Kits

HELLO! My Name is LED Nametag Kit

HELLO! My Name is LED Nametag Kit

Larry Ogrodnek created this fun LED Nametag Kit, an electronics hobbyistโ€™s version of those ubiquitous โ€œHELLO! My Name Isโ€ stickers that are typically worn at awkward gatherings. An onboard Attiny13 microcontroller allows you to switch between four built-in programs: all letters on, letter chase, fade, and blink. To help you make your own custom nametag, Larry even set up an online name layout tool to help you figure out where the LEDs should be placed before you solder them in.

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Building the MakerGear Mosaic 3D Printer – Part V: The Extruder

Building the MakerGear Mosaic 3D Printer – Part V: The Extruder

This is the fifth installment of my series on building the MakerGear Mosaic 3D printer. This part covers installation of the “business end” of the machine, i.e. the extruder assembly, which consists of the preassembled motor and filament drive / hot-end groups, and the cooling fan. The fan and heater power leads, and the temperature sensor lead, are also connected at this stage.

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Building the MakerGear Mosaic 3D Printer – Part II: The Y-Axis

Building the MakerGear Mosaic 3D Printer – Part II: The Y-Axis

This is the second installment of my series on building Rick and Karen Pollack’s MakerGear Mosaic 3D printer. This part covers assembly of the robot’s first of three Cartesian axes. One of the nice features of the Mosaic kit is that several of the more complex subassemblies are supplied pre-built, greatly simplifying construction. This stage of the build consists essentially of…

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How-To: Holography

I always assumed that the process of making a hologram was so complex that it was limited to only those with access to expensive lasers and other fancy optical equipment. But when I heard that the Maker Shed started carrying Litiholoโ€™s Hologram Kit, I was surprised that such a thing existed and I was eager to give it a try. After carefully following the directions, my first hologram was visible, but just barely. This was better than I expected, actually. The manual stresses that controlling vibration is the most important factor in creating a good hologram, but I live in a busy Brooklyn apartment building that often feels the low rumble of the subway trains rolling by. I tried to make another, but this time I increased the exposure time from five minutes to fifteen as the instructions suggested. The result was a surprisingly sharp hologram of a toy car.

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