Tomorrow, Dec. 4, is Toolsday here at MAKE, so you know what that means – a live Google+ hangout where we will be discussing our favorite tools and workspace essentials. Tune at 2pm PST/5pm EST on the +MAKE page, or if you’re busy you can catch it later on the MAKE YouTube page.
Tomorrow, Dec. 4, is Toolsday here at MAKE, so you know what that means – a live Google+ hangout where we will be discussing our favorite tools and workspace essentials. Tune at 2pm PST/5pm EST on the +MAKE page, or if you’re busy you can catch it later on the MAKE YouTube page.
The main topic of the hangout will be Phone and Tablet-related cases and applications.
There’s nothing especially complex about these pliers from prominent jeweler-supply house Rio Grande: one jaw features a rounded bending mandrel about 5mm in diameter and 20mm long, and the other, a cupped steel band holding a nylon forming block with a matching V-shaped groove. The cool part is that the nylon block is removable and replaceable, so if you have access to a 3D printer, you can print your own custom jaw inserts and mount them in place using small wood screws.
It’s Toolsday here at MAKE, so you know what means – a live Google+ hangout where we will be discussing our favorite tools and workspace essentials. Tune at 2pm PST/5pm EST on the +MAKE page, or if you’re busy you can catch the broadcast on the MAKE YouTube page. The main topic of today’s hangout will be dream tools. If money was no object, what tool(s) would you buy? Join in the discussion by leaving your questions, comments, and opinions on MAKE’s G+ page.
Phil mentioned Ireland’s Mcor Technologies when they premiered on Gizmodo back in 2008. Their monochrome Matrix 300+ printer builds models by laminating regular copy/printer paper using controlled application of adhesive and 2D-mechanical cutting on each layer. Now, Mcor is at work on Iris, a prototype design that implements a full-color version of their process, presumably adding a color printing step, of some sort, on each sheet of paper. Check the video below to see some early results.
Vpapanik has been working with tiny SMD parts in his projects, and could not abide by the exorbitant prices of small pick and place machines currently on the market. His solution? Make his own DIY version using scavenged and commonly available parts.
Putting together the MAKE Ultimate Guide to 3D Printing was great fun, for a lot of reasons, but one of my personal favorites was getting to kick around Thingiverse researching some of the amazing things that people are already making with hobby-class 3D printers. At first, the idea of printing useful hand tools in fused plastic filament seemed unlikely to me (and indeed, many of the standouts in the T-verse Tools category include metal bits, blades, or other embedments that take the heavy wear), but, as usual, the creativity of the Thingiverse community surprised me. Here I’ve collected just a few of my standout favorites for your enjoyment.
