! Ordering today.
Waspknife. For the sharks in Lake Washington.
Jawbone 2. Rich loves it but I refuse to go bluetooth until they look less dorky. I have my pride.
LED Candelabra for Halloween. Stupid expensive.
Hex-pro wrenches.
Gum Magnets. Gross. But cool.
Picksets. awesome.
Extruded Aluminum Dominoes. Neato.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Chumps, Dominoes, Halloween, Hex, Jawbone, Led, Magnets, Pride, Sharks, Tools, Toys, Wrenches

Stuff I Want But Don't Need — Surround projector TV, Multitool, Power monitor

john / July 7, 2008 / One comment

Mitsubishi Ultra Thin Frame Premium Flat Panel TV with Integrated Sound Projector Â» Coolest Gadgets — cool. I have a discrete sound projector in one room and have been happy with. this is a great way to get surround sound with minimal fuss.
At the other end of the price spectrum, the Li’l Guppie Multi-tool. I am not sure I actually get much value out of multi-tools but they look cool.
Realtime power use monitor — this actually seems pretty useful.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Energy, Home, Sound, Tools, TV

Kill cell phone speaker buzz

john / June 28, 2008 / No comments

Clever Uses: Magnets Kill the Cell Phone Speaker Buzz — an old but effective idea

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: Mobile, PC, Tools

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