Finger Joint Cutter Uses A Jigsaw Blade, But Not As We Know It

November 5, 2026 by Donald Papp 34 Comments

Around these parts, finger joints (or box joints) are usually the product of laser cutting. [bluesyann] shows us a method of using a stationary jigsaw, a custom blade, and 3D-printed jig to create a DIY box joint cutter whose results look impressive. What’s appealing is not just the end result, but the fact that the whole system is made from little more than an inexpensive tool, scrap wood, and common hardware.

A DIY wide blade cuts each notch in a single go.

In [bluesyann]’s system, the jigsaw is fixed in place to make a stationary cutter. The saw itself is nothing special; it’s the wide blade that makes the difference. It cuts a notch in a single go, and it’s made by epoxying together multiple blades to make a single extra-wide one. Jigsaw blades are not expensive, and they’re easy to snap into pieces. By using a total of three blades (snapping two of them into pieces) one can create the wide version shown here.

With a stationary jigsaw sporting an extra-wide blade that cuts the same notch every time, all that remains is a way to get the spacing right. The solution there is a 3D-printed jig that each freshly-cut notch fits onto as the next one is cut.

There are a few other details, but those are the important bits. One does have to do a bit of trial and error to get things dialed in, but once they are, it’s off to the races.

If one prefers a less hands-on method of cutting box joints, check out this robotic table saw which automates the process.

PiPedal Grants Guitar Effects, Amp Emulation, And More

November 4, 2026 by Donald Papp 14 Comments

Back in the day, if one wanted a particular guitar effect one would purchase an effects pedal or “stomp box”, and even a modest collection of them could be an eye-watering investment. A guitar amp chosen for a specific sound could be another huge purchase (and who stops at one?) But if you’ve got a Raspberry Pi kicking around and a bit of free time, PiPedal provides configurable effects, guitar amp emulation, and more.

The audio engine runs on a Raspberry Pi, with configuration and control accessed by mobile device or web browser.

Things have come a long way in terms of audio processing, and PiPedal is no straightforward application of simple digital filters. We indirectly learned about it from a fellow who used it to experiment with a range of equipment he could in no reality actually afford. He shared his experience in a blog post that left him thinking he might as well sell all his pedals and build the stomp box of his dreams around PiPedal.

PiPedal’s impressive audio engine runs on a Raspberry Pi (or comparable single-board Linux computer) with control and configuration accessed from a mobile device or web browser. It’s expressly designed to seamlessly work whether one is at home, on stage, or in a studio.

The GitHub repository has code and documentation, so check it out. And if you use it as the basis of a project of your own, don’t keep it to yourself! Drop us a note on the tips line because we absolutely want to know all about it.

Huge PalmOS Development Archive Goes Online, Thanks To Personal Backups

October 31, 2026 by Donald Papp 27 Comments

Palm OS, an operating system for a range mobile devices that predated mobile phones, is largely forgotten today. Or at least, that’s what [Aaron Ardiri] thought.

That all changed when he was contacted by a developer about some Palm OS software he had written decades ago. He soon realized there was a whole community of enthusiasts enthusiastically exploring a platform he had assumed was a forgotten layer in the strata of early mobile computing history.

This led [Aaron] to dust off and publish his substantial personal archive of development tools, source code, documentation, and more all related to his years of working with Palm OS in the early days of mobile computing.

When it comes to the importance of preserving computing history, we can’t put it better than [Aaron] himself so we’ll just quote him here:

Preservation is not simply about keeping old files. Source code, tools and documentation provide a record of how engineers solved problems under the constraints of their time. They also preserve knowledge that is easily lost when companies disappear and platforms are discontinued.

In many ways, Palm OS devices like the PalmPilot have very little in common with modern mobile computing platforms. They had to do more with less, and development reflected that. If you’re curious what these devices were like, here’s a great tour that includes a browser-based emulator.

DIY WiFi Analyzer Sniffs Out Congestion And Coverage Issues, Suggests Fixes

October 31, 2026 by Donald Papp 16 Comments

[Roni Bandini]’s JEV WiFi Analyzer is an interesting experiment that glues together a single-board Linux computer, a USB WiFi adapter, and a specialized AI model to create a new kind of automated tool that passively monitors WiFi activity to measure and profile coverage, congestion, and suggest possible optimizations.

Here’s how it works: a Python program connects to WiFi, cycles through available channels, and uses scapy to gather details like signal strength, number of clients, WiFi frames per second, and similar data about each given channel. That data is fed to Jev, a highly efficient sort of decision-making AI model responsible for interpreting that data on an ongoing basis.

Briefly, Jev is a new kind of AI that is completely unable to generate text or images. It outputs only numbers representing bounded decisions. We covered these decision-making models earlier, including locally-installed versions. Jev is cheap enough to throw at a variety of problems, but it’s also practical to run your own model on your own hardware.

In [Roni]’s analyzer, Python gathers the raw numbers and Jev takes care of classifying the WiFi network’s coverage, congestion level, and basic remedial actions if applicable. There’s a brief video embedded below (Spanish only) that shows the Jev WiFi Analyzer in action.

The AI isn’t making particularly deep analyses, but it doesn’t take much to imagine Jev taking a more active role like deciding which channels to spend more (or less) time monitoring. Using a decision-making model in this way is interesting, and makes us wonder if similar models integrated with other kinds of hardware is a branch of projects waiting to happen.

Continue reading “DIY WiFi Analyzer Sniffs Out Congestion And Coverage Issues, Suggests Fixes” →

Learn To Edit STL Files In Just A Few Minutes

October 31, 2026 by Donald Papp 18 Comments

Sometimes an STL file needs a bit of editing, but if one doesn’t already know how to use a mesh editor it’s unlikely that one has the time to sit down and learn it in the middle of a project. Happily, that’s where [Prusa]’s five-minute guide to editing STL files directly will come in handy.

The editor of choice is Blender, a fantastic piece of open source software that can be intimidating because it’s got one of those interfaces in which clicking around with an explorer’s heart just isn’t going to get you very far. Most guides start at learning Blender from scratch, assuming one will be using it to create new 3D models. This guide instead focuses on importing and modifying existing models rather than trying to teach the entire interface. For all the apparent complexity, Blender’s underlying functions are actually quite straightforward and simple to use once one knows the right approach.

Having to make changes to an STL file is something most folks have grimaced inwardly about at least once when 3D printing. Certainly, STL files can be imported into CAD programs like FreeCAD, but editing them that way is always a bit of a square peg in a round hole.

A guide like this is a valuable reference for the next time an STL file needs some changes, but the time has not yet come to sit down with a gallon of coffee and learn Blender from scratch.

VR Headset Ditches The Base Stations With DIY Tracking

October 30, 2026 by Donald Papp 3 Comments

Those in the virtual reality scene might be interested in [Prohurtz]’s add-on for the Bigscreen Beyond VR headset. BSB-SLAM adds SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) tracking to the headset by attaching a sensor to the front of the headset, and providing the software to tie the two together. As a result, the headset can be fully tracked in 3D space with no need for external base stations. It essentially adds inside-out tracking as a DIY add-on.

An early version, shared with a brief video demo posted to X.

Just to be clear, that doesn’t mean the headset becomes wireless. The Beyond connects to a PC, essentially acting as a display, and that part is the same. But it does mean the headset is no longer tied to having to work in a room with base stations pre-installed.

[Prohurtz]’s solution does this by adding a small off-the-shelf Xvisio XR50 board, USB cable, and 3D-printed mount to the unit. The headset works as normal, just with some extra software needed to use the sensor data in lieu of the base stations.

As far as sensors go the Xvisio XR50 is a bit spendy, but the fact that a small and lightweight SLAM sensor that’s capable of delivering positioning data suitable for tracking a headset in near real-time can be bought online and so readily adapted is pretty interesting.

[Prohurtz] got the idea working back in 2025 but it’s now at the point where one can order a part, print an adapter, and be off to the races with a software package.

This isn’t [Prohurtz]’s first time with VR hardware, either. The EyeTrackVR eye tracking add-on is also their work, combining largely off-the-shelf hardware into an effective DIY solution for VR use.

Hairy Armor For Combat Robot? It’s Not Terrible!

October 26, 2026 by Donald Papp 17 Comments

[Angus] of Maker’s Muse enjoys combat robotics, in which contenders zip about in an arena, attempting to disable one another with weapons that lift, spin, and smash. He got a funny idea a short while ago and wondered whether a stiff mane of bristles could serve as lightweight, ablative, impact resistant armor?

Just to set the stage, [Angus]’s new robot competes in the plastic antweight (or “plant”) division, in which robots are limited to 150 grams with both chassis and weapons made of plastic. In such circumstances, one can see how a mane of thick, rigid “hairs” might actually punch above its weight, so to speak.

The green shape at the bottom is a spinning weapon. The bristles cover the sides and rear.

Nothing settles a question like a good experiment, so [Angus] sat down and redesigned his latest robot to replace its outer shell with a thick wad of bristles, in the style of a 3D printed lion’s mane. Filament is bridged between the model and an outer support structure, which is cut away afterwards to expose the “hairs”.

How well did it perform? Well enough to merit further study! Where past robots got their outer shells broken up, the hairy robot seems to have come through quite intact. It seems the idea might not be as silly as it first seemed, at least in the plastic antweight division.

3D printers have been fantastic in the field of combat robotics. First they were great because they made custom parts easier and more accessible to hobbyists, but things have evolved more since then. Now folks compete by putting motors and electronics inside almost entirely 3D printed robots. There’s never been a better time to get into combat robotics, and experiment with unorthodox designs.

If you want to try a hairy robot for yourself, be sure to watch the followup in which [Angus] improves the hair-generating process considerably.