Month: July 2012

howard

The Soul of an Old Heathkit

Howard Nurse built hundreds of Heathkits. As a kid, he loved to go to sleep reading the catalog — a window into the world of electronics and a wish list of things he wanted to build. You have to understand the whole experience of a Heathkit,” Nurse said. “It began with the catalog, which became […]

Lego Wheelchair

Lego Wheelchair

Lego builder Simon “Burf” Burfield built the world’s first Lego wheelchair: Currently still a prototype, the LEGO Wheelchair can move a 90kg person. It uses 6 NXT’s to drive 12 NXT motors (2 per NXT for maximum power output) which are connected to 12 Rotacaster multi-directional wheels. Using these wheels will later allow for side […]

Erector

Gilbert’s Girders

The Museum of Interesting Things is crammed into every inch of the ninth-floor New York City apartment of Denny Daniel, the sprite-like curator of an eclectic collection of inventions, toys, and gadgets. Daniel had a magician-like patter for each item he showed me: the cylindrical Edison phonograph, the mutoscope, and the hidden camera inside a […]

Build Your Dream Car

Build Your Dream Car

I built my first car model when I was 8. It was a Duesenberg 1934 Coupe Chauffeur. Magnificent. Body pieces that snapped together, metal panels, chrome interior details, glass windows that folded down, real fasteners, burgundy interior fabric, rubber tires with white-wall siding, metal spokes, cables, and a miniature motor. My older brothers bet I […]