RSSVolume 05: Science, Weather, and Outdoors
Available as a Single Volume
Volume 05: Science, Weather, and Outdoors
Homemade electric vehicles, high-powered water rockets, electricity-generating windmill, jet engine in a jam jar, and a backyard zip line!
Important Info for MAKE 05 Readers: The "How to Build a Power Tap" page in MAKE 05 contains an error that could cause an unsafe wiring situation. Before attempting this project, please read the corrections posted here.
View a list of all links referenced in this volume
Table of Contents
On to Year Two by Dale Dougherty, Mark Frauenfelder
in Welcome
A look back on our exciting first year. Page 11
News From The Future by Tim O'Reilly
in News from the Future
For everything that is gained, something is lost. Page 13
Building A Smarter To-Do List by Merlin Mann, Danny O’Brien
in Life Hacks
Overclocking your productivity: planning your projects one bit-sized piece at a time. Page 14
Traitors to History by Cory Doctorow
in Make Free
A copyright-controlled museum is a crime against humanity. Page 16
Made On Earth by David Battino, Shawn Connally, William Gurstelle, Keith Hammond, Josie Moores, Arwen O'Reilly Griffith
in Made on Earth
Reports from the world of backyard technology. Page 18
Hands On: Making a Mobile by Bruce Sterling
in Hands On
Staying poised at the fertile edge of chaos, while the clock ticks. Page 26
Woody's World by William Lidwell
in Maker
A Q&A with the inventor of a pirate-scaring noisemaker, a helicopter for every garage, and a way to hack gravity itself. Page 28
Art in Living by Bruce Stewart
in Maker
N55, a conceptual group from Denmark, creates functional art for living, breathing, and growing. Page 38
C.S. and the City by David Pescovitz
in Proto
Intel researcher Eric Paulos makes things that give their owners a new way of understanding their daily lives. Page 40
It Came From My Garage by Gareth Branwyn
in Maker
Model kit makers bring B-movie monsters to your home. Page 44
Re-Booting Art by Douglas Repetto
in Maker
A new art venue for the robotic age. Page 48
Calculate This! by Robert Luhn
MAKE looks at slide rules. Page 50
Pre-Loved by Saul Griffith
in Making Trouble
Or, why used can be so much better than new. Page 54
Jackhammer Headphones by Tim Anderson
in Heirloom Technology
And a discourse on blind men, chipmunks, whales, and the future. Page 56
Tips and Tricks by James Arlen, Tom Bridge, Mark R. Brown, Saul Griffith, Arwen O'Reilly Griffith, Paul Short
From maker to maker. Page 58
Electric Avenue by Charles Platt
The street-legal electric car of the future is coming--not from Japan or Detroit--but from your neighbor's garage. Page 60
Dive, Darn It, Dive! by Larry Harmon
It's a matter of sink and swim at the 8th international autonomous underwater vehicle competition. Page 68
Backyard Zip Line by Dave Mabe
Be the hit of the neighborhood with a high-flying, tree-to-tree transporter. Page 72
Soda Bottle Rocket by Steve Lodefink
You don't have to be Burt Rutan to start your own rocket program. With a few empty soda bottles and some PVC pipe, you can build a high-performance water rocket. Page 78
Wind Powered Generator by Abe and Josie Connally
With a motor and some piping, it's suprisingly easy to build this inexpensive, efficient windmill generator--and enjoy free energy forever. Page 90
The Jam Jar Jet by William Gurstelle
Don't think you can build a jet engine at home? Here's a simple jet engine--a pulsejet--that you can make out of a jam jar in an afternoon. All it takes is bending some wire and punching a few holes. Page 102
The Quick and Dirty: Holes, Rivets, and Bent Metal by Mister Jalopy
in The Quick and Dirty
Learn three essential shop fabrication techniques and reward yourself by making a wi-fi signal deflector. Page 110
Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things by Cy Tymony
in 123
Turn a remote control car into an alarm system. Page 113
Olde-School Bookbinding by Brian Sawyer
in DIY: Home
Pages last longer, lie flatter, and look better inside a handsome, durable hardcover. Page 115
Out Damned Spot! by Arwen O'Reilly Griffith
in DIY: Home
The chemistry of stain removal. Page 120
Pump Down the Volume by Jason Kohrs
in DIY: Computers
Five simple steps to a quieter PC. Page 121
Geared Up by Andy Ihnatko
in DIY: Mobile
Use a gunbelt and leg holster to hold your gear. Page 123
Boost Your Signal by Bob Scott
in DIY: Mobile
Improving MyFi XM satellite radio reception. Page 125
Weird USB by Phillip Torrone
in DIY: Mobile
Plug into a world of novelty. Page 126
The World As Your Canvas by Julie Polito
in DIY: Mobile
Use GPS to create giant-sized works of art. Page 127
Circuit Quiz Game by Ben Wheeler
in DIY: Gaming
Teach kids about circuitry in 30 minutes. Page 129
iSight Tripod Mount by Steve Vigneau
in DIY: Imaging
Point your webcam anywhere you want. Page 131
The Fauxlance Photographer by Andy Ihnatko
in DIY: Imaging
How to get VIP treatment by dressing the part of a pro photographer. Page 133
Wiki Your World by Gareth Branwyn
in DIY: Online
Getting things done with GTD TiddlyWiki. Page 135
Ten Dollar Pseudoscope by Rob Hartmann
in DIY: Science
See everything inside out through this classic optical instrument. Page 137
Citizen Weather Station by Terrie Miller
in DIY: Science
Collect meteorological data on your roof and donate it to science. Page 139
Launching Light by Stefan Jones
in DIY: Science
Portable, collapsible model rocket launch pad. Page 141
Firefly Meter by Christopher Holt
in DIY: Science
Bioluminescence detector lights way toward insect-cyborg pollution sensor. Page 143
Legal And Free Digital Satellite TV by Dave Mathews
in DIY: Television
Use a long-obsolete Primestar dish to pull in a wide world of programming. Page 145
Digital TV On The Cheap by Bob Scott
in DIY: Television
You can get many of the benefits of Digital TV (DTV) for as little as 20 bucks, if you're willing to do a little tinkering. Page 148
Full Mast Reception by Joe Grand
in DIY: Television
Build your own satellite dish mast in three easy steps. Page 150
Dumpster Cornucopia by Thomas Arey
in DIY: Workshop
Reusing components from discarded electronics. Page 151
The Rocketman's Garage by Gareth Branwyn
in Workshop
Meet Minnesota's celebrated thrill-machine maker. Page 154
Puzzle This by Michael H. Pryor
in Aha!
Puzzles for makers. Page 156
Theory & Practice: IR Remote Control Protocol by Bunnie Huang
in Theory & Practice
Get an infrared remote to turn your room lights on and off. Page 157
Sensor Interfaces by Tom Igoe
in Primer
How circuits communicate with the outside world. Page 160
Bending Light by Joost Bonsen, Nick Dragotta, Saul Griffith
in Howtoons
Page 168
MakeShift by William Lidwell
in MakeShift
Can you stay alive until the bank vault unlocks? Page 170
Toolbox by Thomas Arey, David Battino, Shawn Connally, Dale Dougherty, Jonathan Foote, Mark Frauenfelder, Mark Lengowski, Merlin Mann, Terrie Miller, Ross Orr, Tom Owad, Jenna Phillips, Dane Picard, Matthew Russell, Bob Scott, Ewan Spence, Howard Wen
in Toolbox
The best tools, software, gadgets, books, magazines, and websites. Page 172
Prewar Maker's Primer by H.B. Siegel
in Blast from the Past
Exploring the world of Amatuer Craftsman's Cyclopedia of Things to Make. Page 182
Computers in the Machine by Tom Owad
in Retrocomputing
Emulation software gives you free, zero-footprint, vintage computers. Page 183
Maker's Corner
in Maker's Corner
Almost everything you needed to know about MAKE. Page 184
Maker's Calendar by William Gurstelle
in Maker's Calendar
Our favorite events from around the world: March - April - May 2006. Page 185
Reader Input
in Reader Input
Where makers tell their tales and offer praise, brickbats, and swell ideas. Page 186
Pushing Electrons by Phillip Torrone
in Tales from the MAKE: Blog
Bots, how-tos, and virtual worlds all on the MAKE: Blog. Take a tour of what's new with Associate Editor Philip Torrone. Page 188
Digital Video Production: Create Explosive Visuals by Chris Kenworthy
Real movie explosions are dangerous, expensive, and usually unecessary. Page 189
A Treehouse Grows in British Columbia by George Dyson
in Retrospect
Three years, 95 feet above the Earth. Page 190
My Multiambic Keyer by Steve Mann
in Homebrew
Page 192
Extras
Additional content for this volume available only online.
MakeShift 05: Analysis, Commentary, and Winners
In 1960, Woody Norris read a contest announcement in a magazine that changed his life and set him on the path of being a world-class inventor. The announcement challenged readers to submit a plausible but fictional account of a supposed new invention to be published as an April Fool’s joke. Woody took up the challenge. Here is the interesting part: during the process of trying to come up with a product that was both plausible but a bit “out there,” he came up with what would ultimately be his first successful invention. The rest is history.
Coming full circle, Woody is now the one throwing down the gauntlet, challenging you to prove your makeshift mettle by staying alive for 48 hours in bank vault with limited oxygen. Over 100 of you answered the call, and Woody and I had to break open the engineering and chemistry texts to evaluate a good number of the submissions. In the end, Woody selected two winners and two honorable mentions. To say that selecting two winners from the pool of entries was difficult would be to understate matters--it was flat-out hard.
by William Lidwell; July 07, 2006
MakeShift 05: Woody's Solution
In MAKE 05, Woody Norris challenged you to prove your makeshift mettle by staying alive for 48 hours in a bank vault with limited oxygen. Over 100 of you answered the call, but before he would evaluate any of the responses, he felt like he had to submit himself to the challenge and solve his own problem. Woody’s Solution is included here for your review.
by Woody Norris;
July 07, 2006
MakeShift 05: Cameron Stoker's Most Creative Winning Entry
Cameron Stoker's entry was awarded the MakeShift Master Creative award for his solution to MakeShift 05.
by William Lidwell;
July 07, 2006
MakeShift 05: Scott Baker's Most Plausible Winning Entry
Scott Baker's entry won the MakeShift Master Plausible award for his solution to MakeShift 05.
by William Lidwell;
July 07, 2006
MakeShift 05: C.T. Nak's "Nigel Holmes" Honorable Mention
C.T. Nak won the “Nigel Holmes” Honorable Mention award for his solution to MakeShift 05.
by William Lidwell;
July 07, 2006
MakeShift 05: Erik Brown's "Emile Gagnan" Honorable Mention
Erik Brown won the "Emile Gagnan" Honorable Mention award for his solution to MakeShift 05.
by William Lidwell;
July 07, 2006
More from Woody Norris
William Lidwell interviewed the award winning inventor, Woody Norris, for MAKE 05. In this exclusive web extra, the conversation with Norris continues. Learn Norris' views on inspiring creativity, selling yourself along with your inventions, learning when to quit, and why inventors shouldn't be afraid someone will steal their idea.
by William Lidwell;
February 01, 2006
Mulitimedia for this Volume
Soda Bottle Rocket (video) from Soda Bottle RocketIn MAKE 05, we show you how to make your own soda bottle rocket so you can start your own rocket program even if you're not Burt Rutan. With a few empty soda bottles and some PVC pipe, you can build a high-performance water rocket. Here's a video of author Steve Lodefink and his 4-year-old son Ivan launching theirs.
Download now:
Leslie speaker off from Made On Earth
The sound produced when the speaker is off.
Download now: MP3
Leslie speaker 45 from Made On Earth
The Leslie speaker at 45 RPM.
Download now: MP3
Leslie speaker 78 from Made On Earth
Leslie speaker at 78 RPM.
Download now: MP3
Soda Bottle Rocket from Soda Bottle Rocket
Watch a video clip of author Steve Lodefink and his 4-year-old son Ivan launching their soda-bottle rocket.
Download now: QuickTime .MOV
MAKE: Amends Errata for this volume.
| Where it appears | Made On Earth, Page 24 |
| The error |
Unfortunately, the photo of the Fat Man's Leslie speaker on page 24 is of his first revision, and doesn't match the text. Here is a photo of Revision 3, which the article discusses. The Fat Man made it from a catch basin: 
Here is a photo of Revision 1, made from a paint can: 
Here is a photo of Revision 2, made from a PVC pipe: 
|
| Where it appears | Wind Powered Generator, Page 91 |
| The error | Oops! We suggested the URL freecycle.com to you in the article introduction. The actual URL is freecycle.org. |
| Where it appears | The Quick and Dirty: Holes, Rivets, and Bent Metal, Page 112 |
| The error | On page 112 of MAKE Volume 05 ("How to Build a Power Tap"), we ran an illustration that could cause some confusion as well as a tripped circuit breaker.
PLEASE DO NOT BUILD THE POWER TAP AS SHOWN IN THE ILLUSTRATION. The illustration shows a dual plug receptacle, which, when wired improperly, can cause a short circuit. Do not attach the wires from the extension cord to the screws on the same side of the receptacle, because it will create a short circuit. Here is a corrected PDF for that page. The PDF is designed so you can paste it right over page 112 in MAKE 05. |
| Where it appears | Ten Dollar Pseudoscope, Page 138 |
| The error | In Fig. 2, the distance between the left edge of the base and the center of the leftmost mirror block was incorrectly labeled as 5/16" rather than 15/16". You can find the correct dimensions in this revised diagram and on author Rob Hartmann's blog, at pseudoscope.blogspot.com. |
| Where it appears | Digital TV On The Cheap, Page 148 |
| The error | Due to an error in the editorial process, the article "Digital TV On The Cheap" in MAKE Vol 05 incorrectly implied that Voom HD Networks was no longer in business. The article should have stated only that their direct-to-home satellite broadcast service was discontinued. More information is available from www.voom.com In the same article, discussion of cable-based HDTV service should have noted that the availabilty and charges for this service will vary with individual cable companies. Subscribers should check with their cable companies for specific information pertinent to them. |
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