Prolific MAKE contributor, Andrew Lewis, has a piece up on Upcraft showing off his workshop. It’s a really sweet looking setup: There is an oscilloscope fixed under the bench, and an easel above. I like to think that I’m working between two different ends of the creative spectrum, with art above me and science below. […]
Whatever else may be said of me, I am fundamentally a dreamer: I have ideas. Lots of them. Most are terrible (ask me sometime about my scheme to potty-train cattle), but every so often one will work out. And, like many creative people, when others see my work I often get asked “How did you ever think of that?” When I was younger, the process was as mysterious to me as to anybody else. But over the years I’ve learned a lot about where my ideas come from and what to do with them when they pop up, and the more I read about and talk to other creative people, the more I come to believe that there are, in fact, some more-or-less universal principles of creativity. And while there will always be something mysterious in the workings of the muse, I do not subscribe to the common belief that creativity is a magical gift bestowed on some and not on others. Like drawing, doing algebra, or speaking a second language, having original ideas is a mental skill that can be developed and, with practice, can become second nature. What follows is a brief list of the stations on my own personal “assembly line” of ideas. If you need an idea and can’t seem to have one, give it a read, give it a try, and see what shakes loose. If it works for you, remember it; if it doesn’t, throw it away. Experiment, as always, and develop your own process.
I have to admit, I love checking out other peoples notebooks, especially if it’s a Makers Notebook. This year, my kids came with me to Maker Faire San Mateo and each one of them documented the trip in their notebook. I posted a few of my favorite pages, with permission, for you to enjoy. Hope […]
OK, that’s clever. Similar to the drilling-through-a-coffee-cup trick for ceilings. [via There, I Fixed It]
Instructables user cbm104 attributes this cool trick to a leather-working book published in the ’60s, the title of which he does not remember. If anybody knows the reference, I’m sure he’d be glad for a heads-up. Or just leave a comment here and I’ll pass it along.
This lovely object is more than just an interesting gewgaw: It’s called a “turner’s cube”–so named, I think, because it is a challenge for one who turns on a lathe rather than eponymously–and according to Bob Warfield, “[i]n the old days, novice machinist’s [sic] were handed one and told to work out how to make one of their own.” Bob’s got a cool page describing his efforts to make one manually and then using a CNC mill, with some bonus commentary on this thread by CNC Zone member widgitmaster, who made the cube pictured above, using the jig pictured above, on a big engine lathe. Beautiful!
Halloween’s almost upon us, and it’s time to carve up some jack-o’-lanterns. I have great respect for people who take hours to lavishly carve pumpkin masterpieces. I also have very little time to make my own pumpkins. My kids and I just want to get them carved, set a candle inside, and move on to roasting the seeds as quickly as possible. So I decided to forgo the knife and use a cordless Dremel Multi-Max oscillating tool to make quick work of Mr. O’Lantern. Follow the steps below and you too can crank out an army of chilling, thrilling Halloween pumpkins in no time.
