Hacker News with Generative AI: DIY Projects

Reviving an old kindle pw7 as an e-ink dashboard (terminalbytes.com)
Most of us have a drawer (or a box) stuffed with old gadgets—a sort of tech graveyard we can’t quite bring ourselves to throw out. You know the one I’m talking about: that chaotic nest of tangled cables, forgotten adapters, and mysterious dongles that looks like a digital snake pit (yeah, exactly like that mess in the photo below).
E-ink, Gadgets, Retro Tech, DIY Projects, Upcycling
7 points by hemant6488 13 days ago | 6 comments
The Supersonic Trebuchet (hackaday.com)
Have you ever sat down and thought “I wonder if a trebuchet could launch a projectile at supersonic speeds?” Neither have we. That’s what separates [David Eade] from the rest of us. He didn’t just ask the question, he answered it! And he documented the entire build in a YouTube video which you can see below the break.
Engineering, DIY Projects, Physics
10 points by MrBuddyCasino 15 days ago | 0 comments
F/0.38 camera lens made with oil immersion microscope objective (youtube.com)
Photography, Optics, DIY Projects
7 points by mhb 19 days ago | 0 comments
Zusie – My Relay Computer (nablaman.com)
I amuse myself by constructing a computer almost entirely out of relays.
Hardware, Computing, Electronics, DIY Projects
133 points by xk3 21 days ago | 31 comments
A Young Man Used AI to Build a Nuclear Fusor (corememory.com)
AI madness is upon many of us, and it can take different forms. In August 2024, for example, I stumbled upon a post from a 20-year-old who had built a nuclear fusor in his home with a bunch of mail-ordered parts. More to the point, he’d done this while under the tutelage of Anthropic’s Claude AI service.
Artificial Intelligence, Science, Nuclear Fusion, DIY Projects
87 points by cl3m 22 days ago | 70 comments
DIY Projects Search Engine (FindingDIY.com)
Use our search engine to find free DIY projects on topics like arduino, home decor, embroidery, woodworking, and more. Start typing below to explore thousands of DIY guides from around the web.
DIY Projects, Search Engines, Web Development
12 points by vogu66 24 days ago | 1 comments
A 1U bar of LEDs that replicate the vibe of WOPR from WarGames (reddit.com)
I’ve always been deeply fascinated with the aesthetic of WOPR, the computer from War Games (1983). The steadily changing lights that allegedly represented the state of the machine are something I’ve wanted to replicate in my server rack for years. Recently I decided that if the product didn’t exist, I’d make it.
Hardware, Retro Technology, DIY Projects, War Games
4 points by voxadam 24 days ago | 0 comments
Snowdrop OS – a homebrew operating system from scratch, in assembly language (sebastianmihai.com)
Snowdrop OS was born of my childhood curiosity around what happens when a PC is turned on, the mysteries of bootable disks, and the hidden aspects of operating systems.
Operating Systems, Assembly Language, Programming, DIY Projects
308 points by ksec 28 days ago | 81 comments
Turn any bicycle electric (dhruvvidyut.co.in)
Welcome to Dhruv Vidyut, where we offer a revolutionary electric conversion kit for bicycles.
Electric Bikes, DIY Projects, Sustainability
375 points by samdung 29 days ago | 201 comments
I Built an Omni-Directional Ball-Wheeled Bike [video] (youtube.com)
DIY Projects, Engineering, Bicycles, Video
11 points by xbmcuser 30 days ago | 1 comments
Building a Tiny Linux from Scratch (blinry.org)
Last week, I built a tiny Linux system from scratch, and booted it on my laptop!
Linux, Operating Systems, Programming, DIY Projects
36 points by todsacerdoti 31 days ago | 7 comments
The "35-cent" Commodore 64 softmodem (blogspot.com)
Rockwell famously used 6502-based cores in modems for many years, but that doesn't mean other 6502s couldn't be used. If only there were a way to connect a Commodore 64's audio output directly to an RJ-11 plug ...
Commodore 64, Retro Computing, Hardware, DIY Projects, Modems
125 points by todsacerdoti 34 days ago | 18 comments
In 36h, I built a neutron-producing nuclear fusor in my kitchen using Claude (twitter.com)
Nuclear Fusion, DIY Projects, AI, Claude
6 points by Luc 34 days ago | 0 comments
E-Ink PDA – Building My Dream Productivity Device [video] (youtube.com)
E-Ink, Productivity, Hardware, DIY Projects, Technology
6 points by rumrog 34 days ago | 0 comments
Project Mini Rack – compact and portable homelabs (jeffgeerling.com)
Today I'm announcing Project MINI RACK, an open source project to help those building homelabs, RF/wireless rigs, and other electronics projects into mini 10" racks.
Open Source, Homelabs, Electronics, DIY Projects
103 points by ferriswil 35 days ago | 43 comments
How I built this website on a Raspberry Pi (mirawelner.com)
As of the time of writing this, the Raspberry Pi 5 has recently been released. Some people are buying it excitedly, while others think that its value over previous models doesn't warrant the price increase. In any event, many people will be implementing various projects on their new (or old) Pis.
Raspberry Pi, Website Development, DIY Projects
115 points by mirawelner 37 days ago | 90 comments
Virtual Vette – Racing Simulator Built from Wrecked Corvette (instructables.com)
This project started because I was looking for a way to encourage and reward my son, Daniel, for earning his Eagle Scout rank.
Virtual Reality, DIY Projects, Automotive, Video Games
95 points by starkparker 40 days ago | 11 comments
Morse Code Clock (temporaldiscombobulator.com)
Morse Code, Timekeeping, DIY Projects
10 points by thunderbong 41 days ago | 2 comments
Lego Retro Radio #10334 – play your own music using a Raspberry Pi (sean.co.uk)
Discover how to play your own music on the Lego Retro Radio (10334) set by putting a Raspberry Pi computer inside. My project description includes Python code you can use to play your own music.
Lego, Raspberry Pi, Retro Computing, DIY Projects, Music
7 points by akirk 42 days ago | 0 comments
Show HN: Belshazzar's Clock, luminous paint night clock (karliner.net)
With generations of Belshazzars languishing in storage, I decided it was time to make a version of Belshazzar more suited to domestic environments, and settled on a clock.
DIY Projects, Clockmaking, Design
73 points by mkarliner 44 days ago | 17 comments
Show HN: E-Paper Life Organizer with Pico and Inky Frame (github.com/jaeheonshim)
A simple e-ink dashboard for planning and organizing your life.
Hardware, Software, Productivity, DIY Projects
23 points by jaeheonshim 47 days ago | 3 comments
Guten: A Tiny Newspaper Printer (amanvir.com)
Hardware, Printing, DIY Projects, Open Source
265 points by thunderbong 48 days ago | 106 comments
Shmøergh Hog – The making of a simple analog synth (peterzimon.com)
We finished the first version of a synthesizer that starts to resemble a real product. It's the same concept that I've already written about – a simple switches-over-knobs style analog synth for live performance, called Hog – but with completely reworked circuitry and enclosure.
Electronics, Music Production, Analog Synthesizers, DIY Projects
209 points by b6dybuyv 53 days ago | 24 comments
The Cody Computer (codycomputer.org)
The Cody Computer is an 8-bit home computer intended to be built as a DIY project.
DIY Projects, Hardware, Retro Computing
235 points by classichasclass 54 days ago | 41 comments
Building Your First LoRa Mesh Network from Scratch [video] (media.ccc.de)
In a world of centralized internet control, building your own mesh network isn't just a technical challenge—it's digital independence. This beginner-friendly guide walks through creating resilient mesh networks using accessible hardware like LoRa and ESP devices. From antenna selection to node placement strategy, learn how to build networks that operate independently of traditional infrastructure.
Mesh Networking, LoRa, DIY Projects, Hardware
40 points by doener 56 days ago | 0 comments
Scale Model of Boeing 777-300ER, Made from Manila Folders (lucaiaconistewart.com)
This project traces its beginnings to an architecture class in high school where we learned to use manila file folders to roughly model our building ideas.
Scale Models, Engineering, Aviation, DIY Projects, Papercraft
561 points by uticus 56 days ago | 100 comments
Reverse Engineering the Duco Connectivity Board (github.com/kokx)
My newly built house came with a promising feature: a DucoBox Energy Comfort D325 ventilation system with heat recovery. While the system efficiently preheats incoming air using outgoing air’s heat, its control options were limited to four basic modes through a simple button interface. I wanted more - specifically, integration with Home Assistant. The official solution? A Duco Connectivity Board. But when I noticed it was just an ESP32 in disguise, I knew there had to be a better way.
Reverse Engineering, Home Automation, ESP32, DIY Projects
35 points by kokx 56 days ago | 4 comments
Monkey Island PC speaker music player (thanassis.space)
TL;DR: I modified DOSBox to extract the frequency/delay value pairs of the Monkey Island PC-Speaker songs. I then used Huffman compression to squeeze all music inside an ATtiny85 (512 bytes of RAM, 8 KB of flash) Once I managed that, I then created a small circuit with a speaker - to play the music... ...as a gift for my nieces and nephews; whom I'll see next week after more than a year's isolation (COVID)!
Retro Gaming, Microcontrollers, Music, DIY Projects
15 points by fanf2 59 days ago | 1 comments
Build a Low-Cost Drone Using ESP32 (digikey.com)
Drones have rapidly evolved from niche hobbies to versatile tools with a wide range of applications, from photography to agriculture or even for defence and military purposes.
Drones, DIY Projects, Electronics, Microcontrollers
443 points by m3at 60 days ago | 149 comments
2solitude – Honeywell TPE 331-12 refitted Antonov AN-2 camper (2solitude.com)
In a crowded world, finding a slice of paradise feels harder than ever
Aviation, Travel, Adventure, Campervans, DIY Projects
28 points by palmfacehn 61 days ago | 8 comments