Electricity can be scary. As can be lasers. When working with high voltage and lasers always be sure to post appropriate warning signs. “But what if I don’t have the appropriate warning signs,” you plead. (Of course you are asking this, because of course you are commonly working with these, and other sorts of dangerous things…) The answer is simple. Make your own by following these simple steps:

1. Find appropriate warning sign on Google Images
2. Re-implement graphics in Adobe Illustrator
3. Mask, X-acto, and paint; repeat for each color

I followed this procedure exactly and produced a great warning sign for the power supply mentioned in a previous post.

I recommend using a good german font, like one from the Din Schrift family, and being careful with the masking. I covered the box in masking tape, printed my design, and taped the printed template. Next I used an X-acto knife to cut out areas of exposure for a given color. I repeated for each additional color, layering as I went.

Speaking of Power Supplies…

Every summer I spend way too much on eBay. Case in point:

Its a Power Designs TP 343B triple output power supply. Extremely well built on the outside, surprisingly modern on the inside, with ICs and such. I’m quite happy with my first real lab power supply. There will be at least one more post about summer eBay purchases within the next few weeks. I can make this guarantee because I have already made the purchase.

The New Super Mario Bros. is the only video game I have ever been really immersed in for a long period of time. It is the only video game I have ever gotten close to completing; right now I am at the two-star level. Its really just an excellent device at $129.00 with compelling titles like Tetris and Mario Kart, and Mario Brothers. I can no longer say: “I don’t play video games.”

Also Weller/Cooper Tools really came through for me recently. In March I ordered a replacement tip-retainer sleeve for my somewhat vintage 9911AS soldering iron. It was backordered to a warehouse in Mexico, but Arcade Electronics went to great lengths to get it for me. When it finally arrived around June 15th, I was eccstaic. It was finally here, a rare part for a long discontinued product. When I went to install it on my soldering iron I was crushed when it didn’t fit. The part number on the box matched and everything. I thought it was a lost cause, but I decided to e-mail Paula at Arcade anyway. She put me in touch with Larry Smith at Cooper Tools, who went above and beyond what he had to do for this tiny part. He went down to the parts department, tried out the part personally and came to the conclusion that the one I had must have been incorrectly packaged. He then dropped the correct part in an padded mailer and sent it directly to me free of charge, three days later. I received it, and everything was perfect! Finally, after more than three months I was able to use my soldering iron to its fullest capability. Thank you Cooper Tools.