DIY Projects

Twitchie Scorpion

Twitchie Scorpion

I made this scorpion toy with a Twitchie Robot Kit. I’m really afraid of scorpions where I live in Arizona, so I thought a friendly toy would help me get used to them. I made his plush body from some fabric I had around, aiming to make him look like an Arizona bark scorpion, which are tan/yellowish/translucent. Twitchie is Arduino powered and comes pre-programmed, so it’s an excellent kit for beginners in robotics, because no programming is required! You can download and modify the code if you want, and it’s pretty light on the soldering, too. I’d recommend Twitchie for young makers (boys & girls, too!) interested in robotics or moving plush toys. You can buy the Twitchie Robot Kit in the Maker Shed:
http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKTET2

Music is “At the Crack of Noon” by Shuutobi, http://shuutobi.com

Continue Reading Makemagazineuser
Linocut Letter-A-Day

Linocut Letter-A-Day

Brooklyn-based graphic designer Aymie Spitzer is challenging herself to carve a linocut letter every day for the month of March. Her typeface of choice? Champion Gothic because of her “deep rooted affection with its ampersand.” [via swissmiss] More: 30 Days of Creativity start today Instrument-a-Day project

Continue Reading Matt Richardson2

Collin’s Lab: Homebrew Piezo

Piezoelectric materials are about as close to magic as you can get. They turn physical pressure into electricity and can even turn electricity into physical pressure – an amazing sort of bidirectional converter for mechanical and electrical energies. Perhaps even more amazing is the fact that you can easily ‘grow’ your own piezoelectric crystals overnight […]

Continue Reading Collin Cunningham60
Top 10: Shelves And Shelving

Top 10: Shelves And Shelving

I recall an infomercial a few years back for a little plastic triangle that stuck in a corner, between two walls, to make a small corner shelf. I don’t remember the exact name of the product, but I do remember that the commercial exhausted all the obvious self/shelf puns: “shelf esteem,” “shelf confidence,” “shelf defense,” “shelf-employed,” etc., etc. So I’ll forgo I’ll the all the opportunities this topic offers for shelf-referential humor and just get down to business.

Continue Reading Sean Michael Ragan47