Nina KalininaMar 8

I'm sick (again!), and so I'm reading old magazines as a comfy way to spend time. I have procured scans of 1961's magazines (that's 65 years ago!), and will share some interesting findings in this thread.

The Workbench magazine features a DIY ukulele on the cover, that sounds... incredible? I wonder if the instrument itself sounded good. We'll find out, I guess?

Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
"Workbench" features a catalogue of patterns for sale, from "unusually cute designs" to "electroplating baby shoes" and a gun RACK (edit: it was a gun rack!). I wonder if baby shoes must be in a "never worn" condition for this to work.
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
After all, who wouldn't want a DIY transformer, right?
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
We're back to the ukulele-making article! Now I know why I'd want to have a bandsaw in our local hackspace, huh.
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8

Aha, they're using pre-made fretboard. I imagine making a decent fretboard is probably one of the biggest challenges in making an instrument like this?

Surprised that strings and pegs were considered "difficult to obtain"

Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
Darn, I take my words about "fretboard is the most difficult part to make" back. They're making the ukulele body by steaming the wood and forming it in a mold.
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
At least one mold sandwich is needed to build this ukulele. The pattern is relatively simple.
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
I don't know what I like more: a DIY Shoji lamp or a Custom TV Kit....
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8

A toy house presumably large enough to fit two kids for $1? What's the inflation-adjusted price.... $10? How did they make it work? There's no way in hell I could buy a mass-produced plastic thing like that for $10 today. What...

Oh, is it like, poles and cheap printed textile? I bet it was....

Or maybe it was $100? %) Not sure. It says it was $3.98 and now just $1...

Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
A "Quickee" or a hand-held two-way radio? Why not both?!
Show threadNina Kalinina
I'm not sure if I should take advice from a 65-year-old magazine, but I feel like I might be inclined to, the messaging really resonates with me somehow.
Mar 8 at 12:11pmWeb
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
Breaking news: DID YOU KNOW, any young lady can be a queen?!
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
Apparently "schober organs" are FUN to build. I wish I knew what that was.
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8

Want to order a DIY Schober Organ (apparently it's an elecronic piano of sorts)?

Well, "Simply mail this coupon. No salesman will call". Wow, I wish more companies had this pledge even today. This, and "we promise we will never send you an email with an offer"

Also, I wonder if it is still legal to post dollars over mail?

Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
I know what I want for the next December. I'll make sure to attach the Santa Star Door Decor upside down, though, for extra "fffuuuu" effect.
Show threadparamnesiacMar 8
@nina_kali_nina Needs a wreath around it. 😆
Show threadJohn MaxwellMar 8
@nina_kali_nina Yes it is. You take your chances on it getting there, though. Advice when I was a child was to wrap the bills in a blank sheet of paper.
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
@jmax apparently it is legal inside the UK but might be illegal to send internationally. Huh.
Show threadJohn MaxwellMar 8
@nina_kali_nina Huh.
Show threadAndrew ZonenbergMar 8

@nina_kali_nina @jmax AFAIK there aren't outright prohibitions on sending cash overseas in most countries, but it does have to be declared on customs paperwork and may be taxed (in the US the limit before this kicks in is $10K and even applies to e.g. the contents of your wallet on a flight)

Domestically it's not done often with the local currency, because if it doesn't show up you're out of luck, but it's sometimes done for special reasons.

If i need foreign currency and my local bank branch doesn't have any on hand, i can order it through the website. The corresponding amount in USD is withdrawn from my account and they send me a FedEx envelope full of euros, CAD, or whatever I asked for.

Why fedex and not postal service? No idea. Possible there's regulatory issues around it, maybe FedEx has better delivery guarantees or offers a volume discount or something.

Show threadChipMar 8
@nina_kali_nina I remember snail mailing a dollar to SDF to validate my free account. That would have been like 1999 or 2000?
Show threadYvanMar 8
@nina_kali_nina schober is what you are when you're not pished? Possibly your schober organ is your liver? But I'm not sure how you build that, enlarged livers are generally not viewed as a positive... though I guess it can be fun trying, if you like being pished that is.
Show threadslowtigerMar 8
@nina_kali_nina
In Germany we had "Dr. Böhm Orgeln", quite a successful company until 1985. I still have that reverb that I built from their kit. And I knew someone who had built one of their organs.
Show threadAsh-Miw-ReMar 8
@nina_kali_nina https://youtu.be/_7Id3rIhaoo?si=InqgQvwYgu4n4ZxQ Presumably this? Basically an early version of synth keyboard. My parents had one( which did look homemade, now I think of it. I was too young to think of asking) in the '70s that I occasionally tried to tap out a rhythm on as small child, but I had no training, wasn't good at it and actually developed a weird phobia of trying to make music as being something for Other People.
Schober Dynabeat Part 1. Demonstration Record 1968

YouTube
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
@Ashmire it sounds pretty neat!
Show threadOzzelot Mar 8
@nina_kali_nina
Of course she can, if she reaches the other side of the chessboard.
Show threadDoomsdaysCWMar 8
Tagging @ai6yr !
Show threadAI6YR BenMar 8
@DoomsdaysCW Ha, nice!
Show threadGemma ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐Mar 8
@nina_kali_nina Remember when appliances were repairable? My microwave oven broke last night.
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
@gcvsa 😢 sorry to hear... I wonder if it is repairable or not. The microwaves I have should be fixable as long as it's not the controller in them dying (I wouldn't risk it to control the magnetron with my own software)
Show threadGemma ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐Mar 8
@nina_kali_nina It's a mechanical problem with the door. I can't figure out how to access the mechanism, because there are no fasteners, which means the only way in is prying it apart, which is almost guaranteed to break it even more.
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
@gcvsa sad :<
Show threadGemma ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐Mar 8

@nina_kali_nina The better news is that this is a bargain basement microwave that has survived at least 7-8 years, even though it's actually starting to rust out, and better yet, I didn't pay for it—it was left behind by my old flatmate.

In fact, now that I think of it, I'm 57 years old, and I don't think I've ever actually purchased a microwave oven in my entire life.

Show threadDiane Bruce VA3DBMar 8
@nina_kali_nina I'm triggered.
Show threadRob Flickenger ⚡️Mar 8
@nina_kali_nina My dad went this route. Back when electrical appliances were, you know, repairable.
Show threadNumber6 Mar 8

@nina_kali_nina

65 years ago, appliances didn't come with the sticker, "no user serviceable parts inside".

Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
@number6 I wonder who first started using this phrase...
Show threadNumber6 Mar 8

@nina_kali_nina

More importantly, are they getting residuals?