New in the Maker Shed: Plug-in Breadboard Power Supply 3.3V/5V
A very simple breadboard power supply kit that takes power from a DC wall wart and outputs a selectable 5V or 3.3V regulated voltage.
Tools
Custom case for Chumby Guts
Joe Bowers designed a case for his Chumby Guts and asked me to laser cut it for him. It reminds me of an old television set.
How-To: PVC pipe vacuum dust separator
Instructables user neorazz has posted a tutorial on how to build a dust separator attachment for your shop vac. It is described as “cyclonic,” which it may or may not actually be (see the comments), but it does, apparently, work quite well at separating out the heavier bits of flotsam (which ends up in the bucket) from the actual dust (which goes on to the vacuum).
K’Nex Lightbox Tutorial
Kristin Boehm has posted a great detailed tutorial on how to make a lightbox out of K’Nex pieces for product photography. She was digging for the perfect materials and stumbled across a box of K’Nex from her childhood, and the rest is history.
IFixit’s sponsored blender teardown
Now this is a welcomed development. The company Blendtec provided iFixIt with one of their Total Blenders to take apart and document. As you know, we’re always prattling on about “If You Can’t Open It, You Don’t Own It” and other litanies from The Maker’s Bill of Rights. This is a company that apparently understands […]
The Day The Earth Stood Still toolbox
Paul Overton, of the most-splendid DudeCraft, sent us this mosaic toolbox project. He was asked by someone doing a book on “geek crafts” to submit something, and this is what he came up with, an homage to Gort and The Day the Earth Stood Still, accomplished via bits of paper cut from junk mail and […]
Help me write my next Toolbox column
The theme for my next Make: Online Toolbox column is “Maker Sartorial,” looking at clothing and accessories as tools for makers. In other words, what shirts, pants, shoes, belt pouches/holsters, pocket-contents, etc. do you carry, either when you’re at work, engaged in your hobbies, or otherwise doing makery type stuff, whether for work or pleasure. […]