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The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for the kitchen, garage and backyard from food to furniture to fun & games for your family.

Radically folding deployable table design

Radically folding deployable table design

The obvious caveat, here, is that these are CG renderings of a concept design. Even relatively simple devices and mechanisms tend to breed unexpected problems in the transition from virtual to actual, and, IMNSHO, the cat’s not really in the bag until you’ve made a real one in the real world. Still, pretty delightful mechanical design here. It’s called “Grand Central,” from Swedish freelance designers Sanna Lindström and Sigrid Strömgren. [Thanks, Billy Baque!]

Continue Reading Sean Michael Ragan2

Skeleton Bodysuit

My preoccupation with bones knows no crafty bounds, so this skeleton bodysuit naturally had me drooling all the way over to the GoodHoodStore. Admittedly, this exact project is one of the primary reasons I own a computerized knitting machine. [via Street Anatomy] More: CRAFT Video: Skeleton Cardigan

Continue Reading Becky Stern
Bulbdial clock has no moving parts, casts shadows for hands

Bulbdial clock has no moving parts, casts shadows for hands

This clever clock kit from EMSL has an analog-style face, but no hands. Instead, kinda like a sundial, it has a “gnomon” that sticks up in the middle. Three rings of inward-pointing LEDs are positioned around the rim, each a different color and each at a different angle relative to the face. The blue ring is at the shallowest angle, and thus casts the longest shadow representing the “seconds” hand. The red ring is at the steepest angle and casts the shortest shadow to make the “hours” hand. The green ring, in the middle, is minutes. Check the video above, courtesy YouTube user amandachou, to see it in action.

The “Bulbdial” clock is available as a kit with four different case options, but the clear/black variety shown above is definitely my favorite because it shows off the cool retro-futurist logo on the circuit board. Here’s a time-lapse video of YouTuber jcorsaro building one from a kit.

Continue Reading Sean Michael Ragan