From ManMade comes this video about how to create a quick n’ dirty no-sew toolbelt from recycled fabric and duct tape. I don’t think you’re going to rock the construction site in this thing, but for light tools and crafting supplies, it’s an easy way to cobble something together. ManMade Video How-To: Make a Custom, […]
Now, there are a jillion combination pocket/keychain tools on the market. I’ve owned, carried, and used a bunch of them, and I generally find that only the test of time effectively sorts wheat from chaff. I’ve never owned, carried, or used this so-called “screwpop” tool, so I have no way of knowing how it stands up to pocket wear. I’d be a bit nervous that the reversible hex bit would get lost somewhere along the way, although it looks like their bit features a ball detent to hold it in place. Also, for those of you are counting, the “fourth” tool–besides the bottle opener and the flat and phillips screwdrivers–is a 1/4″ hex nut driver, which is a bit of a cheap marketing gimmick because what they’re really talking about, of course, is the socket that holds the hex bit.
But I like the no-frills design and the price is certainly right at $5. If I see one on a counter by a cashwrap at a hardware store someday, I’ll probably pick it up. [Thanks, Kurt!]
I make a bunch of stuff out of plywood. A lot of it is utilitarian furniture–bookshelves, workbenches, occasional chairs and stools. I’ve been wishing for a long time that I could find a plastic substitute material, like the synthetic decking and lumber I see for sale in the hardware stores these days, to use instead, not only for the eco-friendly aspect, but because I’d like to have a material that was naturally water-resistant and did not require finishing.
That’s why I was excited to learn, a few months ago, about EcoSheet, which is a “plywood replacement” panel material manufactured by British firm Environmental Recycling Technologies. I hit them up for a sample and they sent me a 4″ x 4″ x 3/4″ piece of the stuff, which is pictured above. It does not weigh as much as plywood, but seems just as rigid, and drills and cuts easily. And although their initial market seems to be the construction industry, specifically temporary structures erected as barriers and pouring forms, I’m looking forward to experimenting with “off-label” uses when and if it becomes available in small quantities in the US.
EcoSheet is manufactured from 75% recycled material, mostly waste electrical and electronic equipment, and can itself be recycled at the end of its useful life.
I’ve always been a big fan of artist Jim Woodring, and I’ve been keeping Moleskine Cahier sketchbooks for the past four years. So, I was completely jazzed to see these pages from one of Jim’s Cahiers. [via Boing Boing] The Salt-Blarsted Moleskine In the Maker Shed: Pick up The Maker’s Notebook ($19.99) for all your […]
The Woodworks Library has a bunch of PDFs of woodworking books, mostly public domain materials from the late 1800s or early 1900s. However, some of them are more modern, like this US Army Corps of Engineers carpentry manual from 1995. [via open materials] Update to Previous Warning: We posted a warning about possible PDF-based malware […]
Make: Online reader Conor wrote in with a pic of his small, small workshop — on top of an old traveler’s trunk, underneath his loft bed in a 8×8′ room! Kind of reminds me of Adam Wolf’s closet workshop except with more Mexican candles. And what’s that he’s working on? An electric guitar slash bullhorn? […]
Vik Olliver put up a great tutorial about how you can successfully drill down the middle of a shaft using a standard drill press and cheap vise.
