Tedd McDonah’s Recyclures
Metalsmith Tedd McDonah makes these gorgeous fishing lures from recycled cans. He calls them “Recyclures.”
Workshop
The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for the industrial arts from metal and woodworking to CNC machining and 3D printing.
Design Your Own Chocolate Bar
With Easter coming up, the smell of chocolate is definitely in the air. Luckily, our friends at BurdaStyle turned us on to Chocri, a German chocolate maker that offers people the chance to design your own high-quality, just-for-you bar. We were delighted to try the process, and came up with some delicious creations. And naming […]
Tilt-N-Trap 3D-printed mousetrap
Mark Fuller sent us this video demoing his 3D-printed, humane mousetrap. Love this simple gravity-powered design. Mark says he made the trap with the help of the rapid prototyping class at Pennsylvania College of Technology (www.pct.edu). The device was printed on the Dimension uPrint, in little a under six hours. Tilt-N-Trap (Mouse Trap) on Thingiverse […]
Do It Proper with Copper
I love all of the instructional videos that are now available online. At this point, there are probably very few trades where you couldn’t get a decent starter education in the subject just by studying videos (and other materials) at trade association websites, online trade mags, and YouTube channels. The Copper Development Association is producing […]
Cool little 4-in-1 pocket tool
Now, there are a jillion combination pocket/keychain tools on the market. I’ve owned, carried, and used a bunch of them, and I generally find that only the test of time effectively sorts wheat from chaff. I’ve never owned, carried, or used this so-called “screwpop” tool, so I have no way of knowing how it stands up to pocket wear. I’d be a bit nervous that the reversible hex bit would get lost somewhere along the way, although it looks like their bit features a ball detent to hold it in place. Also, for those of you are counting, the “fourth” tool–besides the bottle opener and the flat and phillips screwdrivers–is a 1/4″ hex nut driver, which is a bit of a cheap marketing gimmick because what they’re really talking about, of course, is the socket that holds the hex bit.
But I like the no-frills design and the price is certainly right at $5. If I see one on a counter by a cashwrap at a hardware store someday, I’ll probably pick it up. [Thanks, Kurt!]
How-To: Tin Can Punch Light
Punched metal is a classic technique used worldwide that transforms tin scraps and old cans into beautiful and delicate pieces of art. This project uses a recycled tomato can filled with ice to create a sturdy and safe candle holder. The standard motifs for this type of project include hearts, stars, and spirals, but I […]
Revolutions in Model Making conference
The Association of Professional Model Makers (APMM) 2010 conference, “Revolutions in Model Making – Creating the Future Faster,” will be held on March 26-29, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Cambridge, MA. The conference’s keynote speaker is Neil Gershenfeld, Director of MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms and author of FAB: The Coming Revolution on […]