makezine.com: TNT, Round 18: Maker Faire Madness

TNT Newsletter for May 17, 2007

Pumice hand cleaner, free is fabulous, don't litter, toilet tool, and the PENultimate tool guide.

Dear Readers,

I know you all probably already know about the Maker Faire, but I thought I'd drive the point home with a little bit of advice. Some of you will be coming to San Mateo to show off the amazing projects you've been working on all year, and some of you will be on the other side of the Maker workbenches, just taking in all the incredible sights and sounds. (And of course, some of you won't be able to make it, but we hope you'll check it out afterwards on the Maker Faire website.) It's an exciting event, but of course one that takes a lot of organization, particularly if you're coming from far away.

If you're still looking for a tool to mod for your entry in the Power Tool Drag Race, or want to find just the right accessories to embellish your new finds at Swap-O-Rama-Rama, I agree with the glowing review of Freecycle.org below. I've also included a link to a great website, The Bathroom Diaries, which lists clean, accessible bathrooms in all of the cities of the world (might come in handy if you get lost in San Mateo on the way to the Faire). To help you embellish your sign or take notes about your favorite exhibits, I've included Howtoon illustrator and writer Nick Dragotta's list of his favorite pens. If you get a little dirty over at Make Play Day or checking out the bikes at Cyclecide's Bicycle Rodeo, you might want to clean your hands with Gojo hand pumice. And at the end of the day, when it's clean-up time, having a homemade green garbage pickup tool is just the thing.

Hope to see you there!

Arwen O'Reilly
Staff Editor, Make Magazine
http://makezine.com
toolbox@makezine.com

Freecycle.org

Reviewed by digitaltripper
http://www.freecycle.org

Makers (and regular folk): May I direct your attention to a website I recently discovered!!

Freecycle.org, where you can give for free and get for free....Yes that's right...FREE...All type and manner of accoutrement, equipment, condiment...Wait, maybe not condiment, but in general, you can get stuff for FREE. I happen to think that this is an idea whose time has come...Well, OK, I am sure it has been done before BUT this is a really cool way of getting the word out about FREE stuff...

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this site...

Discussion

Bathroom Maps

Reviewed by Arwen O'Reilly
http://www.thebathroomdiaries.com

As far as I'm concerned, this is what the internet was invented for (whoever it was that did it). As a frequent user of whatever public bathroom happens to be nearest, a list like this, of clean, accessible restrooms available to the public in cities all over the world, is a life-saver. Now I just need to remember to always consult it before leaving the house.

Discussion

My Favorite Pens

Reviewed by Nick Dragotta

$2

Right now in terms of pens I'm digging the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners and the Le Pen by Marvy from Japan. The Pentel Sign Pen is nice for more of a marker feel; the line fattens over time. Oh, and I love the Hard Point Pen; I think it's made by Faber Castell/Sanford. For nibs, I like the Japanese G pen by Zebra.

Discussion

Gojo Natural Orange Pumice Hand Cleaner

Reviewed by Lenore
http://www.gojo.com/product/product.asp?productid=4
$3

Everyone has their favorite cleaner, and Gojo is ours. We like the mild orange scent, the abrasive action of the pumice, and the fact that it doesn't leave your hands feeling either greasy or dry. We keep a small bottle at one sink, which we refill from the gallon pump bottle at the other sink.

One excellent design feature is that each bottle comes with a handy nail brush that clips onto the side of the bottle.

Gojo is great for after you've packed your bearings and you're ready to get the grease off your hands. It really shines for cleaning up after fixing a flat on your bicycle. It can be used for cleaning dirty and greasy parts as well.

Discussion

Green Garbage Grabber Instructable

Reviewed by Arwen O'Reilly
http://www.instructables.com/id/EIIIM633TGEZTBA8MJ/

I love this Instructable for how to make a simple garbage picker-upper. While, of course, it would be wonderful if it encouraged people to help clean up the streets, parks, and beaches in their neighborhoods, it looks darn useful for the workshop, too.

Discussion