DIY science is the perfect way to use your creative skills and learn something new. With the right supplies, some determination, and a curious mind, you can create amazing experiments that open up a whole world of possibilities. At home-made laboratories or tech workshops, makers from all backgrounds can explore new ideas by finding ways to study their environment in novel ways – allowing them to make breathtaking discoveries!
Adam Wolf of Wayne and Layne built this Van De Graaff generator out of a cheap hobbyist motor, a rubber band, some Shape Lock, a pop can, a toothpick, and other el-cheapo components. I built this in one afternoon at my parent’s place in Wisconsin–in a town that lacks good hardware stores. While building it, […]
Back in April I blogged about the plans and kits for this and other elaborate laser-cut wooden models available from WoodMarvels.com. At the time, I snarked a bit about how all the images on their website are actually CG renderings, implying that, with models that complicated, it’d be nice to have some reassurance that somebody, somewhere, had put together a real physical version in the real physical world before giving up the green. Well, MAKE pal and dynamite CNC contractor Angus Hines sprung for a set of plans, cut the parts on his own equipment, and took these cool photos of the assembled model on red clay to suggest the Martian surface. [Thanks, Angus!]
In Breakthroughs to Cures, happening all day November 9th, you are launched into the future and asked how you would prevent major health catastrophes if you had unlimited resources and support from the President of the good ol’ U.S. of A.
That’s one lucky pup! Dachshunds are prone to back injuries, what with their adorably long backs and all. Joelsprayberry on Instructables made this dachshund wheelchair for after his injury, for use until he can walk again.
Apart from the fact that the bricks and plates are open at their bottoms, and so the pieces always have one side that can’t be “smooth,” Lego is a pretty handy way to prototype interlocking solid puzzles. Many of these are based on cubic units, and can be built in Lego at a scale of 1 cube = 2 studs x 2 studs x 5 plates.
Eric Harshbarger, whose Lego hijinks we’ve featured a couple times before, has produced some lovely models based on this principle. Shown above are his 6-piece burr, checkered solid pentominoes, Soma cube, and deluxe polycube set. The awesomeness continues at Eric’s site.
This hobby rocketeer made a very simple camera mount and payload bay for this el cheapo Aiptek digital camera. Using an adjustable hole cutter tool, some plywood, Bondo, polycarbonate tubing, and some hardware, he built a simple but effective camera bay. Here’s a video from the rocket’s POV. Going Aiptek More: How-To: Make your own […]
By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics If you love geometry, you can let everyone know by wearing dodecahedra with elegance and style! These dresses with sewn-on paper polyhedra embellishments were designed by Amila Hrustic. I’m not sure how one sits in a dress textured with tetrahedra, but it certainly gets points for fashion. […]
