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!
John writes “Here’s how to make a device that is useful for visualizing the movement of small particles and for demonstrating slip planes, dislocations, defect holes, and the three states of matter. If you would rather not create your own, you can buy one for $50, but this DIY version costs about $8”. Link.
Devin writes “These pages are a nice guide to making high voltage items (toys?) out of trash! These two pages show how to make a Tesla Coil out of trash, and how to hook up TV flyback ransformers for all sorts of fun HV stuff (arcs, jacob’s ladders, capacitor-bank charging, coin-shrinking, etc.)” Link & Link.
Crabfu’s awesome steam powered creations – “These steam machines are real miniature live steam engines. Principles are simple, heat + water = steam, steam pushes pistons and provides power in a circular motion…. how you harness that work is up to you :) I use mainly stationary or marine engines to start. They use alcohol, gas, or solid fuel tablets for heat, and requires oiling on each run. Distilled water is recommended, and steam pressure can build up around .8 – 1.5 bars, or around 10-20 psi…. NOT a lot of pressure. They have safety valves which releases the steam at a certain pressure, as not to “blow up”, and typical running time is about 10 minutes.” Link.
“Mr. Anton Peterka along with his team, made his ’85 Yugo 45, using wood and coal for fuel. It’s not a new technology, 125 years old. The process is based on incomplete combustion of wood: due to lack of air, gases are created: carbon monoxide, the main fuels, hydrogen and methane. That mixture of gases is as flammable as gasoline fumes. To get the car moving, it is necessary to “fill it up with wood.” Thanks Nikitos! Link.
Looks like this auction was removed from eBay – “Everybody needs one of these, cleaning out the garage, this little car is so much fun, it is thrust powered by 2 GE t-58 turbines, has 4 fuel tanks, power steering, power brakes, fire detection, fire suppression, roll over protection, self starting and quick. I have taken this car to the salt flats twice, the first time it wanted to fly @ 140 mph, but after adding the spoilers and air dam it stayed solid thru 187 mph with a lot more room to go.” Link.
Clever cat hack from Charles Platt who is sitting in for Kevin Kelly on the Cool Tools mailing list – “…Feline Automotive Observation Platform. My cat, Eddie, used to complain constantly during car rides, but his limited vocabulary made it difficult to deduce the precise nature of his problem. When I constructed a simple detachable plywood panel faced with a thin doormat for enhanced claw traction, his complaints ceased immediately. Now he sits happily with his nose pressed to the windshield, enjoying the scenery when I got for a drive. The two supporting struts hook onto the sun-visor mounts, and can be attached or removed in ten seconds.” Link. & main site.
Hans Schepker’s mathematically correct glass and sculpture site is an excellent read – “All my stained glass work is based on geometry. Yes, it is math I am talking about! The following lines are a short explanation of the shapes I work with and a bit of theory around them.” Thanks