Columns

Much More to Do by Dale Dougherty in Welcome
Five years in, MAKE is just getting started. Page 1

Mad for 3D CAD by Saul Griffith in Making Trouble
It’s the ultimate video game. Page 12

Who You Calling Unoriginal? by Cory Doctorow in Make Free
Reinventing the wheel is not mandatory. Page 14

Tales from Make: Online by Gareth Branwyn in
Get Your DIY On(line) Page 15

Reader Input
Love of lashing, kids who solder, hope, and Scout skills. Page 16

Snow Science by Forrest Mims III in Country Scientist
Conduct winter experiments. Page 26

Maker Shed on the March by Dan Woods in Maker's Corner
Maker Shed kiosks on the march. Page 29

Made on Earth

Cranked-Up Creativity by Laura Cochrane
Mike Adair, a 44-year-old artist from Overland Park, Kan., builds brightly colored wooden crank toys in his basement workshop. Page 18

Bright Idea by Megan Mansell Williams
Eric Lawrence, a web designer and former art student at the University of Texas, Austin, made the first Styrolight built from the molded styrofoam his new Apple computer came in. Page 20

Emotional Aquatics by Laura Kiniry


Axolotl is a 3D audiovisual display attracting onlookers with a digitized squid-like creature that responds to facial recognition by simulating a sense of interaction and involvement. Page 21

Camper Van Bicycle by Thomas Walker Wilson
Through the vehicular art series, the Camper Kart, Camper Bike, and paintings of vans, Kevin Cyr hopes the Kart will stimulate conversation about self-reliance, mobility, and shelter. Page 22

The Art of Fusion by Megan Mansell Williams
Jared Pankin, who makes sculptures, is innovative with his use of plywood, fake fur, sawdust, foam, model-scale trees, and other familiar goods. Page 23

Mechanimals Menagerie by Ian Dille
Andrew Chase welds together sheet metal, iron pipe, and used car parts to make mechanical animals, or "mechanimals.” Page 24

In the Zome by Bruce Stewart
Rob Bell and Patricia Algara created their own hybrid structure, a DIY greenhouse they call the Algarden Zome. Page 25

1+2+3

Cup Positioning System by Cy Tymony
Use a cup to put you in your place. Page 30

Safe Bamboo Swords by David Battino
Padded weapons for play-fighting fun. Page 114

Maker

Cutting His Own Paths by Keith Hammond
Eddie Paul is Hollywood’s fastest maker. Page 32

Big Kid Bikes by Nik Schulz
Bending bicycles with builder Greg Degouveia. Page 38

Locally Grown by Peter Smith
Carving boards and waves with the maker of all-wood Grain Surfboards. Page 40

The Nonsense Factory by Lisa Katayama
The Maywa Denki collective makes instruments of mass whimsy. Page 42

The Solar Catenary Reflector by Tho X. Bui
21st-century tech using 17th-century math. Page 43

SPECIAL SECTION: Desktop Manufacturing

The Revolution Will Be Squirted by Becky Stern
An inside look at MakerBot Industries. Page 46

Armchair Architect by Colin Berry
A new way to create 3D models for Google Earth. Page 52

DIY 3D Scanner by Andrew Lewis
Introducing the SplineScan computer-controlled turntable. Page 54

Your Own CNC For Under $800 by James Floyd Kelly
An overview from the co-author of the new book Build Your Own CNC Machine. Page 60

Direct Digital Wedding Rings by Jonathan Oxford
Create custom jewelry using CAD software and a 3D printer. Page 64

Open Source Self-Replicator by Abe Connally
This plasma cutter promises tool inter-changeability, and synergy with its RepRap cousin. Page 66

CNC Machine Kit by Steve Lodefink
Meet the mighty micRo, a tabletop CNC robot kit from Lumenlab. Page 68

MakerBeam: Lego for Grownups by John Baichtal
An open source building system for project boxes, robots, and more. Page 70

3D Fabbing State of the Art by Gareth Branwyn
3D printing and desktop manufacturing innovators tell us what’s currently on their radars. Page 71

Projects

Traditional Cigar Box Guitar by Mark Frauenfelder
Build this 3-string instrument that requires a minimum of tools and parts, yet sounds great. Page 76

Geared Candleholder by Benjamin Cowden
Make an elegant, all-aluminum candleholder with a movement containing 3 handmade gears. Page 86

Reaction Timer by Charles Platt
Use 555 timer chips to test your reflexes in this experiment excerpted from Make: Electronics. Page 96

The Drill Rod by Russ Byrer
Run a mini electric bike with a cordless drill. Page 108

DIY: Science

ESP/PSI Testing Lamp by John Iovine
Watch the universe play dice, by detecting random radiation. Page 115

DIY: Imaging

Slow Down To Speed Up by Ken Murphy
A smart, cheap setup for shooting long-duration time-lapse movies. Page 119

DIY: Outdoors

Elemental Knowledge by Wendy Tremayne
Think you’ve mastered fire? Make and use a bow drill. Page 123

Combo Snow Gun by Steven Lemos
Make snow with a pro-style gun for about $90. Page 125

DIY: Home

Gourd Lanterns by Diane Gilleland
Drill patterns into hard-shell gourds and let the light shine through. Page 128

Better Leather by Betz White
Embellish leather using a woodburning technique. Page 131

DIY: Workshop

Automated Fan Speed Controller by Duane Wessels
Steady temperatures in a server room, using the MAKE Controller. Page 139

DIY: Kids

Intro To Scratch by Jeremy Kerfs
Make your own games and animations, free and easy. Page 133

DIY: Office

Magic Photo Cube by Ken Wade
Make a fun, folding desktop photo display for about a buck. Page 136

"Glengarry" Brass Balls by Paul Spinrad
This totemic desk toy assembles in 2 minutes. Page 138

Skill Builder

Electroluminescent (EL) Wire by Steve Boverie, Louis M. Brill
Bring glow into your projects by learning how to work this flexible, durable material. Page 142

MakeShift

Water Landing! by Lee D. Zlotoff
Legs are broken and time’s running short. Page 150

Toolbox

Toolbox
A simply great calculator, laundry alternatives, a look at music, and the 3D camera you’ve been waiting for. Page 152

Toys, Tricks, and Teasers

The Chinese South-Pointing Chariot by Donald E. Simanek
For fun or function? A Chinese south-pointing chariot. Page 160

Maker's Calendar

Maker's Calendar by William Gurstelle
Our favorite events from around the world. Page 163

Heirloom Technology

Instant Paddle by Tim Anderson
Here’s a better, quicker, inexpensive way to make a paddle. Page 164

Make Money

Wind Chimes by Tom Parker
Sometimes it costs more to buy it than to make it from the money itself. Page 167

Remaking History

Benjamin Franklin’s Electrical Experiments by William Gurstelle
Benjamin Franklin and electricity. Page 168

Aha!

Cake Decorating Conundrum by Michael H. Pryor
Cake Decorating Conundrum Page 175

Homebrew

My Big Fortune Teller by Roger Hess
Build your own Zoltar Speaks vintage fortune-teller machine straight from the 1988 film Big. Page 176