Technabob » kipkay

DIY Tripwire Bang Alarm: For Protection and Pranks

Lambert Varias — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:08:01 +0000

Real life MacGyver Kipkay is back with another fun and useful hack. Like most of his creations, the best thing about the Tripwire Bang Alarm is that it’s made out of commonly found and cheap materials, like a mouse trap, some fishing line and tent poles. You’ll still have to know your way around a few tools though.

As its name implies, the Tripwire Bang Alarm is designed to warn you if someone crosses the wire, which in this case is the fishing line. When the line is tripped, it will cause the mousetrap to hit two gunpowder-filled caps. It won’t harm the invader, but it should give him quite a surprise and alert you to his location.

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The only thing I don’t like about this trap is that you have to refill it with new caps after every use, but it is quite cheap to make. If you’d like to booby-trap your suitcase instead, check out Kipkay’s other hack.

[via TechEBlog]

DIY Laser-Guided Slingshot

Chris B. — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 12:43:59 +0000

When it comes to high-tech weaponry, slingshots aren’t exactly very high on the list. When it comes down to it, most slingshots are made from a frame, a couple pieces of rubber and a small bit of leather. After all, what more could you want from this age-old weapon? Why not a laser?

That’s right, maker Kipkay decided to fashion his own laser-guided slingshot. What’s more, he gave a nice list of instructions on how to make one yourself. The parts list isn’t terribly expensive, and the most complicated tool you’ll have to use is a drill. I’m not exactly sure what practical uses this weapon has, but hey, it’s got a laser on it.

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[via DVICE]

DIY T-Shirt Cannon: Pretend It’S Half-Time in Your Backyard Ballpark

Technabob — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:39:58 +0000

Ever wanted one of those crazy t-shirt cannons they use to blast shirts into the stands at the stadium? Well thanks to hacker extraordinaire KipKay, you can now have your own.

Kip has put together this handy tutorial video on how to build your own t-shirt launcher from common parts you can get at any hardware or plumbing store. Once assembled, all you’ll need is a bicycle pump to put enough air in there to get the t-shirt flying through the air.

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The video itself doesn’t show you everything you need, but if you head over to KipKay’s website you can get all the details. A PDF with full instructions can be found here.

Make Your Own Spin-Activated LED Yo-Yo

Range — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:16:11 +0000

I used to love yo-yos. I played with them all of the time and got pretty good at it. When I saw this little project over at Make:, I thought about buying a yo-yo and completing it. The build looks really easy and the end product is a yo-yo that has spin-activated LEDs, meaning that the yo-yo lights up like a Christmas tree when it spins.

You’ll need some magnetic wiring, hot glue, 4 LEDs, 2 3 volt lithium batteries, and some clear CD cases. All in all, it’s pretty straightforward. You can head over to Make: to see how Eric Chu did his, or just check out Kipkay’s video below.

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Of course, you could just spend $5 and buy a cheapo one made in China. However, I think that there’s a lot of satisfaction to be had from making your own.

High Power Nerf Cannon Mod Fires Balls Up to 75 Feet

Technabob — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 01:15:32 +0000

Hacker Kipkay is up to his tricks again. In his latest instructional video clip, he shows us how to turn an ordinary NERF gun into a high-power portable cannon.

The modded NERF cannon uses the parts from a lighter, and a whiff of unscented deodorant as fuel to send projectiles sailing up to 75 feet through the air. Check out the video below for the basic instructions to make your own:

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Just don’t go around shooting your neighbors in the kneecaps with one of these. I’m guessing it would leave a mark.

How to Make Your Own Trick Dice

Technabob — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:41:30 +0000

Hacker, modder, and all-around madman KipKay is at it again. The guy who brought us the crazy Mr. Microphone spy hack has managed to figure out an easy way to make dice that roll the same number every single time you roll them.

The incredibly simple trick involves putting the dice in your oven, and melting them just enough so they get a tiny bit heavier on the bottom. Check out the brief tutorial video below to see how you can do this yourself.

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Now clearly, I’m not sanctioning the use of this cheat the next time you go to the craps table in Vegas, but it definitely could be fun the next time you have a pickup game of Yahtzee or Monopoly with your friends.

Mr. Microphone Spy Hack: be Back to Stalk You Later

Technabob — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:26:50 +0000

Remember the 1970s classic Mr. Microphone? Here’s a fun use for the old toy that turns it into a bit more devious of a device than originally intended.

This brilliant, but simple hack by electronics tinkerer Kipkay takes the guts out of an old Mr. Mic, improves the audio quality, and turns it into an easily concealed wireless spy microphone.

With just a few minutes of simple soldering, a couple of bucks worth of parts, and an Airwick Stick-Up air freshener, you’ll have a mini spy gadget that’ll let you listen in on unsuspecting victims from afar.

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While Kipkay’s video does a good job walking you through the basics, head on over to Instructables for the full walkthrough.

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Now you didn’t think I’d let you leave without featuring the classic Ronco commercial, did you?