Still looking for a few last minute gifts? These Make: Primers are perfect for the person who likes to learn new maker disciplines. Each detailed primer has step by step instructions so the recipient can learn a new, useful skill.
While on a trip to Mendoza, Argentina, I came across a man sharpening scissors using a bicycle to power his grinding wheel. It’s a clever lo-tech combination.
It’s amazing what a little disk can do … when it’s layered with piezoelectric crystals. Piezo disks are impressively sensitive to vibration and can easily be adapted to work as a contact microphones. The trick is the preamp – a basic circuit used to match the piezo’s signal to levels compatible with modern audio gear inputs. The resulting piezo/preamp combo can be used for electrifying an acoustic guitar or simply exploring the lesser-heard world of small sound around us.
Over at Made by Joel, the eponymous author’s son just acquired a noble knight made by Lego with a moveable arm for pretend sword-fighting. Not one to be excluded, Joel made his own version from wood, and the two staged an epic battle on video.
Folded into shape and held together with a couple of rubber bands, the Blinky from d-school pals Liv and Léa holds a standard roll of 35mm film that’s manually advanced using wooden dowels. It’s compact size offers ease of use and the standard film size makes processing a snap.
Our own Michael Colombo created an instrument called the Magnetotron as a project for his New Interfaces for Musical Expression class at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program. Inspired by the glass armonica and the Mellotron, this instrument is made out of a large spinning cylinder with audio cassette tape glued to it. Recorded on each strip of audio tape is a different note, which can be played by placing paddles on them.
Know someone who really wants to get into electronics? Check out the Make: Electronics book and the companion Components Packs! Make: Electronics by author Charles Platt is a well written book that uses hands on experiments that build on each other.
