Computer Guys Braggin' Time: What have you built that AIN'T a computer?

[ahhaa]

Just curious about some of the regulars here; they let out lil scraps of info about their jobs...

me, I once built a set of six digital dice to play RISK, but nobody would believe they weren't rigged; and they weren't as fun as the real thing...

built a Tesla coil, but all it was good for was blowing fuses.

a microphone amp that was basically a portable pirate radio station

stuff like that...

[guns1inger]

Last year a mate an I built a 22 foot long white pointer shark for a stage show. It had an electric wheelchair chassis built into it so a single person could sit inside and drive it around. It took around 200 man hours to design and build, and was on stage for four performances, for a total of around 90 seconds a performance.

A couple of years before that we built a two thirds scale car out of timber for another show.

It passes the time . . . . .

[FulciLives]

It's funny because I've been playing with "fixing" computers since the 5.25" floppy on my C-64 kept knocking itself out of wack and I found a program (that I had to type in myself using BASIC) that monitored it's adjustment when you opened it up and ummm adjusted it. Basically all these parameter's on the computer screen would tell you once you had it aligned. Which required opening up the floppy and using a screw driver to adjust some screws or something. Hey it was a long time ago!

Anyways I like to think I know my way around the inside of a computer fairly well.

But that's it.

I'm pretty much worthless as a "handy man".

I grew up in a household of all women ... my mom, aunt and grandmother. When shit needed fixed they called in the local handy guy. I was too busy watching TV or playing computer games or reading a book to care about what he did.

As a result I know nothing when it comes to fixing anything or using tools to make anything etc.

Hell I'm lucky I can put gas and window washer fluid in my car. I go to those "quick change" oil places to get the oil replaced. I don't even understand how to check my oil. All I know is you pull some metal stick out ... wipe it ... stick it back in ... then look at it. Yeah I never bothered doing all that.

As far as tools go I have a few screwdrivers and a hammer. Half the time I can't find any of them LOL

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[ZAPPER]

Formwork for cantilevered concrete stairs with radius and other architechetural concrete formwork. Anybody can draw it to look good, but support and mold the material until it sets is the tricky part.


Millwork in a few big bucks offices and churches. 12" rift sawn crown moulding 30' AFF in a church.

Million square feet of warehouse from find the property lines to handing over the keys.

Construction work has been good to me, I just wish that I could have worked on the pyramids. I have seen alot of what I have built, torn down or remodled already. Nothing is permanent.

[bobkart]

Not work but hobby: 6-player Gran Turismo 4 setup:

[mats.hogberg]

Moved to OT

/Mats

[LSchafroth]

Back in 1986 I took a processor chip and placed it on a punch board and built a mini circuit board out of it. Added a keyboard via a 20ma loop circuit.

Created a serial port to a dot matrix printer via another 20 miliam loop circuit.

Programmed the chip to print what you typed. Then I got crazy and programmed a table with all the letters. When you typed a sentance, it referenced the table and printed 8x10 inch banner letters accross the page.

The toughest part was creating a mini operating system for the chip.

I later converted it to a scrolling LED display but could not swing the cost of all the led's so the school let me use small light bulbs instead. Got an 'A'.

LS

[stiltman]

Worked a long time in the construction field. I can do;
Eletrical
Plumbing
Carpentry
Welding

I've only been in computers for 10 years, but I do a fair share of stuff with them now.

[Craig Tucker]

Not work but hobby: 6-player Gran Turismo 4 setup:

Thats pretty sweet, is it in your house.

[Faustus]

If its not a PC I can't do shit so there.

[Dv8ted2]

Worked a long time in the construction field. I can do;
Eletrical
Plumbing

same here

[bobkart]

That's pretty sweet, is it in your house?

Yes, leftmost monitor is an HDTV (GT4 can put out 1080i).

[Super Warrior]

I've built 6-8 Gundam model kits, a few pretty detailed ones. I had one of those badass 1/60 perfect grade, wing zero models(the ones with actual metal parts, screws, fully articulated hands&fingers, etc). Was released only in japan.

I called it the "model kit from HELL". Yeah normally model kits have plenty of parts, but DAMN, this one had rows and ROWS of parts....WOW

Though i quit on that one for some reason. I built the legs, the arms, and most of the head&body. But just got occupied with something else and put it off, been a few years since i bothered with it....one day....maybe....

[gadgetguy]

I built the house I live in. Including the electrical, plumbing, gas, heating, drywall (although my wife did the mud work), roofing, driveway/garage cement work, windows, doors, original hardboard siding (since covered with vinyl siding not by me), etc.
I built the desk I work at.
I built the TV stand in my office.

[LSchafroth]

I'm the same. I do everything in our house. Plumbing, electrical, dry wall, carpet, roofing, etc. No concrete though.

Do all work on vehicles including auto body and painting.

LS

[SquirrelDip]

Seems to be a growing trend...

Finished the basement in our house, plumbing, electrical, framing, etc... Have done most everything to a vehicle from engine rebuild to new brakes. I tend to shy away from finishing work (like bodywork).

That 6-Player setup looks pretty sweet - it may become something on my 'todo' list...

[bobkart]

The PS3 is supposed to have two HDMI outputs, perhaps allowing a 6-player setup (GT-HD/GT5) with just three of them.

Whoops, I may have started a Blu-Ray versus HD-DVD controversy in this thread.

[Super Warrior]

Whoops, I may have started a Blu-Ray versus HD-DVD controversy in this thread.

Meh to hell with BOTH i say. DVD is pretty good enough.

[fLYtRap]

In 1979 I build a real IGLOO from real snow, next to entrance to my building and it was about 2.5 meters high

[ZAPPER]

Cool!

[Jumpa]

Not work but hobby: 6-player Gran Turismo 4 setup:

Must be nice

[stiltman]

Talk about digging up an old thread

[bobkart]

Not work but hobby: 6-player Gran Turismo 4 setup:

Must be nice

Time-lapse video of them being disassembled (made last summer):

http://bobkart.gt3times.com/MP4/takedown.mp4