The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for the industrial arts from metal and woodworking to CNC machining and 3D printing.
I am so excited about this book. If you have a little boy, you will have already noticed that not only is it hard to find cute boy clothes, it’s just as hard to find cute boy patterns so you can make your own. Enter Sewing for Boys, by the ladies who brought you Patterns […]
Whenever there’s an available surplus of watch parts it seems that makers tend to gravitate toward constructing vehicular creations: motorcycles, mopeds, etc. We’ve covered these kinds of slick, brassy machines in the past, and Blogger user 2nde VIE (2nd Life) follows where other such makers left off, but then veers into creature territory. He uses the discarded parts to make clockwork owls, turtles, and other entities that have a whimsy that’s all their own. [via Recyclart]
Nick Leindecker of the Stanford Optical Society shows Laser Craze, a laser cutter that is controlled by two knobs much in the way an Etch a Sketch works. At Maker Faire Bay Area 2011 he allowed attendees to try out his invention on various burnable surfaces, while also showing his LED creations.
Schuyler Towne, the locksport aficionado who rode the Kickstarter wave to the tune of $87K, has uploaded a 24-part lockpicking course to YouTube. I can’t wait to dive in!
As part of our Plastics theme, we’ve uploaded Charles Platt’s excellent ABS Plastic Fantastic Desk Set article from MAKE Volume 10. By the time you’re done, you’ll have three handsome, handmade desk set pieces (a pen holder, a CD caddy/drawer, and a book/magazine stand) and a great introduction to working with ABS. What is “ABS” you ask?
Among other whimsical items, Xylocopa Design fabricates unique musical instruments, such as this 5 stringed boxy fiddle. These creations were born from Michele’s practice in musical instrument repair and grew into the design of completely new instruments that she demonstrated for delighted visitors at Maker Faire Bay Area 2011.
In honor of Plastics month here on MAKE, I’m excited to chime in with some of my recent Zero to Maker exploits into the world of silicone. For the non-maker (or “pre-maker,” as I like to say), working with plastic can be revelatory. It opens your eyes to the wonders and possibilities of easily creating everyday objects and provides a new perspective on the way so much of our world is manufactured.
