Tag Archives: DIY Electronics

Circuit Bending General, Events

4th Annual Experimental Garage Sale – 6/4/2011

Hello Friends! It is time again to set your alarms and calendars on June 4th, 2011 for the 4th Annual Experimental Garage Sale! This unique craft fair primarily focuses on circuit bending and DIY musical instruments. This time we have maxed out the Experimental Sound Studio space with 12 sellers who will have plenty circuit bent devices, un-bent toys, electronic parts, kits, experimental instruments, contact microphones, guitar pedals, art, and more. The sale will begin rain or shine at 12:00 PM and last until 6:00 PM.

There will also be an opportunity to walk away with one of the door prizes donated by the sellers if you purchase a ticket for the raffle held at 3:00PM. All proceeds from that will be donated to the Experimental Sound Studio a nonprofit organization hosting our event.

Please join the conversation on our Facebook Event page and we hope to see you at the Sale!

This year’s sellers are:

Coordinated ( Chicago, IL ) – Yarn covered cords and goodies.

Cosmic Blooper ( Evansville, IN ) – Laser CNC cut circuit bending panels for SK-1 + others.

Low-Gain Electronics ( Minneapolis, MN ) – SK keyboards, circuit bent devices, synths, parts.

Unatronics ( Chicago, IL ) – Beep-its, Oscillators, circuit bent toys.

GetLoFi.com ( Minneapolis, MN ) – LoFi Delay Pedals, Quad Oscillators, telephone headset mics, Trucker mics, kits, and more.

Steven Buck ( Chicago, IL ) – Handcrafted Lamps, circuit bent toys.

Tim Kaiser ( Duluth, MN ) – New experimental instruments and The Number Stations vinyl!

CMKT4 ( DeKalb, IL ) – Contact microphones, circuit bent toys.

thejunkyard catalist ( Cincinnati, OH ) – Circuit Bent toys, thrift store finds, parts

Roth Mobot ( Chicago, IL ) – Circuit bent and unbent toys, audio gear.

Mike Kana ( Chicago, IL ) – Electronic parts, surplus.

Welcome Tomerica ( Chicago, IL ) – Circuit bent toys and unbent devices.

More information at our Facebook Event page, GetLoFi page, and or Facebook Group. Thank you!

Community, Hardware, In The News, Local

Ax-Man is a DIY Circuit Bender’s Friend

Minneapolis, MN is a very accommodating city for electronic musicians and DIY enthusiasts. Not only is there a sprawling Experimental Electronic Music scene here, but it is also a home to the shopping mecca known as Ax-Man Surplus.

The eclectic main store of this Twin City chain is located on the University Ave in St. Paul and always has something for everyone. Creepy stage props, neon bright duct tape, military surplus, heavy duty switches, arcade buttons, jacks, cables, capacitors, resistors, screws, rotary telephones, speakers, zip ties, tools, shipping supplies, and even an Iron Lung are some of the items. All at reasonably low prices and in great selection.

However the main point I would like to make is this recent Vita.MN article on the Ax-Man stores. A very interesting piece that goes into the details of the store’s history and philosophy. It also explains the funny signs and who the creepy axed man really is. Good Read.

Ax-Man on Facebook.

Circuit Bending General, New Products

USB Soldering Iron now in the GetLoFi.com/Shop

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The New USB Precision Soldering Irons have finally arrived in the GetLoFi.com/Shop. Some may remember my previous attempt in making a USB soldering Iron from a battery powered Weller. Unlike that hack, this tool is professionally: made, packaged, tested, and comes with all the accessories needed to start soldering. Its been my dream to be able to work freely without dependence on a power outlet or a bulky extension cord, now this dream can be a reality for anyone with a laptop or a rechargeable USB battery pack.

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With Surface mount components and miniaturization of electronics this soldering Iron is precise and small enough to do the job.

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This new version now includes an On-Off switch and also a 9 Volt Battery Connector with a retractable USB cord. Certainly you DO NOT want to plug this cord into any standard USB devices because it will fry them! By contrast this soldering iron is safe to operate from any standard USB port thanks to its advanced on-board electronics. A built-in white LED also helps when working in dark conditions. Heat-up times are extremely fast compared to a standard soldering iron and the power consumption from the USB port is minimal.

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The USB Soldering Iron is now on sale from the GetLoFi.com/Shop for only $25.00 including free First Class USPS shipping.