Homemade Lock Picks

Lock picking a old stuff from those days. There are plenty of methods to pick locks, some are authentic and while others are totally off the board. To learn more about lock picking we first need to know on the mechanism on which locks work. There are different types of locks available in the markets and each works in its unique way, but there is a small principle common to all locks. How does a lock work? Locks comprise of three main parts key pins, driver pins and the plug or shaft. Both driver and key pins are immersed in the plug, they prevent the plug from opening up. These pins are of different heights depending on the keys dimension, so when the right key is inserted and opened the pins align such that the plug can rotate and the lock opens, this is the basic principle behind the working of a lock.

key Homemade Lock Picks
Lock picking is an art, there are many kind of picking depending on the type of lock which is to be picked, Lets see a few important picks

  • master lock picking
  • pick combination lock
  • picking locks with a paper clip

Picking a master lock needs ample knowledge because there would be 64,000 possible lock combinations, all you need to do is finding the last number of the lock, then using this we can find the others numbers and bring the combinations possible combinations to 100. Try out the 100 combinations and pick them.

Picking a combination lock is easier than the picking a master lock, it uses a combo principle using both the principle of the pad lock and other lock principles. So first figure the lock principles that has been used with it, once identified find a cracking principle for the over lying lock, they can have any locking principle, so slip them off and then the picking narrows down to padlock picking as explained above.

Now comes the real mastery, picking locks with paper clips, may sound funny and easy but requires a huge deal of patients, open and straight up a paper clip, the bend it by joining the two ends now twist them make a swirl with it. Then insert it into the keyhole, put the tension wrench into the bottom of the keyhole and push it in. Apply pressure and turn it clockwise and maintain the pressure, now insert a straight paper clip into the top of the keyhole, then find the pins and push them down.

Home Remedies for Fruit Flies, Ants and Fleas

You can get rid of fruit flies, ants and fleas without using nasty chemicals. You may not understand why you have a insect problem. I’ve heard many stories of people having fruit flies or ants in a clean house. Some insect problems are triggered by the season, or the time of year. Treatment of these pests requires you to get to the source. Buying blue bug killing lights or other expensive equipment may not be required for your case.

Home Remedies for Fruit Flies

The easiest way to get rid of fruit flies is to remove the source. Having fruit lying around the house will attract them. Throw out old fruit and don’t allow anything to rot on the counter or in the garbage. This best thing to do is buy fruit that will last you a few days. You can also buy fruit in prepackaged cups or cans. While this is not as fresh, it will eliminate the problem. As soon as you start to see fruit flies, throw the fruit out and get rid of it. Also try storing your fruit in containers or in your refrigerator.

ants-150x150 Home Remedies for Fruit Flies, Ants and Fleas

Remedies to Get Rid of Ants

A common place for ants to visit is your kitchen counter top, cabinets and floor. Ants can be killed with a variety of poisons that come in different types such as sprays, ant hotels and powders. If you are allergic to these chemicals, try using baby powder. As soon as the ants come in contact with the baby powder, they will almost immediately die. I’ve had great success with spray poisons. They usually last for a few weeks if not months and will cure the problem.

31wr126v5hl_aa280_-150x150 Home Remedies for Fruit Flies, Ants and Fleas

Home Remedies for Killing Fleas

A flea bite can cause anemia, diseases and parasites. Many strong chemicals can treat this problem but they have negative effects on small children. If you want to avoid chemicals, their are some things you can do. Wash your dog’s bed regularly and ad eucalyptus oils to the mixture. Vacuum your home throughly and sprinkle table salt on the carpet and anywhere else that might have fleas.

Blueprint for a Trebuchet

Here you can download trebuchet free plans to build a trebuchet, including trebuchet parts & procedure.

trebuchet_copy Blueprint for a Trebuchet

Before to the use of cannons , the trebuchet was perhaps the most deadly weapon against a castle. A trebuchet is a medieval weapon used to smash the walls of castles. It was capable of launching a greater payload a greater distance and with more force than any other catapult. The counterweight trebuchet appeared in both Christian and Muslim lands around the Mediterranean in the twelfth century. It worked by dropping a great weight that was attached to the short end of a long arm.

Trebuchets were invented in China in about the 4th century, came to Europe in the 6th century. It didn’t become obsolete until the 16th century, well after the use of gunpowder. Trebuchets were much more accurate than other medieval catapults. The trebuchet was primarily an offensive weapon.

A trebuchet is built using five basic trebuchet parts. These parts include a beam, sling, counterweight, guide chute and most importantly, a frame. The frame supports all other parts including the very heavy, counterweight. The counterweight is pulled by gravity to rotate the beam and thus pulls the sling. The guide chute guides the sling with the object being launched. If you didn’t have a guide chute the object would sling sideways of fall out of the sling. The sling then speeds up to hold the projectile until it gets released.

Download Free Trebuchet Blueprints

Download Trebuchet Mechanics & Geometry

Science Fair Middle School Projects

Here is a list of great science fair experiment ideas. The key to creating science fair winning projects, is to understand what the judges are looking for in your science fair project.

  • Is your project full of original and unique ideas? Did you clearly describe the problem you were researching? Be sure you know your material for your final report. Was your science fair project too easy? A difficult project can make a difference in how the judges grade it.
  • Are you knowledgeable about the experiment itself? Did you design it and perform the experiment like descibed? Having a good command of the technical aspects of your project reflects very well on you. Know what you’re talking about, and know your experimental data.
  • Was your data collection scientifically accuate? Be sure to use a journal to record data from the experiment. This demonstrates great organization. Did you repeat the experiment? Repetition lends much more reliability to your data.
  • Did you use tables and graphs that were helpful to the judges in understanding your data? Did you use the tables and graphs correctly and collect enough data to reach a real conclusion? Science is all about realiable data and proof.

sciencefair_t764a Science Fair Middle School Projects

Here are some great science fair examples:

  • How do differences in surfaces affect the adhesion of tape?
  • If you shake up different kinds or brands of soft drinks, will they all spew the same amount?
  • Are all potato chips equally greasy?
  • Do the same types of mold grow on all types of food?
  • Does light effect the rate at which foods spoil and mold?
  • Can you use a household water filter to remove flavor or color from other liquids?
  • Does the power of a microwave affect how well it makes popcorn?
  • Do all brands of diapers absorb the same amount of liquid? Does it matter what the liquid is?
  • Can earthworms detect smell?
  • Do magnetic forces pass through different liquids?
  • Are insects attracted to night lamps because of heat or light?
  • Can you make Jello using fresh pineapples instead of canned pineapples?
  • Do white candles burn at a different rate than colored candles?
  • When is the best time to plant soy beans?
  • How does arch curvature affect load carrying strength?
  • Can a saturated solution of sodium chloride still dissolve Epsom salts?
  • Does magnetism affect the growth of plants?
  • How does the shape of an ice cube affect how quickly it melts?
  • Do different brands of popcorn leave different amounts of unpopped kernels?
  • Will chilling an onion before cutting it keep you from crying?
  • How accurately do egg producers measure eggs?
  • What percentage of an orange is water?
  • What time of day is preferred by birds for feeding?
  • What ratio of vinegar to baking soda produces the best chemical volcano eruption?
  • Is white really a combination of all the primary colors?
  • How does water purity affect surface tension?
  • Do some substances reflect light better than others?
  • Are optical illusions perceived differently by individuals of different genders, age, etc.?
  • What solutions does light pass through the best?
  • Do different liquids have different boiling and freezing points?
  • Which material is the best insulator?
  • What conditions affect the ripening of fruit? Look at ethylene and enclosing a fruit in a sealed bag, temperature, light, or nearness to other pieces or fruit.
  • How are different soils affected by erosion? You can make your own wind or water and evaluate the effects on soil. If you have access to a very cold freezer, you can look at the effects of freeze and thaw cycles.
  • Does the presence of detergent in water affect plant growth?
  • Do roots always grow down and stems upward, no matter how you plant the seed?
  • Do bean plants grow better under artificial or natural light?
  • What plants will produce a color dye?
  • What animals are visitors to my outdoor study area during a given week?
  • How do different foundations stand up to earthquakes?
  • What materials glow under black light? Can you use the UV light to find invisible, possibly smelly, stains in your carpet or elsewhere in your house?
  • Do all dishwashing detergents produce the same amount of bubbles? Do some clean better than others?
  • Is the nutritional content of different brands of a vegetable the same?

intake gasket gm

Not long ago I posted something about this problem. I deliver mail to a repair shop for about 20 years and I saw a 99 silverado with the top of the engine off. I asked what was the problem and they said the dex-cool ate away the intake gasket. He advised me to drain and flush the dex-cool from my 01 Sierra [5.3] and replace it with good old Prestone.

leaky gasket

GM knows they have a problem with Dexcool but they are not willing to correct this problem by going back the green coolant that did not have any problems, & when the Dexcool eats away the intake or water pump gaskets allowing the cooling system to leak coolant & get low it will start caking up in the cooling system. Jtt3 per Gm dexcool is not due to be serviced until every 100k, I have look at some vehicle at 30k & the dexcool already looks really dirty, I would recommend having the cooling system completely flushed & have green coolant put in the vehicle, unless you like buying intake & water pump gaskets.

Intake and exhaust manifold problems have plagued the GM big blocks for some time. The exhaust manifolds get so hot that they warp and have to be resurfaced. The intake manifold problem is present with either the red or green coolants. However there seems to be a problem with dexcool. GM has launched a suit against Dupont over that product and the costs that GM has incurred dealing with their use of the product. Both parties are now negotiating what will happen. Interestingly, GM is still using the product in their vehicle line today.

h&r guns

A breakthrough so important that it alters the course of an industry is rare indeed. But it happened in 1871, when Gilbert H. Harrington invented the top-breaking, shell-ejecting revolver. For the first time, handgunners had a firearm that was not only durable and accurate, but easy to load and unload as well.

To produce his invention, Harrington teamed up with William A. Richardson. The two men gave their names to a firm that would soon become synonymous with high-quality, technically superior revolvers and shotguns.

Harrington & Richardson’s reputation for excellence became established so firmly, so quickly, that in 1880 the firm was named sole North American licensee for England’s Anson & Deely double-barrel hammerless shotgun. In its day, the Anson & Deely was considered to be the finest shotgun available anywhere, at any price—and only the most quality-conscious manufacturer could be entrusted with its creation.

H&R’s success led it to break ground for a state-of-the-art factory in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1893. Just a few years passed before the factory had to be expanded. It was here that H&R developed a broad line of firearms, including their innovative—and hugely successful—single-barrel shotgun, which featured automatic shell ejection.

In 1932, an H&R pistol was used to set a new U.S. pistol record, and would go on to become the most famous firearm of its kind—the U.S.R.A. single-shot target pistol. This pistol was so accurate that it was adopted by the U.S. Army Pistol Team.

In wartime, H&R answered the call to duty. During World War I, H&R was an important producer of shoulder-type flare guns. In World War II, the company was a major producer of military firearms, earning many commendations from the U.S. armed forces. It produced the U.S. M1 Garand rifle, was the largest single manufacturer of the M-14, and one of the major producers of the M-16.

In November of 2000, the Marlin Firearms Company purchased the assets of H&R 1871, Inc. Marketing its products under the brand names of Harrington & Richardson® and New England Firearms®, H&R 1871, LLC is currently the largest manufacturer of single shot shotguns and rifles in the world.

disadvantage of leasing

Some people’s response to leasing is that it’s always a bad decision, but ask those people to explain how leasing works and the pros and cons and they rarely can.

The truth is that leasing is a great alternative to buying IF you know where to look for good deals and how to tell how good of a deal something is just by looking at all of those ‘weird’ numbers they throw around. The other huge caveat is that leasing really only makes sense on certain vehicles with low depreciation, high manufacturer backing, and if you are the kind of person who can predict their yearly mileage within a reasonable range, and are the kind of person who can be happy with a car for 2-3 years and then be ready to get into something new anyway.smile disadvantage of leasing

OK, this is a great forum to find all of the vital stats you need on leasing the car of your choice. If you don’t see it, search for it, or request it.
http://forums.roadfly.com/forums/fin…num=504&page=1

Here’s a thread discussing BMW’s January rates:
http://forums.roadfly.com/forums/fin…8186473-1.html

Here’s a lease calculator:
http://www.leaseguide.com/calc.htm
Click on the above link and follow through the below math and explanations with me.

Here’s how it works. I’ll use a 335i sedan as an example as the rates are pretty good on it at the moment.
Let’s just say I’m getting it as stands… no options, really. Just the standard equipment. And we want to hop to a new car after 2 years - within those 2 years we expect to drive say no more than 33k miles and no less than 27k which makes 15k/miles a year cost effective anywhere in that range.
Here’s the rates per that site:
BMW 335i Sedan - 24 mo/15k mi – Residual Value 71% of MSRP – .00150 Money Factor Buy Rate

OK so the first thing in question is the MSRP which is 39,395 with destination. Your residual value, stated at 71%, means the car will be worth 71% of that MSRP after 2 years. The key to saving a lot of money here is to negotiate the actual selling price as low as possible because that’s effectively 100% profit to them and 100% loss to you. Invoice is $36,300.

What you have to understand here is that despite whatever they may try to tell you, the price “Base Capital Cost” - aka the negotiated lease price, IS negotiable JUST like the purchase of a vehicle. If you could buy a 3-series for 700 over invoice, then you can lease a 3-series for 700 over invoice, and they will make the same amount of money on it just as though you had bought it for 700 over. As far as the dealer is concerned it’s the exact same value of transaction.

So let’s say that’s what has been negotiated. $37,000 (700 over invoice)

Next comes the downpayment. I suggest you NEVER make a downpayment because of two reasons: if the car is wrecked and totalled out, your insurance company will often times pay off the remaining balance of the lease and call it even. Thus if you total the car after 2 months of owning it and you had put 2500 bucks down… you lose that 2500 bucks - it just vanishes with the exception of the slightly lower payment you achieved for the first 2 months. The second reason is typically they do not give you any ‘interest credit’ for the money. In other words, the interest amount they charge you (called the money factor) doesn’t change a single penny if you put money down. You’d think if you put money down, you are “borrowing” less so it’d save you some money. Nope. Granted, there are some exceptions - some insurance companies will reimburse you for down payments (check with yours), and some dealerships will allow you to benefit from down payments. I know Lexus, for example, has a way for people to get around paying interest by basically putting the entire value of the car down as a ’safety deposit’ on the car… so basically you lease a 40k dollar Lexus, put 40k in as a safety deposit (not toward the value of the car, though) and they don’t charge you any interest… then you get the 40 grand back at the end of the term.

Next comes the residual value - again, in this example, it’s 71% of the MSRP for 24 months and 30k total miles. The MSRP here is 39,395, and 71% of that is 28 thousand dollars. So your payments will basically be your negotiated purchase price of 37,000, minus 28,000 = 9,000 dollars in depreciation for 2 years. Now spread that out over 24 months.
28,000 is also what your buyout will be at the lease end if you decide you want to keep the car. The car will likely be worth quite a bit less, though, so you’d be better off not buying it at the end since this residual value is artificially inflated by BMW financial to make it more appealing to lease (the equivalent of cash rebates for purchases).

Next comes the money factor. The money factor is hard to explain and kinda stupid that they give it as a number like .00150, but effectively that translates to them charging you 3.6% interest on the entire value of the car. Why the entire value? Because you are “borrowing” a 40k dollar car, even if your lease payments and sales tax are only based on the next 2 years worth of depreciation.

Now go through the last few steps of the calculator, enter sales tax if you know what it is, and if you punched in all of the numbers you should have a final payment of $473.71/month for 24 months with zero down, plus whatever you punched in for your tax rate (and remember tax is only being charged to you for the depreciated value - the 9 grand, not the 37 or 39 grand.!)

Now have lots of fun, beat the snot out of the car, don’t worry about maintenance because it’s not your car (and in the case of the BMW they do it for free anyway) and hand ‘em back the keys 2 years later having spent only ~11.5k bucks assuming you didn’t damage it substantially or try to turn it back in with bald tires or something.

Thanks Threxx

MySpace will target ads to users’ personal data

Members of the booming social network Web sites treat their individual profile pages as a creative canvas for personal expression.

logodotcomyspace MySpace will target ads to users personal data

The social networking companies see those pages as a lush target for advertisers — if only they could customize the ads. Although Internet companies have talked about specifically aiming their ads since the inception of the Web, so far advertising on social networks has been characterized by mass-marketed pitches for mortgages and online dating sites.

But MySpace, the Web’s largest social network and one of the most trafficked sites on the Internet, says that after experimenting with technology over the last six months it can tailor ads to the personal information that its 110 million active users leave on their profile pages.

Executives at Fox Interactive Media, the News Corporation unit that owns MySpace, will begin speaking about the results of that program this week. They say the tailoring technology has improved the likelihood that members will click on an ad by 80 percent on average.

link