Scratchbuilt: M65 Atomic Cannon
Architect Paul Gaertner built this beautiful 1/72 scale replica of the so-called “Atomic Annie” US M65 nuclear-capable 280mm artillery piece, and its two specially-built tractors.
Retro
Cordless Candlestick
Long-time MAKE reader Adam Ben-Dror carefully reskinned a 2.4 Ghz cordless phone handset with a 90-year-old candlestick telephone. A DTMF converter in the base preserves the function of the original rotary dial. Calls are begun by lifting the earpiece and ended by hanging it up. As Adam writes, “the only sign that anything has been altered is the missing cord.”
Tips for Preserving Plastic Artifacts
Though “plastic” has now largely overcome its “The Graduate”-era connotation of “necessarily cheap, fake, and ephemeral,” it remains the case that plastic objects—especially those manufactured early in the history of plastics technology—present unusual challenges for long-term conservation.
Centaur Skeleton
Reportedly a custom job by osteological specimen-house Skulls Unlimited, though I can find no mention of it on their site.
Hacked Knitting Machine Depicts Cosby’s Face (video)
CRAFT sure had a great time at World Maker Faire last weekend. Here’s a highlight:
Andrew Salomone uses a hacked knitting machine from the 80s to “print” digital images into knitted garments. At World Maker Faire New York 2011, Andrew demonstrates the knitting machine and shows off its creations including a sweater with Bill Cosby’s face.
Make Sparks in Your Parlor
In the early 1880s, British inventor James Wimshurst created an electrostatic generator called the Wimshurst Influence Machine, influence machines being a class of generators that separate electric charges through electrostatic induction, or influence. Not only did the sparks created by the machine provide for great scientific demonstration, but experiments like the “electric kiss” were popular […]
The Museum of Interesting Things Interview
Attending Maker Faire can be like a magical glimpse into the future with all of its ingenuity and intellect, robots, rocket, and gadgets galore. But some makers, like Denny Daniel and his Museum of Interesting Things, are there to bring a window to the past. Denny will be at Maker Faire New York, taking place […]
