What can't you do with PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) pipe? The ubiquitous blue PVC water pipe could be seen along most streets here and appears to be one in every of Thailand's most abundant un-pure assets. All kinds of various connectors can be found and apart from carrying water it's also used as a cheap construction materials that can be used to make all the pieces from clothes dryers to Wheel chairs (PDF), Crutches, flagpoles and store indicators. Of course on the web you can even discover another very cool and creative things made from (non-blue) PVC pipe together with: Halloween costumes like Ben Hallert's Matrix APU and Zap Zone Defender Aliens Exo-skeleton Power Loader, one other power loader costume, single and multi-guitar Guitar Hero stands, a laptop stand, flutes, and even a shaving stand. Below you can see, Zap Zone Defender in chronological order, some of my own (mostly original) creations made from PVC water pipe including: Zap Zone Defender Setup - a Marshmallow Shooter, Plumbing, Soccer Goals, - a Cricket Wicket, - a Basketball Hoop, Bookshelf Supports, - a Water Pipe Tron Controller, Racing Cars, Pinball Table Leg Extensions, Data Projector Mounts, - a Laptop Stand, - a Wiimote Holder, Zap Zone Defender - a DIY Wii Zapper, - a Workbench, Real-Tron Controllers - a Music Stand Puzzle Bobble Coffee Grinder Controllers, - a Netbook Treadmill Hook, CD/DVD Holders, - a Nightstand/shelves, - Push Up Bar/Handles, Fake Legs, insect elimination - a Hilbert Cube, - a Mario Kart steering wheel, - a Guitar Stand, Hockey Sticks, - a Tank-recreation (BZFlag) controller, - a Train Whistle, and - a Trident.

This was the challenge that began my love affair with blue PVC pipe. I had seen the blueprints for this marshmallow shooter while I used to be in Australia but the fittings were prohibitively costly (see the picture proper). Fortunately they are very inexpensive here in Thailand. 2 x T-Pieces and 6 x elbows. Cricket (not to be confused with Brockian Ultra-Cricket) is Australia's nationwide sport played with a bat, a ball, and two wickets. 6 x T-pieces, and 12 x 45-degree elbows. The backboard is a non-regulation measurement piece of plywood that we discovered mendacity around and we used green duct tape for the markings. Although the ring isn't robust enough to hold off, the facet supports make it strong sufficient for regular play. They also give it a really Star Trek really feel and Zap Zone Defender I think the ring seems not unlike the NCC-31911 Saratoga. This is maybe essentially the most straight ahead use for PVC pipe on this page. 2 x 25mm to 18mm (1" to 1/2") reducers, 2 x custom motorbike hand-grips, 4 x push-buttons, and a mercury swap that are linked to a computer via a hacked USB joystick.

You will discover extra particulars about how I made the controller on this undertaking web page and that i've also prolonged the identical concept to play GL-Tron using actual motorbikes. A university student who played with the PVC Water Pipe Tron Controller, described above, mentioned "That's Ok but I prefer to play driving games". It received me pondering and over the subsequent week I spent my evenings constructing a PVC racing car controller - essentially a wheel-much less, PVC go-kart frame linked to the computer through a hacked USB joystick. Some Thai college college students who saw the first car wanted to know how it all labored and 6 of them came around one Saturday and we spent the entire day hacking joysticks and constructing a second automotive. By connecting them each to a laptop and a data projector we were in a position to play split-display Daytona USA. Yow will discover more details about the design and construction of the cars on this undertaking web page. The white workplace table I used for the virtual pinball machine wasn't high sufficient to be played comfortably.

1 x T-piece, and a pair of x elbows - partially to aid air flow but principally to carry my display up as a result of the spring in the hinge has damaged. As straightforward as this stand appears, the "L"-formed upright section is actually a part of an air-conditioner mount for a knowledge projector Zap Zone Defender that I made for one of the virtual pinball desk installations. The T-piece is not glued and so in a small means (a really, very small manner) I wish to assume that if the air-conditioning mount had been ever wanted once more then the parts may re-mix in a Voltron or Captain Planet and the Planeteers or Power Rangers MegaZord-like manner. In fact if that happened my laptop computer display screen would fall down. I do not personal a Nintendo Wii however I did handle to get my fingers on a Wiimote so that I could check out some of Johnny Chung Lee's cool tasks. This is a Wiimote mount I constructed using a length of 35mm (1 and 1/4") pipe, some 18mm (1/2") pipe, three x T-items, and 4 x elbows.

The 35mm pipe has been lower in order that it matches properly into the ridges down the facet of the Wiimote which holds it securely. That is screwed onto a T-Piece which has additionally had its high cut off. The joint between the two topmost elbows is just not glued so the angle of the highest section may be adjusted. These sections are merely cable-tied onto the entrance of the motorbike handlebars and the gamers squeeze the buttons with their index fingers to turn left or right. A mercury swap can be mounted on the best handlebar so the accelerator can be utilized to provide enhance inside the sport and as much as four bikes may be linked to the pc by way of a single hacked USB joystick. The centerstands keep the bikes upright throughout play and a half-spherical of bamboo is wedged beneath the again tires to cease them from rocking. This is a music stand made from three completely different sizes of pipe.