Here’s something I didn’t know about. Radio geeks and hobby audio enthusiasts use PCB copper cladding material to fabricate handsome project chassis. The main method of assembly is soldering. In this PDF tutorial from QRP Builder, a small chassis for a radio transceiver is built. Some really good tips in this article about building such project boxes and making sure the results are handsome.
Machinist Bob Schneeveis along with Grant Grundler made the Solar Electric Robot Chariot. Powered by the Sun, the chariot is pulled by an anatomic machine that walks on wheels to lengthen its stride. Machined almost completely out of metal, the mechanics of this art car are shown at Maker Faire Bay Area 2011.
Follow along as YouTuber freeridemtb2 shows us how to assemble Nerf Stefan darts using some poly foam caulk saver and a hot glue gun.
A little while ago, the utility gods smiled upon my house, renewing the electricity, telephone and internet. Hurricane Irene provided many people an opportunity to examine our cultural commitment to the systems of technology. We were without these modern amenities for about 48 hours, long enough to regain a healthy appreciation.
Thinking back upon my family’s recent technology vacation, it occurs to me that more things fell into the ‘Works Fine’ category than the ‘Doesn’t Work’ category. There’s also the ‘Works, but…’ column, which may be the most interesting to us makers. Having things stop working gives a great view into the systems that we depend on, how they work, how they fail, and what we can do to either prevent failure or deal with it when it comes our way.
ITP students Michell Cardona and Nelson Ramon Ramirez created several different oscillating wind generators before settling on something that works the best. Similar to the Humdinger in function, their Linear Wind Electricity Catcher works by fluttering a magnet in close proximity to a transformer, which translates kinetic energy to electrical energy after being rectified.
The most magnificent Lish Dorset, one of our CRAFT mavens, built herself an awesome custom work table. OK, she mostly cajoled her boyfriend, Nick Britsky, into doing it. Nice job, guys!
Poulsen’s Wire Recoder Kit, from the Maker Shed, uses wire and magnetism to record sound. Danish engineer Valdemar Poulsen discovered that it was possible to record electrical signals in magnetic material and invented the magnetic wire recorder (telegraphone) in 1898. This simple yet fascinating kit lets you explore this phenomenon not just on wire but anything magnetic! Save your voice on scissors, chairs, or even an escalator!
