A Open Source House at the Saint Malo Mini-Maker Faire
Almost the first thing you see when you walk in the door here at the Saint Malo mini-Maker Faire is the plans for an open source house.
Tools
Cutting Dovetail Joints by Hand
Dovetail joints are an ancient way of mating two pieces of wood at a corner. Often used in cabinet-making, the dovetail joint is both extremely strong, and aesthetically pleasing.
DiResta: Hardwood Mallet
In this episode of DiResta, master builder Jimmy DiResta makes mallet from hardwood on a vintage wood lathe. The result is a practical piece of art. If you’re a fan of woodturning, this episode is for you.
PocketNC, an Affordable Five-Axis CNC
Jaws drop when makers see a five-axis CNC at work. That’s what happened to me when I saw PocketNC performing its magic. I peered closely and saw a spindle moving along two axes milling a piece of plastic mounted on a trunnion moving along/around three axes. The result of a three-year, four-prototype development effort of husband and wife team Matt and Michelle Hertel, PocketNC is getting ready for market.
Physics Experiments from Upcycled Appliances
Xraise Cornell is an outreach group that makes interactive devices that demonstrate unusual physics phenomena. Check out this montage video of some of the fun gadgets they brought to Maker Faire New York. My favorite: the microwave with neon bulbs inside that ionize and light up when hit with microwaves.
DiResta: Bandsaw Stand
World Maker Faire New York is this weekend and I will be doing band saw demos. I looked on line for a cheap, portable bandsaw to bring to the fair and in this video you see the 10-inch saw I purchased for the occasion. It’s a ” bench top” saw small enough for mounting on—a bench top. But since I will using this one at the fair I’ll need a stand with a shelf for the small vacuum. Here’s what I made.
Laser-Cut a Drag Chain
Martin Raynsford made this drag chain out of parts he laser-cut out of 2mm MDF. A drag chain protects wires from snagging, usually on constructs that move, like the toolhead of a CNC router.