An inverting or tippe top is a classic physics toy: a spinning top that spontaneously inverts itself to spin on its handle at high speed, then rolls back over onto its base when it stops. Turns out, four spheres joined in a close-packed tetrahedron will do the same thing, and this quick video tutorial from YouTuber VTK9990 shows one made from four marbles and some epoxy. [via The Automata / Automaton Blog]
I built one of these years ago from plans I saw in Slocum and Botterman’s New Book of Puzzles, and still delight in playing with it, so I was pleased as–geez, I can’t say “pleased as punch” and still respect myself in the morning, so I’ll just leave it at “really pleased”–to see this new tutorial from Instructables user Phil B about how it’s done. From the outside, the puzzle is deceptively simple: You can guess from Phil’s description that you’ve got to spin it, to win it, but there’s a devious twist. The book I saw it in had a picture of a clear plastic version that showed off how the mechanism worked, but that makes it rather too easy to figure out; the best way to appreciate Yoshigahara’s design is to build one for yourself, then give it to somebody else to puzzle over.
I really could’t tell you why Make: Online runs so many Rubik’s cube posts. Maybe it’s because the cube is an iconic toy, or because of the intellectual, math-focused challenge. Either way, we like ’em. Here are ten Rubik’s cube posts pulled from our archives. #10 Android-powered LEGO Rubik’s Cube solver #9 Magnetic acrylic Rubik’s […]
That’s a very lucky lad grinning at you in the beginning of this video from his dad, Instructables user Steve Moseley, who designed, built and installed this elaborate marble run around the ceiling of his room.
Some people aren’t content with your run-of-the-mill blinking lights. Take, for instance, this Arduino-powered Twitter Monkey from maker Pete Prodoehl. He could have had his script send out an audio alert like everyone else, instead he chose to create this animatronic monkey using an Arduino and a couple of servos. Every time it sees a keyword it goes bananas, flapping its arms about like any excited monkey would do. It may not be your cup of tea if your a nervous person, but it sure does beat your average blip.
By way of our favorite Pinball Wizard, Jeri Ellsworth, comes this fun little documentary about the Pacific Pinball Museum. We’ve been thrilled to host the Pacific Pinball Museum’s Lil’ Ju Ju mobile museum at the Bay Area Maker Faires. Lil’ Ju Ju is a modified a 1947 Spartan Manor Travel trailer housing six vintage pinball […]
When I was a kid, I lived for model rocketry. I was the vice president of our town’s model rocketry club. I raked leaves, mowed lawns, babysat bratty kids, anything to save up enough scratch to order from the Estes or Centuri catalogs. I can still remember the supreme joy I would feel on the […]
