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Pop-Pop Steamboat

Pop-Pop Steamboat

When you picture a steam engine, you likely imagine a giant cast-iron contraption festooned with knobs, valves, gauges, linkages, and wheels. This steam-powered toy boat has no moving parts and needs only a flame and the surrounding water to zip around and make its distinctively happy sound. My interest in pop-pop boats began when I […]

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Thor’s Hammer

Thor’s Hammer

I’m not usually one to build film props, but my wife and I were waiting on line for the new Avengers movie and she said, “You know, it would be great to have Thor’s hammer.” She wasn’t the least bit serious, but her remark got the old maker gears spinning. As soon as we got […]

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Magnetic iPad Holster

Magnetic iPad Holster

When I got my new iPad, I immediately came up against a few problems. I don’t have a lot of horizontal space in my office because my desk is always cluttered. I also needed a safe place to leave the iPad while I charged it. Leaving this expensive piece of gear balanced precariously on a […]

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Elephant Block Puzzle

Elephant Block Puzzle

Anyone who’s ever taken on an ambitious home-improvement project knows what it’s like to have spare wood lying around – and to want nothing more than to get rid of it. This DIY project is a great way to turn scrap 4″x4″ lumber into a kid-friendly puzzle featuring their favorite animal. A single 5′ piece […]

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Drum Kit Kit

Drum Kit Kit

The kit contains the electronic parts required to make a drum kit. This includes the circuit board, resistors, diodes and pins. You supply the Arduino and the material to make the actual drum pads. Below you will find easy instructions for making traditional-looking drum pads, but you could also stick the piezo elements (the parts […]

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