SFAQT Gadget School

SNORKULUS: Shallow Water, Strange Targets, and Battery-Powered Curiosity

2026-06-28T01:01:00+02:00

The SNORKULUS MK1 is a portable, battery-powered surface-supplied air (hookah) system built for shallow underwater investigation, metal detecting, lost-ring hunting, dock-bottom mysteries, and the occasional treasure-adjacent adventure.

It is small enough to carry, understandable enough to repair, and built mostly from recognizable off-the-shelf parts instead of mystery-box machinery. No gas engine beside the air intake, no giant surface rig, no deep-diving heroics, just a compact experimental tool for carefully exploring the places where keys, coins, jewelry, fishing gear, and bad decisions settle into the sediment.

This is not certified life-support equipment, scuba gear, or a build recommendation. It is documentation of an experiment. Study it, question it, improve it, and be careful.

Adventure is optional. Breathing is mandatory.

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Recent Projects

2025-03-15T01:01:00+01:00

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Projects

Planetary Alignment Jan 21st and Feb 28th 2025

2025-01-19T01:01:00+01:00

Introduction

To prepare for the upcoming Planetary Alignments coming in January 21st and Feburary 28th 2025.

The graphics

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Solar Eclipse 2024 Project Collection

2024-03-28T01:01:00+01:00

💬Discuss on REDDIT | Join our mailing list | Solar Eclipse Logbook | Hemisperhe Solar Tracker

An archive of our Stellarium Simulation of the April 8th, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse - Livestream, at Enchanted Rock is now available on YouTube.

Introduction

To prepare for the Upcoming Solar Eclipse in North American on April, 8th 2024 we have put together a group of projects.

Each crafted for the curious mind and the adventurous soul. This is not merely solar eclipse education. They are projects that equip us to delve into the wonders of the cosmos and allow us to share this fascination with others, spanning generations.

Solar Eclipse Logbook

Did you know that there are over 10 distinct things that can happen during an eclipse?

This is a tome to record the fleeting moments of this celestial dance, with the timeless elegance of pen, ink, and paper. It offers a tangible connection to the unique spectacle, crafting a personal memento that whispers, "I bore witness to this singular moment in time."

The Eclipse Tracking Logbook is a printable PDF keepsake book to use for planning and viewing the upcoming Solar Eclipse. With its help, you will be fully prepared for those 10+ events and will know exactly when and where they will occur.

It features detailed sections to log all occurrences during a solar eclipse, including First Contact, Eclipse Phase progression, Baily's Beads, the Diamond Ring, Second Contact, the totality or annularity, Third Contact, and finally the ending. There are also sections for logging sunspots and the solar corona.

Download the Full Color Solar Eclipse Tracking Logbook printable PDF here. Then...

Black and White Version of the Solar Eclipse Tracking Logbook printable BW PDF

Visit the Solar Eclipse Tracking Logbook project page for useage instructions.

Hemisphere Solar Tracker

The Hemisphere Solar Tracker, with its steadfast gaze upon the Sun, offers a tangible glimpse at the marvels of celestial mechanics.

The Hemisphere Solar Tracker is a device designed to observe and record the Sun's movement across the sky. It consists of a hemispherical clear globe equipped with a magnetic compass, a spirit bubble level, and a measuring swing-arm. It allows the user to track the Sun's path, transforming the abstract concept of solar movement into a tangible and interactive learning experience.

Go To the Hemisphere Solar Tracker project page.

Grease Spot Photometer

With the Grease Spot Photometer, you will step into the realm of light and shadow where a mere index card and a smudge of grease transform into instruments through which the mysteries of luminosity are not merely observed, but understood.

This is a upcoming project that we will share the plans and 3D printer files for very soon.

For now we will share a video demonstration called Measure the brightness of the sun with cooking oil and an index card - Science Snacks activity.

These projects are easy to use and easy to share.

Print one for yourself and as many as you would like to give out to friends and family.

What is SFAQT Gadget School?

2024-03-27T01:02:00+01:00

SFAQT is about creativity and curiosity.

We make articles and projects that help artists with scientific skills and scientists with artistic expression. We celebrate the adventure in everyday moments, embracing the natural world and promoting mindful observation.

Within the shadowed borders where mystery meets invention, the SFAQT Laboratory is a nexus for the ingenious and the intrepid. Here, Viktor Criterion and Einida Ecxs, alongside a fellowship of curious minds, venture beyond the realms of the ordinary, crafting gadgets that are artifacts of adventure and discovery.

Viktor, with his unyielding drive and inventive genius, believes in the joy of creation and the adventure that lies in every creation. Einida, with her esoteric skills and infinite patience, complements Viktor's fervor with her meticulous attention to the arcane aspects of invention and exploration.

In the creative chaos of SFAQT Laboratory, the adventurous Einida Ecxs the resident Labronteur is the steadfast steward of order and efficiency. Her meticulous efforts ensure the lab remains a well-oiled machine, ready for adventure and invention. Einida's role is pivotal; she keeps the space clean and functioning, allowing genius to flourish unencumbered. Her presence is the silent backbone of the laboratory, vital in sustaining the pulse of innovation.

SFAQT stands as a versatile emblem, shifting from "Super Fun Adventure Quest Time" to "Section For Automated Query Testing" with the fluidity to expand the acronym to fit the occasion or task at hand.

Join us at SFAQT Laboratory, where every gadget holds a story, and every creation beckons to uncharted territories. Here, adventure and invention intertwine, inviting all who dare to dream to explore the wonders beyond the horizon.

Embark on a journey through our projects and articles that will ignite your creativity. Then, share the exhilarating discoveries with a friend who shares your passion for all things imaginative and curious.

Our pledge

Our pledge is that these are real projects. We have actually built the projects you see here. The parts that we link to are things you can actually buy, we know this because we have actually bought and used the materials and equipment in the links. There will not be any links to long expired auctions or hard to find materials. When we learn that a link has gone dead we will update the link with an equivalent part and make a note of the initial part and what is now available, and where feasible we will order the new part and see if it performs the same. If a project becomes unbuildable because of a lack of parts, we will clearly mark it as such.

Hemisphere Solar Tracker

2024-03-27T01:01:00+01:00

Read the full project here...

The Hemisphere Solar Tracker is a device used to track the Sun's movement across the sky in tangible and interactive experience.

Equipped with a hemispherical globe, a magnetic compass, and a spirit bubble level. The user makes hourly observations by marking the sun's positions by a shadow cast on the surface of the device. This visual documentation demystifies complex astronomical observations, making them accessible and engaging. Aimed at enthusiasts, educators, and students, the tracker is not just an educational tool but also a means to foster a deeper connection with the natural world, encouraging curiosity and exploration.

The full project for the Hemisphere Solar Tracker has all the 3D printer STL files, the PDF files, and a full list of materials and tools needed to build your own.

Tiny Watercolor Palette Sketching Kit

2024-03-12T01:01:00+01:00

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Meet the nomadic artist. An artist intertwined with the essence of shadow and light, who captures in their works deep hues and fluid strokes. This individual is an embodiment of experiences, their every brush stroke a testament to a life lived fully, wildly, in the embrace of the world's most breathtaking vistas. Their gaze holds untold stories from across the globe.

They are as exotic as the lands they traverse, a blend of cultures, languages, and hues.

Their companion, a seemingly modest artifact, the "Tiny Watercolor Palette Sketching Kit," is the silent witness to this extraordinary existence.

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Miners Pocket Transit

2023-09-01T01:01:00+02:00

Full Project...

An expired patent by J. H. Trerise from 1902 is the inspiration for this gadget. During our research, sadly we did not find any mention anywhere on the internet or in books that this gadget was ever made or sold. It may have just been made by the inventor J. H. Trerise and may have not been widely manufactured. While building the 3D files there were certain impractical things about this transit compared to the more standard and earlier Brunton Pocket Transit. We have changed certain elements of the design to correct problems we saw with the device and have also made changes to fit it for the medium 3D printing. Throughout the design we tried to use brass parts for the metallic ones to make sure that they did not interfere with the magnetic compass needle.

Full Project...

Kneeboard2023

2023-08-27T01:01:00+02:00

Full Project...

Prepare to supercharge your creative genius with the inventor's ultimate companion: the Inventor’s knee board. While originally crafted for aviation, this versatile kneeboard is your new must-have for brainstorming breakthroughs and bringing your brilliant ideas to life. Imagine having your sketches, notes, and technical data at your fingertips, all securely clipped to your shorts, when sitting down. This is the must-have device for hands-free experimentation, prototyping, and design sessions. Whether you're tinkering in your workshop, collaborating with fellow inventors, or on the go solving problems, our knee board ensures your innovations flow seamlessly. Say goodbye to scattered notebooks and hello to the inventor's game-changer – the Inventor’s Knee Board, your innovation catalyst!

SFAQT Gadget School

SNORKULUS: Shallow Water, Strange Targets, and Battery-Powered Curiosity

Recent Projects

Projects

Planetary Alignment Jan 21st and Feb 28th 2025

Introduction

The graphics

Solar Eclipse 2024 Project Collection

Introduction

Solar Eclipse Logbook

Hemisphere Solar Tracker

Grease Spot Photometer

Sharing

What is SFAQT Gadget School?

SFAQT is about creativity and curiosity.

Our pledge

Hemisphere Solar Tracker

Tiny Watercolor Palette Sketching Kit

Miners Pocket Transit

Kneeboard2023