DIY Projects

Computer Fan Fume Extractor

Phil Levchenko, who shared his DIY power supply a couple weeks ago, has a new project: I’ve got a new tool on my workbench – portable fume extractor. It’s 92mm fan that works from 4 AA batteries and has a variable speed. Mobility is a really good thing, especially when you’ve got a tons of […]

Radio Controlled Flying Super Hero

Radio Controlled Flying Super Hero

Portland, Oregon resident Greg Tanous designed this superhumanoid R/C airplane that is almost certain to delight any child, inner or outer, who beholds it. Given the unbridled awesomeness of its subject, I am inclined to forgive the er, enthusiastic rock music soundtrack in this video, but feel obliged to warn of it. Greg sells plans and full kits for a couple version of his design.

Pringles Can Antenna Turns 10

Pringles Can Antenna Turns 10

Ten years ago, over a hot 4th of July weekend, a few of us “alpha geeks” were hanging out on Rob Flickenger‘s porch in Sebastopol, CA testing out homebrew microwave antennas when we stumbled upon the fact that you could squeeze about 12db out of an empty Pringles can and some miscellaneous hardware. At the […]

Ring-shaped 3D Scanner

Ring-shaped 3D Scanner

MAKE subscriber Uros wrote to us to share the projects by some of the students in ENSCI, a product design school in Paris, France. I especially liked the design of the 3D scanner demonstrated in the video above. The scanner uses a laser pointer moving along a ring-shaped track around an object to find a […]

The Flame Tube Project (and Contest Coming Soon!)

The Flame Tube Project (and Contest Coming Soon!)

Based on the work of German quantum physics pioneer, Heinrich Rubens, I designed this flame tube so propane gas inside the tube flows through holes drilled along the top, and flames are then lit above. I send a sound wave into the tube with a loudspeaker at the other end. When the tube is driven at one of its resonance frequencies, flames form a visual standing wave pattern, as you can see in the picture. Vary the pitch and change the volume to get different patters.