Howard Nurse built hundreds of Heathkits. As a kid, he loved to go to sleep reading the catalog — a window into the world of electronics and a wish list of things he wanted to build. You have to understand the whole experience of a Heathkit,” Nurse said. “It began with the catalog, which became […]
Medicine was once the arena for large players with deep pockets, but makers are developing accessible solutions for a fraction of the cost.
The Museum of Interesting Things is crammed into every inch of the ninth-floor New York City apartment of Denny Daniel, the sprite-like curator of an eclectic collection of inventions, toys, and gadgets. Daniel had a magician-like patter for each item he showed me: the cylindrical Edison phonograph, the mutoscope, and the hidden camera inside a […]
I built my first car model when I was 8. It was a Duesenberg 1934 Coupe Chauffeur. Magnificent. Body pieces that snapped together, metal panels, chrome interior details, glass windows that folded down, real fasteners, burgundy interior fabric, rubber tires with white-wall siding, metal spokes, cables, and a miniature motor. My older brothers bet I […]
I picked up a pair of these German-made drills from Garrett Wade: the 9″ Mini Hand Drill ($25.50) and the 12″ Larger Hand Drill ($46.50), which has an additional wood knob opposite the crank handle. Since the Mini reminds me more of the old eggbeater, I’m using that. It looks shiny and new, but the solid construction and tight engineering hark back to the days when tools weren’t considered disposable.
Spikenzie Labs’ latest kit, the Music Game (available in the Maker Shed), is a great beginning soldering project that’s also fun (and addicting) to play.
Another fun find on Facebook. I love these simple photo-based project how-tos that are starting to show up on FB and G+ with increased frequency. The chocolate bowl I posted a few days ago has gotten a lot of attention and makers trying it out. If you try any of these quick n’ dirty hacks […]
