[Robotgroup] Equipment acquisition for homebrewers

[Bryan Bishop]

On Sunday 29 June 2008, Vern Graner wrote:
> Bryan Bishop wrote:
> > Ouch. That's a tough criteria since I'm moving too. I guess I'll
> > have to trust you to not dump completely trashed/fried junk on me?
>
> "Completely trashed" devices (i.e. a laptop with a broken screen) may
> yield completely useful salvage parts (i.e. a 2.5" hard drive). An

Heh, you misunderstand me. There's a difference between a busted laptop 
and a melted resistor, for instance. I suppose melted resistors could 
be used for plastic. So my example doesn't work well. Maybe this 
distinction doesn't actually exist / make sense. Oops. :)

> old VCR that eats tapes may be usable as a TV tuner or could provide
> some good motors, gears or belts. A "dead" DVD drive may provide you

Sounds like good loot.

> with some servo motors or even a IR laser that could be used for
> engraving:
>
> http://hackedgadgets.com/2007/07/03/diy-laser-engraver-cutter/

Have you seen the elapsed laser photography guys and their work? Do we 
have anybody in Austin doing this? [I should be careful here, that 
might be this group].

> In many ways, its easier for many of us pack rats to let something go
> if we believe its going to be used by someone. It's just too painful
> to think that a useful or repairable item is gunna end up buried in a
> landfill... So we keep it...

Re: hoarders. These guys are my heroes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collyer_brothers
http://heybryan.org/infohoarding.html

- Bryan
________________________________________
http://heybryan.org/