I feel really dumb. I received a promotional magazine in the mail. It was in a shipping envelope with DIY printed on the outside. Here's the dumb part: I didn't have any idea what "DIY" meant.
Of course, I realize that you know it stands for "do it yourself." But remember, I'm not as bright as I look. So I did a little digging and found a few worthwhile, uh, DIY sites.
It's Definitely DIY
Okay, I'll admit that a couple of the sites I'm about to talk about are a little, well, strange. (So, apparently, am I.)
For instance, the thought of making a beer cooler using an old fan from a PC is just so appealing. The plans are on the HomeBrew site.
You may be intrigued by the idea of building a device that lets you make Internet phone calls with your regular phone. It could cost you as much in supplies, not to mention time, as buying something that does the same thing. But hey, that's what DIY is all about.
One project that's really over my head--but something you network geeks and consultants are going to love--is Michael Ossmann's "5-in-1 network admin's cable." If you have the skill and patience, you can build a cable that acts like an ethernet, crossover, modem, null modem, and Cisco console cable.
Dig This: I think the ultimate DIY project has got to be building a 9.5-foot sofa, a table and chairs, and other furniture out of--well, I don't want to spoil the surprise. BTW, I got a kick out of the correspondence the site's author had with a certain company.
Must-Haves
Some of you have probably collected hundreds of AOL promotional CD-ROMs. What to do with them? Well, you could create a lovely chandelier (sorry, no step-by-step instructions available).
But if I were you, I'd create a CD lamp, a gem of an idea from the fertile mind of Jim Watters, who's already finished version 2.
On a more serious note (I'm kidding), you might try creating a PC case designed for overclocking. The case has just a couple of extra fans.
Not all DIY projects are as practical as the PC case I just mentioned. For instance, you might want to create your own lawn furniture by using the plans at ReadyMade, or perhaps (and this one I might try), a camping stove.
Dig This: Talking about DIY projects is inspirational. No, really. The next time I go to a wedding, I'm going to make my own tux.
Dig This, Too: Didn't think that tux was funny, eh? Okay, how about Babble, a word game you can play while talking to your boss on the phone.
DIY With Make
If you're interested in a DIY magazine, check out O'Reilly's Make.
It's Popular Mechanics for grownups, with roughly 200 pages and an assortment of almost 40 articles. For instance, I'm itching to try "How to Create Your Own Steady-Cam for $14," yet I won't touch "Building Your own Smart Card Reader" (but it made for fascinating reading). Ditto for a lengthy, but interesting, piece about how to attach a camera to a kite.
The magazine is expensive. The cover price is $15, and the annual subscription is $35 for quarterly issues. I don't know if I could justify the cost. And unlike other magazines, the content isn't available online, though the parts list is posted for some articles, such as the camcorder stabilizer I mentioned.
Steve Bass writes the "Hassle-Free PC" column in PC World's print edition and is the author of PC Annoyances, 2nd Edition: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Personal Computer, available from O'Reilly. Sign up to have Steve Bass's Tips & Tweaks newsletter e-mailed to you each week. Comments or questions? Send Steve e-mail.
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