Hi Hol,

Why don't you guys use Hackteria's drill bit to drill the wells in the aluminum heat block? They designed and ordered a custom bit specifically to match the 17.5 degree cone angle used in OpenPCR, and they're willing to let other groups borrow it. Perfect example of leveraging the global DIY community!

http://hackteria.org/wiki/index.php/Wild_OpenPCR

Simon Field on the DIYbio list suggested a while back to cast the heat block from a lower-melt alloy. That's potentially something that anyone with a hot plate could achieve, and you could even use your own favorite PCR tubes to make a perfectly fitting mold.

Patrik




On Wed, Aug 21, 2013 at 10:14 AM, Hol Gaskill <hol@gaskill.com> wrote:
RE http://openpcr.org/tech-specs

how do the theoretical specs of our unit differ from this one?  I was thinking about how to cast that aluminum heatsink/well array last night...


Aug 20, 2013 11:30:49 PM, patrikd@gmail.com wrote:
Excellent!
>
>Here's the "Build my Lab" contest on Instructables:
>
>http://www.instructables.com/contest/buildmylab/
>
>
Prizes include:
>
  a HiTorque mini mill
  a DSO nano oscilloscope
  a Dremel kit
  an Open Source PCR kita RepRap Huxley 3D printeran Ultimate Arduino microcontroller pack
  a desktop spectrometer kit
  a Raspberry Pi motherboard
Lots of nice swag! Swag is good. :-)
>
>Patrik
>
>
>
>
>On Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 10:03 PM, Ryan Bethencourt ryan.bethencourt@gmail.com> wrote:
>

>Dear All,
>Lina from Tekla labs has reached out and would love to have some entries for the DIY lab equipment contest from CCL and Sudo Room. If you're interested please sign up :)


>"Tekla Labs is about to launch a DIY Lab equipment contest, hosted by the maker site Instructables. We'll go live this August (ie any day, as soon as the final t's are crossed). There'll be a Lab Equipment category, as well as a Lab Hacks option for quick and clever hardware solutions in the lab. We'd love to get some help getting word out about the competition and maybe see some Bay Area folks (and beyond) applying for the $5000 in prizes. 
>


>Even more immediately though, you and your DIY network could really help us out by simply helping us create some site activity by joining our member network (which only takes a minute! I promise! And there's no spam) http://www.teklalabs.org/members/
>


>Of course, it'd be awesome if you or others submit designs (more soon) or get involved in the competition itself in some other capacity, but this quick 1 minute favor would really help our group of fellow science enthusiasts! Please help spread the word! Thanks, 
>

Lina"
>
>--
>Ryan Bethencourt
>
>Tel: (415) 825 2705
Conf Call: (650) 741 5013
>
ryan.bethencourt@gmail.com
>
>http://www.litmususa.com/http://berkeleybiolabs.com/


>www.bamh1.com
>www.linkedin.com/in/bethencourt
>www.logos-press.com/books/biotechnology_business_development.php
>







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