Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Remove optical drive from DELL XPS M1210

My DVD/CD Optical Drive in my laptop (DELL XPS M1210) suddenly stopped working.  Windows XP cannot detect it and no amount of rebooting has fixed the problem.  

I ran the Diagnostics (pressing F12 during reboot, then select Diagnostics) and it gave me an Error Code 0148 when testing the CD/DVD drive.

 

Searching the web only gave me indicated a hardware problem
Error Code 0148
Unit 2: IDE ERROR:
Status 29 No additional information
(whatever that means....)

I found out I had two options: 
1) Remove and reinstall the optical drive or; 
2) Replace the broken optical drive.

So, of course, I'll try option 1 first (well, after shaking the laptop a bit, in case it works. It didn't. lol.).

This is the link for the corresponding page in the Service Manual.  It specifies using a scribe (what's a scribe?) but I did not really have to use any other tool except for a normal screwdriver and my fingernails. lol.

Removing and reinstalling the optical drive manually did the trick.  The optical drive is now working fine again

You can view the images below in case it helps.

 
 The bottom part of the laptop.

 Find the screw that has a lock icon.

 Unscrew.


 
Here's the part where I used my fingernails. lol.

 
Removing the optical drive....

Optical drive completely removed.

and flipped, top side up.


Good luck!

~crutcher








Monday, April 12, 2010

TIP: Color Coordinated USB Cables

Have a lot of USB gadgets that you use often (and sometimes at the same time) and they are driving you crazy???



Well....I found one solution that helps me!

COLORED RUBBER BANDS!  :D


And one pack is so cheap too and can last for years!

So...just put matching colors to both ends, and voila.....your confusion is over!




Well...unless you are color blind. ;-)


Hope this post helps!
~crutcher


Saturday, March 20, 2010

Pear Logo from Light Blue Coffee

Just want to share a design from Light Blue Coffee!

 Pear Gel Logo

If you want to purchase products with this design....just click here. ;)

~crutcher

DIY Roll Up Pencil Case

Okay...what I'll share today is a very simple to sew Roll Up Pencil Case.

As an artist with lots of different types of pencils and colored markers and pens and...well, you know how that goes....I always fumble inside normal pencil cases!!

Then one day, as I was painting, I saw the $5 brush holder roll-up canvas I bought from Christmas Tree Shops a while back...and had another hey-i-can-do-that moment!  That will be a very convenient concept for a pencil case, so everything is right in front of you without requiring a lot of fumbling around.

I even added a hook on it so you can hang it, like those hanging toiletry travel bags.  More convenient!  Your art materials just hanging on your wall.  :D

So, just to share, for all who want to make one yourself (it's really easy!), the drawing below was my original idea.


And here's what I came up with:

Materials I used:

  • Main Fabric (preferably something sturdy like a canvas)
  • Lining Fabric (preferably something a bit waterproof, in case your calligraphy pen cap got loose and spill on your favorite expensive light colored bag, which happens to touch your favorite expensive jeans and ....  uh... you get the picture.)
  • Fabric to use to tie up the entire thing.  You can use the same fabric as the main fabric.  I initially planned to use a black garter but I did not like the fact that they were $5 plus just for this purpose, but I found some cool garterized $2 headbands from the grocery store which actually looked better (and they come in fours too!  you can use the rest for your..uh..hair.).
  • Sewing machine
  • a bit of sewing skills (which, again, is the only skill level I have. "a bit". LOL!)


And..here goes:

Cut your cloth according to the longest pencil you have.  It should have a bottom flap (to hold the pencils) and a top flap (to prevent the pens/pencils from falling out), and enough allowance on the sides to fold and stitch with the fabric lining.


I am using the same pencil graphic here since it will take me another thirty minutes or so to make a marker or pen (but drawing the pencil was fun! :D)

You can accomodate upper pockets as well, for erasers, sharpener, etc.  I used the garter instead of creating small pockets, so if ever I won't use them as pockets, I can hook additional pens to them.


Mark the folds and the pocket sizes according to your needs as your pens and pencils migth vary in width. 


Using the same size as your main cloth, cut the lining cloth.  Cut a small portion of cloth and make a hook (you can figure that one out. :D).  Fold both main and lining cloths inwards at the edges and stitch together, as well as stitch the hook on the top, between the two cloths.


Place the pencils again and make sure your pocket markings are still correct, then stitch the pockets and the tie on the side.  Run extra stitch at the ends of the pocket edge openings for a stronger hold.


Of course, take out the pencils first before stitching the pockets.  Ahahaha...

Oh...if your fabric is too thick, you can run another stich on the fold of the top flap.

Put the pencils/pens back after stitching to make sure they fit and fold the top flap and voila....you have your rolling pencil case! 

Of course, you can put a bigger top flap too if you like.  I could have but ran out of materials because I was only using remnant cloths from an old bag.



And here are the pictures of the finished product!
It's not entirely the same because of lack of materials and I only added the hooks and upper pocket after the fact.  (too lazy to put the tie string to the other end of the diagrams too...  it would work on either side anyway...)


Pencil case (Front)

Pencil case (Back)

Tie

Top flap

Garter upper pocket

Hook

With pencils/pens/etc. (open)

With pencils/pens/etc. (close)

Rolled up

Garter tie


Other views


I hope you enjoy reading this blog tutorial!  Till next...


~crutcher

Friday, March 19, 2010

DIY Refillable Leather Journal Cover


Ever went to bookstores and see those nice leather journals and think....I can do that!  :D  And then you think....maybe make it refillable too!!

Well, I tried and this was my attempt. :D

Materials I used:
  • Leather remnants that you can buy from Art stores ($5-15 depending on the size, type and quantity)
  • Leather cord (I did not have to buy one because the leather remnants bag I bought already had some)
  • Small fabric for lining
  • Old Calendar or Checkbook cover (or basically, whatever you want as the "cover flap" for your journal cover
  • Ribbon for bookmark
  • Sewing machine capable of sewing leather (make sure you use leather needle)
  • a bit of sewing skills (that's all I have really. a bit. :D)
  • cheap small notebook that you can buy from dollar stores or as cheap as $2+ in the office supplies store.  I used a 5.5 x 4.25 in notebook here with 200 sheets.

Instructions:
1. Measure your small notebook against the leather and cut (not the notebook, silly. the leather). Put allowance for stitching the sides.

2. Cut the fabric for lining.  This is useful if you are going to use a spiral notebook, so that the spring will not damage the leather.

3. Using an old calendar cover or checkbook cover (or whatever material you can come up with), cut flaps big enough for the notebook cover to fit.  Make sure it's not too tight (so it's harder to open the journal cover because the notebook cover is stuck in the flaps) and not too loose (so the notebook won't fall when you open the journal cover).

4. Add pockets for credit cards, etc. if you like (*note: oops...put the pocket on the other side. see the actual pictures for details)


5. Punch a hole for cord

6. Put the cord and tie at one end

7. Put a bookmark


8. Cut, measure and put the pen holder

9. Stitch together.  (Punch holes first, depending on the thickness of the leather.  You can use an awk to manually stitch together, instead of a sewing machine if leather is too thick).


And here's the actual pictures....


The remnant leather was not big enough for the measurement, as you can see in the picture below, but it's not too bad.
Exterior

Interior

Cord



Flap
Flap pocket


Notebook inside left flap

Notebook inside right flap


Bookmark


Bookmark inside the notebook


Pen holder

Small pen inside the pen holder

Almost closed journal

Tie it shut...

Top view


And there you have it......my own DIY Refillable Leather Journal Cover!

Tadah!!


Enjoy making your own....(if you want to).

~crutcher