Toolsday

Pristine 1838 “Rose Engine” Lathe

Pristine 1838 “Rose Engine” Lathe

A rose engine is a type of geometric lathe used to produce complex radial engravings called Guilloché, which are used both for decorative and security (i.e. anticounterfeiting) purposes. Those of you with more than $238,000 of disposable cash lying around may be irked to discover that the auction for this stunningly beautiful antique specimen is long closed. At least we can all still enjoy the gorgeous photographs…

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The ITP Laser Cutter

The ITP Laser Cutter

Yesterday this year’s ITP Summer Camp kicked off with a series of how to introductions, basic “Hello World” courses, giving introductions to soldering, Arduino, Processing, and how to use their laser cutter. An Epilog Mini 24 — a 50 Watt desktop laser cutter.

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Your Favorite Tools, Part 2

Your Favorite Tools, Part 2

Thanks to everyone who sent in e-mails and pictures of their old warhorses and shiny new friends following our last crowdsourced tools collection. Here are a few more of our favorites from among your submissions, as well as some supplemental staff choices, including one of my own, thrown in at the end for good measure. Thanks for sharing!

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FirstLight: The Story of a Telescope

FirstLight: The Story of a Telescope

Oakland resident Douglas Smith is an architect by training, working as a BIM / CAD manager at the San Francisco offices of internationally-renowned skyscraper architects Skidmore Owings & Merrill. In 2006, co-worker and amateur astronomer David Frey persuaded him to take an amateur telescope-making class at The Randall Museum, taught by famous amateur astronomer John Dobson. It changed his life.

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Kickstarting the HexBright: Adventures in Flashlight Hacking

Kickstarting the HexBright: Adventures in Flashlight Hacking

Christian Carlberg is a Cornell-educated mechanical engineer. After his undergraduate degree, he spent three years doing classical aerospace work and getting an MS, part time, at night school. At 25 he moved to LA to work in movie FX, specifically “practical effects”—physical, animatronic robot-based puppets now in decline thanks to low-cost CGI. After that, he […]

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Somewhere Outside the Rainbow: Imaging Across the EM Spectrum

Somewhere Outside the Rainbow: Imaging Across the EM Spectrum

Inspired by FLIR Systems scientist Austin Richards’ recent book, “Alien Vision,” I decided to see if I could put together my own imaging-based tour of the electromagnetic spectrum using web-based resources. This post is the result. Here are 17 striking images from across the spectrum at wavelengths ranging from one meter down to one-trillionth of a meter, from radio waves to gamma rays, arranged in order of increasing frequency / energy. Each is accompanied by a caption identifying the instrument used to record the image, the approximate wavelength at which it was recorded, the subject, and a link for those seeking more information.

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Your Favorite Tools, Part 1

Your Favorite Tools, Part 1

The most recent special edition of the Make: Newsletter asked readers: What is your favorite tool? We got some fantastic responses, many with photographs, from makers all over the world. These are just a few of them. Thanks to all our newsletter subscribers, to everyone who responded, and especially to those of you who sent […]

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