DIY Projects

Meet The Makers: Jason, Jimmy and Kiran

Jimmy Chion, Jason Chua, and Kiran Malladi are the creators of Lightchimes, a beautiful lamp made from 169 hanging LED pendants. The circuit is simple, but the results are complex. This project is about interaction- without interference from a participant, the lights would never shine. Similarly, without collaborative interaction, this project would never have become […]

3D-Printed Lathe

If you’d like to try your hand at turning on a lathe, but don’t want to shell out for a machine, how about printing your own EZLathe? Paul writes:

So I’ve built a complete mini lathe system I’m calling the EZLathe… Fully 3D Printable except a small motor, and a couple pieces of cheap electronics. And able to do small wood turning jobs, or small pieces of pretty much anything.

Add a few stepper motors and a controller, and before you know it you’ve got a nifty little cnc lathe.

The One-Hour Hat

Late April is probably not the time of year to get interested in designing and making fleece hats, but that’s what has happened to me over the past day or so. The other night, I decided that the fleece hat I’ve worn for most of the winter is too tight, and resolved to make my own. Sewing is new to me, and I’m trying to build my skills with this ancient craft and learning how to use my recently acquired sewing machine. As I’m doing this and other projects, one of my goals is to develop classroom projects for my high school students. The slideshow above shows the photos documenting the process of creating one hat.

DIY Geiger Counters Take Center Stage

DIY Geiger Counters Take Center Stage

MAKE’s interview with hardware hacker Akiba highlighted a fascinating trend: individuals and small groups taking their safety into their own hands by creating, modifying, and networking radiation detectors, a.k.a. Geiger counters, rather than relying on governments for information. The following projects and kits aim to put Geiger counters in the hands of ordinary makers. Resources […]