Turning an IKEA Bedspread into Kitchen Towels

From my project archives: Several years ago, we bought a cotton bedspread from IKEA. It was rough, not soft. Nobody wanted to use it as a blanket, so eventually we decided to cut it up and turn it into hand towels for the kitchen. We used an old towel to measure the right size. 

After we cut the whole blanket into over a dozen pieces, Mom hemmed the edges, folding it over twice to prevent fraying. Then I added decorative stitching on each edge. This was an easy project to practice with the sewing machine.

Upcycling Plastic Straps from Boxes

I saved some plastic strapping pieces from cardboard boxes of heavy items. My dad wanted to throw them away, but my mom coiled them up to store neatly. We used one piece to tie up an extension cord to store it without getting tangled. I tried to think of something else to use them for, but after a few months my mom decided to use them to weave a basket.

She cut 14 short strips for the bottom and 7 long strips to go around. After weaving the bottom, she clamped the edges to keep it together. Then she folded each strip up to form the sides. There was enough black and white to make a pattern. The final row has extra layers to hide the cut ends. The strapping was split lengthwise to make thin strips to stitch around the rim to make it secure. 

Electric Car Cable Holder

 We recently acquired an electric car. It is convenient to charge it using the wiring I had originally installed in the garage for my welder after replacing the outlet. However, I needed a place to store the adapter for the welder and the charging cable to prevent them from getting tangled or run over.

I used scraps from other welding projects to make a rack with hooks and holders for everything. There was a hole in the wall from when I installed the outlet, so I added a piece of square tube that lines up with the hole to store the car end of the cable. 

Threaded Insert Replacement (for License Plate Holder)

 Recently, we tried to install a license plate on a new used car. When we took the plate holder out of the truck, it had only two screws on it. "No problem," I thought, "Just unscrew them and take them to the hardware store to buy more." Except the screws were bent and stuck. When I tried to unscrew them, the threaded metal insert spun but the screw didn't come loose. There wasn't any way to grab the two parts separately. 

Bent and seized screws with old metal inserts

After a lot of unsuccessful attempts with different manual screwdrivers, battery powered screwdriver, pliers, etc., I decided to try replacing both the screws and metal inserts. I used a screwdriver and hammered the inserts out. Then I found a small nut and bolt to replace it. 

Heating the hex nut

Pressing the hot hex nut into the plastic

I threaded the nut onto a longer bolt so I could hold it with pliers. Then I heated the nut with my propane torch, and then pressed it into the plastic where the old metal insert was. The hot nut melted into the plastic, which re-hardened around it when the plastic cooled. The hexagonal nut is slightly larger than the hole from the old insert, and its shape makes it less likely that it will spin in the plastic.

Repair completed

Pesto with Almonds and Cuban Oregano

 My indoor plants with automatic watering system were growing so well that I needed to repot them. I switched to a larger pot and also split some plants up. The Cuban oregano was two feet tall and required a lot of extra support. Unfortunately, in the process of repotting it, some leaves and stems broke. So I needed to find a recipe that used a lot of Cuban oregano.

I was inspired by a recipe I found online for Cuban oregano pesto: https://csaproducerecipes.wordpress.com/2015/10/13/funky-cuban-oregano/

I didn't have any pine nuts, so I used almonds. I added boiling water to about 3/4 cup almonds and let them soak until the peels could be rubbed off. I used about 1 1/2 cups of Cuban oregano leaves. Then I toasted a couple of garlic cloves and added those. I started with 1/2 cup of olive oil. I added at least another cup of herbs from the garden, including rosemary, chives, green onions, and basil. I mixed everything together in our old Osterizer blender. 

The blender has several speeds, but it wasn't working well. A vortex couldn't form in the middle because air got sucked in and then trapped in the thick sauce. I kept having to stop and "burp" it. There wasn't enough liquid and probably too many almonds. I added more oil and some water so that it could puree everything. I did a taste test, and it wasn't garlicky enough, so I added a couple raw cloves of garlic. I decided later that it wasn't salty enough. I don't have the nutritional yeast that some recipes call for, and I'm not vegan, so added parmesan when serving to make it saltier.

I had this flavorful creamy green sauce with homemade meatballs and fresh (from the grocery store) noodles with red sauce. I had a lot of sauce left over, so I froze it in small cubes.

Welding Table from Recycled Materials

 

I do welding in the garage or driveway because that's where the 240 volt outlet is, and I don't have a dedicated workshop for it. This means I need a table that can be moved out of the way of the cars. 

I made a welding table from three different trash-picked parts. I started with the metal frame from an outdoor table that was missing the glass top. To cover the top, I added a metal mesh panel that I collected a few years ago. That worked well, but had a sharp edge. I added rebar to the edge which made it safer and sturdier. 

After using the table that way for a couple of years, I decided that it needed some improvements. First, the table was too short to be comfortable. Second, it was difficult to move. Since I have to move the driveway into and out of the driveway every time I weld, it was annoying. I decided it needed wheels to fix that problem. Wheels are kind of expensive, so I put off adding them. Then I got a broken electric lawn mower that a neighbor was discarding. The wheels are perfect. I only needed two wheels, so that the table will roll when I lift one side, but won't move while I'm using it. 

The set of wheels with the axle between was too narrow to fit between the legs, so I attached each wheel separately to a leg. The new wheels added over 5 inches to the height, but then the other two legs were too short. I made leg extensions from the axle, cut in half with my angle grinder. Now the table is an even height. In the future, I will probably add feet to the leg extensions so that they won't sink into the ground when I park the table outside in the grass.

  

Trying to make Ethyl Acetate

When looking for flavor extracts, I saw that acetic acid and ethyl alcohol can react to create ethyl acetate. I decided to try mixing a small amount of neural grain spirit and red wine vinegar because I don't have glacial acetic acid or anhydrous ethanol. Unfortunately, it sounds like regular kitchen-grade vinegar has too much water. The reaction is very inefficient and tends to go backwards and forwards unless heat or sulfuric acid is added. 

My first try was a failure. I put the mixture in a small bottle, occasionally shaking the bottle and smelling it to evaluate if it smelled less like vinegar. After a few days, it still smelled like vinegar, but did have a slight fruity taste. I decided to try again with a slightly larger bottle. I don't want to work with sulfuric acid, so I decided to add heat. I used my mini dough proofer (a previous project where I converted a 6 pack drink cooler into a heater with thermostat). I set it to 90 degrees F and heated for about 8 hours at a time. After a few days, there was barely any vinegar smell but it doesn't have much fruity taste either.

I'm not sure this experiment is worth trying again. A proper chemistry method would involve measuring the exact amounts and concentrations, and then having a way to measure and quantify the results. I definitely did create some amount of ethyl acetate, but it's not useful as a flavoring because it's mixed with alcohol and vinegar. The good news is all 3 of those ingredients would go well in salad dressing.

Knex and Lego Plant support

 

My indoor plants are growing really well with the automatic arduino plant watering system (created for last semester college group project). The Cuban oregano is growing so well that it needed more support. Instead of using a tomato cage, I created a support system out of Knex. I had a few sets of Knex in storage, including a roller coaster and some adapter pieces that allow it to connect with Legos. I was able to use Lego base plates to start with a stable platform. The advantage to using Knex is that the shape can be expanded as the plant grows, and the pieces are flexible so they won't damage the plant. I even added some fun pieces at the top. 

Although this system works great for a single indoor plant, it would not work outdoors. Heat and sun would end up fading and breaking down the plastics.    

All the tinctures and extracts I have made

Here's a comprehensive list of all the flavor extracts I've made (not including syrups)

    My goal is to make flavorings for soda, milk, or cooking projects. I include alcohol as a solvent for other flavors, but I'm not interested in creating alcoholic or mixed drinks. 

Spirits I used as the base:

• NGS-neutral grain spirit- made from grain,190+ proof (95+% abv)
• Bourbon- made from mostly corn with other grains, barrel-aged, always made in the USA, 80+ proof, 40+% has own flavor
• Vodka- commonly made from grain and/or potatoes, 80+ proof, neutral flavor

Jar Sizes

8oz, 2oz, 1/8th oz

Labeling

Labeling jars is important so that I don't forget what is in them or when I started it. I label the flavor, start date, the type of base spirit (including brand for bourbon since each can have different recipes and flavors), and on some extracts I also add a date when I strain it.

    

Extracts

Mint, fresh

tried vodka with heating, and room temp with NGS. NGS was faster and provided better color/flavor used in mug cake and milk

Lemon balm, fresh

NGS, used in sparkling water

Lavender, fresh

NGS, used in sparkling water, lemonade

Grapefruit, peel, fresh

NGS, used in sparkling water

Lemon, peel, fresh

Tried room temp with vodka, NGS was stronger. Used in sparkling water, mug cake

Lime, peel, fresh

NGS, used in sparkling water, cranberry sauce

Orange, peel, fresh

tried room temp vodka, NGS was stronger and looked better. Used in sparkling water, mug cake, cranberry sauce 

Eggnog, powdered spices(cinnamon, nutmeg) + commercial vanilla  extract

room temp with NGS and bourbon, bourbon preferred, used in mug cake and milk, spent spices usable in banana bread and pancakes/waffles

Cider spices, powdered (cinnamon, clove)

used bourbon, added to apple cider and juice concentrate for soda, spent spices usable in banana bread and pancakes/waffles

Chile tepin, fresh

vodka, Added to lemonade- stir well!

Purple Nutgrass- fresh root in NGS 

Very strong cedar/tea tree smell. I hate it.

Rootbeer Tea- NGS, bourbon preferred. 

Licorice flavor if left too long. Add to simple syrup with molasses for soda

Rose Petal, fresh

Not strong enough, didn't have enough rose petals.

Vanilla (Madagascar beans cut to fit in jar)

bourbon, starting to have some flavor after 3 weeks but not ready yet. 

Solar Power Battery Replacement

 I used a marine starting battery for my solar power system, but it is pretty much worn out. I had it for about three years, and it was about three years old when I got it. 

The old battery has almost 100 milliohms at 4 amps. A new one should have less than 20. To test this, I ran a 40 watt load on an inverter for about one minute and measured the voltage, then turned it off for a minute and measured again. Following Ohm's Law, R=V/I. I took the difference between the two measurements and divided by 4.2.

The capacity has also dropped significantly. It should take over a week to charge (with no usage) once the under-voltage protection activates. However, it only took a few days with heavy usage.

The final straw was not having enough power to charge a phone overnight or open my motorized roller blind after a couple of cloudy days.

I decided to replace it with a used car battery from a junkyard. I found a few places that sold batteries for around $40. Some had no warranty. Other places had extra fees. None of the junkyards were close to where I live or along my travel routes. I decided that it made sense to buy a brand new battery for about twice the price. I chose a type of battery that is designed to be charged and discharged frequently. This one has terminals that are easy to connect to, and it is possible to check the fluid levels. It didn't come with a data sheet, but I was able to look up most of the information online. Making sure that the fluid level is correct will allow the battery to last a long time.

Looking at Printing under the Microscope

 I have a digital microscope which is useful for electronics repair. It can store photos or videos on a microSD card or connect to a computer. Sometimes I use it to look up close at other things besides electronics. 

When we got a piece of junk mail that was designed to look handwritten, I was able to use the microscope to see that it was actually printed. 

That looked very different from things printed on our color laser printer.

I also looked at different types of printing on a bourbon bottle from my flavor extract project. I could tell that the front label was ink jet printed. The rear label was press printed, and  some parts looked metallic. Some printing and laser engraving was done directly on the glass. And there were words and logos molded into the glass. That's a lot of customization that I normally don't notice.

Front label- Inkjet printed because each bottle has a unique number on it  

The label on the back is the same on all, thus press printed

Printing directly on glass

 My mom tries to look at leaves and insects with my microscope, but it's not very good for that. It's more difficult to take photos of things that are not flat or are moving.

Tomato sprout stem

Welded Steel Grill Cover

Our pellet grill kept getting clogged with wet pellets. We had a plastic fabric-type cover to drape over it, but sometimes forgot to put it on. Then the plastic got old and brittle and the chimney made a hole in it. We bought a new one, but it doesn't fit well. Cleaning out the damp pellets was messy and wasteful.

We thought it would be nice to have an umbrella or gazebo to keep the grill dry and make it possible to use the grill when it is raining. But gazebos are expensive and aren't the perfect size. They are often flimsily made with thin short material to be able to be flat packed. Fabric umbrellas are awkward, flammable, and not squirrel proof. I wanted something more "skookum".

After a lot of thinking, shopping, and planning, we decided that a custom welded patio cover with a metal roof would be perfect because I know to weld. 

The patio is 10 feet wide, so we purchased 12 foot pieces of 2 inch square tubing from a metal supply place. The 12 foot pieces barely fit in a rental truck. We bought corrugated metal roof panels from a different metal supplier. We also got plates for the feet, anchor bolts, a couple pieces of angle iron, and screws for the roof.

The square tube components of the roof frame were welded together in the garage, as well as the feet to the legs. Then I welded the legs to to the frame onsite. The exact placement of the legs on the frame changed slightly from the plans based on what position looked the best. After that, I welded extra angle iron to the frame. We used scaffolding and 4x4 blocks to support the structure while I welded it together. The structure was stable, but could be tipped over if we pulled on the back overhang. 

To make it even more stable, the feet were bolted to the concrete. We started by marking the location of the holes, drilling into the concrete, and then hammering the bolts in. The 16 holes weren't lined up perfectly with all 16 bolts, so we had to enlarge some of the holes in the foot plates. In hindsight, it probably would have been much easier to bolt the feet plates first and then weld them to the legs. Once the frame was bolted down, all three of us could hang from the back without it tipping or collapsing.

After the frame was complete, we painted it with several coats of primer and black paint. Then we screwed on the metal roof panels. It was difficult to line up the screws in the middle, especially on the angle iron. The final step was to add covers over the bolts on the feet.

Automatic Plant Watering System

    

plants

    For the Renewable Energy Systems class I took last semester, I created an automatic watering system as part of a group project. The first step in the assignment was to research our motivation for the project: Agriculture uses 70% of the world's fresh water. Watering by schedule can be wasteful and cause overwatering. Advanced smart watering systems use sensors, logic, weather data, and a series of pipes, pumps, and valves to optimize the plant watering. This can make farming more water-efficient and less labor-intensive. Our goal was to create a functional prototype demonstrating automated irrigation technology.

closeup of sensor and moss

    The next step of our project was to select a soil moisture sensor. Conductive sensors measure the electrical resistance of the soil. Over time, conductive sensors corrode because the electrodes are in direct contact with the soil. Capacitive sensors use the change in capacitance of the soil due to its water content, and have coated circuit boards. They avoid direct copper contact with the soil and don't use DC currents. We chose a capacitive sensor because it seems more durable for extended use.

sensor

    Another choice we made was the type of irrigation. Drip irrigation applies water directly to the root zone of the plants instead of spraying into the air. Combined with a pump, drip irrigation is good for the precise water delivery needed for our small-scale experiment. A gravity-fed valve system was also considered but was not practical due to space limitations.
    One team member created a simulation with a Tinkercad starter circuit design for a soil moisture sensor connected to an Arduino Uno R3. Unfortunately, the “water pump” in the simulation doesn’t actually change the soil moisture level. The sensor readings had to be controlled manually with a slider. Tinkercad isn’t the best tool for this because it doesn’t include soil-specific parameters.

Simulation (from group report)

    For our watering system build, I started with a kit that included a pump, relay, sensor, and tubing. The kit can be found at https://amzn.to/4ekJHHS (Amazon Affiliate link). I connected it to an Arduino UNO R3 clone and wrote some initial code to read the sensor value. The higher the sensor output value was, the drier the soil. In the code, I called this value "unmoistness." I had the pump turn on for a specified time when the soil reached a certain dryness. The system would then wait for one minute and measure again, watering if necessary.  The pump was not powered continuously, allowing time for water to soak into the soil.  

pump

    I placed the pump in a plastic container with holes drilled for the tube and power cable, and then sealed the holes with hot glue to utilize the full reservoir capacity. The sensor was placed inside and hose was clipped onto the edge of a large pot with several plants including peppermint, Cuban oregano, chives, bunching onions, chrysanthemums, and local moss. The dryness threshold, pumping time, and wait time were adjusted for optimal plant health.

    I coded a watchdog counter to prevent the pump from running too much in case of a sensor error, an obstructed pump, or an empty water tank. This type of oversight could be helpful in a large-scale system by preventing expensive pumps from being damaged due to running dry or overheating. The watchdog counts the number of consecutive attempts and prevents the pump from running if there have been too many attempts. The watchdog is reset if the moisture reading is within the target range.

Control board with watchdog tripped

    An LED indicates the current moisture relative to the target. It blinks n+1 times after each measurement, where n is the number of steps moister than the target value. This blinking system eliminates the need for a complex LCD requiring constant power, unlike similar experiments which have both a 9 Volt battery for the pump and USB power for the Arduino, display, and sensor. Our total system power is approximately a quarter of a watt when the pump is off, and about two watts when the pump is running. 

Flow chart (from group presentation)

    The system was mostly functional, however, I had to do some troubleshooting. The pump occasionally got stuck on because the Arduino got locked up due to the interference from the pump. I added redundant lines of code to turn off the pump, but this revealed that the original code was not the issue. Next, I replaced the relay with a MOSFET, which helped slightly. Then I installed a capacitor across the 5 Volt rail, eliminating the issue of the pump getting stuck on.

Block Diagram (from group presentation)

 

    Unfortunately, after moving the system home, there were many issues caused by loose wires. There was also water damage to the original Arduino clone so it was replaced. The wiring issues were corrected and the system was back up and running with only the need for adjustment of target. In order to allow the system to be used at night on solar power, I added a light dependent resistor to turn the light off at night and adjusted the blink time so it would be visible during the day.

System set up at home with new Arduino

     

    I tested the system for a few weeks before I moved it to make sure it was reliable. The results were better than manually watering a similar set of potted plants I kept in the same location, and there were no percolation losses. I was able to dissolve fertilizer in the water tank to water and fertilize at the same time. The system can also be expanded to have more plants because Arduino Uno can support up to five zones, each with its own sensor, moisture level settings, pump, and light.      

 

References
Our report was:  Sensor-Based Automatic Watering System by G. Colello, J. George, A. Smith

[1] S. Gould. “A Guide to Soil Moisture.” ConnectedCrops. https://connectedcrops.ca/the-ultimate-guide-to-soil-moisture/

[2] H. Ritchie and M. Roser, “Water use and stress,” Our World in Data, 2024. https://ourworldindata.org/water-use-stress

[3] M. Price, “Irrigation Fundamentals – Water Well Journal,” Water Well Journal, Nov. 18, 2019. https://waterwelljournal.com/irrigation-fundamentals-9/

[4] R. Leighton. “The 3 Main Types of Irrigation for Agriculture: the basics.” GrowerExperts. https://www.growerexperts.com/the-3-main-types-of-irrigation-for-agriculture/

[5] “HIRALIY Indoor Drip Irrigation System.” Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D7VYV9JN/

‌[6] V. Sonwane et al., "Automated Plant Watering System with Soil Moisture Tracker," in 2024 5th International Conference on Image Processing and Capsule Networks (ICIPCN), Dhulikhel, Nepal, 2024, pp. 735-739, doi: 10.1109/ICIPCN63822.2024.00127.