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Dane Kouttron

A brief listing of projects, hardware designs and DIY tinkerings served up in an html format

Convert a windsurfing board into an electric surfboard

Used windsurfing boards are available off season for cheap, but who has the time to wait around for wind?

This writeup is a quick modification to add electric propulsion and zip around on the water on a budget.

[04.07.24]

Updating a large format 3D Printer

Updating a 2014 era large format industrial 3D printer into the modern ~2024 era, with open source hardware and software.

Hardware, software and configuration files detailed inside, upgrading a behemoth of a printer running better than when it was new.

[04.04.24]

Reviving a monstrous 4k monitor

In this write up I get around some of the thermal limitations of the Lenovo thinkvision Pro 2840m, a first generation 4k monitor. The modification is non-intrusive, and only basic tools are needed.

No re-flowing of FPGA's or hot air reworking early lead free BGA parts required!

[02.01.24]

Repairing an ancient Tap Stand

Quick repairs and upgrades to an ancient tapping stand


[09.21.23]

A tripod that doesn't fall over

Have you ever knocked over a camera on a tripod?

What if the tripod could knock you over instead? This is a goofy tripod that uses a counterweight mass to prevent it from actually falling over.


[07.20.23]

Generate signal backup from desktop files

Did your android Signal install fail and you want to restore those old chats?

Time to dig and generate a backup file from raw desktop signal files and trick android into adopting it as if nothing happened.


[01.28.24]

Re-using 10" server fans for keeping cool

What if Mike Wazowski was a 10" desk fan?

A curious commodity: 10" diameter mildly used industrial server-fans. These things sometimes live on top of server chassis, but they also find themselves in industrial cabinets. The goal here is to convert into a 'useful' desk fan / general window fan with the aide of some printed parts, thermal inserts and a well placed googley eye

[11.05.20]

E-Bike to Lenovo Power Supply

Does your CAD laptop run it's battery dry in less than 3 hrs?

Do you like working off in the hills and want access to a longer run-times on your power hungry desktop-replacement machine?


[11.20.22]

Google Drive on Debian Linux CNC

Do you CAD in windows and CNC in Linux?

This quick write up details adding a google fuse drive without having to install gnome / heavily modify your working CNC


[11.20.22]

Led Power Suppy moonlighting as a battery charger

Want ~500W of water resistant battery charging on a budget?

This quick write up details re purposing a CC-CV led supply for battery charging and adds in a small watt-hour meter for checking on charge status


[11.20.22]

DIY Bike Repair Stand With Integrated Scale

Do you have 'that bike' with the dubious derailleur that just needs some twiddling?

Always wanted something to prop it up while you work on it?

This write up details building a mobile bike repair arm with integrated scale


[11.20.22]

Samsung S10e Spring cleaning: Removing the junk in the trunk

Here's a quick guide to strip out the junk-ware that's installed on the Samsung S10e

No root permissions or dubious 3rd party android apps required


[11.20.22]

Chompers: Brushless Obstacle Avoiding Snowblower

Want to clear the driveway while still wearing pajamas?

Reviving a recycled snowblower, adding new controls and basic thermal vision

Features long range remote control, vision system and 5+ hours of runtime!


[09.02.17]

Mountainslider: Collapsible Electric Mountainboard

An electric skateboard that shrinks for portability but still has the power to hilclimb

Build log of a portable electric mountain board that shrinks and fits as a normal overhead bag

Bring your board on an overseas flight!


[09.02.17]

3D Print Library: Useful prints

Quick list of favorite 3d prints, links to local and thingiverse copies and some associated print time-lapses


[08.01.17]

Roche 454 Sequencer: Camera Awakening

Waking up the Roche 454 genome sequencer, firing up the internal camera, and taking some test photos


[05.14.17]

Led Ring Light Adapter Bausch Stereo View 7

Download, print and SEE WITH LIGHT


[05.10.17]

Reviving An Ancient Robot for ART

SCARA Robot arm rebuild and re-purposing for acrylic art painting. Entry into 2017, 2018 Robot Art Competition


[04.26.17]

Aluminum Boat Upgrades

Epoxy, Paint, mechanicals and actual buoyancy


[09.14.16]

1KW Electric Outboard Conversion

Quickly converting a 1.2 HP outboard to electric-drive


[06.30.16]

Adventures of Strawberrybot

Build-log of a small remote controlled cooler for a strawberry picking event, hopefully soon to be upgraded to 'follow me' beacon control


[06.26.16]

Reverse Engineering ARMOR X7 Tablet Battery, DOUBLE CAPACITY

Adding cells is only half the battle, modifying the locked down BMS controller to accept new capacity is a wild ride


[06.20.16]

GH1 Camera Shutter Quick Fix

A quick repair technique to exercise the electro-mechanical shutter on the Panasonic GH1


[06.20.16]

Chibi-Atomic-Thing Upgrades: Detroit 2015

Build log of the 2015 MITERS entry into the Power Wheels Racing series for the Detroit Makerfaire race


[08.22.15]

30 lb Combat Robot: Fission Product

Hydraulics on 30lb combat robots? Dig in for more of the write-up


[05.27.15]

Dell 3007 WFP Repair

Keeping an old titan of a monitor running with active cooling


[03.27.15]

The Flying Nimbus Updates: Range and Hub Bearings

Upgrades and updates to the Flying Nimbus self balancing skateboard


[12.15.14]

The Flying Nimbus: Balancing Skateboard

Building the onewheel before the onewheel: Build log of the Flying Nimbus self balancing skateboard


[10.29.14]

Chibi-Atomic-Jeep: Powerwheels Racing

MITERS'S first entry into power wheels racing series


[08.06.14]

3 Phase Submersible Thruster

7kw submersible oil cooled motor enclosed for underwater propulsion


[05.22.14]

Testing The Submersible Thruster

Quick outdoor test of submersible thruster with strain gauge


[05.22.14]

Electric Scooter: Tundra Upgrade

The first test of the electric scooter out on a frozen lake


[03.22.14]

Battlebot: Atomic Bumble PRIME

Battlebot shell spinner for Motorama 2014


[12.20.13]

Electric Scoote MK-01: OFF/ON Road Adventures

Electric scooter made from an old push scooter frame


[12.20.13]

Electric Scooter MK-01: OFF/ON Road Adventures

3D Printer updates and upgrades


[10.04.13]

Motorola S305 Bluetooth headphone revival

Motorola S305 Repairs


[09.28.13]

Motorola S305 Bluetooth headphone revival

Small curved panorama imaging platform for filming 3D prints


[04.21.13]

Macbook Pro GPU Reflow

GPU reflow process for early macbook


[04.12.13]

Quick Guide To Electroplating Tin On Copper Busbars

The time I was making a huge three phase motor controller and experimented plating busbars


[04.12.13]

Quick Guide to getting USB wifi card up in Ubuntu 10.04

Quick how-to guide for getting a low cost wifi card up and running in ubuntu 10.04


[07.08.12]

3D-PRINT-ARM: SCARA Robot Arm 3D Printer

Waking up an industrial robotarm to use as a 3D Printer


[07.08.12]

SHARK KITE: Low Cost Aerial Photography

Budget aerial photography with a kite and an arduino


[08.20.11]

ECHO-6: Adding Coms Interface To Low Cost Battery Charger

Upgrade Low cost multichemistry charger, adding external communications interface to logging software


[06.22.11]

KillerCycle- Exercise Bike Game Controller With logging

Quick weekend project,great for making indoor exercise interesting


[07.10.10]

Speed-Dyeing Printed Circuit Boards

Dying printed circuit boards at home


[03.20.10]

Self Re-starting Access Point

Simple solution for power cycling an access point thats in a hard to access location


[02.12.10]

UV PCB Exposure Box

Super simple UV PCB exposure box


[02.12.10]

IBM 7575 Robotic Arm Upgrades

Extremely early modifications to an IBM 7575 robot arm


[01.02.09]

Super Quick Tap-light Timed Fade

Modifying a tap light to stay on for a short duration.

This was born to illuminate a spooky staricase during gradschool, tap the light the stairwell stays illuminated for enough time to run up the stairs


[10.05.09]

Super Quick Tap-light Timed Fade

Power Supply Connector For Tight Situations


[09.03.09]

Power Supply Upgrades

Quick Digital Voltmeter for Legacy Power Supply


[08.03.09]

Vari-Focal Dobsonian Telescope

Attempting to make a large dobsonian telescope mirror with a DIY mirror


[07.25.09]

Imaging Balloon of Science

The RPI Electronics Club sends up its first imaging balloon, and recovers it!


[06.17.09]

Quick Repair Dell LCD PSU

Repairing an internal power supply on a Dell monitor


[06.10.09]

ATOMO: The Electric Bike Project

My first electric bike project


[06.08.09]

Looking for More Projects? Check the All Projects Tab
Video's? check the Videos tab


This site is intended to inform and provide information via documented projects
Take what you need, and pass knowledge along


Dane.Kouttron
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Electrical & Electrical Power