Handy Mods/Inventions

[Lockeownzj00]

From the handy to the completely inept, what are some little trinkets you've forged before, whether a full-on, badass mod[/, or something you just made work (like the auto lockpick (http://inventgeek.com/Projects/lockpick/lockpick.aspx))? It can be something little and logical, but just a personal victory--IE:

Today, my cell phone antenna broke off. Distraught because I really didn't feel like going to the store, I rummaged the house for old phones--lo and behold, an old, unused phone from a year or two ago. I unscrew the antenna, shove it in where mine used to be, tape it up, and now I get a better signal than before.

Woot! So, anyone? It can be along the lines of Lifehacker (http://www.lifehacker.com), too.

[Flarecobra]

How about using some old beer and soda cans wielded togeather for one surpringly useful radiator hose. Used that for 2 years.

And then there's the improvisation that was used quite a bit in Iraq. Fill a water bottle with rocks (Or just use an unopened one) tie some cord to it, put a nail in the doorjam near a hinge and nail the other end of the cord to the door edge farthest from the hinge, and you've got an automatic door closer.

[Mondt]

And then there's the improvisation that was used quite a bit in Iraq. Fill a water bottle with rocks (Or just use an unopened one) tie some cord to it, put a nail in the doorjam near a hinge and nail the other end of the cord to the door edge farthest from the hinge, and you've got an automatic door closer.Explain, please. I think I'm missing some connection to the ... well, just explain :shifty:

[MasterOfMagic]

I'm guessing its like a pulley; you open the door, and the water bottle goes up (the string is attached to the top of the handle side of the door, then runs along the top to the otherside's nail, then down to the water bottle), let the door go, and the wieght of the bottle pulls it shut. Neato idea.

I made my remote control run off AC power, cause I couldn't find any batteries. The AC adapter I was using burned out pretty quickly...but I just needed to turn the tv off anyways...yeah, I was that determined to not use the buttons on the tv. That, and I was just bored. It was easy to do...just find an AC adapter for some random thing I'll never use, strip the wires, and attach them to a positive and negative lead on the remote. Then have another wire running between the unused battery slots to keep a closed circuit. Guess its not very handy...but I found it fun at the time.

[King_black_mage]

I got all ou beat my car had no place where you put the oil so we jerryed rig a piece of hose, a empty oil bottle and cut holses duct tap and we had a new place to put oil. we also jerryed rig the oil pan with a 10 inch cookie sheet...thats was fun =)