What cannot you do with PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) pipe? The ubiquitous blue PVC water pipe could be seen alongside most streets here and appears to be one among Thailand's most ample un-pure assets. All kinds of various connectors are available and aside from carrying water it is also used as an affordable development material that can be utilized to make all the pieces from clothes dryers to Wheel chairs (PDF), Crutches, flagpoles and store indicators. After all on the internet it's also possible to find some other very cool and creative issues made from (non-blue) PVC pipe together with: Halloween costumes like Ben Hallert's Matrix APU and Aliens Exo-skeleton Power Loader, one other power loader costume, single and multi-guitar Guitar Hero stands, a laptop computer stand, flutes, and even a shaving stand. Below you will find, in chronological order, some of my own (mostly authentic) creations made from PVC water pipe together with: - a Marshmallow Shooter, Plumbing, Soccer Goals, - a Cricket Wicket, - a Basketball Hoop, Bookshelf Supports, - a Water Pipe Tron Controller, Racing Cars, Pinball Table Leg Extensions, Data Projector Mounts, patio insect zapper - a Laptop Stand, - a Wiimote Holder, - a DIY Wii mosquito zapper, - a Workbench, Real-Tron Controllers - a Music Stand Puzzle Bobble Coffee Grinder Controllers, - a Netbook Treadmill Hook, CD/DVD Holders, - a Nightstand/shelves, - Push Up Bar/Handles, Fake Legs, - a Hilbert Cube, - a Mario Kart steering wheel, - a Guitar Stand, Hockey Sticks, - a Tank-recreation (BZFlag) controller, - a Train Whistle, mosquito zapper and - a Trident.
This was the mission that began my love affair with blue PVC pipe. I had seen the blueprints for this marshmallow shooter whereas I was in Australia however the fittings had been prohibitively expensive (see the picture proper). Fortunately they're very affordable right here in Thailand. 2 x T-Pieces and 6 x elbows. Cricket (to not be confused with Brockian Ultra-Cricket) is Australia's nationwide sport performed with a bat, a ball, and two wickets. 6 x T-items, and mosquito zapper 12 x 45-diploma elbows. The backboard is a non-regulation dimension piece of plywood that we found mendacity round and we used inexperienced duct tape for the markings. Although the ring isn't sturdy sufficient to grasp off, the facet supports make it strong sufficient for normal play. Additionally they give it a very Star Trek feel and I think the ring seems to be not unlike the NCC-31911 Saratoga. This is maybe essentially the most straight ahead use for PVC pipe on this page. 2 x 25mm to 18mm (1" to 1/2") reducers, 2 x custom motorbike hand-grips, 4 x push-buttons, Zap Zone Defender Experience and a mercury change that are related to a computer through a hacked USB joystick.
You'll find more particulars about how I made the controller on this challenge web page and mosquito zapper i've also prolonged the same thought to play GL-Tron utilizing actual motorbikes. A university pupil who performed with the PVC Water Pipe Tron Controller, described above, mosquito zapper mentioned "That's Ok however I like to play driving video games". It got me pondering and over the next week I spent my evenings constructing a PVC racing automobile controller - essentially a wheel-much less, PVC go-kart frame connected to the pc by way of a hacked USB joystick. Some Thai college college students who saw the primary automotive wanted to understand how it all labored and six of them came round one Saturday and we spent the whole day hacking joysticks and mosquito zapper constructing a second automobile. By connecting them each to a laptop and a data projector we had been in a position to play cut up-display screen Daytona USA. You could find more details about the design and development of the vehicles on this venture web page. The white workplace table I used for the digital pinball machine wasn't excessive sufficient to be played comfortably.
1 x T-piece, and 2 x elbows - partially to help air movement however mostly to carry my screen up because the spring within the hinge has damaged. As easy as this stand seems to be, the "L"-formed upright part is definitely part of an air-conditioner mount for a data projector that I made for one of many digital pinball desk installations. The T-piece is not glued and so in a small means (a very, very small approach) I prefer to suppose that if the air-conditioning mount were ever wanted once more then the components may re-combine in a Voltron or Captain Planet and the Planeteers or Power Rangers MegaZord-like way. Of course if that happened my laptop computer display would fall down. I don't personal a Nintendo Wii but I did handle to get my hands on a Wiimote so that I may check out some of Johnny Chung Lee's cool initiatives. This is a Wiimote mount I built utilizing a length of 35mm (1 and 1/4") pipe, some 18mm (1/2") pipe, three x T-items, and 4 x elbows.
The 35mm pipe has been reduce in order that it suits nicely into the ridges down the facet of the Wiimote which holds it securely. That is screwed onto a T-Piece which has also had its top cut off. The joint between the two topmost elbows shouldn't be glued so the angle of the top part may be adjusted. These sections are simply cable-tied onto the entrance of the motorbike handlebars and the gamers squeeze the buttons with their index fingers to turn left or right. A mercury switch is also mounted on the correct handlebar so the accelerator can be used to provide increase within the sport and as much as four bikes can be related to the pc via a single hacked USB joystick. The centerstands keep the bikes upright throughout play and a half-round of bamboo is wedged underneath the again tires to stop them from rocking. It is a music stand made from three completely different sizes of pipe.