Welcome to theFrankes.com!
Welcome to theFrankes.com. This blog has been around for decades now, and I do have a full-time job and family, so please be patient as I get it back up to modern standards. It’s a long, slow process that competes…
Designing an Efficient BookNook Light Timer Circuit — Part 3
The Circuit: Designing for Low Power, Clean Logic, and Physical Constraints In Part 1, I explained why I tore out the original “transistor-and-hope” lighting circuit from my Book Nook kit.In Part 2, I went through the firmware architecture around watchdog…
Deep Sleep Logic and Reliable Timing on an ATtiny85 — Inside the Code
This is Part 2 of the BookNook Light Timer Series. Last time I introduced my BookNook Light Timer project and walked through how I planned to complete it using an ATtiny85 microcontroller. In this post, I wanted to unpack the…
I Reengineered a “Book Nook” LED Timer to Make It Actually Functional
A few months ago I got this cool miniature bookstore diorama “puzzle” from Amazon. It’s charming. Laser-cut wood, tiny bookshelves, warm white LED lighting — the kind of cozy miniature bookstore scene that slides between books on a shelf and…
How to Get the Most Thai Baht: Comparing Credit Cards, ATMs, and Currency Exchanges in 2025
Planning a trip to Thailand? One of the biggest hidden costs can be how you exchange your dollars for Thai baht. After reviewing my own travel data from past trips and current rates in December 2025, I wanted to share…
How to Charge a 12V SLA Battery with a Desktop Power Supply
I have this little SLA battery that enables my emergency generator to start without using the pull cord. I don’t have a maintainer on this batter (and maybe I should), so every once in a while I like to charge…
How to Make Laser-cut Loaves and Fishes for Godly Play
About a year ago I make a bunch of loaves and fishes for a Godly Play story at the church. I made them out of 3mm door hanger plywood that I picked up at the local craft store using a…
Testing ChatGPT-4 Mathematical Prowess
Apparently this new version is a lot better at math, so I tested it out with some simple calculations. Here’s how that went: This is pretty straightforward. A 3.65″ diameter is a circumference of about 11.5″, and that distance 1,750…
20% Off Rack Plans in May
Use code “MAY20SALE” to get 20% off rack plans in May. This code can only be used a limited number of times, so don’t delay! Go to the purchase page here and enter the code at checkout! Consider this…
How to Fix LETAU Cordless Blinds Mechanism
We got these blinds a couple of years ago from Amazon, and recently one of the string take-up mechanisms jammed because the string apparently came off the pulley wheel and wrapped around the shaft. I contacted customer service about how…
DIY Drum Sander
Backstory: We took down a red oak a couple years ago (Part 1 and Part 2) and I got it milled up for projects. Wifey wants a desk but the grain is a little tricky and my thickness planer just…