How to Build Giant Space Invaders as Public Art
Make contributor Jason Torchinsky describes how he built his gigantic Space Invader sculptures for the IndieCade Festival.
Woodworking
Crafting wood can be a complex and rewarding task, but often times beginners may find themselves frustrated with their results. But no matter where you are in your woodworking journey, there are always tips and tricks that can help you create something beautiful – without breaking the bank. We’re going to look at woodworking tips and tricks for makers of all skill levels so even if you feel like it’s too overwhelming to attempt your own project, we’ll provide some guidance so don’t give up just yet!
What’s this kind of joint called?
I have built a couple of laser-cut and CNC-routed kits, recently, that use this clever arrangement of tabs, slots, and a couple bits of cheap hardware to securely butt one panel against another at a right angle. One panel has a pair of rectangular ports with a round hole in between, and the other has a matching pair of tabs with a smaller T-shaped slot between. In use, the ports receive the tabs and a screw passes through the round hole and along the upright of the T to mate with a square nut captured in the arms of the T. There are many possible variations and the technique has lots to recommend it from a manufacturer’s standpoint.
CNC-cut Wooden Sega Saturn Case Mod
Why settle for off-the-shelf when you can have it your way? Turkish modder c_mon built this custom CNC-cut wooden Sega Saturn enclosure complete with 5-inch LCD liberated from a PSOne, extra cooling fans, stereo speakers, and some cool blue EL wire trim. In addition to custom engraved graphics, attention to detail is spent on custom hinges to support the combination CD drive cover/LCD monitor.
Wood Bikes: Art You Can Ride
Bill Patchett and Bill Holloway create complete bike frames out of wood, following the entire process from felling a tree in the urban forest, to shaping and finishing it. This creative example of reuse becomes a piece of rolling art at Maker Faire Bay Area 2011. Subscribe to the Maker Faire Podcast in iTunes, download […]
Taiko Drums: John O’Halloran (video)
John O’Halloran brought an array of Taiko drums to Maker Faire bay Area 2011, upon which music was played for the duration of the event. Each drum is built from reclaimed wine barrels and each Taiko drumming student is invited to participate in the construction process of their drums before playing them.
Knock On This Block; It’s Actually a Clock
This charming Knock Clock was made by three Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design students for a 48-hour design project. When you knock on the top of this minimalistic wooden box, it knocks back the time of day (to the nearest quarter hour). It even has a basic alarm function, which—naturally—is set by knocking as well. [via Adafruit]
How-To: Build A Victorian Library
John Clarke Mills has been updating us on the progress of his creation of a Victorian style library for the San Francisco Victorian home he’s been renovating. The library is done and it looks great.