Mike Firth is a hobby glassblower in Dallas, Texas. His site includes a great page on a variety of techniques that can be applied to reclaimed glass bottles, including several methods of cutting them. The site also describes more exotic bottle-working techniques like slumping, stretching, drilling, and blowing out.
Ask MAKE is a weekly column where we answer reader questions, like yours. Write them in to becky@makezine.com or drop us a line on Twitter. We can’t wait to tackle your conundrums! Dan writes in: How are big closed cell polystyrene bocks made? I’ve seen them 12″ square and about 8′ long. Expanded polystyrene foam […]
As part of his attempt at manufacturing a toaster from scratch(!), Thomas Thwaites had to figure a way to smelt his own iron (for the grill piece) – Finding ways to process the raw materials on a domestic scale is also an issue. For example, my first attempt to extract metal involved a chimney pot, […]
Every other week, MAKE’s awesome interns tell about the projects they’re building in the Make: Labs, the trouble they’ve gotten into, and what they’ll make next. By Eric Chu, engineering intern Hammers have been used for millions of years, evolving from a primitive stone tool to the combinations of metals, woods, and plastics commonly seen […]
A few weeks ago my daughter made a mermaid tail at her friend’s birthday party. It was a fun project, and swimming at the pool is a whole different experience now. In her notes on the video, Sasha says that she got the swim/dance wear material at her local fabric store.
A look inside of the fireworks and how they go about painting the sky with fire, light, and color.
There are a few clever pranks here. I particularly like the Mentos stealth geyser. From the Mischief Makers’ Manual.
