RSSWilliam Gurstelle
Bill Gurstelle is an author (and former engineer) living in Minneapolis, Minn. His first book, Backyard Ballistics, is about "making interesting things that go whoosh, boom, or splat," and his fourth book, tentatively entitled Adventures in the Technology Underground, will be published in February. He appeared on the television show "Win Ben Stein's Money," and with Ben Stein's money built a full-size wooden catapult. He is currently laying seige to the people next door, and says, "if all goes well, soon the whole neighborhood will be mine."
Author of these Magazine Articles
Maker's Calendar
Our favorite events from around the world.
In
Maker's Calendar
from MAKE:
13: Magic page 12
The Barrage Garage: Meet the Tool-Zine
Outfitting the all-purpose maker's worshop. Part 2 of the Barrage Garage series.
From MAKE:
13: Magic page 40
The Fire Drug
A maker's history of black powder.
From MAKE:
13: Magic page 54
Building the Barrage Garage
The first in a three-part series about building a workshop from the ground up.
From MAKE:
12: Upload page 32
The Safe Workshop
Rules to make by.
From MAKE:
12: Upload page 44
Super Tritone Shop Whistle
This jazzy, compressed-air-powered whistle sounds a mighty blast.
From MAKE:
12: Upload page 88
Maker's Calendar
Our favorite events from around the world.
In
Maker's Calendar
from MAKE:
12: Upload page 186
Big Blowhards
Who will be the first to make a machine that propels a pumpkin more than a mile?
From MAKE:
11: Alt Vehicles page 30
The Maker State
Safe working practices give you the freedom to attempt projects on the edge.
From MAKE:
11: Alt Vehicles page 34
Maker's Calendar
Our favorite events from around the world, August - November.
In
Maker's Calendar
from MAKE:
11: Alt Vehicles page 190
Home Haunting Basics
The pros share their tips in the exciting field of people-scaring.
From MAKE:
halloween2007: Halloween page 74
Trash Can Trauma
Scare the wits out of visitors with this pneumatic spook.
From MAKE:
halloween2007: Halloween page 80
Happy Blastoff
Smoke, sound, and fury at the Large Dangerous Rocket Ship launchpad.
In
Maker
from MAKE:
10: Home Electronics page 48
Making It with the MAKE Controller
Our board does art, robotics, music, and more.
In
DIY: Circuits
from MAKE:
10: Home Electronics page 145
Maker's Calendar
Our favorite events from around the world.
In
Maker's Calendar
from MAKE:
10: Home Electronics page 186
What Rough Beast Slouches Toward Arcata?
MAKE goes to the World Championship Kinetic Sculpture Race.
From MAKE:
09: Fringe page 28
Project: The Bullwhip
You don't have to be Chuck Yeager to break the sound barrier. You just need a good bullwhip, which converts arm movement into supersonic speed and triggers the sonic boom we call a whip crack.
From MAKE:
09: Fringe page 82
Maker's Calendar
Our favorite events from around the world.
In
Maker's Calendar
from MAKE:
09: Fringe page 190
Project: Building an Ornithopter
Can humans fly by flapping? Build a small, rubber band-powered ornithopter whose motion is similar to a bird in flight.
From MAKE:
08: Toys and Games page 90
Maker's Calendar
Our favorite events from around the world.
In
Maker's Calendar
from MAKE:
08: Toys and Games page 193
The Two-Can Stirling Engine 
Download Sample PDF
The Stirling engine has long captivated inventors and dreamers. Here are complete plans for building and operating a two-cylinder model that runs on almost any high-temperature heat source.
From MAKE:
07: Backyard Biology page 90
Maker's Calender
Our favorite events from around the world - September, October, and November 2006.
In
Maker's Calendar
from MAKE:
07: Backyard Biology page 186
Building Tensegrity Models
Make a "needle tower" sculpture from dowels and elastic cord that seems to defy the laws of physics.
From MAKE:
06: Robots page 100
Homecasting Digital Music
Good old FM beats wi-fi for sending streamed music around your house.
In
DIY: Home
from MAKE:
06: Robots page 133
Run, Lala, Run
A rodent-powered nightlight.
In
DIY: Home
from MAKE:
06: Robots page 139
Maker's Calender
Our favorite events from around the world June-July-August 2006.
In
Maker's Calendar
from MAKE:
06: Robots page 189
Made On Earth
Reports from the world of backyard technology.
In
Made on Earth
from MAKE:
05: Science, Weather, and Outdoors page 18
The Jam Jar Jet
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.
From MAKE:
05: Science, Weather, and Outdoors page 102
Maker's Calendar
Our favorite events from around the world: March - April - May 2006.
In
Maker's Calendar
from MAKE:
05: Science, Weather, and Outdoors page 185
The Night Lighter 36
Launch potato projectiles 200+ yards with this stun-gun triggered, high-powered potato cannon with see-thru action. (Good thing potatoes are biodegradable.)
From MAKE:
03: Cars and Halloween page 108
Photographer for these Magazine Articles
The Barrage Garage: Meet the Tool-Zine
Outfitting the all-purpose maker's worshop. Part 2 of the Barrage Garage series.
From MAKE:
13: Magic page 40
The Fire Drug
A maker's history of black powder.
From MAKE:
13: Magic page 54
Building the Barrage Garage
The first in a three-part series about building a workshop from the ground up.
From MAKE:
12: Upload page 32
Super Tritone Shop Whistle
This jazzy, compressed-air-powered whistle sounds a mighty blast.
From MAKE:
12: Upload page 88
MAKE: Online Extras
Unsafe At Any Amperage?
Behind the scenes of our high-voltage dilemma: whether to publish a dangerously cool project in MAKE magazine's "Fringe" issue.
by Tom Anderson, Gareth Branwyn, Shawn Connally, Dale Dougherty, Mark Frauenfelder, Joe Grand, Saul Griffith, William Gurstelle, Bunnie Huang, Tom Igoe, Mister Jalopy, Steve Lodefink, John MacNeill, David Pescovitz, Charles Platt, Paul Spinrad, Phillip Torrone;
March 16, 2007
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