Build a Balloon Powered Car

How To : View a waveform of an inverter on a oscilloscope

Checking the waveform on a car plug-in inverter, like the type you would use to power a laptop computer in a car. I used my NLS MS-215 Miniscope to view the waveform. As you can see it is much more like a squarewave than a sinewave, like a staircase waveform.

How To : Apply Ohm's Law to your electronics projects

Calculating resistance and power isn't hard... and, as David explains, knowing Ohm's Law and the Power Triangle can be darn useful when you're designing a project, sorting out power supply issues, or want to keep from burning your car down.

News : The 130 MPH Dining Room Table

Just the other day, we featured Perry Watkins' "Wind Up" mini car, plus his extreme lowrider, the "Flatmobile". Both impressive. But somehow I missed Watkins' most delightfully absurd vehicle. "FastFood" is a 130 mph Queen Anne dining room table, complete with the fine silver ...more

News : TSA Brags About Confiscating Can Of Chicken Soup

Anyone who follows the TSA blog, run by “Bob”, will know that from time to time the agency attempts to offset the ballooning negative public opinion directed towards it, and the openly criminal behaviour of its employees, by bragging about “dangerous” items that it has discove ...more

News : SFX on Crack (Oh, Soooooo Good)

What happens when a bunch of Bollywood filmmakers unleash their imagination with the aid of Maya and After Effects (plus lots and lots of paisas)? The sci-fi flick Enthiran (Robot), the most expensive Indian film ever produced. Non-stop action, violence, explosions... absolut ...more

How To : Jump start a car using another car's battery

In this tutorial, we learn how to jump start a car using another car's battery. First, you will need to position the two cars in front of each other. Turn off both of the cars completely, then attach the jumper cables. You need to connect the positive post of the dead battery ...more

How To : Read a window motor electrical diagram for a car

Electrical diagrams are hard to read for all but the most mechanically-inclined, and the ones for the power windows on cars are notoriously complicated. This three-part video will teach you how to read these diagrams and make sense of what you see. Part 1 of 3 - How to Read a ...more

How To : Install a TRD supercharger on a Toyota Tundra

If you own a Toyota Tundra and are looking to change things up a bit inside your car, this tutorial may be what you need. In this video you'll find out how to install a TRD supercharger to your truck. More specifically, a 2008 Toyota Tundra 5.7L V8. Adding a supercharger is a ...more

HowTo : Get All the Ladies with a Motorized Couch

Or at least that's what Nick Homer and Stewart Clyde, students at Brigham Young University, claim. Nick and Stewart say: "Of course we get all the ladies..." But sadly their chick magnet has been banned: "Two twelve volt car batteries power the broken wheel chair moving the ...more

How To : Clear the check engine light on your dashboard

In this tutorial, we learn how to clear the check engine light on your dashboard. This could be caused from an over-boost from the turbo charger that the engine does not recognize. The solution is to grab a tuner device and plug it into the car. Wait for it to power up, then g ...more

How To : Solve power steering moans

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to solve power steering moans. Users will need a vacuum pump. Begin by filling reservoir about half way full. Then draw a vacuum of approximately 20"/Hg and let the vacuum sit for 5 minutes. Now recheck the fluid level in the reservoir ...more

How To : Replace a serpentine belt on your car

Like a timing belt, a serpentine belt is an important tool that helps make sure that various tools are working. A/C, alternator, and power steering pump are just a small set of examples. Finding the right one for your car is easy, but adding it to your car can be a very diffic ...more

How To : Clean and restore plastic headlights

In order to clean and restore your headlights, you will need the following materials: razor blades, tape, liquid rubbing compound, and a power polisher. Tape the area surrounding the headlight. To remove the yellowing film, scrape it with a razor blade. This is an alternative ...more

How To : Make ethanol/alcohol fuel

Gas prices haven't significantly lowered for some time and it looks like they won't either. So some people are trying to find another way to fill up their cars in order to get to work or wherever else they need to go. One way is by making ehtanol fuel or gas. This is a great w ...more

How To : Break in the brushed motor of an RC car

It's simple: if you've got a brushed motor, you'll want to break it in under controlled circumstances before taking it out into the world. Why break in your engine? The main idea of breaking in your engine is to wear down your engine's brush so as to maximize surface contact w ...more

How To : Winterize a car battery

Have your battery tested. If your battery is at least 3 years old, take it to a certified automotive repair facility. You do not want your battery, whose power is reduced by 50 percent during the cold weather, to go dead while you're in the middle of a snowstorm. If they are y ...more

News : World's First EVER Monster Truck Backflip

Last year WonderHowTo's favorite daredevil Travis Pastrana attempted to land the world's very first monster truck backflip. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out as he had hoped. Here's what happened: Now, one year later, Pastrana's fellow Nitro Circus stuntman, Cam McQueen, ...more

How To : Convert sunlight into hydrogen fuel

Want to learn how to harvest the sun? Just watch this science experiment video to see how to convert sunlight into hydrogen fuel. It's simple and environmentally friendly. You'll need a multimeter, a solar panel, some crocodile clips (or alligator clips), glass, water and car ...more

How To : Understand car battery basics

For most automotive applications a battery needs to supply a lot of current for a short period of time to turn over the engine and get the car started. With the engine running, the car's alternator produces all the power the car needs. Thin plates inside a starting battery inc ...more

How To : Understand invisible forces

Anyone that has ridden in a car knows that when the driver speeds up quickly, you are pressed back into your seat, and that when the driver brakes quickly, you are pushed forwards. But what would you think if the force that pushes you backwards was pushing something else forwa ...more

Making Electromagnetic Weapons : Semiconductor Lasers

I'm back with the third part to my laser weapon series (see part one and two), and I'll be explaining the function, application, and potential of semiconductor lasers, aka laser diodes. Surely, most of you have used a laser pointer at some point. Whether purchased at a dollar ...more

Red Wine : The Secret to Superconductivity

We've all heard of the power that red wine holds. It can help lower risks of heart disease, boost your brain power, and can even recharge your car battery. But last year, a group of Japanese physicists made headlines when they announced that they could induce superconductivity ...more

News : China's City Swallowing Bus

China's latest futuristic project is a massive "3D Express Coach", a clever project proposed by Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Co. as a solution to traffic in the extremely overpopulated country. The gigantic bus will allow cars less than 2 meters high to travel unde ...more

News : The World's Slowest Porsche

Sounds like an odd bragging right, but hold your horses, artist Hannes Langeder's handmade Porsche is pretty damn interesting. "The bicycle Porsche functions as signifier for the fascination with the figure of an automobile that has lasted since the 1950s; yet Hannes Langeder ...more

How To : Take a nap at work

Can you barely keep your eyes open at work? So bored you could sleep through the entire day? Seinfeld's George Costanza built a bed under his desk, but we'll tell you how to be a bit more subtle. Here's some tips on how to get a some quick shut-eye at work. You Will Need: • ...more

How To : Build a mini hovercraft with household items

Learn how to build a mini hovercraft. With a few items found in almost any desk or tool drawer, you can make your very own mini hovercraft capable of gliding over any flat surface. You Will Need * A spill-proof sports cap from a plastic water bottle or sports-drink bottl * A ...more

How To : Live in your car

Whether you have to move into your car or you want to, there are some bases you need to cover. This Howcast guide demonstrates how to live out of your car. This is also helpful for cross country trips. You Will Need * Pillows * Blankets or a sleeping bag * A cooler * A camp s ...more

How To : Waterproof a remote controlled vehicle

If you call yourself a hobbyist or a kid at heart, you know that remote-controlled vehicles are more than just fun. If you're a serious R/C man, you'll know all about doing everything to your model truck or car, like fixing wheels, vamping the pinion gears, waterproofing, trou ...more

How To : Replace the drive belt in an Infiniti G35

Infiniti is like no other car, it has emotion, it has soul, it inspires. There's a difference between being physically transported and emotionally moved, and you can tell them apart when you sit inside this magnificent automobile. Although the Infiniti is like a dream car, it ...more

How To : Replace the air filter in an Infiniti G35 engine

Infiniti is like no other car, it has emotion, it has soul, it inspires. There's a difference between being physically transported and emotionally moved, and you can tell them apart when you sit inside this magnificent automobile. Although the Infiniti is like a dream car, it ...more

How To : Make the z-axis lead screws for a CNC router

A CNC router machine is probably the most useful tool a hobbyist can own, but the price for a CNC machine on the market is way more than the average hobbyist is willing to spend. You can build your own CNC with very basic tools, little knowledge of machinery, mechanics, or ele ...more

How To : Drift with the Suzuki Cappucino in Gran Turismo 5

Gran Turismo 5 cars, such as the Suzuki Cappuccino, drift with a lot of body motion and weight shifting. Get free Gran Turismo 5 tips and hints on how to drift with front engine rear wheel drive cars, such as the Suzuki Cappuccino with lower power in this free video. Drift wit ...more

How To : Scan your automobile for diagnostic trouble codes

Watch this automotive video tutorial to see how to scan your automobile for diagnostic trouble codes. If you see a "check engine" or a "service engine soon" light in your instrument cluster; your car has stored a diagnostic trouble code. This means the computer system on your ...more

Making Electromagnetic Weapons : Lasers, Part One

In this series on weaponized lasers, I'll be exploring the function, operation, strength and building instructions for three basic laser weapons; CO2, Diode, and Flashlamp. These laser types are just a few of many, selected because of their simplicity and basic construction (d ...more

News : 1,200 Hot Wheels in Perpetual (NOISY) Motion

Chris Burden's latest piece is a portrait of L.A.'s hot mess of traffic, entitled Metropolis II. The artist has constructed a miniature highway system, complete with 1,200 custom-designed cars, 18 lanes, 13 toy trains and tracks, and a landscape of buildings made with wood blo ...more

Altruistic Hacking : The Rise of the DIY Radiation Detector

Understandably, the tragedy in Japan has substantially risen the level of worldwide radiation-related hysteria. So much so, as an alternative to stampeding health food stores for iodine tablets, crafty individuals and organizations are hacking together personal radiation detec ...more

How To : Survive an earthquake

Feeling unprepared for the next earthquake? In this tutorial, learn what to do and what not to do to survive "the big one". You'll be surprised to learn that hiding in a doorway is a myth! You Will Need: • A safe place • Sturdy shoes • A fire extinguisher • A flashlight ...more

Minecraft : I'm Going Home

Back in the Super Nintendo days, playing one RPG after the other, memorizing maps and mazes became second nature if you didn't want to look at the mini map or get lost often. I would make it a point to memorize corners and the overall structure of the dungeon or location, so t ...more

News : Stories This Week in My Balloon Animals World

First off, let's explain the story that inspired the phot I'm using for the post. Friday night, restaurant gig at Vallartas Mexican Restaurant in Lutz/Land O' Lakes, and I was making balloons for all the children throughout the evening. As I'm about halfway through my shift, I ...more

News : Top 10 Pranks for the College Freshman Dorm

We've gathered some of our favorite pranks with the seasonally appropriate for all you college kids out there. You're more than likely cohabitating with a complete stranger, and what better way to make a good first impression and develop a strong personal relationship than sub ...more

News : 10 of the Finest Cell Phone Mods

Oh, LifeHacker, we love you. You've brought us so many handy HowTo's: Hack Wireless Internet, Bypass Blocked Websites, Convert a Laptop Into a Projector, Watch TV & Movies on the Web For Free, 10 Must-Know Google Privacy Settings, and more. And now, another great one: LifeHac ...more

News : The Amendments

How many of you know all the amendments of the Constitution? Do you even know how many there are?? Well, many of the people I speak to don't. And let me tell you, that's a bad thing. Knowing even the basics of the Amendments can have a profound effect in your lives. Ever got p ...more

How To : Build a Laser Trip Wire Alarm System

Building a DIY Alarm System: The Concept So, you want to protect your property, or maybe a room, car, or even your backyard. The concept of an alarm system is to notify the "alarm administrator" that there is an intruder entering the previously designated boundaries. The trig ...more

  • Hot
  • Latest