“Toolbox” has been a staple of MAKE magazine since Volume 01, back in February, ’05. We’ve done plenty of online tool reviews, too, since then, but somewhat informally, and it’s only this year that we decided to launch a regularly-scheduled, official online weekly tool review column. When we were gearing up, back in April…
I love the look of this Prusa Mendel RepRap 3D-printer fork designed by Thingiverse user Mecano. Shown above is a concept rendering of his second prototype, Prusa Air 2, which hasn’t been built yet, and below, the physical prototype of Prusa Air 1. Among Manuel’s stated design goals for the project were “a little beauty,” which I daresay he has already achieved, admirably.
Depending on the time of year, if Goli isn’t making stuff, she’s usually out on some mountain somewhere carving it up. This Woman’s Diamond Snow Toolbelt from 686 seems like it would come in handy, like when you’re stuck in the backcountry and making an adjustment means a smooth run vs limping down the hill. Besides stylishly holding things up, this belt includes #2 Phillips and flat-head screwdrivers, a 8/10/11mm wrench loop, and the ever-useful bottle opener. Who doesn’t want to open bottles with their belt buckle?
I was very interested when I got the PR about the Q Knot reusable rubber ties from a company called UTWire. They work on the same principle as standard plastic zip-ties but they can be fairly easily pulled apart and reused. If you crossed a rubber band with a zip-tie, you’d get a Q Knot.
If you’re planning on getting a 3D printer for yourself, the decisions about what to buy, and who to buy it from, can be daunting. If you’re trying to buy a gift for a 3D printing enthusiast, and don’t necessarily share his or her passion for the subject, they can be downright overwhelming, not to mention expensive. Fortunately, there are quality gift options short of buying a whole printer, and we’ve listed some great ones, below, from lowest to highest price. On the other hand, if you’re ready to take the plunge and buy a whole printer, our preferred makes and models are listed at the end of the guide, again in order of increasing price.
I’m not Jewish but if I were I would definitely have one of these LED Menorahs, available in the Maker Shed, on my desk. The Hanukkah Electronica(above) is an elegant, pre-assembled LED Menorah for celebrating the festival of lights. The Deluxe LED Menorah kit is an updated take on the traditional hanukkiyah, the nine-armed Hanukkah candelabrum. When you turn it on, it displays the correct configuration of LED “candles” for a given night of Hanukkah. The LEDs are lit up in the traditional sequence, with a gentle fade.
Larry Ogrodnek created this fun LED Nametag Kit, an electronics hobbyist’s version of those ubiquitous “HELLO! My Name Is” stickers that are typically worn at awkward gatherings. An onboard Attiny13 microcontroller allows you to switch between four built-in programs: all letters on, letter chase, fade, and blink. To help you make your own custom nametag, Larry even set up an online name layout tool to help you figure out where the LEDs should be placed before you solder them in.
