The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

Category: Home Ec

Things around the home & hearth

  • Handbag Strap Rivet Repair

    One of the leather strap anchors on Mary’s giant haul-everything-to-a-concert(*) handbag pulled its rivet through the canvas fabric:

    Handbag - pulled-through rivet
    Handbag – pulled-through rivet

    We knotted the strap around the zippered opening and completed the mission.

    Of course, it wouldn’t have pulled through if they’d splurged on washers, but noooo too expensive:

    Handbag - intact rivet - inside
    Handbag – intact rivet – inside

    Some rummaging produced a pan-head M3 screw of suitable length:

    Handbag - repaired - outside
    Handbag – repaired – outside

    A slightly battered acorn nut was a special treat for the inside, with another washer to keep me happy:

    Handbag - repaired - inside
    Handbag – repaired – inside

    That was easy!

    (*) At Tanglewood, where they don’t strip-search you on the way in, tow-behind coolers seemed de rigueur, and a good time was had by all.

  • Why Electricity Won

    Spotted this impressive array at an apartment building:

    Gas meter array
    Gas meter array

    That’s just for one wing; the other end of the building has a similar installation. Each apartment has an electric stove and gas heat / AC.

    The plumbing!

  • Yellowbook Do-Not-Deliver Delivery Option

    Last summer I followed the procedure that should turn off (one of) the ersatz “Yellow Pages” directories littering our driveway.

    This just arrived:

    YellowBook Do-Not-Deliver Delivery
    YellowBook Do-Not-Deliver Delivery

    Seeing as how they have the wrong town in my address, there’s still another excuse available.

    My guess: they’re paid by tonnage of books delivered and have a powerful incentive to continue delivering all of them, no matter what gets in the way.

    You absolutely cannot make this stuff up.

  • Amazon Packaging

    The ample padding around this bag of fragile pecans leaves nothing to be desired:

    Amazon - well-packed pecans
    Amazon – well-packed pecans

    They’re firmly held in place on all sides, well protected from injury, and survived their shipping ordeal unscathed: not a bruise or break to be found. Well done!

    That’s not always the case. A padded envelope recently arrived with an obvious wound:

    Amazon - envelope perforations
    Amazon – envelope perforations

    Which came from its completely unprotected contents:

    Amazon - unprotected PCB pins
    Amazon – unprotected PCB pins

    Fortunately, the fragile glass front plate of that OLED managed to put itself flat against a small box inside the otherwise empty bag. it wasn’t broken, but due only to good fortune.

    “Static sensitive parts enclosed”, indeed …

  • Mailing Tube End Caps

    Faced with a need to send documents rolled up in a tube, rather than folded flat, I sawed off a suitable length of cardboard tube from the heap, then discovered a distinct lack of end caps.

    Well, once again, it’s 3D printing to the rescue:

    Mailing Tube Cap - top - Slic3r
    Mailing Tube Cap – top – Slic3r

    The small ribs probably don’t actually do anything, but seemed like a nice touch.

    They’re somewhat less boring from the bottom:

    Mailing Tube Cap - bottom - Slic3r
    Mailing Tube Cap – bottom – Slic3r

    The fancy spider supports that big flat top and provides some crush resistance. The flat flange should collect the edge of the packing tape wrapped around the ends.

    A firm shove installs them, so the size worked out perfectly:

    Mailing tube end cap - installed
    Mailing tube end cap – installed

    Add a wrap of tape to each end, affix the USPS label, and they went out with the next day’s mail, PETG hair and all.

    The OpenSCAD source code as a GitHub Gist:

    // Mailing tube end cap
    // Ed Nisley KE4ZNU – June 2017
    Layout = "Build";
    //- Extrusion parameters – must match reality!
    ThreadThick = 0.25;
    ThreadWidth = 0.40;
    function IntegerMultiple(Size,Unit) = Unit * ceil(Size / Unit);
    Protrusion = 0.1;
    HoleWindage = 0.2;
    //- Screw sizes
    inch = 25.4;
    TubeID = 2 * inch;
    TubeWall = 0.1 * inch;
    CapInsert = 15.0;
    CapRim = 1.0;
    CapWall = 3*ThreadWidth;
    NumFlanges = 3;
    FlangeHeight = 3*ThreadThick;
    FlangeWidth = ThreadWidth/2;
    FlangeSpace = CapInsert / (NumFlanges + 1);
    OAHeight = CapInsert + CapRim;
    NumRibs = 3*4;
    NumSides = 3*NumRibs;
    //- Adjust hole diameter to make the size come out right
    module PolyCyl(Dia,Height,ForceSides=0) { // based on nophead's polyholes
    Sides = (ForceSides != 0) ? ForceSides : (ceil(Dia) + 2);
    FixDia = Dia / cos(180/Sides);
    cylinder(r=(FixDia + HoleWindage)/2,h=Height,$fn=Sides);
    }
    module TubeCap() {
    difference() {
    cylinder(d=TubeID,h=OAHeight,$fn=NumSides);
    translate([0,0,CapWall])
    cylinder(d=TubeID – 2*CapWall,h=OAHeight,$fn=NumSides);
    }
    for (i=[1:NumFlanges])
    translate([0,0,i*FlangeSpace])
    difference() {
    cylinder(d=TubeID + 2*FlangeWidth,h=FlangeHeight,$fn=NumSides);
    translate([0,0,-Protrusion])
    cylinder(d=TubeID – 2*CapWall,h=FlangeHeight + 2*Protrusion,$fn=NumSides);
    }
    for (i=[0:NumRibs-1])
    rotate(i*360/NumRibs)
    translate([0,-ThreadWidth,CapWall + ThreadThick])
    cube([TubeID/2 – CapWall/2,2*ThreadWidth,CapInsert + CapRim – CapWall – ThreadThick],center=false);
    translate([0,0,CapInsert]) {
    difference() {
    cylinder(d=TubeID + 2*TubeWall,h=CapRim,$fn=NumSides);
    translate([0,0,-Protrusion])
    cylinder(d=TubeID – 3*2*CapWall,h=2*CapRim,$fn=NumSides);
    }
    }
    }
    //- Build things
    if (Layout == "Show")
    TubeCap();
    if (Layout == "Build")
    translate([0,0,OAHeight])
    rotate([180,0,0])
    TubeCap();
    view raw Mailing Tube Cap.scad hosted with ❤ by GitHub

  • Under-cabinet LED Strip IR Sensor: Re-aimed

    The under-cabinet LED strips work wonderfully well, except that the IR sensor seemed rather hypersensitive, so I added a small reflector made of shiny steel:

    Under-cabinet light - IR sensor mirror
    Under-cabinet light – IR sensor mirror

    Even though I rounded those corners and deburred the edges, it does look a bit threatening, doesn’t it?

    It moves the sensor’s hotspot back about half a foot, which seems Good Enough to eliminate false triggering from normal activity over the cutting board.

  • Verizon FiOS at 1 Gb/s for $70? Really‽

    Jessica: Hi! I am a Verizon specialist, can I help you today?

    You (that would be me = Ed): Verizon has announced gigabit Internet service for $70/month. That isn’t listed as one of the my “upgrade” options. Is it available in this area? If not, why do the 25 and 50 Mb/s services cost 90 and $100/month?

    Jessica: By chatting with us, you grant us permission to review your services during the chat to offer the best value. Refusing to chat will not affect your current services. It is your right and our duty to protect your account information. For quality, we may monitor and/or review this chat.

    Jessica: Hey there! My name is Jessica. Happy to help!

    Jessica: Thank you for being a valued Verizon customer, I will be glad to check the information for you.

    Jessica: For security and protection of your account records, please provide your first and last name as it appears on your account, plus one of the following pieces of information. Either your:

    [redacted]

    You: [redacted]

    Jessica: Thank you for the information, Edward Nisley!

    Jessica: Please give me few minutes to check the information.

    Jessica: I appreciate your patience.

    Jessica: Thank you for safeguarding the account.

    Jessica: Thank you for your years of loyalty to Verizon!

    Jessica: It looks like you currently have just Verizon Fios Internet up to 25/25 Mbps plan.
    Just to confirm, are you looking to make upgrade for just Fios Gigabit Connection?

    You: That’s correct: I do /not/ want phone or TV service.

    Jessica: I have checked the information and it looks like Verizon Fios Gigabit Connection is not available for your location.

    However, you can make the upgrade for Verizon Fios Internet up to 100/100 Mbps and above speed plan.

    You: Which gives me the opportunity to pay twice as much for 10% of the bandwidth: definitely an unattractive offer.

    Jessica: We are offering different speed plan with different prices and great discounts.

    Jessica: It looks like you are currently paying just $45.99/mo. for your Verizon Fios Internet upto 25/25 Mbps plan.

    Jessica: Just to confirm, are you looking to make any upgrade?

    You: I was interested in 1 Gb/s for $70. I’m uninterested in bait-and-switch tactics for lower bandwith at higher prices. Based on the gigabit price, I should be getting 25 Mb/s for $1.75/month … what sort of discount can you offer to make up for that sort of overcharge?

    Jessica: I understand how you feel.

    Jessica: The availability of speed and price vary from location to location.

    You can get our Verizon Fios Internet up to 50/50 Mbps plan at just $59.99/mo. before taxes with new 2 year agreement.

    Jessica: The base price of this plan is $99.99/mo. before taxes. However, you will be getting $40 OFF for 24 months with new 2 year agreement plan.

    Jessica: So, its just $59.99/mo. before taxes.

    The estimated price would be just $62.48/mo. including taxes and fees.

    Jessica: Just to confirm, would you like to go ahead and make the upgrade for this speed plan?

    Jessica: I haven’t heard from you for a few moments. Would you like to continue chatting?

    You: That’s the bait-and-switch tactic I’m /not/ interested in; DO NOT change my service. Verizon tacks on a few bucks a month for a “Municipal Construction Charge” without actually building anything. Let me know when you can offer me a gigabit for $70, then we can talk. Before then, DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING. Thanks …

    We are sorry, but the agent was disconnected, please wait for the agent to reconnect..

    We apologize for the unexpected delay, an agent should be with you very soon.

    Agent Carl enters chat

    Carl: Hi there! You have reached Carl. How may I help you today?

    You: Do you have access to the previous half hour of chat before Agent Jessica was mysteriously disconnected?

    Carl: It seems that the previous agent lost connection.

    Carl: I am sorry for the inconvenience caused to you. She might have faced some technical issues.

    Carl: Pleasure assured no changes will be made on your account without your consent.

    Carl: I read that you wish to check the availability of Gigabit speeds for your home. Correct?

    You: That’s what I asked, half an hour ago, and was told it’s not available, but I /can/ pay more than that (minus a teaser discount) for 10% of the bandwidth. If that’s still the best you can do, it’s not what I want.

    Carl: The availability of services and plans is address specific. I see that the previous agent informed the Gigabit speed is not available.

    Carl: The prices and promotions are time specific.

    Carl: You get discounts and promotions available at the time of signing up for new services.

    Carl: When you signed up for services 2 year back, you get the promotions available at that time.

    You: OK, we’re going in circles. Let me know when you can deliver what Verizon offers to other FiOS customers. Thanks …

    Carl: Right now, the customer who sign up for new service on a new account for 1st time, they get the offers available right now.

    Carl: You’re welcome.

    Carl: Is there anything else I can help you online today?

    You: Nope, we’re off to a concert. Have a good rest of the evening!

    Carl: You too have a great evening.

    Carl: If you need assistance in the future, visit us anytime on the My Fios App or at Verizon.com. Thank you for chatting with Verizon.