We send a lot of packages with Royal Mail. If an item qualifies as a “Large Letter” it can be shipped quite a bit cheaper.

The only hold up is getting your hands on one of their official sizing guides isn’t that easy.

Noticing it’s just a simple sheet we decided to slice up our own and now we have more than we could have ever wanted.

We thought others might also find it useful.

Want to Make Your Own:

   On Thingiverse(html)
   Mechanical Reference(pdf)
   Parts Outline(dxf)
   Parts Outline(svg)

Additional Files and Formats :: (http://www.oomlout.com/RMST/) ::

It’s no secret that around oomlout HQ we love laser cutting.

We’ve been laser cutting solutions to our small problems for a while now. The other day it hit us, why not make this approach size agnostic.

To this end we’ve started thinking about furniture.

The first result is an end table with only two different laser cut pieces and one bolt size.

It’s certainly not perfect but it’s got our minds working.

Want to Make Your Own:

   On Thingiverse(html)
   Mechanical Reference(pdf)
   Parts Outline(dxf)
   Parts Outline(svg)

Additional Files and Formats :: (http://www.oomlout.com/WENT/) ::

Parts:

Sometimes it’s the tiniest issues that need addressing. We go through a lot of IC’s at oomlout HQ and every time we opened a new tube we were having trouble popping out the little plastic pin at the end.

Fingers, pliers, teeth none of them really worked.

To address this we designed ourselves a super simple little tool. We have one placed everywhere pin popping is required and we’ve never been happier (well we’ve been happier but we’ve never been able to pop IC tube pins easier)

Want to Make Your Own:

   On Thingiverse(html)
   Mechanical Reference(pdf)
   Parts Outline(dxf)
   Parts Outline(svg)

Additional Files and Formats :: (http://www.oomlout.com/WTPP/) ::

We were getting frustrated with slow crimping. While not doing enough volume to warrant an automatic machine we augmented our hand crimps to make the job a little bit easier.

Simply grab a cheap pair of of the shelf hand crimps (we used these http://oom.lt/yXUoiR ) cut the bits out and bolt together. You’ll be effortlessly crimping in no time.

Want to Make Your Own:

   On Thingiverse(html)
   Mechanical Reference(pdf)
   Parts Outline(dxf)
   Parts Outline(svg)

Additional Files and Formats :: (http://www.oomlout.com/WCRH/) ::

It’s easiest to buy headers in snappable lengths of 36 pins, however we often need other lengths. We made a little tool to help us out.

Simply slide the adjustment stick to the length of header you would like (use one end for an even number of pins, and the other for an odd number), then snap away to your hearts content.

Want to Make Your Own:

   On Thingiverse(html)
   Mechanical Reference(pdf)
   Parts Outline(dxf)
   Parts Outline(svg)

Additional Files and Formats :: (http://www.oomlout.com/WHSN/) ::

A Video Of It In Action

We do quite a bit of soldering at .:oomlout:. and as all will know proper air flow when doing so is important. Until now we’ve been taking a hammer to the situation by turning on a large fan. However as the temperature begins to dip that solution is growing more and more unpleasant. To tackle this we bought some 80mm PC fans and cut up a small stand to hold them. Now soldering (and breathing) continues apace, just without the jacket.

.:Want to Make Your Own:.
Design Files (mechanical reference) (pdf)
Laser Files (cdr)

Additional Files and Formats :: 
(http://oomlout.com/FANH/)

We’ve recently grown annoyed with the slightly bow legged stance DIP ICs ship with (it makes inserting them into sockets ever so frustrating). Rather than continue to spend longer than we liked on less than perfect results we decided to make ourselves a little jig to help out.

Simply slide the IC along the channel and the two bearings ensure the ICs pins are bent straight and ready for insertion (we have to thank EMSL for letting us know that these existed ( here ) )

.:Want to Make Your Own:.
Design Files (mechanical reference) (pdf)
Laser Files (cdr)

Additional Files and Formats :: 
(http://oomlout.com/ICSQ/)

We go through a lot of ribbons of resistors at oomlout. While we have gotten quite speedy slicing them with scissors we knew there had to be a better way. As a result, we decided to design a machine to help us out.

The current prototype takes an Arduino, a stepper motor, two RC servos, two exacto blades and a bundle of laser sliced 3mm MDF. It produces resistors strips of any length.

A lovely video of it in action:



A Few More Views:

   


We have plans to fix a few things up before cleaning up the files and documenting it properly but if you’d like to get a jump start design files can be downloaded (http://www.oomlout.com/RECO/) (CC BY-SA).