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New in the Maker Shed: Geiger Counter Kit

New in the Maker Shed: Geiger Counter Kit

Commercial Geiger counters can cost hundreds of dollars. With this Geiger Counter Kit from the Maker Shed you can build your own at a fraction of the price! This easy to solder kit can be built in an evening and it works just like you think it would; clicking and blinking in the presence of radiation. Is grandma’s dish collection radioactive? Do bananas give off radiation? Are your granite table tops giving off gamma rays? After you build your own Geiger Counter you’ll be able to find out!

Continue Reading Michael Castor6
Scratchbuilt: Vought F4U-D Corsair

Scratchbuilt: Vought F4U-D Corsair

Retired dentist Young C. Park built this 1/16 scale replica of the WWII-era fighter plane mostly from common aluminum roof flashing, like the kind you can buy in big rolls at most hardware stores. Dr. Park spent considerable time and energy developing special methods for working this material, including an annealing technique that’s a real gem of practical hands-on shop technique…

Continue Reading Sean Michael Ragan18
The Musical Invention of Bart Hopkin

The Musical Invention of Bart Hopkin

We’ve written about the work of instrument inventor and musician Bart Hopkin here on MAKE before. But I just spent a bunch of time on his site today and am enchanted for the experience. A lot of instrument inventor/builders create objects that look cool but don’t sound very… instrumental. Or others create devices that make great sounds but aren’t much to look at. Bart’s pieces are novel, gorgeous, and sound amazing.

Continue Reading Gareth Branwyn