What have you built?

[iant]

as you would
makes perfect sence

 

[kittydog42]

I made two panel benches out of steel. Each is about waist high so that an upright panel will be at the right height for working on either standing up or sittng on a stool. There are two sides each about 1' x 4' for storing tools or parts, and a shelf underneath for larger spools of wire. The table top itself is two pieces of strut with a front hinge that the back panel bolts to. After drilling and tapping, it hinged up and adjustable pieces of chain hold the panel at the desired angle. Across the top overhead is a pipe used to hold spools of wire. In front is a tray used to hold hand tools like screwdrivers, etc. We have been using them for eight years or so. I can't even imaging going back to the cobbed-together wooden panel tables that we used to use.

 

[TomekPLC]

1747-PIC improvement.

When ribbon cable started causing issues on my pic box (1747-PIC) I installed D25 connector inside of the box.
Tom

 

[The Plc Kid]

When ribbon cable started causing issues on my pic box (1747-PIC) I installed D25 connector inside of the box.
Tom

Awesome. Those ribbon cables seemed to always get damaged no matter how hard you tried to prevent it.

 

[Clay B.]

OT: because I did not build them but I picked up a pair of these boys in lowes the other day and man are they handy.

http://www.channellock.com/locknut.aspx

I got a set of these out of a German tool box that came with a machine. The mechinics on site had no idea what they were so they just gave them to me. That was about 10 years ago aand I have used them so much the padding on one of the handles is about to fall off.

I did not know channellock made them now( need to make a trip to Lowes)

 

[Clay B.]

Made a "solenoid" test tool for the maintenace guys at the last place I worked.

It was a reed switch from a door interlock attached to some batteries and a LED.

Because a solenoid would generate a magnetic field whenever it was on the mainteance guys could just touch the solenoid coil with the sensor head and see if the solenoid was on.

I built it so the sensor head was on one end and the LED was on the other with 3 AAA bateries in the middle.. Basically it looked like a long marker so the guys would carry them in their pocket.

 

[Gil47]

When I work on D shell plugs I find a third or forth hand would be useful

I got the magnet out of an old loudspeaker, the bigger, heavier, the better and use it to hold the D shell at a multitude of angles so I can for example solder terminals.

That third hand is alot steadier than the other two

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Mains tester

I made a mains tester 20 years ago after a friend dropped his. I couldn't believe all it consisted of was two neons and a 1Mohm resistor.
Yes, you can buy them - for only a few £'s - but this cost NOTHING!

 

[shawn_75]

Markie,

It appears as if your N and L are reversed.

Is that the label plate from the one that was dropped?

Shawn

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Markie,

It appears as if your N and L are reversed.

Is that the label plate from the one that was dropped?

Shawn

LOL "Red" = on."Light red" = Dimly on - fault, like no earth when both neons are lit dimly.
I made the label plate as my employer had an engraver - but no orange/white material!

 

[rootboy]

I made a short-circuit tester from a blown fuse and a pilot light. The fuse was mounted to the back of the pilot light and I soldered wires on the ends of the fuse and wired them to the pilot light. Snap it in to the fuseholder with the short circuit and the light will stay on while you isolate the branch with the fault (in some cases there would be 30-40 branches on the same circuit).

Very handy, so handy in fact that one of the maintenance guys stole it from me.

I've also done the current source circuit with a resistor bank to switch between 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20ma.

The locknut pliers look like a neat thing!

 

[Kev77]

I made a short-circuit tester from a blown fuse and a pilot light. The fuse was mounted to the back of the pilot light and I soldered wires on the ends of the fuse and wired them to the pilot light. Snap it in to the fuseholder with the short circuit and the light will stay on while you isolate the branch with the fault (in some cases there would be 30-40 branches on the same circuit).

I've got one of them! Well, its a little different...

It is a jumper wire that I stick in the socket and watch the arc! I call it the "THUMPER". Sometimes you need to replace the receptacle due to melted plastic... Just kidding

I have used lights on circuits in the past that would keep blowing fuses. It allows the fuse to hold until you can track down the source of the fault. You just need to be careful.

 

[kolyur]

Soldered up a little PCB with a terminal block, LED, resistor, and two 9v battery terminals. Use it all the time to test 24vdc sensors. Ended up making several more for the maintenance electricians after they saw mine. :nodi:

 

[brucechase]

Here is a sensor testor that I made with 2 9V batteries and a quick connect cable.



I see that kolyur has posted the same thing as I was attaching my picture.

 

[Hydro Power Guy]

I didn't make this, but a guy I work with did. Here is a bit logic calculator that helps convert all kinds of numbers.

He also has a range limit calculator on his website that is pretty handy as well.