I know this is a really pressing topic for a lot of you (:p NOT!), however if you are in the dental or hygiene profession, this is for you! As you know, LED dental headlamps cost quite a pretty penny, most of the time coming in at around $600-$1000. The trick is, getting one bright enough to use through magnification, and focused enough to not blind the patients and get the battery to last 8 hours at maximum intensity. Not an easy feat, even for LEDs. Orascoptic, Designs for Vision, Surgi-Tel, and High-Q are a few of the manufacturers out there making lamps for dentist, but I just couldn’t stomach the cost. So, thanks to a thread on Dentaltown.com, I found out some people were making LED lamps from a consumer light called the Lenser H7. It is very bright…brighter in fact than my current halogen light that tethers me to the light source box on the counter. The only problem is it only lasts 1-4hrs on the included AAA batteries. Rechargeables run out even faster. So, I decided to make my own battery back by buying a $1.99 AA battery holder from Radio Shack and in theory, increasing the run time considerably (850mAh to 2450mAh). I just finished my trial version and am testing it now… Below are the pictures:

[Show fancy flash slideshow]

 

The original version was powered by 3 AAA, so to get longer life, I added on a 4 AA pack. If you put 3 Alkaline batteries in the unit, the total voltage is 4.5volts, With rechargeables, the light output is reduced because NiMH rechargeable are only 1.2 volts each instead of 1.5, so the total voltage drops to 3.6v. To compensate, I added a forth battery in the series and brought the voltage up to 4.8v. So far at full power, it is certainly brighter, but runs HOT. Now, the original pack has a dimmer, so if I dial the dimmer down just a bit it seems to function just like the regular batteries with the same intensity and heat! Tomorrow is the big test as I will find out if it actually lasts a whole work day…

Composite light filter:

http://www.lumaspectra.com/order.html

It looks like the people have spoken and Obama and his fellow libs have decided to drop the plan to nationalize our health insurance.

WASHINGTON – Bowing to Republican pressure and an uneasy public, President Barack Obama’s administration signaled Sunday it is ready to abandon the idea of giving Americans the option of government-run insurance as part of a new health care system.

Facing mounting opposition to the overhaul, administration officials left open the chance for a compromise with Republicans that would include health insurance cooperatives instead of a government-run plan. Such a concession probably would enrage Obama’s liberal supporters but could deliver a much-needed victory on a top domestic priority opposed by GOP lawmakers.

Officials from both political parties reached across the aisle in an effort (continue reading…)

Here is my new design for the office business card.

We want to do a combination like these photos for the kitchen cabinet island and hood. It is basically dark stain with dark edges fading to black and distressed black outlines.

It is a pile of fun! After determinig that yes, the insulating foam is indeed bad and needs to be replaced, we go about the process of tearing it all out. What a mess!