What's with Helmer, the 24 core Linux cluster?

When it first came out a shipload of people [thank you! you know who you are] tipped me on this hack - a Linux cluster Janne ingeniously built into a Helmer drawer cabinet to help with 3D rendering. [via Hack a day] It's not pretty but I've been told that it works wonderfully.

Click here to read the story of Helmer, a Linux cluster in a cabinet.

If you liked that you're gonna love his ideas for Helmer II and III (though I don't think it's a Helmer anymore).

Tim's version (updated 12 January 2009)
When Tim came up with the idea himself, and selected the Helmer cabinet as the ideal case for a cluster, 5 minutes later, he saw Janne's story on Digg.com. Guess great minds really do think alike.

Tim says, "For many applications such as real-time stock prediction algorithms or brain simulations, there is a need for extremely fast and massively parallel computing in the form of a computer cluster. We imagined there existed some kind of cabinet that would be perfect for housing a bunch of hand-built computers, and we found that in Ikea's Helmer. Each computer in the cluster fit inside a single drawer and consisted of a motherboard, power supply, RAM, quad-core CPU w/ fan, and hard drive. The final product is an inexpensive well-ventilated 24-core supercomputer in an impressive 2.65 cubic feet.

The difference is that my design is cleaner and cheaper. For instance his entire cluster cost around $5000 when I did it for $2550. Also, I kept all the drawers intact, putting one computer in each drawer for a total of six. He had wires hanging out all over the place and actually uses two wire that he has to touch together to start each computer - I added a push button to the front of each drawer. Well, like you said in your story - "it's not pretty...", and I took the idea to the next level of elegance. In fact from the front you can barely tell that there's even a supercomputer in it besides one small button on the front of each drawer."

Click to view more of Tim's 24-Core Linux Cluster.

Now you see it, now you don't kitchen countertop

Madga is blessed to have 2 "designer guys" living with her and whipping up such great stuff. With my kitchen, I would so love to have an extra countertop that tucks away nicely. The extra pull out shelf for the coffee maker is an awesome idea.

She says, "Since we have a really small kitchen we have to find storage for everything even some extra countertop. My two designers guys (my dad and my husband) made this for me.

It's a countertop made from a top of a black Lack table (found in the "As is" section of our Ikea store ) and a basic rail from the local hardware store. So, as you can see, in the morning all is hidden behind the aluminum curtain of my Avsikt cabinet.

My coffee maker has a little shelf of its own too just to make it more convenient in the morning (it's a little extra hack for this cabinet made out of a piece found in the "As Is" section also). It's very useful for preparing coffee and toasts in the morning: I just pull it out and voil� some extra countertop!"

Good looking banquette from the Akurum

Sorry for the spotty posting. Have been running around like a headless chicken - work, some personal projects, helping a friend set up his fish farm. It's all good, but leaves me a little tired and sleep deprived. Hope to get back on speed with hacks today onwards.

These 2 are from Peggy who lives in Switzerland. She says, "When I have some spare time, I try to think about good solutions to my everyday life problems around the house, and when I have even more time... then I realise the projects (and sometimes, it takes weeks to get it done even if it would be a matter of a few hours to do it with nothing and no one coming in between! (I have 3 kids!)

Here's one completed kitchen bench made with Faktum (called Akurum in the US) horizontal wall cabinets and Capita legs on which I fitted a MDF top (cut - paint - screw on).

We sat directly on the cabinets (not so good looking and a bit narrow) for about two weeks because it took me some time to get the MDF. It was fine for the kids... but it started creaking a bit under 'adult' weight! It was about time I finished! To make it more comfortable, the MDF is 50cm (cabinets are 40cm). I attached a long 3cm x 6cm piece of wood to the walls to support the MDF at the back. In the cabinets, I store stuff that I don't need on an everyday basis.

The other hack is an 'olde hack' or 'outdated hack' 'cause the piece is not available anymore (and that's too bad really! I think it was called Blista)... But I think it still illustrates an very important mathematical reality:

CD case = toilet paper roll! :o) It's good to keep that in mind for future hacks!"
 

Umanonion's hacks

Umanonion sends me 2 hacks. I really like the checkerboard look on the armchair (name forgotten).

Umanonion says, "The chair was covered in a plain silver/grey fabric which I removed and replaced with black nylon for the seat and then wove black and white 4" wide strips of elastic. The white strips are closed loops as they just slid over the frame. The black strips have velcro closings at the bottom.

The other is a set of the Miriam lights (link no longer available) that came with a basic plastic sheet with the image of a flower, leaf or similar motif (yawn). I had squares of 1/4" thick plexi cut, covered them with white rice paper, and then floated squares of tin centered on the plexi (I used glue sticks cut to about 1/3" long to float the tin. On top of that, again using a piece of glue stick I put test tubes, held by a piece of wire.

In the test tubes I would put either real roses or ones that I made from ribbon and floral wire and tape. I also wired the units so that they worked together in a checkerboard pattern and put them on 2 dimmer switches. (I had removed the individual power switches from the lights before hanging them as they got in the way.)"

Love is Blund

Cute overload ahead!

Mette felt in love with Blund at first sight. She says "He just looked at me ... I looked at him... and took him home.... and promised myself to make as many jumpers and trousers as possible for MY BLUND and all the 'Blund Brothers'!

Apparently Blund has quite a few fans and some pretty cool clothes. Go see Blund dressed to the nines on the Blund Group. 

Mette's basic knitting pattern is available here, which includes a T-shirt, a vest, a pair of trousers, and a little rucksack for Blund. Awwww....

Updated! February 25, 2009
Nicole's Blund Bear

She says, "I was so excited to see your post on the hacked Blund bears! I've attached a photo of two bears that I modified for my nephews Dean (D) and Quinn (Q). They loved them."

Narrow shoe cabinet for small landing strip

Idoia found the Sandnes shoe cabinet with 4 compartments (pix, right) too large for her space and decided to hack it into half.

She says, "It is the Sandnes shoe cabinet with 4 comparment (37 3/4 x 35 3/8") [link to a vertical version, which hey, could have saved Idoia the hacking!] but it was too big for my hall entry (if you can call this small space a hall. I cut it, painted it in black and made a little decoupage on the corners so it looked kind of old."

Magiker decoupaged coffee table

Monica got a Magiker coffee table (link no longer available) but was soon sick of people seeing all her junk under the glass. So she took old CD covers and pasted them on the top of the glass. Then mod podged over on top of that, and a polyurethane spray on top of that!