Plastic sculptures by Robert Bradford
Sculptures made from plastic toys by Robert Bradford… [via inspire me now]
Fun & Games
The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for bikes, rockets, R/C vehicles, toys and other diversions.
Fallout 3 replica weapons
Ryan Palser, aka Flickr user citizensnips, built this impressive replica of the AER-9 laser rifle from Bethesda’s runaway hit RPG Fallout 3. He’s also got some work-in-progress shots of a replica A3-21 plasma rifle that is shaping up to be even more impressive. Nice work, Ryan–let us know when it’s finished! [via Propnomicon]
NXT robot walks up stairs, gingerly
222Doc claims his robot X2 is the first Lego biped to climb steps. He has other videos on his YouTube channel including one where X2 stands on its head and another where it walks like a chicken. Awesome project! [Via The NXT Step]
How-To: Cast your own miniatures from a master model
I’ll admit to having wargame minis on the brain this morning. As a commenter on my earlier post pointed out, a cheaper alternative to Shapeways printing of your entire computer-modeled miniature army is to print just one of each unit type, then use the print as a master to make your own mold and cast a bunch of duplicates. Heck, while you’re at it, you might even just print the mold itself. This page provides a set of pretty good tutorials about duplicating miniatures by casting. [Thanks, RichB!]
Print your own wargaming minis
It used to be that if you wanted anything other than “stock” miniatures for your games, you had to laboriously customize or scratch-build each unit by hand. Now, if you can use Blender, you can design, pose, and print your army and have them shipped to you, ready to paint.
Inside a console refurbishment facility
Check out this great behind-the-scenes look at video game retailer GameStop’s massive refurbishment facility in Grapevine, TX. The market for used games and gear is huge and GameStop’s operation looks to be quite extensive.
Nintendo Zapper-controlled pinball
The 24/7 hardware hacking juggernaut known as Jeri Ellsworth whipped up this controller hack for a Star Trek pinball game. You fire a Nintendo Zapper light gun at some IR sensors that trigger the flipper switches. Jeri shows you the simple circuit she used and the operation of the machine. Set phasers to frustration… er… […]