Use data loggers and DIY sensors to map temperatures where you live. Towns are hotter than countryside, parking lots are scorching compared to green fields — what else can you discover? Another great amateur science project from Forrest M. Mims III, who shows you how to build and mount simple sensors and then deploy them on cars to take mobile transects, then use the data to create temperature maps.
Keep your pet happy and hydrated with this simple build.
With this portable and inexpensive launcher, even the youngest kids can achieve impressive flights with the Rocket Glider from MAKE Volume 31.
Make a fun propeller toy, complete with a ripcord launcher. Grip it, and rip it!
Stop ants from getting into your hummingbird feeder with a DIY moat.
How to make killer videos from your multicopter or drone.
Make a DIY television with the ability to display broadcast TV programs. It will also play movies with the help of a Raspberry Pi microcontroller serving as media center!
Build the simple plane that defined modern aircraft — 100 years before the Wright brothers. Another fun and fascinating project from William Gurstelle's "Remaking History" column in MAKE.
Whenever I need a small turned item, I resort to tricking my drill press into thinking it’s a lathe.
Build a powerful pocket flashlight with reclaimed parts and an “undead” battery! The clever "joule thief" circuit powers a 3V LED with a single 1.5V battery and it can even run on dead batteries — and it all fits into an empty lip balm tube. Make a bunch and give them to your friends.
A few clever cuts and you’ll be serving in style! Here’s an hors d’oeuvre tray you can make with only bamboo and a little glue. Somewhere between grass and wood on God’s celestial materials list, bamboo is exceptional stuff. Lightweight, strong, elastic, and durable, it’s one of mankind’s earliest building materials. It works, bonds, and finishes well. This tray is perfect for serving party snacks — and it also makes an interesting wall decoration, hung either side out.
From regular MAKE contributor Len Cullum, a simple and elegant woodworking project for the picnic basket or the dining table. Make one for yourself or someone special, and learn a new trick while you're at it — how to use a drill press as a lathe for turning small wooden objects.