Swedish artist Michael Johansson made this life-size dinghy “model kit” from a real boat and related equipment. The pieces of “TOYS’R’US,” as it’s called, are fastened together by a welded tubular frame and painted a uniform gray. Michael has done several of these 1:1 “model” kits made from life-size original objects. [via Dude Craft]
I have written before about Thingiverse user fdavies’ ongoing project to produce a 3D-printer that requires no precision-ground shafting or bearings using printable hinged actuators based on the Sarrus linkage (Wikipedia). Why would you want to do that? Well, because precision shafting and bearings are currently beyond the abilities of most 3D printers, and if you can build the printer itself using printable substitutes for them, then you’re that much closer to a truly self-replicating home fab system. Keep it up, man!
I recall late great UT-Austin Philosophy professor Robert Solomon once saying in lecture, “We’re lucky babies are so helpless, because if they had any power at all they would destroy the world.” Well, Chinese artist Shi Jinsong is apparently trying to immanentize that particular eschaton by arming the world’s infants with engines of destruction worthy of a Space Marine Terminator. Way to go, dude. [via Dude Craft]
In brass and stainless steel. From Mark Ho of Zoho International Artforms. Thank you, Mark, for inspiring us all. [via The Automata / Automaton Blog]
What a wild few weeks for open source hardware and for small businesses, check out this report from Inuit… It’s called the “Intuit Future of Small Business Report – Hobbypreneurs”. They outline the maker movement and talk about many maker companies… Today’s passion-driven hobbyists are tomorrow’s entrepreneurs – otherwise known as hobbypreneurs, who successfully combine […]
Make: Online pal/guest writer Paul Overton, of Dude Craft fame, just launched a new blog in collaboration with Craftypod’s Diane Gilleland called Make & Meaning, which seems to focus more on the process of creation than on particular products thereof. I feel like blogging in general, and particularly blogging in the DIY community, needs more of this “long view” type analysis. Make & Meaning seems like a step in the right direction.
The wood of choice is the knot clusters in the Southern White Pine. The outer shape of the shade is turned first. After the outside shape is turned the wood is treated with two thick coats of epoxy. After this dries the inner side of the shade is turned. The thickness of the shades varies from 1/32 to 3/32 of an inch, depending upon the translucent properties of the particular wood and the final desired color of the glowing wood. The final thickness of the shade is achieved by turning the inside of the shade in the dark with the workpiece backlit.
