Top Skill Builders on Make: in 2015

Workshop
Top Skill Builders on Make: in 2015

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Being makers, we all love being shown new skills to learn. So it’s no surprise that the skill builders and tips pieces we publish are some of Make:’s most popular content. Here are ten of the best skill builder articles that we published in 2015. If you want to browse through all of the skills pieces that we’ve published, here’s that link.

Essential Woodworking Tools and Skills with Projects

woodworking_5Our favorite Japanese-style woodworker, Len Cullum, runs through basic woodworking tools and details several projects you can do to try them out.

How to Use Your Digital Calipers: 7 Tips

Store-Tool-FowlerCalipers-CloseUpIn order to take accurate measurements, it’s important to know how to use calipers properly. Digital calipers are your best friend when it comes to taking accurate measurements of small objects. In this piece, Owen Smithyman of Other Machine Co. shows you how to make best use of this often underutilized tool.

Introduction to PVC Pipe

pic0-620x827PVC is an amazing material because its versatility lends itself to countless applications, but exactly what size PVC should you be using for your project? Let’s run through some of the basics.

5 Cool Things You May Not Know About Your Tape Measure

tapeMeasuring_6-620x387We were blown away by how popular this piece became and how many people confessed that they didn’t know about a number of these features that are built into nearly all common tape measures.

How and When to Use Protoboard

m47_Skillbuilder-Board2-620x465If you’re ready to finalize a breadboarded circuit, but not quite ready to create a printed circuit board, then your next step is protoboard.

How to Use a Speed Square

speedSquare_11-620x328In this tutorial, we run through the basics of the speed square, a specialty tool that has its everyday uses.

Types of Bearings and What to Use Them For

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Photo by Fan Jianhua/Shutterstock
Bearings can be used to create rotating motion in your projects. In this tutorial, we run through which bearings will work best for you.

How to Choose, Cut, and Bend Sheet Metal

m46_SB_SheetMetalFannedOut-1-620x465
Sheet metal comes in many varieties and sizes. Here are some tips and tricks to help you get that shiny sheet into your desired shape.

Getting Started with Virtual Reality: An Introduction to Unity

DSC00218-MediumIn this piece, we cover the basics of how you can build virtual worlds in Unity and bring them to life in VR.

Acrylic Cheat Sheet: How to Cut, Glue, Bend, and More

SBacrylic-620x319Learn about the types of acrylic and the best practices for using it so that you can make the most of this material in your projects.

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Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

View more articles by Gareth Branwyn

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