Wood screws

Infrared String Bass

Infrared String Bass

In this project we’re going to take inspiration from Len Keeler’s original Elastic String Bass. We’ll pick it up (no pun intended) and run with it, adding multiple strings for different tonal qualities, etch our own printed circuit board (PCB), and of course, demonstrate the instrument. First we will breadboard the basic version of this […]

PVC Table from MAKE Volume 30

PVC Kids’ Table and Stool

This small table fits young kids perfectly — and they can scribble to their hearts’ content on the dry-erase tabletop.

Hovercraft Shop Vac

Hovercraft Shop Vac

I have owned several shop vacuum cleaners, but regardless of the make, I never liked the way the casters worked. They never rolled where I wanted them to. When I recently had to replace a worn-out shop vacuum, I looked for a way to improve the mobility of the new machine. That’s when I realized […]

Inkle Loom

Inkle Loom

Weaving is one of my favorite crafts because it’s meditative and challenging, practical and artistic. It combines plain-woven cloth’s simple elegance with the astounding complexity of a kilim split-stitch tapestry. I love the way woven straps look, but the idea of warping my floor loom just to make something as narrow as a strap for […]

Steam-Powered BoilerBot

Steam-Powered BoilerBot

You may be familiar with the battery-powered, pager motor-driven, toothbrush head bristle bot. This project turns that modern classic into a retro-fantastic, Steampunk delight by replacing the battery with a fire stoked steam boiler, the pager motor with a single-action, oscillating piston steam engine, and the toothbrush head with a pair of wire brushes!