Top 10: Flamethrowers!
A look at ten of our favorite flamethrowers covered here on Make:.
Fun & Games
The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for bikes, rockets, R/C vehicles, toys and other diversions.
A Mechanical Take on an Arcade Classic
You can’t hear me, but I’m giving Gustavo, the creator of this mechanical version of Out Run, a slow clap for such an impressive build. Made in over a month using spare time, he managed to capture all the features of this classic Sega arcade game in an Arduino-driven, servo-spinning tabletop console.
Wax Sculpting Tutorial
I’m out at MAKE HQ in Sebastopol (from Arlington, VA) with much of the MAKE team this week as we do our 2012 planning. I’ve been having fun geeking out with Jason Babler, our new senior art director, over garage figure modeler. He just showed me this amazing sculpt and resin cast he did of the Diablo III Unburied figure.
Hi-Tech H45
If you want a more challenging high-power build experience, I like the Hi-Tech H45 kit. It’s big (2.63″ diameter and 49″ tall), with sturdy plywood fins and a durable plastic nose cone, and it can handle motor types F through I. I got my first high-power certification on this model back in 1990. Good times!
Big Daddy
A few rungs up the ladder toward high power is Estes’ Big Daddy, a chunky, 3″- diameter model. While designed for D and E solid rocket motors, it can easily handle AeroTech’s 24mm F motors. It’s not much more difficult to build than the Astra, but bear in mind that an E motor has up to […]
Mars Lander
If you want a more challenging project that takes shape with some real cutting and sanding, small manufacturer Semroc produces high-quality balsa rocket kit reproductions. The Mars Lander, originally sold by Estes in the 1970s, is a beautifully realistic-looking spacecraft with spring-loaded landing legs. You can also try their Saturn 1B ($78), a 1/70 scale re-creation of the […]
Desktop Trebuchet
RLT Industries has gone above and beyond with its Desktop Trebuchet kit. Each piece of wood is carefully chosen and precisely computer-cut. All the required tools can be found around your house or at a hobby shop, and the instructions are very detailed. However, as instructed, I used wood glue on the main frame and […]