Skill Builder: Tuning Planes and Chisels
Master woodworker Len Cullum shows you how sharpen, or “tune” your woodworking chisels and planes.
Tools
In the Maker Shed: Karakuri Somersault Doll kit
Employing a centuries old secret artisan technique collected from real Edo-period figures, the Karakuri Somersault Doll kit includes everything you need to create your own acrobatic doll.
Folding precision tweezer
Just saw these in a magazine and, although have never tried a pair, I am intrigued. If, like me, you’ve spent a lot of time fumbling with cheap tweezers, I might humbly suggest that, like me, you will discover that a bit of extra scratch spent on a quality pair will prove well worth it. And if, like me, you’ve ever ruined a pair of nice tweezers by tossing them carelessly in your luggage, you may, like me, also be curious about these folding precision tweezers from pocketweez.com. I’m gonna spring for a pair, I think, and I’ll let you know how it works out. In the meantime, if anybody’s got any first-hand experience or opinions, kindly let us know, below!
Cardboard bins!
OK, that may not be the most exciting headline I’ve ever written, and I’m not sure the exclamation point really helps all that much. But I am, personally, nonetheless very excited about cardboard bins right now, because thanks to them, for the first time in almost five years, I am no longer burdened by a giant unsorted junk parts bucket. I have tried a lot of organizational systems, over the past few years, and I’ve finally decided that bins are where it’s at. Unfortunately, professional parts bin systems are prohibitively expensive for the number I need to satisfy my organizational compulsion. But these fold-up corrugated bins I bought off Amazon only cost 69 cents apiece, including shipping. I took an old bookcase and added an extra “halfway” shelf to each level; 6″ per shelf leaves plenty of room to toss parts into the bins without wasting space. The finished unit holds ninety 4 x 4.4 x 12″ bins, which are labeled with a thermal-tape printer and arranged alphabetically. You can see the whole enchilada in my Flickr set.
In the Maker Shed: 4-Bit Microcomputer Kit
The 4-Bit Microcomputer Kit from the Maker Shed features a 20-key keypad, a 7-segment LED, and 7 individual LEDs. It comes pre-programmed with 7 different applications, and you can even program your own via the keypad. It’s a fun retro kit, just begging to be hacked!
Crabfu’s rodent-powered Jansen walker
A couple of weeks ago, we posted about our pal I-Wei (Crabfu) being featured in the latest Gakken magazine/kit dedicated to kinetic sculptor Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest walker. I-Wei built the mini walker kit and was pretty pleased with it. But his maker heart remained restless. He could make it better, faster, stronger… rodent-powered? And so, […]
In the Maker Shed: 6-in-1 Solar Robotic kit
The 6-in-1 Educational Solar Robotic Kit is an excellent beginner building kit designed to teach how solar power is used to drive a small motor. Kids use the 21 snap-together parts (no tools required) to build 6 different working models including an airboat, car, windmill, puppy, and 2 different airplanes. Solar building kits teach children […]
