machined

Ernie’s Handmade Dwarf Cars

Ernie’s Handmade Dwarf Cars

By Michael Colombo

Michael Colombo

In addition to being an online editor for MAKE Magazine, Michael Colombo works in fabrication, electronics, sound design, music production and performance (Yes. All that.) In the past he has also been a childrens' educator and entertainer, and holds a Masters degree from NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program.

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Many years ago a maker looked at a pile of junk and decided to make a miniature classic car from it.

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Chris Bathgate Has a Book Out

Chris Bathgate Has a Book Out

By Sean Michael Ragan

Sean Michael Ragan

I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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Chris first appeared on our radar last year. I like Rob Beschizza’s description of his works as “randomly-generated parts for high-performance machines that don’t work in our universe.” He has just released a self-published art book with photos of his catalog and beautiful plan drawings that are just as eye-catching.

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Now That’s A Knife!

Now That’s A Knife!

By Sean Michael Ragan

Sean Michael Ragan

I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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Thanks to our commenters for pointing out that, contrary to my implication in Monday’s bolt-action spud gun post, Jeremy Cook—cool though his project certainly is—is not the first person to build a breech-loading potato cannon. Not by a long shot. (Heh, sorry.)

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Chris Bathgate’s self-transforming elf machines

Chris Bathgate’s self-transforming elf machines

By Sean Michael Ragan

Sean Michael Ragan

I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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“His works look like randomly-generated parts for high-performance machines that don’t work in our universe.”

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Turned aluminum blue-violet laser housing

Turned aluminum blue-violet laser housing

By Sean Michael Ragan

Sean Michael Ragan

I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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I purchased a 405nm laser diode…off ebay just recently and needed a case to mount it in. So I have turned this from a length of aluminium tube for the body and two pieces of aluminium bar for the front and back closures. The front closure doubles as a heat-sink. Everything’s held together with grub-screws. Runs off two AAA batteries which just fit inside.

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How-To: Watt-style mechanical governor

How-To: Watt-style mechanical governor

By Sean Michael Ragan

Sean Michael Ragan

I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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Adam Richard Cooper built this hand-cranked model of a classic mechanical governor–which, as MachinistBlog succinctly put it “regulates the speed of steam engines by acting as a negative feedback system”–and made the dimensional drawings and build notes freely available for download at his site. I like the idea of a hand-cranked governor model, particularly, because it provides tactile feedback of the device’s purpose: You crank it faster, it gets harder to crank.

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Meticulously machined lightsaber replica…

Meticulously machined lightsaber replica…

By Sean Michael Ragan

Sean Michael Ragan

I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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…with equally meticulous build notes, by Bradley W. Lewis, who, among other bits of impressive handiwork, turned, milled, bored, and blued his own custom metal fittings for the handle. Shown also is the interesting “LED ladder” he soldered to illuminate the blade. [via Hack a Day]

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