Watson's help needed - Altoid box

Well, I finally acquired my first of that most special electronic
component - an Altoids box! Now, I have to build something to go
in it. The question is - what? A Watson flashlight? Something
else? And - construction techniques may be different for this
than stuff I've built using stiffer material, so I'm looking for
that kind of info, too.

 

[Walter Harley]

<ehsjr@bellatlantic.net> wrote in message
news:3F65325F.D9261541@bellatlantic.net...

Well, I finally acquired my first of that most special electronic
component - an Altoids box! Now, I have to build something to go
in it. The question is - what? A Watson flashlight? Something
else? And - construction techniques may be different for this
than stuff I've built using stiffer material, so I'm looking for
that kind of info, too.

Any large drill bit will grab and tear the thin metal; so to drill holes,
you'll need to clamp it between pieces of wood back and front, or use some
other technique (such as tin snips).

Surely there's some clever way to make a fuel cell out of the mints? An
Altoid-box flashlight that was actually powered by Altoids would be a worthy
thing, and you might even get some corporate sponsorship

 

[Lewin A.R.W. Edwards]

Surely there's some clever way to make a fuel cell out of the mints? An
Altoid-box flashlight that was actually powered by Altoids would be a worthy
thing, and you might even get some corporate sponsorship

Maybe you could feed some phosphorescent bacteria or algae on the sugar.

 

[Lizard Blizzard]

Walter Harley wrote:

ehsjr@bellatlantic.net> wrote in message
news:3F65325F.D9261541@bellatlantic.net...

Well, I finally acquired my first of that most special electronic
component - an Altoids box! Now, I have to build something to go
in it. The question is - what? A Watson flashlight? Something
else? And - construction techniques may be different for this
than stuff I've built using stiffer material, so I'm looking for
that kind of info, too.

Any large drill bit will grab and tear the thin metal; so to drill holes,
you'll need to clamp it between pieces of wood back and front, or use some
other technique (such as tin snips).

Use a drill bit smaller than the hole and drill it with a hand drill.
Then use a fine jewelers rat tail file to ream out the hole to the LED
size.

 

[Lizard Blizzard]

Lewin A.R.W. Edwards wrote:

Surely there's some clever way to make a fuel cell out of the mints? An
Altoid-box flashlight that was actually powered by Altoids would be a worthy
thing, and you might even get some corporate sponsorship

Maybe you could feed some phosphorescent bacteria or algae on the sugar.

This morning someone threw a small fist-sized paper sack on the grass,
so I picked it up to toss it in the trash. I looked in, and the inside
was covered with ants. The bag must've been holding a glazed donut. So
I twisted the mouth of the bag closed before I tossed it.

So today's question is:
Are a few hundred ants strong enough to fight their way out of a paper
sack?

 

[Walter Harley]

"Lizard Blizzard" <NOSPAM@rsccd.org> wrote in message
news:bk7puj$3udpt$1@hades.csu.net...

So today's question is:
Are a few hundred ants strong enough to fight their way out of a paper
sack?

....or eat their way out of it. If they can chew through leaves they can
chew through paper, given time and a source of moisture, no? I guess it
depends on what kind of ant they are.

 

[Dave Platt]

In article <bk7pms$44tma$1@hades.csu.net>,
Lizard Blizzard <NOSPAM@rsccd.org> wrote:

Well, I finally acquired my first of that most special electronic
component - an Altoids box! Now, I have to build something to go
in it. The question is - what? A Watson flashlight? Something
else? And - construction techniques may be different for this
than stuff I've built using stiffer material, so I'm looking for
that kind of info, too.

Any large drill bit will grab and tear the thin metal; so to drill holes,
you'll need to clamp it between pieces of wood back and front, or use some
other technique (such as tin snips).

Use a drill bit smaller than the hole and drill it with a hand drill.
Then use a fine jewelers rat tail file to ream out the hole to the LED
size.

A technique which has been mentioned by Rockmite builders (the
Rockmite is a small, Altoids-tin-compliant 20- or 40-meter amateur
radio transceiver) is to fill the Altoids tin most of the way up with
water and then put it in the freezer. Once it has frozen solidly you
can take it out and drill holes without tearing the metal - the ice
will support it.

Do remember to dry your drill bits thoroughly after doing this!

--
Dave Platt <dplatt@radagast.org> AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

 

[Walter Harley]

"Dave Platt" <dplatt@radagast.org> wrote in message
news:vmev0ulf12q7b6@corp.supernews.com...

A technique which has been mentioned by Rockmite builders (the
Rockmite is a small, Altoids-tin-compliant 20- or 40-meter amateur
radio transceiver) is to fill the Altoids tin most of the way up with
water and then put it in the freezer. Once it has frozen solidly you
can take it out and drill holes without tearing the metal - the ice
will support it.

That seems like it would be hard on the drill bits. I wonder if something
like frozen milk would be better?

 

Dave Platt wrote:

A technique which has been mentioned by Rockmite builders (the
Rockmite is a small, Altoids-tin-compliant 20- or 40-meter amateur
radio transceiver) is to fill the Altoids tin most of the way up with
water and then put it in the freezer. Once it has frozen solidly you
can take it out and drill holes without tearing the metal - the ice
will support it.

Do remember to dry your drill bits thoroughly after doing this!

Thanks! That sounds like a good idea.

And thanks to the others who posted, too - I don't mean to leave
them out.