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Portal Test Icon Coasters

At the start of every test chamber in the video game Portal is a large sign with information about the test ahead. It includes the chamber number, the test subject’s progression, and icons indicating what features the test includes – everything from toxic water to cube dispensers, deadly turrets, and, of course, cake.

These square test icons are instantly recognizable to any fan of the series, and I thought they would work great as a set of Portal-themed coasters.

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By Dave Madison, ago

Enabling the Power LED on the G25/G27 Shifter

If you’ve followed my instructions to build a DIY USB adapter for your Logitech G25 or G27 shifter, you might have noticed something that may seem a little odd: the power LED doesn’t light up!

Don’t worry, nothing is broken and you haven’t done anything wrong – it’s normal that the power LED doesn’t turn on with these adapters. The power LED has its own pin, and since it’s not needed in order to read from the shifter I didn’t add it to the tutorial. But don’t fret! I can show you how to turn on the power LED, and even how to control it from the Arduino for some fun effects.

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By Dave Madison, ago

How to Build a DIY Logitech G25 Shifter USB Adapter

Compared to a modern Logitech wheel, the Logitech G25 probably looks quite dated. Instead of covering the face of the wheel with inputs, the designers at Logitech opted to simplify the wheel itself and move most of controls to the attached shifter. In addition to its six gear H-pattern, the shifter has eight programmable action buttons, a directional pad, and the ability to transform into a sequential shifter. The modern Driving Force shifter, compatible with Logitech’s modern range of wheel bases, has the same shifting hardware but lacks these incredibly useful spare inputs. Unfortunately the shifter itself doesn’t have a USB output, which makes it difficult to use standalone without the matching wheel.

If you still have your Logitech G25 shifter, there is a way to get it working without a wheel. I’m going to show you how to build your own DIY USB adapter in under 15 minutes using only a handful of parts. This is an easy project and requires absolutely no soldering.

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By Dave Madison, ago

How to Build a DIY Logitech G27 Shifter USB Adapter

Compared to a modern Logitech wheel, the Logitech G27 probably looks quite dated. Instead of covering the face of the wheel with inputs, the designers at Logitech opted to simplify the wheel itself and move most of controls to the attached shifter. In addition to its six gear H-pattern, the shifter has eight programmable action buttons and a directional pad. The modern Driving Force shifter, compatible with Logitech’s modern range of wheel bases, has the same shifting hardware but lacks these incredibly useful spare inputs. Unfortunately the shifter itself doesn’t have a USB output, which makes it difficult to use standalone without the matching wheel.

If you still have your Logitech G27 shifter, there is a way to get it working without a wheel. I’m going to show you how to build your own DIY USB adapter in under 15 minutes using only a handful of parts. This is an easy project and requires absolutely no soldering.

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By Dave Madison, ago

‘Bartlet for America’ Napkin Prop

No matter what your political slant is, we can all agree that it is a strange time for American politics. It’s no surprise that many are looking back with fondness at Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing as a source of comfort. The show presents a sane (if overly ideal) version of the White House in which a small group of dedicated people work to make a difference, and where party politics are second to duty and service for the greater good.

In that same vein, I thought it would be fun to try and recreate a prop from the show: the “Bartlet for America” napkin.

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By Dave Madison, ago

DIY LEGO Lightsaber Earrings

It’s a well known fact that Star Wars was the first major media franchise to leverage merchandising as part of its marketing. If you were a kid growing up in the 70’s, it was impossible to escape the ubiquity of Star Wars toys: Kenner action figures, vehicle play sets, plastic space guns, Coca Cola glasses, lunchboxes, pencil cases… on and on.

As a 90’s kid we experienced this all over again with the re-release of the original Star Wars special editions in theaters, and then with the prequel trilogy a few years later. The toys reappeared as well and with all new tie-ins. There were Star Wars walkie-talkies, Monopoly games, Happy Meal toys at McDonalds… and there were Star Wars LEGO sets.

The LEGO sets were a novel concept. Up until their deal with Lucasfilm, LEGO sets were largely original concepts with their own themes. The Star Wars sets recreated scenes from the movies, let kids play with minifigs of their favorite characters, and introduced a whole host of custom bricks to make the sets as true to [LEGO-]life as possible. The most sought after of which was the LEGO lightsaber.

I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately, so I decided to show off my love for LEGO and Star Wars by making some LEGO lightsaber earrings!

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By Dave Madison, ago

MCRN Tachi Mug from The Expanse

Oye beltalowda! I, like many an Earther before me, recently fell in love with The Expanse – James S.A. Corey’s vision of warring factions struggling for control of the solar system’s resources in the not too distant future. The story follows James Holden and the intrepid crew of the Corvette-class frigate Rocinante, as they try to survive in the hostile cold of outer space and uncover the secrets behind a dangerous conspiracy which threatens to destroy all of humanity.

To show my love for this series I decided to make some custom merch, in the form of a coffee mug made in the style of those aboard the Rocinante. Or as it was originally known: the vessel Tachi of the Martian Congressional Republic Navy (MCRN).

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By Dave Madison, ago

How to Build a DIY Logitech Pedals USB Adapter

The new Logitech racing wheels come in two parts: the wheel “base” which contains the steering wheel proper, and an add-on peripheral with gas, brake, and clutch pedals. This pedal peripheral is quite well built with a metal frame, aluminum pedal faces, and user swappable springs. It even has mounting points for hanging the pedals upside-down or attaching them to a sim racing rig. Despite these perks, the pedals cannot function on their own – they must be plugged into the wheel base in order to work over USB. If you want to use these pedals with a different wheel setup, you need some sort of USB adapter.

I’m going to show you you can how to build your own DIY USB adapter for these Logitech pedals in under 15 minutes using only a handful of parts. This is an easy project and requires absolutely no soldering.

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By Dave Madison, ago