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FromthePagesofMake:Easy1+2+3ProjectsBytheEditorsofMake:
Copyright©2015MakerMedia,Inc.Allrightsreserved.
PrintedinCanada.
PublishedbyMakerMedia,Inc.,1160BatteryStreetEast,Suite125,SanFrancisco,California94111
MakerMediabooksmaybepurchasedforeducational,business,orsalespromotionaluse.Onlineeditionsarealsoavailableformosttitles(http://safaribooksonline.com).Formoreinformation,contactourcorporate/institutionalsalesdepartment:[email protected].
Publisher:BrianJepsonEditor:RogerStewartProductionEditor:HappenstanceType-O-RamaProofreader:HappenstanceType-O-RamaInteriorProduction:CodyGates&KateKaminski,HappenstanceType-O-RamaCoverDesigner:BrianJepsonNovember2015:FirstEditionRevisionHistoryfortheFirstEdition2015-11-15:FirstReleaseSeehttp://oreilly.com/catalog/errata.csp?isbn=9781457186899forreleasedetails.Make:,MakerShed,andMakerFaireareregisteredtrademarksofMakerMedia,Inc.TheMakerMedialogoisatrademarkofMakerMedia,Inc.
Manyofthedesignationsusedbymanufacturersandsellerstodistinguishtheirproductsareclaimedastrademarks.Alltrademarkedandcopyrightedproductsmentionedinthetextarethepropertyoftheirrespectiveowners,andMakerMedia,Inc.,makesnoclaimsofownershipbymentioningtheproductsthatholdthesemarks.
Whilethepublisherandtheauthorhaveusedgoodfaitheffortstoensurethattheinformationandinstructionscontainedinthisworkareaccurate,thepublisherandtheauthordisclaimallresponsibilityforerrorsoromissions,includingwithoutlimitationresponsibilityfordamagesresultingfromtheuseoforrelianceonthiswork.Useoftheinformationandinstructionscontainedinthisworkisatyourownrisk.Ifanycodesamplesorothertechnologythisworkcontainsordescribesissubjectto
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978-1-68045-044-6[TCP]
Preface
“1+2+3”hasbeenaregularfeatureofMake:magazinesinceitsearliestdays.
Asthenameimplies,theprojectsareall“aseasyas1,2,3.”Eachprojectisexplainedwithahandfulofeasy-to-follow,step-by-stepinstructionsandsimple,clearillustrations.
Inthepagesthatfollow,you’llfindprojectsthatarefun,artistic,useful,andeducational.Mostareperfectrainy-dayactivitiesthatyoucandowithkids.Parentsandeducatorswillfindlotsofsuitablehomeandclassroomactivities.Ahandfuloftheprojectsmaycallforgarageworkshoptoolssuchasasaworadrill,butmanyrequirenothingmorethanscissorsandtape.
It’seasytofollowalongandre-createtheprojectsjustastheauthorshavepresentedthem.But,ofcourse,youcanalsousethemasspringboardsforyourownideas,mods,andhacks.
Letyourcreativityflow!
PartI:ToysandGames
YOUNGIMAGINATIONSgettheirgreatestworkoutsfromtoysandgamesthattheymakethemselvesorwithalittlehelpfromparentsandeducators.ThesimplebutsturdydesignofEdLewis’s“FastToyWoodCar”isagreatexample.Youcanmakeitwithafewbasicworkshoptoolsandinexpensivematerials;andit’saperfectplatformforputtingimaginationstoworkonnewdesignsandmodifications.PaulRawlinsonexplainshowtomakeaworkingminiaturecanonusingpartypoppers.GusDassiosprovidesinstructionsforadifferentkindofpopper—onethatwilllivenupyournextboardgame.Adesignengineerbyprofession,Gussays,“WhenI’mnotsleeping(andeventhensometimes),I’malwaysthinkingofthenextthingIwanttomake.”
EdwinWiseisamasterofHalloweenpropsandscares.Hisstartle-inducing“BoomStick”isreprintedinTheBestofMake:Volume2.In“Ping-Ponger,”Edwinshowsyouhowtomakesomethingalittlelessscarybutstillfullofpotentialsurprises.
JulieFinnsaysherchildrenaretheinspirationbehindmostofherMakerprojects.Julie’s“CustomMemoryGame”isagreatwaytochallengeyoungminds.CheckoutherblogpostsonlineatCraftingaGreenWorldformoregreatideasforkids.
BenWendt,alifelongtinkerer,hasalsobeeninspiredbyhiskidstotakehisMakerprojectsonfurtherexplorations.Youmaybeinspiredbyhis“Remote-ControlledCameraMount”projecttomakea“Hale’sTour”ofyourownneighborhood.
IanGonsherisanartist,designer,andeducatoronthefacultyintheschoolofengineeringatBrownUniversity.His“CoffeeShopConstructionToy”demonstrateshowtoenlistsimpleeverydayobjectsasdesigntools.GeorgeW.HartisresearchprofessorintheengineeringschoolatStonyBrookUniversity,aswellasafreelancemathematicalsculptoranddesigner.His“Two-CentWobbler”(akatwo-circleroller)isaddictivelyfuntowatchrolldownanincline,butforthemathematicallymindeditalsodemonstratessomeimportantprinciples.
demonstratessomeimportantprinciples.
Alongwithhishiswife,HazukiKataoka,DavidBattinowritesandperformsJapanesestorytellingbooksforchildren.WatchingswordfightersataJapaneseculturalfestivalinspiredhimtocreatethe“SafeBambooSwords”project.
BrianMcNamara(“AlienProjector”)makessmallsynthesizers,loopers,andvariousnoise-andimage-makers.AnarticleinMake:encouragedhimtostartsellinghiscreationsonEtsy.AMake:editorsubsequentlysawhisR-TronicsequenceronEtsyandaskedhimtowriteaboutitforthemagazine.Thusthecirclewascomplete!
TheseandmanymoreDIYprojectsarewaitingforyouinthepagesthatfollow.It’stimetogetstartedmaking...andhavingfun!
FastToyWoodCarByEdLewis■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
YOUWILLNEED
Plywood¼",11"×14"ormoreBolts5⁄16,4"(2)Locknuts5⁄16"(2)Spacers½"(4)Inlineskatewheelswithbearings(4)Woodglue
Lasercutterorjigsaw,router,orcopingsaw,anddrillwith5⁄16"bitClampsCuttingtemplates
LOTSOFMYFRIENDSHAVEKIDS,andthatmeanslotsofbirthdays.Iwantedtohaveacustompresentthat’seasytomakeandhaslotsofroomtoplay,intermsofdesign.Atoycarfitsperfectly.SoIcanbuildcarsandmakekidshappy?Win-win!
1.Cuttheplywood.Downloadthetemplatesfrommakezine.com/projects/make-32/fast-toy-wood-car/andusethemtocuttheplywoodbody.Usealasercutter,orcutwithhandorpowertools.Sandedges.
2.Assemble.Runeachboltthroughawheel,aspacer,thecarbody,anotherspacer,
Runeachboltthroughawheel,aspacer,thecarbody,anotherspacer,anotherwheel,andalocknuttocapitoff.(Removethewheel'sinternalspacerifnecessary.)Thecarisreadytoroll!Ifyouwant,changealayerortwo,orevenredesignthewholething.
3.Glue.Takethecarbodyapartandapplywoodgluebetweenthelayers.Reassemble,clamp,andletdry.Younowhaveatoycarthat'sreadyfortonsofabuse.Itcangovery,veryfast.Littlekidswillhavenoproblemmovingitaround,andbiggerkidswillenjoywhippingitofframpstoseehowitperforms.
GoingFurtherThere'slotsofroomforcustomization.Makethebodyprofilerealisticormoreabstract.Givethecarafrontandback,ormakeitsymmetrical.Playwiththewheelsizeandthedistancebetweenthefrontandbackwheels.Stainorpaintcanlivenyourcarup,aswellasextradetailssuchasnamesorstickers.Makeyourcarwhatyouwantittobe!
EdLewislivesinOakland,CA,withhiswife,twosons,twocats,andashedfulloftools.
ActionRootBeerPongByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyDamienScogin
YOUWILLNEED
StyrofoamorpapercupsPing-pongballsToymotorandpaperclip,ormicro-vibrationmotorRadioShack#273-107,radioshack.comPaperclips,jumbo(3)ButtoncellbatteryCR2032,butany3VtypewilldoCopperwireTapePliers
PLAYINGTHEPOPULARBEERPONGGAMEcanbeenjoyableforawhile,butasyourskillimproves,thechallengeandfundiminish.Aftersomepractice,tossingaping-pongballatacupjustisn’ttoodifficult.Bringbackthefunbyaddingmotion,withyourownpongtoythatscuttlesabout.
1.Makethelegs.Bend2paperclipsintocurved“C”shapes,withlegs,andtapethemtothesidesofacup.
2.Connectthemotor.Usingasmallmotorremovedfromatoy,bendandpressapapercliparoundthegearshafttomakeitoff-balance.(Alternatively,youcanuseaready-mademinivibratingmotorfoundinanoldpagerorcellphone.)Testthemotorwitha3Vbuttoncellbatterybypressingitswiresontobothterminals.
Tapethemotorandbatterytothebottomofthecup.Tapeashortlengthofcopperwiretoonesideofthebattery.Tapeonewireconnectorfromthemotortotheothersideofthebattery.Tapethe2loosewires(fromthemotorandthebattery)tothesideofthecupsotheycanbetwistedtogether,actingasaswitch.
3.Playball!Turnthecuprightsideup,twistthe2switchwirestogether,andthecupshouldvibrateandmoveonaflatsurface.Youcanbendthecup’spaper-clipfeetsoitwillmoveinadesiredpattern.Nowtrytotossballsintothemovingcupfromvariousdistances.
GoingFurtherToaddtothechallenge,useapapercliptoattachanothercup(ortwo)tothesideoftheActionRootBeerPongcup.Drawscorenumbersonthemtomakeitmorecompetitive.
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles–basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
MiniFoosballGameByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyDamienScogin
YOUWILLNEED
Microwavepopcornbox3-bagsizeStraws(4)Jumbopaperclips(8)GumballorjawbreakercandyScissorsTape
FOOSBALL(TABLEFOOTBALL)GAMESarealotoffun,butthey’reusuallyfoundatbarsorclubs.Thatshouldn’tstopatrueMakerfromenjoyingfoosballathome.Withjustafewstraws,paperclips,andacommon3-bagmicrowave
popcornbox,youcanquicklyputtogetheryourownSneakyMiniFoosballGame.
1.Preparethecardboard.Openandflattenthepopcornbox.Cutoffthefrontofthebox,butdon’ttrashit—it’llbeusedtomakesneakygamepaddles.Foldthecardboardbackintoaboxshapeandtapetheendstogether.Besuretocutholesateachendforthegameballtoexit.
2.Preparepaddleguidesandpaddles.Affix8paperclipsontothelongsidesofthebox,4perside,evenlyspaced.Thesewillactaspaddleguides.
Usingthecardboardfrontyousavedearlier,cut6paddlesapproximately¾"wideby2"long,ovalatoneendandsquareattheother.
3.Attachpaddlesandstraws.Forthe“players,”tape2paddlesnearthecenterof2strawsasshown.
Forthe“players,”tape2paddlesnearthecenterof2strawsasshown.Forthe“goalies,”tape1paddleeachatthecenterof2straws.Slipthestrawsintothepaperclipholderswiththegoaliesateachend,andyou’redone.(Youcanalsoslidethestrawsthroughtheguidesfirstandthenattachthepaddles—eitherwayworks.)Placethecandyballonthegameboardareaandstarttheaction.
GoingFurtherTomakeaSneakyMicroFoosballGame,gotohttp://makezine.com/projects/make-28/micro-foosball-game/.
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles-basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
PartyPopperToyCannonByPaulRawlinson■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
YOUWILLNEED
Woodblock77mmlong×43mmwide,withthetopchoppedata15°angleWoodcircles27mmdiameter×5mmthick(4)Wooddowels6mmdiameter×300mmlong(3)Copperpipe15mmdiameter×110mmlongPipefittingcompressioncap,brass,15mmCopperpipeclips15mm(2)akasaddleclipsWoodscrewssmall(4)
Cottonballs“Partypopper”confettishooters(5)Bottlelidplastic,lessthan15mmdiameterWoodglueDrillDrillbitholesaw,27mmDrillbitwood,7mmDrillbitmetal,2mmAdjustablewrenches(2)
warning:Takeallnecessaryprecautionsandwearsafetyequipmentduringthisbuild.Handlepartypopperscarefully,astheydocontainexplosives,andneverfireatanyone.
MOSTLITTLEBOYSPLAYWAR,BUTYOUCAN’TGETYOUR
HANDSONTHEREALLYCOOLTOYSUNTILYOU’REANADULT.Iwantedtobridgethatgapalittlebymakingaworkingtoycannon.Thiswasaquickmodelmadewithverylittleplanning,butbytakingyourtimeonthedetails,youcouldeasilymakeabetterversion.1.Drill.Forthewheels,drill4cores(27mm)from5mmwoodusingtheholesaw,thendrill7mmholesinthecenterofeach.»Drilltwo7mmholesthroughthewidthofthewoodblock,inthebottomfrontandrear,toacceptaxles.»Drilla2mmholethroughthecompressioncap.
2.Assemblethecannon.Inserttheaxledowelsanduseablobofwoodgluetoattacheachwheelpermanently.»Attachthecopperpipetothetopoftheblockusingthesaddleclipsandscrews,leavingaslightoverhangonbothsidesofthecart.
3.Loadandfire!Disassemble5partypoppersandtietogetherthe5miniexplosives.Feedonestringthroughtheholeinthecompressioncap.»Usingthepairofadjustablewrenches,tightenonthecompressioncapsothatthe“olive”ringbinds,thenloosenitslightlysothatlateryoucanremoveandretightenitbyhand.»Usingthethirddowel,ramacottonballortwodownthebarrelofthecannon,sotheysitovertheexplosives.Lastly,addtheammo(Iusedalidfromasoysaucebottle)andyou’reready!Pullthestringtofire.
Youcaneasilymakeyourownadjustmentstothiscannondesigntomakealldifferenttypesandstyles.
DicePopperByGusDassios■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
YOUWILLNEED
Plasticcapsule2"diameterDieCompressionspring3/8"diameter,2"-long,.035"wirediameterWood¼"-thickand¾"-
thickFlatheadwoodscrews#8×¾"(4)Finishingnails1¾"-long,small(4)Electricdrillanddrillbits
HolesawSaw,hammer,andscrewdriver
THISISMYVERSIONOFACLASSICWAYto“roll”thedieforaboardgame.Thekeytomakingthisspecialdieagitatoristheclearplasticcapsule.Ifoundtherightsize,2"diameterand17/8"tall,inavendingmachine—it’sthekindthatholdsinexpensivetoysortrinkets.
1.Cutthewood.PartsA,C,andEarecutof¼"-thickwood,whilepartsBandDare¾"thick.Cutall5piecesto3½"×3½".
2.Drilltheholes.HoleshavetobedrilledinallpiecesexceptpartE.»ForpartA,cutalargeholeinthecenter,anywherefrom17/8"to2"indiameter,dependingonthesizeofthedomedhalfofyourcapsule.Thendrill4countersinkholesabout½"infromeachcorner,forthewoodscrews.»ForpartsBandC,cuta21/8"-diameterholeineachcenter.Theseholeswillhousethebottompartofthecapsule.ForpartD,drilla3/8"-diameterholeinthecenter,whichprovidesaguideforthespring.
3.Assemble.NailtogetherpartsBthroughEwiththefinishingnails,avoidingthecornerswherethescrewswillgo.Afterthisbottomblockisassembled,insertthespring.Placeadieintothecapsule,snapit,andloweritintothewoodblock.PartAwillcapeverything.Itrequiresaslightpushto
keepitinplaceasyouscrewinthewoodscrews.»Afterthat,you’rereadytogo.Goodluck!
GusDassioslives,designs,andbuildsinToronto,Ontario.
Ping-PongerByEdwinWise
YOUWILLNEED
RubberracquetballPing-pongballsMarker,knife,saw,andhalf-roundfilePVCglue,epoxy,andsandpaperPVCpipeand
fittings:Forthehandle:1"pipe,1½"length1"repaircoupling1½"pipe,4½"lengthForthebody:2"snapteepart#463-020Sfromflexpvc.com1½"femaleadaptercouplingForthebackstop:2"pipe,1"length3"-wideringfromtheinsertcoupling(below)Forthebarrel:2"pipe,1¾"length2"insertcouplingProPlumbermodel#PPFC200,Lowe’spart#153807(asusedin“BoomStick”inTheBestofMake:Volume2).Cutitdownto2"long.Alsocuta3"ringfromthescrap.
THEPING-PONGERusesalmosthalfofarubberracquetballasadiscspringthat’sbistable(itcanbeatrestin2possiblestates)topropelaping-pongballfromacompactPVClauncher.
1.MakethePVCparts.CutallPVCpipepiecestolength.Forthebody,cuttheendsoffthesnapteesoit’s2½"long,thenpress-fitthefemaleadapterintothebottomoftheteeandcutitoffflush.
Gluethebackstopringstogethersothatoneedgeisflush.
Beveltheinsideedgesofthebarrelpieceswithafile,sotheycurvetomatchtheshapeoftheracquetball.Gluethe2barrelpiecestogether.
Forthehandle,sandthe1"repaircouplingsoitfitsintothe1½"pipeandglueitinplace,thengluethetipofthe1"pipeintothiscoupling.
2.Makeadiscspring.Seataracquetballintothebeveledendofthebarrel.Tracealinearoundtheball(paralleltotheseam)andcutonthisline,leavingadome.Thisisyourdiscspring.
3.Putitalltogether.Gluethebackstopintothebody(thesnaptee),flushwiththebackend.
Settherubberspringonthebackstopinsidethebody.Slipthebarrelin
Settherubberspringonthebackstopinsidethebody.Slipthebarrelinplaceoverthespring,leavingjustenoughroomforittospringforwardandback.Don’tgluethebarrel;youcanremoveittochangethespring.
Slip(don’tglue)thehandleintothebottomofthebody.Thehandlealsoactsasaping-pongballholderandramrod.
PhotographbyEdTroxell
NowPing-PongAway!Putastrong,name-brandping-pongballintothebarrel,andpushitintothespringusingthehandle,untilthespringsticksopen(back),grippingtheball.Throughthebackstop,pokethetensedbackofthespringtomakeitun-spring.Pong!
EdwinWiseisasoftwareengineerandroguetechnologistwithmorethan25yearsofprofessionalexperience,developingsoftwareduringthedayandexploringtheedgesofmadscienceatnight.simreal.com
BuildingBlockPicturePuzzlesByJasonPoelSmith■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
YOUWILLNEED
Buildingblocks
interlockingKnifePhotopaperself-adhesiveoryoucanuseregularphotopaperandsprayadhesiveComputerandprinter
TWOOFMYFAVORITETOYSAREBUILDINGBLOCKSandpicturepuzzles.SonaturallyIdecidedtocombinethemtomakebuildingblockpicturepuzzles.
1.Buildtheblockframe.Startbyattachingabunchofblockstogethertoformasurfaceforthepicture.Thiscanbeasimplerectangleoranyfiendishlycomplicatedshapethatyouwanttouse.»Presstheblocksfirmlytogethersothatthepicturecanbeappliedevenly.
2.Applythepicture.Next,selectapicturetouseforthepuzzle.»Scaleittotheappropriatesizeonyourcomputer,andthenprintitoutonself-adhesivephotopaper.Alternatively,youcanuseregularphotopaperandsprayadhesive.»Carefullyapplythepicturetotheblockframe.Pressthepicturedownfirmlytoensurethatit’swelladheredtotheblocks.
3.Cutoutthepieces.Finallyyou’llneedtocutouttheindividualblocks.»Takeasharpknifeandgentlyfititintothegroovebetween2blocks.Carefullyslidethebladealongthegroovetocutthepictureintopieces.»Oncealltheblocksarecutout,pressdownonallthecutedgestomakesurethey’reproperlyadheredtotheblock.
Youcanusethisbasicproceduretomaketwo-sidedpuzzlesorevencomplexthree-dimensionalpicturepuzzles.Tryitoutandhavefun.
JasonPoelSmithmakesthe“DIYHacksandHowTos”videoseriesonMake:.Heisalifelongstudentofallformsofmaking,andhisprojectsrangefromelectronicstocraftsandeverythinginbetween.
CustomMemoryGameByJulieA.Finn
YOUWILLNEED
Paperplain,colored,orprinted,formakingmatchingimagepairsScissorsGluestickLaminatingsheetsoralaminatingmachineFancypapersuchasscrapbookingor
wrappingpaper,forthefaceupandfacedownsidesofyourmemorycards
MEMORYISBASICALLYTHEPERFECTGAME.Akidcanplayitsoloorinagroup,itcanbeeasyorchallenging,andit’seducationaltoboot.Giveanoldstandbysomenewflavorandcreateaperfectrainy-dayactivitywhenyoumakeyourownmemorygameoutofmaterialsyoualreadyown.
1.Prepareyourpairs.Cutoutseveralsetsofmatchingimagepairsfrompaper,suchasnumbers,colors,orwords.(HereIusedpaintswatches.)Ifnecessary,trimthemalltobeapproximatelythesamesizeortocutoffextraneouswordsorimages.
2.Prepareyourtemplateandbacking.Findatemplateforyourmemorycards—cassettetape,coffeemug,etc.—andcutoutidenticalfaceupsidesfromyourfancypaperforeachcardinyourgame.Alsocutoutafacedownsideforeachcard—thiscanbefromthesamepaperasyourfaceupside,ordifferent.Theydon’thavetobeidentical,becausetheywon’tbefacingupatthestartofthegame.
3.Glueandlaminate.
Withagluestick,lightlystickyourfaceupandfacedownsidestogether(facingupanddown!),thenstickonememorygameimageoneachfacedownside.
Laminateyourcardsfordurability,ortakethemtoacopyshoptobelaminated.
UseIt.Whilesimpleidenticalcolormatchesworkwellforamemorygame,considertweakingyourgametowardaspecificeducationalexperienceoraspecifickid.Trymatchingcolorswithcolorwords,forinstance,orpictureswithSpanishwords,ormathequations.Keepyourkidguessing!
PhotographybyJulieA.Finn
JulieA.Finnblogsaboutallthewackyhijinksinvolvedinparentingandthecraftylifeatcraftknife.blogspot.com.
CandyAlertByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyTimLillis
YOUWILLNEED
Gummycandywithlight-uptongsR/CcartransmitterNoisemakersuchasonefromacandytoycellphone
CANDYMAKERSAREINCLUDINGINNOVATIVEEXTRASwiththeirproductsthatsneakyscavengerscanreuseforprojects.Acursorylookaroundthecandyaislerevealsspring-loadedcontainers,light-andsound-producingcellphonetoys,battery-poweredfanswithamazinglightshows,eventongsthatlightupwhenyousqueezethemtograbgummycandy.Thebatteries,switches,LEDs,andmotorsincludedinjustthese4packageswouldcostabout$10ifpurchasedseparately.Here’showtoeasilymodifysomeoftheseusefulpartsforsneakyprojects,inthiscaseanintruderalert.
1.Tapethetoytongs’switchtoadoor.Thelight-uptongsincludeawatchbattery,anLED,andapressureswitchthatactivateswhenyousqueezethetongs.Thisswitchcanberemovedtoactasasecuritytriggerwhenit’spositionedwithtapetoadoor,window,cabinet,ordrawer(Figure1).
2.WiretheswitchtoanR/Ccartransmitter.Connectthetongsswitch’s2wirestoanR/Ccar’stransmitteractivatorbutton(see“SensorSenseAbility,”page90)sothatitcanalertyouwhendoorsorwindowshavebeenbreached(Figure2).
3.WiretheR/Creceivertoanoisyalarm.NowconnecttheR/Creceiver’soutputcontactstoanoisemaker—such
NowconnecttheR/Creceiver’soutputcontactstoanoisemaker—suchasthecandytoycellphone.Youcanalsowirethetongsswitchdirectlytothetoycellphone(Figure3).
GoingFurtherAcandyfantoycanbeconvertedintoamotorizedcar.Aspring-loadedcandystickmakesagreatsneakysecuritydevice,triggeringthetoycellphonealarmlikeaRubeGoldbergcontraption.
Magazinessometimesincludehigh-techinsertstopromoteproducts,andthesetoohavepartsripeforthereusing.NBConceplacedBionicWomanTVshowpromotionalinsertsinmajormagazines.Theseinsertsincluded2watchbatteriesonaprintedcircuitboard,connectingwire,andaslideswitchthatlitasuper-brightLEDwhenyouturnedthepage.Ifpurchasedseparatelythesepartswouldcostnearly$10,andyoucaneasilyputthemtouseasalarms,educationalquiztesters,andmore.
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles-basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
CoffeeShopConstructionToyByIanGonsher■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
YOUWILLNEED
Coffeestirringsticks(12)Straws(3)Scissorsoptional
COFFEESHOPSAREGREATPLACESTOEXPLOREyourcreativityandcomeupwithnewideas.Alittlecaffeine,sometimetoplay,andthematerialsathandcangoalongway.Withabitofimaginationyoucanusethisconstructionmethodtobuildmanyotherkindsofforms,andthisbasiccomponentcanbecombinedwithotherelementstocreatelargerandmoreimpressivepieces.Thebaristasdon’ttendtomind,especiallyifyoutipgenerously.
1.Collectandcut.Afteryou’vecustomizedyourcaffeinatedbeverageofchoiceatthecondimentbar,pickupafewextraitems:12coffeestirrersand3straws.Cutthestrawsinhalf,creating6connectorpieces(ifyoudon’thavescissors,youcandothiswith6full-lengthstrawsaswell).
2.Buildanelement.Buildabasictriangularelementwith3coffeestirrersand3strawpieces.Push2coffeestirrers,pressedflatagainsteachother,intotheendofeachofthestrawstoconnect3coffeestirrerstogether.
TIP:Soakthestirringsticksinwaterifyouhavetroublegettingthemtobend.
3.Combinetheelements.Buildandattach3moretriangularelementstogetheruntilyougetalargertriangle.Foldthestructureupward,andconnectitwiththefinal3stirrers.Thisshouldgiveyouacube-likestructure.
IanGonsherisanartist,designer,andeducatoronthefacultyintheSchoolofEngineeringatBrownUniversity.Histeachingandresearchfocusoncreativepracticesacrossdisciplinesandthedevelopmentofpedagogicalstrategiesforteachingcreativethinking.iangonsher.com
AlienProjectorByBrianMcNamara
YOUWILLNEED
LEDgreenResistor330RSwitchSPSTpanelmount6"ofwire9Vbatteryandbatteryclip1¾"PVCpipe,6½"long6"balsawoodsheet,6"×4"2"×½"balsawoodstick,4"longHeat-shrinktubingoptionalSawWirecuttersWirestrippersSharpknifeHotgluegunSolderSolderingironDownloadtemplatesfrom:cdn.makezine.com/make/16/123_alien_template.jpg
THISSIMPLEPROJECTORSHINESanimageofanalienonthewall.ItusesanLEDasthelightsourceandprojectsanimagevaryinginsizefromafewinchestoseveralfeet.Thesimplecircuitconsistsofonlyabattery,resistor,switch,andLED.
1.Buildthebasiccircuit.TrimtheresistorandLEDleadsto¼"long,andsolder1endoftheresistorontothenegativeleadoftheLED.Cutabout6"ofwire,andsolderittothepositiveleadoftheLED.
Putapieceofheat-shrinktubingovertheblack(negative)wireofthe9Vbatteryclip,thensolderthewiretotheotherlegoftheresistor.Solderthered(positive)wirefromthebatterycliptothemiddleterminaloftheswitch.Placeheat-shrinktubingoverthiswireifyouwish.SolderthepositiveLEDwiretooneoftheoutsidepinsoftheswitch.
2.Buildthecaseparts.Printthetemplatesofthefrontandbackplates,cutthemout,andtapethemtothebalsawoodsheet.Withasharpknife,cutouttheinsideofthetemplatefirst,thentheoutside.Usethecrossonthebacktemplatetomarktheholefortheswitch.
Cuttwo1¾"lengthsofbalsawoodstick.Withtheknife,drilla3⁄16"holeinthemiddleofone,anda¼"holeinthemiddleoftheother.
Drilla¼"holeinthemiddleofthebalsabackplatewhereit’smarked,thengluethestickwiththe¼"holetothebackplate.
3.Putitalltogether.GluetheLEDintothestickwiththe6"hole.Fittheswitchtothebackplate.FittheLEDstickintothemiddleofthePVCpipe,thengluethefrontplateontothepipe.Snapthebatteryintothebatteryclip,thenfitthebackplateintoplace.
PhotographybyBrianMcNamara
Tosetuptheprojector,placeitinadarkroom1'–4'fromthewall.
Moveitclosertothewallforasmallerimage,andfartherawayforabiggerimage.Thebestthingaboutthisprojectisthatyoucancutoutanysimpleimageandprojectitontothewall;perhapspumpkinsforHalloweenandatreeforChristmas.
BrianMcNamaralivesnearCanberra,Australia.Bydayheworksinauniversityworkshopdesigningandrepairingequipmentforabiologicalresearchfacility;bynighthedesigns,hacks,andbendskids’toysandmusicalinstruments.
SafeBambooSwordsByDavidBattino■IllustrationsbyJulianHonoré/p4rse.com
YOUWILLNEED
Bamboopolesabout1"indiameterby6'longFoampipeinsulationThekindwithaslitalongonesideisbest.
DucttapeX-ActoknifetotrimfoamSaw(optional)tocutbamboo
ATANOUTDOORFESTIVAL,MYSONSANDIsawagroupofteensplay-fightingwithpaddedswords.Thatlookedlikealotoffun,sowetriedmakingourown.Itwasremarkablyeasyandinexpensive—eachswordcostsabout$4.
1.Cutthebamboo(ifdesired).Six-footswordsaregreat,butwealsomadetwo3-footers.
2.Wrapitinfoam.Squeezethefoamaroundthepole,leavingabout12"uncoveredforthe
Squeezethefoamaroundthepole,leavingabout12"uncoveredforthehandle.Allowthefoamtoextend1"–2"beyondtheotherendofthepolesothetipispadded.
3.Addducttapeforstrength.Thefoamwechosehasadhesivealongtheslit,butafewwrapsofducttapeeveryfootorsowillensurethatitdoesn’tsplitopen.Somepeoplewrapthewholethinginducttape.Coveringthehandlewithducttapeisalsoanoption.
UseIt.WebattleusingrulesbasedonMontyPython’sBlackKnight:achoptoyouropponent’sarmorlegdisablesit;keepfightinguntiloneofyouhasnolimbsleft.Inthephotobelow,SirChristopherhaslostbothlegsandKingTomahaslostanarm.
It’sgreat,sillyfuntofightwhilehoppingononelegorgrippingtheswordbetweenyourkneesbecauseyou’velostbotharms.Plus,thelowmassofthepolesandthethickpaddingmakesparringfairlysafe.
DavidBattinomakesmusic(batmosphere.com)andJapanesestorycards(storycardtheater.com).
BoomerangByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyDustinAmeryHostetler
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CorrugatedcardboardFoamrubberTapeScissors
HAVEYOUEVERWONDEREDHOWBIRDSFLYorhowsailboatscansailintothewind?In“OrigamiFlyingDisc,”IshowhowtomakeaflyingdiscusingtheBernoulliprincipletogeneratelift;hereweusethesameprincipletocreateaboomerangoutofordinarystufflikecardboard.1.Cutthecardboardtothesizeandshapeshown.Eachwingoftheboomerangshouldbe9"×2".
2.Cut2foampiecesintoovalshapesabout6"×2"with1siderising,as
showninFigure2.Therisingshapeshouldresemblethesideviewofanairplanewing.Placetheovalfoampiecesontheleadingedgesoftheboomerangandsecurethemwithtape.Thefoamcreatesacurvedshapeontheboomerangwing,causingairtomovefasteracrossitstopareathanthebottomsurface.Thiswillproduceliftfortheboomerang.
NOTE:LookcarefullyattheplacementoftheovalsonthewingsinFigure3beforetapingthem.
3.Throwtheboomeranglikeyouweregoingtotossabaseball.Throwitstraightoverhead,nottotheside.Theboomerangshouldflystraightandreturntotheleft.Experimentwithdifferentthrowinganglestoobtainadesiredreturnpattern.Iftheboomerangdoesnotreturnproperly,addextraweightbyusingthickercardboardorbytapingcoins,evenlyspaced,toitssurface.Youcanalsoexperimentwiththickerpiecesoffoamtoimprovelift.
CyTymonyistheauthoroftheSneakyUsesforEverydayThingsbookseries.sneakyuses.com
PaperWaterBomberByEwanSpence■IllustrationsbyGerryArrington
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PieceofA4orletter-sizepaperKnifeorscissorsWaterTarget
THISWINGEDORIGAMIMISSILEWITHFRONT-LOADTANKDELIVERSAWETPAYLOAD.
1.Makethebody.a.Cutthepapertomakeasheetwithalength/widthratioofabout
2:1.
b.Atoneend,foldeachcornerdowntotheoppositeedge,thenunfold,tomakeasquareXcrease.TurnoverandfoldthetopedgedowntobisecttheX.Turnoveragain,pushtheedgesin,andflattenthepapersothere’sapointatthetop.
c.Turnover,andfoldthetriangledownalongitsbottomedge.Foldeachentiretopcornerdownalongthecenterlineandunfoldjustthebackcorners.Leavethefrontcornersfoldeddown.
d.Invertthecreaseyoujustmadeonthebackcorners,sotheylieunderneathandinside,makingthetoppointyagain.
2.Foldthecargobay.a.Foldthesideofeachflapinfronttotouchthecenterline.b.Foldthebottompointofeachflapuptotouchthesamepoint.
c.Thetrickypart:Foldthebottompointsupagaindiagonally,andtucktheminsidethepocketsyoumadeinthepreviousstep(see2d).
d.Foldeachsidecornerofthediamondbacktotouchthecenterlinebehind.Foldthetopandbottomcornersinfronttotouchthecenterline.Unfoldallfourfolds.
e.Creasethewingstolineupwiththeedgesofthecargosection.f.Blowintothenoseofyourplanewhilegentlypullinguptoinflatethe
cargosectionintoacube.
3.Bombsaway!
a.Fillthecargosectionwithwater,pouringcarefullyintotheholeinfront.
b.(Optional)Waituntilnooneislooking.
c.Chuckthebombatyourtargetorvictimofchoice.
EwanSpence(ewanspence.com)isapodcaster,blogger,reporter,newmediajunkie...generallyahoopyfroodwho’sfuntobewith.
High-PressureFoamRocketByRickSchertle■IllustrationsbyDamienScogin
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Foampipeinsulation,½"insidediameterYoucanbuild8rocketswitha6'piece(instructionshereareforonerocket).
Foamsheet,2mmthick,9"×12"availableatcraftstoresoronlineZiptie,8"DucttapeFuncolorsarenowavailable.ScissorsHotgluegunandgluePackingtape,clear(optional)
CALLINGAROCKETTHATSPRINTSOVER100feetintotheaira“toy”mightbeabitofastretch.Toyornot,thisrocketreallypacksapunch.FlyitusingtheCompressedAirRocketLauncherfromtheMakerShedatmakershed.com/products/compressed-air-rocket-launcher-v2-1oraDIYstomprocketlauncher(seemakezine.com/go/stomplauncher).Findallthingsairrocketsatairrocketworks.com.
1.Cutthefoamandcinchwithaziptie.Cuta9"sectionoffoampipeinsulation.Wraptheziptie½"fromoneendandcinchittightsonoairwillescape.Trimtheexcessfoamabovethecinched-offend.
2.Applyducttapetofoamrocketbody.Criss-cross2piecesofducttapeoverthecinchedend.Nowcovertheentirefoamsectionwithducttapespanningthelength.Threeoverlappingpiecesoftapeshoulddothetrick.
3.Cutandattachfoamfins.Cuta4"×1½"rectanglefromthefoamsheet,thencutitdiagonallytomake2fins.Repeat.Usinggenerousamountsofhotglue,attach3ofthefins,spacedevenly,ontothefoamrocketbodytube.Ifthegluedoesn’tstickwelltotheroughducttape,wrap2stripsofclearpackingtapeovertheducttapearoundthebottomoftherockettocreateasmoothsurfaceforgluingthefins.
forgluingthefins.
UseIt.Pressurizethecompressedairlauncherfor45psi–65psi,andlaunch.(Foralowerpressure/altitudelaunch,useastomplauncher.)Whentheducttapefinallyfailswithaspectacularblowout,justapplymoreducttapeovertheblownsectionandkeepflying!
RickSchertleteachesmiddleschoolinSanJoseandspreadstheMakerspiritthroughafter-schoolclasses.Hiswifeandtwoyoungkidsprovideaconstantflowofcreativeinspiration.
Remote-ControlledCameraMountByBenWendt■IllustrationsbyJulianHonoré/p4rse.com
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R/CcarwitharelativelylargebaseLightweightcamcorderDrillwith¼"bit¼-20threadedboltwithmatchingnuts,washers,andwingnut
WHATDOYOUGETWHENYOUCOMBINEACHUNKYREMOTECONTROLTOYCARwithalightweightcamcorder?Yougetastreet-levelactioncamthatcapturesvideoonthemove!Icameupwiththisquickandeasymashupforkicks,andhavehadlotsoffunwithit.Ihopeyouwill,too.
1.Drillthechassis.Removetheplasticbodyfromthecaranddrilla¼"verticalholethroughthechassis.
2.Fastenthebolt.Pushtheboltupthroughthehole,securingitwithnutsandwashersaboveandbelow.Thenputawingnutatthetop,facingupward.
3.Attachyourcamera.The¼-20boltfitsmostcamcorders’standardtripodmounts.Screwyourcameraon,pointitinyourchosendirection,thensecureitbytighteningthewingnut.
UseIt.It’sreallythatsimple!I’vebeenusingthecameratodoHale’sToursofmyneighborhood.Ifyou’reunfamiliarwiththehistory,Hale’sToursandScenesoftheWorlddebutedin1905.
CharlesHaleusedtostrapacameratothefrontofatraingoingthroughaparticularlyinterestingroute,andfilmit.Peoplewouldthenpaytoseesimulatedtrainridesthroughexoticlocalesinthisfashion.Asanhomagetomycommunityandtofilmhistory,I’vebeenre-creatingthisexperienceusingtheremote-controlledcameramount.
BenWendtisamathandcomputersciencedorkfromToronto.
OrigamiFlyingDiscByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyTimLillis
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One8½"×11"pieceofpaperScissorsTransparenttape
UNDERSTANDBERNOULLI’SPRINCIPLEOFFLOWINGFLUIDSANDGASESWITHAPAPERFLYER.
1.DemonstrateBernoulli’sprinciple.Cutapaperstrip½"×4".Holdthepaperstripjustbelowyourlips,andblowabovethestrip(Figure1).Thepaperwillrise!
ThisoccursbecauseofBernoulli’sprinciple—fast-movingairhaslowerpressurethannon-movingair.Thestillairbelowthestriphashigherpressurethanthemovingairabove,soitpushesthestripupward.
Tryanotherquicktest:cut2paperstrips½"×4".Holdthemabout2"apartandblowairbetweenthem(Figure2).Youexpectthemtoblowapart,buttheyactuallycometogether.Bernoulli’sprincipleisworkingherebecausethefaster-movingairbetweenthestripshaslowerpressurethantheairoutsidethem,whichthereforepushesthemtogether.
together.
Thetopofanairplanewingcurvesupwardandhasalongersurfacethanthebottom.Whentheplanemoves,theairmovingalongthetopmusttravelfartherandfasterthantheairmovingpastthestraightbottom.Thefaster-movingtopairhaslesspressurethanthebottomair.Thisprovideslift(Figure3).
2.Makeanorigamiflyingdisc.NowuseyournewfoundBernoulliprincipleknowledgetomakeaflyingdiscusingonlypaperandtape.
Cuteight2"×2"squarepiecesofpaper(Figure4).Foldthetoprightcornerofonesquaredowntothelowerleftcorner(Figure5).Thenfoldthetopleftcornerdowntothelowerleftcornertocreateasmalltriangularpocket(Figure6).Repeatthesetwofoldswiththeremaining7squares(Figure7).
Insertonepaperfigureintotheleftpocketofanother(Figure8).Insertthefiguresintoeachotheruntiltheyforman8-sideddisc.Holdthediscfirmlytogetherwhileyouapplytapeasrequired(Figure9).
3.Flyit.TurnthediscoverandtossitlikeaFrisbee.You’llseethatitglidesabit,butthendropsrapidly.Thereasonisthatthetopandbottomsurfacesarestraight.
Nowbenddowntheouteredgestoformacurvedlip(Figure10).ThisshouldproducetheBernoullieffect.
Throwtheflyerwithaquicksnapofyourwrist,anditshouldstayaloftforamuchgreaterdistance.
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles-basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
Two-CentWobblerByGeorgeW.Hart
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2identicalcoinsorotherdisk-shapedobjectsthataslotcanbecutinto,suchasaCDDremeltoolorsawtocutslots
NOTE:Insomecountriesitisillegaltodamagecoins.
IRECENTLYRETURNEDHOMEFROMJAPANwithsomeleftovercoinsanddecidedtomaketheminto“wobblers.”Twoorthogonallyinterlockeddiskswillrolltogetherwithanamusingleft-rightwiggle.Ifthespacingbetweenthedisksisjustright,thewobbler’scenterofgravityremainsatafixedheightsoitwillwobbledowntheslightestincline.Itissurprisinglyaddictivetorolltheseandracethem,andyoucan’tbeatthemasacheapgift!
1.Cutslotsinany2identicalcoins.WithacuttingwheelonaDremelorotherrotaryshafttool,cutasmallradialslotineachcointhesamewidthasthecoin’sthickness.Holdeachcoininavisewhileyoucut,andwearamasksoyouwon’tbreatheinanymetaldust.
2.Pressthe2coinstogether.Tapthemgentlywithahammerorapplygentlepressurewithavise.Iftheslotsarenottoowide,they’llholdtogetherwithoutanysolderorglue.
3.Wiggleyourwobbler.Putthewobbleronasmoothsurfaceandwatchitwiggleaway.
GoingFurtherAfteryoumakeafew,you’llwanttomakemathematicallyidealwobblers,inwhichthecenterofgravityremainsataconstantheightasitrolls.Forthis,thecenter-to-centerdistancemustbethesquarerootof2timestheradius(d=√2r),sotheslotlengthshouldbe29%oftheradius.
I’vesincelearnedofseveralearlierdiscoveriesofthisshape,goingbacktothemid-1900s,whenthedesignerPaulSchatzusedwhathecalledthe“Oloid”aspartofapaintstirringmachine.
PhysicistA.T.Stewartfirstobservedthatthecenterofgravitystaysataconstantheightifthecenterseparationis√2timestheradius;seehispaper“TwoCircleRoller”inAmericanJournalofPhysics,Volume34,1966,pages166–167.Searchthewebfor“twocircleroller”toreadmoreinterestingpapersaboutthesetoys.
GeorgeW.HartisasculptorandaprofessoratStonyBrookUniversity.Viewexamplesofhisworkatgeorgehart.com.
PartII:ArtsandCrafts
RILEYMULLEN’S“MINISPINARTMACHINE”SPRANGFROMHISLOVEoftakingapartbrokenelectronicsandexperimentingwiththecomponents.Inthiscase,hehadacomputerfananda9Vbattery;addsomepensandthenextthingheknewhewasmakingart.“Turningelectronic‘junk’intounexpectedfunisreallysatisfying,”saysRiley.Theyoungestcontributortothiscollection,at12yearsofageRileyiscurrentlytakingjuniorcollegeclassesandplanningtobeachemistsomeday.
CyTymonyintroducesadrawingdevicefromthe1600scalledthepantographwithhis“MechanicalImageDuplicator,”aneasy-to-makeDIYversionofthisclassicdrawingtool.Inthissamesection,Cydemonstratesacleverrecipeforturningcowjuiceintomoldablematerialin“SneakyMilkPlastic.”
Withthe“Cut-and-FoldCenterFinder,”AndrewLewisshowsyouaclevertoolyoucanmaketofindthecenterofacircularsurface.Healsodemonstratesatechniqueforturninganordinarytincanintoanantique-lookingcontainerin“TinCanCopperTan.”
Alongsimilarlines,frequentMake:magazinecontributorandtechnicaleditorSeanMichaelRaganoutlinesacleverwaytouseetchanttoputyourowndesignsonordinarybottlesin“Label-EtchaGlassBottle.”Meanwhile,JasonPoelSmithexplainshowtoaddfuntoyourkids’schoollunchin“HowtoTattooaBanana.”Jasoncreatesaweeklyhow-toprojectseriescalled"DIYHacksandHowTos"formakezine.com.
Make:magazinefoundingeditor-in-chiefMarkFrauenfelderhasanaffinityforDIYstringedinstruments.AstheoriginatorofBoingBoing,it’sonlyfittingthatMarkshouldcontributeaprojectcalled“BoingBox”tothecurrentcollection.
UCSCroboticsengineeringstudentPalomaFautleylovestinkeringaroundinthekitchen,sewingroom,toolshed,andattheelectronicsbench.In“DuctTapeDouble”sheshowsyouaneasyandinexpensivewaytomakeamannequintouseforsewingandcostumingprojects.
waytomakeamannequintouseforsewingandcostumingprojects.
SindriDiegoisagymnastandanacrobatinIceland’s“firstandonlycircus.”Havinglearnedabouttheartisticeffectofblurringusedinphotographyinspiredhimtocreatehisownsimplifiedapproachandshareitwithyouin“BokehPhotographyEffect.”
ZittaSchnittisadesignprofessionalwhoseofficeislocatedinVienna,Austria.In“PETBottlePurse,”shedescribesanaestheticallyattractivewaytoreusebeveragecontainersmadefrompolyethyleneterephthalate(PET).
Make:magazineeditorCraigCoudenshowsyouhowtoaddsomeTron-inspiredfashionflairin“SimpleLight-UpHoodie.”MortenSkogly’s“Wind-TriggeredLantern”teachesyouaneattrickforcreatingmagicalbeautythatwillturnyourbackyardintoamidsummernight’sdream.
Getreadytosetyourartisticimpulsesfree!
MiniSpinArtMachineByRileyMullen■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
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Computerfan5V–12VBattery9VToggleswitchtwo-terminalRadioShack#275-0022Alligatorclipleads(3)CardboardboxDouble-stickfoamtapeMaskingtapeScissorsPaperColoredmarkers
THISPROJECTCAMEFROMMYLOVEOFTAKINGAPARTBROKENELECTRONICSandexperimentingwiththecomponents.Ihadanoldcomputerfan,a9Vbattery,pens,andthegiftofboredom.NextthingIknew,Iwascreatinginterestingart!Turningelectronic“junk”intounexpectedfunisreallysatisfying.
1.Mountthefanandswitch.
Attachthefantotheboxtopwithdouble-stickfoamtape.»Tomounttheswitch,makeasmallholeinthebox.»Removethemountingnutfromtheswitch,pushtheswitchleverthroughtheholefromtheinsideofthebox,andreplacethemountingnuttosecureitinplace.
2.Wirethefan,switch,andbattery.Makeanothersmallholetopushthefanwiresthroughtotheinsideofthebox.»Usingonealligatorcliplead,connectthefan’sblackwiretothenegative(larger)terminalonthebattery.»Usinganotheralligatorcliplead,connectthefan’sredwiretooneoftheswitchterminals.»Usethelastalligatorclipleadtoconnecttheunusedswitchterminaltothepositive(smaller)terminalonthebattery.
3.Addpaperandcolor.Cutpapercirclessmallerthanthediameterofyourfan.»Attachapapercircletothecenterofthefan,usingaloopofmaskingtapeonthebackofthepaper.»Turnthefanonandgentlyapplyacoloredmarkertothespinningpaper.Enjoymakingcolorfuldesigns!
RileyMullenisayoungMakerwhoisendlesslyfascinatedwithelectroniccomponents,physics,and
RileyMullenisayoungMakerwhoisendlesslyfascinatedwithelectroniccomponents,physics,andengineering.Heenjoysreading,tinkering,creatingthingswithhouseholdstuff,andhangingoutwithotherMakersathislocalmakerspace.
Cut-and-FoldCenterFinderAndrewLewis■IllustrationsbyJulianHonoré/p4rse.com
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Thickcardboardcutto10"squareUtilityorcraftknifePencil,ruler,tape
FINDINGTHECENTEROFACIRCLEISEASYwhenyouhavetherighttool.Thiscut-and-foldcardboardcenterfinderisidealforallthosefiddlymeasuringjobs.
1.Measureandmark.Onyour10"squareofcardboard,usetherulerandpenciltomarkadiagonallinefromthebottomleftcornertothetoprightcorner.Markaverticalline½"fromtheleftside,ahorizontalline½"fromthebottom,andanotherhorizontalline1"fromthebottom.
2.Cut.Usingyourutilityorcraftknife,cutouta½"squarefromthebottomleftcornerofthecard,usingyour½"pencillinesasaguide.
Next,cutatriangleoutofthecard.Startingatthetoprightcorner,cutalongthediagonallineuntilyoureachthe1"horizontallineatbottomleft,thencutalongthe1"linetotherightedgeofthecard.
3.Foldandtape.Useyourknifetolightlyscorealongthe½"borderlinessothatthecardwillfoldeasily,thenbendtheleftandbottom½"borders90°toformacorner.Tapethecornertoholdthecardboardedgesat90°.
UseIt.Tomarkthecenterofacircularobject(forexample,thetopofapaintcan),placeyourcenter-findingtoolsothatitsfoldededgestouchtheobject’soutsideedges.
object’soutsideedges.
Nowdrawalineacrosstheobject,usingtheinsidediagonaledgeofyourcenterfinderasaguide.Rotatetheobject90°anddrawasecondline.Thepointwherethe2linesintersectisthecenterofthecircularobject.
NOTE:Themaximumdiameterofthecircularobjectisroughlyequaltotwicethecenterfinder'soutsideedgelength—soyour10"centerfindercanbeusedwithobjectsuptoabout20"indiameter.Tomakealargercenterfinder,justfollowthesameinstructionsbutusealargersquareofcardboard.
AndrewLewisisakeenartificerandcomputerscientistwithinterestsin3Dscanning,computationaltheory,algorithmics,andelectronics.Heisarelentlesstinkererwholovesscience,technology,andallthingssteampunk.
MechanicalImageDuplicatorByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyAlisonKendall
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ThickwhitecardboardPencils(2)PaperPaperclips(4)Paperclipboxes(2)AAbatteryorothersmallweightMarkingpenTransparenttapeScissors
BEFORECHESTERCARLSONINVENTEDPHOTOCOPYING,inventorsengineeredvariousmechanicaldevicestoreplicateimages.Withafeweverydayitemsfoundinthehome,youcanmakeapantograph,animageduplicatorthatallowsyoutouseonepenciltotraceanimagewhileanotherpencilfollowsitspathinparalleltoproduceanear-identicalcopy.
1.Cutoutandpositioncardboardstrips.You’llneed4cardboardstrips.Cut2stripsmeasuring2"×4"andanotherpair2"×8",asshowninFigure1.Placethe2pairsofstripsatrightanglestoeachother,withthesmallerpairlyingontopofthelargerpair.
2.Linkcardboardstripswithpaperclips.Cut4holesinthestripsandslip3paperclipsintothem,asshowninFigure2.Benduptheendofanotherpaperclip,asshown,andtapeittothetopofapaperclipbox.
3.Addpencilsandsecuretotable.Cut2holesintheimageduplicatorstripslargeenoughfor2pencilstofitsnuglyandstanderect,asshowninFigure3.Turnthecardboardstripsoverandsliptheholeattheendoftheleft-handstripoverthepaperclipthat’stapedtothetopofthepaperclipbox.
Placeasecondpaperclipboxundertheimageduplicatorwherethe2largestripsmeet,tokeepitlevel.Toensurethatthedrawingpencil(B)pressesagainstthepaperproperly,youcanaddweighttothecardboardstripbytapingaAAbatteryunderneathit.
UseIt.PlacetheoriginalimageunderpencilA,andablanksheetofpaperunderpencilB.TracetheoriginaldesignwithpencilA.PencilBwillfollowalong,drawingtheimageonthepaper.
Experimentwithdifferentlengthsofstripstomakelargerandsmallercopiesoftheoriginaldesign.
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles-basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
Label-EtchaGlassBottleBySeanMichaelRagan■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
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GlassbottlewithadhesiveplasticlabelPermanentmarkerHobbyknifeTweezerssmallScrappaperPapertowelsRubbingalcoholEtchingcreamPaintbrushSafetygogglesGlovesSink
CAUTION:Glassetchantsaretoxicandshouldbehandledwithcare.Wearglovesandgogglesandfollowthelabeldirectionsclosely.
HERE’SASIMPLETRICKIDISCOVEREDforetchingdesignsonglassbottlesusingthebottle’slabelasabuilt-inresist.
1.Preparethebottle.Thisprocessrequiresabottlewithanadhesiveplasticlabel.Asuresignthatthelabelissuitableisthatpartsofitaretransparent.»Useapermanentmarkertodrawyourdesignonthelabel.»Usingyourhobbyknife,carefullycutaroundtheedgesofyourdesign.Lifttheedgesofthecutoutareasusingtheblade,andfinishpeelingoffeachpositivecutusingtweezers.»Wipethecutstencilwithapapertowelgenerouslysoakedwithrubbingalcohol.Thiswillremoveresidualinkandcleananyremainingadhesivefromthecutoutareas.»Tomakesuretheremainingstencilisfirmlyadheredtothebottleeverywhere,wrapascrapofpaperaroundthebottle,overthelabel,andrubitbrisklywiththesideofyourmarker.
2.Applyetchingcream.Generouslydaubetchingcreamovertheexposedpositiveareasofyourdesignusingabrush.»Leavetheetchingcreaminplace5minutes,orwhatevertheinstructionssay,andthenwashawayalltracesofthecreamwithplentyofwarmwaterinthesink.
3.Removethelabelandclean.Usingyourhobbyknifeorjustyourfingernail,liftonecornerofthelabelandpeelitoff.»Givetheetcheddesignonefinalcleaningwithrubbingalcoholandapapertoweltoremoveanyleftoveradhesive.
SeanMichaelRaganistechnicaleditorofMake:.He’sdescendedfrom5,000generationsoftool-usinghominids.Alsohewenttocollegeandstuff.
TinCanCopperTanBySeanMichaelRagan■IllustrationsbyAndrewLewis
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Atincantin-platedsteel,notaluminumMuriaticacidsoldinhardwarestoresasabrickcleanerHydrogenperoxidefromadrugstoreScrapsofcopperSplash-proofgogglesRubbergloves
WaterproofapronPlasticcontainerSoapHotwater
COPPER-COATATINCAN,TURNINGITINTOANAESTHETICALLYPLEASING,REUSABLECONTAINER.1.Wearingprotectiveclothinginaventilatedarea,mix9partsofmuriaticacidto1parthydrogenperoxideinaplasticcontainer.Slowlyaddscrapsofcopper,whichwillreactwiththeacidsolutionandturnitablue-greencolor.Whenthereactionslowsandthecopperstopsdissolving,remove
theremainingpiecesofcopper.Theblue-greencomponentiscupricchloride,whichreactswithtinandleavesashinynewlayerofcopperinitsplace.
2.Thoroughlywashatincan,removingalltracesofglueandgreasefromtheinsideandoutside.Anabrasiveplasticdishclothmightbeusefulforthis.Drythecanandgentlyplaceitintotheacidsolution.Thecanneednotbecompletelysubmerged,butkeepitturningtoexposeallpartstoanequalamountofthesolution.Afterafewseconds,thecanwillstarttochangecolor,andyoushouldseeapalecoppertanappearingwithinminutes.
3.Removethecanfromtheacidbathandrinsewithwater.Leavethecantodrynaturally.Thenyoucanfinishitwithclearacrylicspray,coatitwithwax,orjustletitoxidizetocreateadark,neglected,antiquelook.
PhotographybyAndrewLewis
AndrewLewisisakeenartificerandcomputerscientistwithspecialinterestsin3Dscanning,algorithmics,andopen-sourcesoftware.
HowtoTattooaBananaByJasonPoelSmith
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BananaImageScissorsScotchtapeNeedleMechanicalpenciloptional
DON’TJUSTPLAYWITHYOURFOOD—MAKEARTWITHIT.IstartedtattooingbananasafterseeingsimilarworkbyartistPhilHansen.Itisagreatwaytoaddsomefuntopackedlunches,anditdoesn’truinthefood.Whenyoupunctureorbruiseabananapeel,therupturedcellsrelease
chemicalsthatstarttooxidizeandturnbrown.Byusingafine-tippedneedle,youcanmakedetaileddrawingsonabananapeel.Youcanevenusestencilstomakeacopyofyourfavoritepicture.
1.Createastencil.Findapicturethatyouwanttouseandscaleittotheappropriatebananasize.Thenprintitout.Cutoutthepicture,leavingsomeblankpaperaroundtheedges.Next,useScotchtapetoattachthepicturetoyourbanana.
2.Outlinethepattern.Usinganeedle,pokeholesthroughthepaperalongallthemajorlines.Trytokeeptheholesclosetogetherandasshallowaspossible.Tomakethiseasier,tryattachinganeedletoamechanicalpencil.Whenyou’redone,removethestencil.Youshouldseeadottedoutlineofyourpicture.
3.Fillinthedetails.Nowyouneedtoconnectthedotsandapplyshading.Gobackoverallthemajorlinesandmakemoredotstofillinthegaps.Toapplyshading,gentlytapthesurfacetomakeverylightscratches.Thedetailswilldarkenovertime.It’sartthatyoucaneat!
PhotographsbyJasonPoelSmith
JasonPoelSmithisalifelongstudentofallformsofmaking,fromelectronicstocraftsandeverythingin
between.Hecreatesthe“DIYHacksandHowTos”videoseriesforMake:atyoutube.com/make.
SneakyMilkPlasticByCyTymony
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MetalsaucepanSpoonforstirringMeasuringspoonsStrainerWaxpaperPapertowels4tspwhitevinegar1cmilk
Optional:AcrylicpaintCornstarchSmallneodymiummagnet
DON’THAVEA3DPRINTERTOMAKEPLASTICPARTS?Usemoojuiceinstead.Ordinarycow’smilkcontainsaproteincalledcasein.Whenseparatedfrommilkbyusinganacidsuchasvinegar,caseinbecomesamoldableplasticmaterialthatcanbeusedtocreateeverythingfromgluetofabrictobilliardballs.Makeyourowncustompartsforprojects!
1.Cookthemilkwithvinegar.Pour1cupofmilkintothesaucepanandwarmittoasimmer,notaboil,onthestove.
Next,add4teaspoonsofvinegartothemilkandstir.Afterafewminutesyoushouldseewhiteclumpsform.Whenyoudo,keepstirringafewminuteslonger,thenturnofftheheattoallowthepantocool.
2.Strainthecaseinfromthemilk.Pourthemilkthroughastrainerintoabowltoseparateallthewhiteclumps(thisisthecaseinplasticmaterial),andplacethemonasheetofwaxpaper.
3.Dryandmoldthecaseinplastic.Drythecaseinplasticmaterialbyblottingitgentlywithpapertowelsuntilit’sdry.
it’sdry.
Moldtheplasticmaterialintotheshape(s)youprefer,andletitdryforatleast2days.Onceithardens,youcancoloritwithacrylicpaintifdesired.
TIP:Ifthecaseinistoorunnytoshapeinyourhands,nexttimeaddapinchofcornstarchtothemilkandvinegarmixture.Thiswillmakeitholdtogetherbetter.
GoingFurtherShapeyoursneakymilkplasticintoasneakyfingerringthatwillattractpaperU.S.currency!Justhideasmall,super-strong(neodymium)magnetinsideyourringbeforeitdriesandhardens.Whentheringisplacedclosetoalegitimatefoldedbill,thebillwillmovetowardtheringbecauseoftheironparticlesinthecurrency’sink.
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles–basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
BoingBoxByMarkFrauenfelder
YOUWILLNEED
Acigarbox6'lengthof½"×¾"wood8'of20-gaugewireEyescrews(2)WoodscrewsL-bracketScrapsofwoodDrill,saw,andscrewdriver
BUILDAFUN,ONE-STRINGEDINSTRUMENTTHATPACKSAMIGHTYTWANG.A1951bookcalledRadioandTelevisionSoundEffects,byRobertB.Turnbull,showshowtomakea“boingbox.”(It’sreprintedatbizarrelabs.com/boing2.htm.)ImadeamodifiedboingboxusingawoodencigarboxandsomescrapsIhadaroundthehouse.1.Drillresonatorholesinthecigarboxasshown.ScrewanL-brackettotheneck,thenscrewthenecktothecigarbox.Topreventstructuralfailure,puta½-inch-thickscrapofwoodunderthelidanddrivethescrewsintoit.Thiswillkeepthescrewsfrompullingoutwhenthewireistightened.
2.Inserteyescrewsintothecigarboxandtheendoftheneck.Useanotherwoodscrapontheinsideoftheboxfortheeyescrew.Tieandtightenwiretobotheyescrews.Thewireshouldbetightenoughtocausethenecktobowslightly.(Iusedaneyeboltwithhexandwingnutstomakeiteasytoadjust.)
3.Pluckthestringandgentlyshaketheboingboxtovarythepitch.Boing!
PhotographybyMarkFrauenfelder
MarkFrauenfelderistheco-founderofBoingBoing,formereditor-in-chiefofMake:magazine,andauthorofseveralbooks.
PETBottlePurseByZittaSchnitt■IllustrationsbyTimLillis
YOUWILLNEED
16ozPETbottles(2)suchassodabottles9"zipperTapeNylonthreadViseoptionalHacksawSmallpairofscissorsThinneedleThick,sharpneedlePliersorseamripper
FOLLOWTHESEINSTRUCTIONSTOBUILDACOOLPURSEoutofthebottomsof2PETbottlesandazipper.Youcanusethecontainerasacoinpurseorastoragebox.
1.Cutthebottles.Cutoffthebottomsofbothbottlesusingthehacksaw,whileholdingthebottleinplacewithavise.Thentrimtheburrsandanyexcessmaterialwiththesmallscissors.
2.Punchtheholes.Download,print,andcutoutthehole-punchingtemplatefoundatcdn.makezine.com/make/25/M25_123_Bottlepurse_Hole_Template.pdf.Tapethetemplate,dotsfacingup,totheoutsideofthebottle,thetopedgeofthetemplateflushwiththecutbottleedge.
Holdingthethickneedlewithapairofcombinationpliersorvise-grippliers,punchholesinthebottle,usingthedotsonthetemplateasaguide.(Youcanalsouseaseamrippertopunchtheholes.)Whenyou’redone,movethetemplatetotheotherbottlebottomandrepeatthehole-punchingprocess.
3.Attachthezipper.Unzipthezipperbeforesewingitintobothbottlebottoms.Withthethinneedleandthread,beginstitching1¼"belowthezipper’stopend,leavingitloosefornow(lateryou’lloverlapitwiththezipper’sbottom,andstitchthembothdown).
Stitchthezipperaroundonebottlebottom,andthenaroundtheother(inverted)bottlebottom.
Tofinish,overlapthezipper’sbottomendwithitstop,andsewbothendstothebottlebottomsthroughtheremainingholes.
ZittaSchnitt,borninVienna,spentherchildhoodinAustriaandHungary.Inartschoolshefocusedontextiledesign.NowshestudiesindustrialdesignattheUniversityofAppliedArtsinVienna,withaspecialfocusontablewareandlightingdesign.zittaschnitt.com
DuctTapeDoubleByPalomaFautley■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
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DucttapeOldshirtyoudon’tmindruiningNewspaperoroldclothesforstuffingEyescrewsScissorsPlasticwrapoptional
PhotographybyGuntherKirsch
THEDUCTTAPEDOUBLEPROJECTisaquickandeasywaytomakeacustommannequin.Itusescheapmaterialsyoucanfindaroundthehousetocreateadimensionallyaccuratereplica.Useyournewdoubletocraftcustomgarmentsthatfitperfectlyeverytime,orstepitupanotchandventureintowell-tailoredwearabletechnology.
1.Preparethemodel.Useatight-fittingshirtthatcoverstheareathatyouwanttoreplicate.Ifyouwanttoaddlengthbeyondtheshirt,covertheadditionalareawithplasticwrap.Makesurethatthemodeliscomfortableandcanbreatheeasily.
easily.
2.Wrapitup!Wrapthemodelwithducttape.Usethepatternsprovidedasageneralguideline.Don’tpulltootightlyorthedoublewon’taccuratelyrepresentyourtruesize.
Covereverydesiredareawith2–3layersofducttapesoitisniceandsturdy.
sturdy.
3.Removeandstuff.Cuttheducttapedoubleoffyourmodelcarefully,slicingupthebackandmakingsuretonotcutthemodelintheprocess.Carefullyslidethedoubleoff.Begentleandtrynottoloseanyfeatureswhiledoingso.Stuffthedoublewitholdclothes,newspaper,orothermaterialstomakeitsturdy.Donotoverstufforyouwilllosetheshape.Tapeuptheopenings,andyou’refinished!
PalomaFautleyisanengineeringinternatMake:.Sheiscurrentlypursuingadegreeinroboticsengineeringandhasarangeofinterests,frombakingtopyrotechnics.
SimpleLight-UpHoodieByCraigCouden■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
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SweatshirtwithlargehoodELtapestrip,about40"Adafruit#415Pocket-sizedELinverter4×AAAor2×AAELwireextensioncordAdafruit#616VelcroenoughtomatchtheELtapeBatteriesrechargeableSewingmachineorneedleandthreadGlueoptional
TRON:LEGACYWASADECENTMOVIE,butwhatIwasreallywowedbyweretheluminescentcostumes.I’vebeenplayingaroundwithlight-upclothingideaseversince,andthesimplestideausesELtapeandsomeVelcrotoapproximateJeffBridges’sglowingdruidlookfromthefilm.It’snotremotelyscreenaccurate(foryoupuristsoutthere),butitisagreatwaytowowyourfriendsduringanightout.
1.SewVelcrotohood.CutalengthofVelcroequaltothelengthoftheELtapeandhandormachinestitchthesoftsideontotheinsideofthehoodneartheedge.Youmaywanttoremovethedrawstringfirst.
2.AttachVelcrotoELtape.Attachtheprickly"hook"sideoftheVelcrotothebackoftheELtape.(Minecamewithanadhesivebacking,butyoumayhavetoglueit.)
3.Juiceit.AttachtheELtapetothehood.ConnecttheELtapetotheextension
AttachtheELtapetothehood.ConnecttheELtapetotheextensioncable,thentheinverter.Turniton,sticktheinverterinyourpocket,andshowthatyou,too,fightfortheUser!
GoingFurtherToachievealongerweartime,use2shorterlengthsofELtapethatmeetattheapexofthehood,eachwithitsown2×AAinverter.
WhennotobsessingoverhisnewcoutureELfashionline,CraigCoudenisaneditorialassistantforMake:magazine.
Wind-TriggeredLanternByMortenSkogly■IllustrationsbyAlisonKendall
YOUWILLNEED
LED3VbuttonbatteryPencil,ruler,tapeSomethingspringymadeofmetalFeatherThreadSolderingironandsolder,ortapeCarpetknifeStrongwireBatteryholder(optional)recommendedGlassjarwithlid(optional)forweatherprotection
CREATEALITTLEMAGICINYOURYARDwiththisflickeringgardenlanterntriggeredbythewind,madewithsparepartsyouprobablyhavelyingaroundyourhouse.
1.AttachtheLEDtothebattery.SolderoneoftheLED’sleadstothebatteryholder(Figure1).Igotthebatteryholderfortheflat3VbuttoncellbatteryfromanoldPCthatI’vebeenscavengingpartsfrom.(It’sthebatterythatpowerstheinternalclock,andIguesseveryPChasone.)Youdon’tneedabatteryholderatall—youcouldjusttapeoneoftheLED’sfeettothebattery—butabatteryholdermakesthingseasier.
NOTE:RemembertotesttheLEDfirst,soyouknowyou’reattachingthecorrectleadtothecorrectsideofthebattery.
2.Maketheflickeringmechanism.Solderaflexiblepieceofmetaltotheothersideofthebatteryholder.Ihappenedtohavealong,thinspringfromtheCD-ROMdriveofanIBMThinkPadItookapartawhileback;itworksgreat.Anotheroptioncouldbeacopperthreadorwire,asthinaspossible,orapieceofguitarstring.ThenbendtheunsolderedleadoftheLEDsoitcurvesaroundthespringwithouttouchingit(Figure2).
Attachafeathertothespringwithapieceofthread.Whenthefeathermovesinthewind,itpullsonthespring,whichtouchesthefootoftheLEDandclosesthecircuit—whichequalsblinking!
3.Hangitinthegarden.Forweatherproofing,cutaslitinthelidofajarandputthefeatherthroughit(Figure3).Fiddlewithituntilthemechanismmovesfreely.Use1ydorsoofstrongwiretowraparoundthejar,tomakea“harness”andahandle.Thengooutandhangitinthegarden(orrunaroundwithit,giggling,likeIdid).Possibleimprovements:Addasolarcellandbattery.Createaprettiercasing,perhapsusingbeeswax?Ormaybeevenaddsound!
PhotographbyMortenSkogly
MortenSkoglyisacheerfulman,eveninthedark.Hemakesthingstoimpresshiswifeandkids.SeemoreofhisDIYstuffatpappmaskin.no.
BokehPhotographyEffectBySindriDiego■IllustrationsbyDamienScogin
YOUWILLNEED
PaperthickandblackCameralens50mmCameraCompassRulerScissorsX-Actoknife
Formoreonbokeheffects,visitourwebsiteat:makezine.com/projects/bokeh-filter/
OrvisitourYouTubechannelat:www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZjV94FbjRE
BOKEHCOMESFROMTHEJAPANESEwordfor“blur.”Inphotography,thebokeheffecthastodowiththeaestheticsofout-of-focusareasofthepicture.Withthisproject,youcancreateaneffectthatmakestheout-of-focus
lightsinyourpicturesappearanyshapeyouwant.
1.Measureandcutapaperdisk.Setyourcompasstomeasure25mmbetweenthespikeandthepencil,anddrawacircle50mmindiameter.
Cutoutthecircle,leavingalittletabofpapersomewhereontheedgetouseasahandle.Ifyouusethepaperwiselyyoucanmakemanybokehdisksfromonesheet.
2.Cutyourshapeoutofthecenter.Drawyourshape,centered,onthe50mmpaperdisk.It’sbestiftheshapeisnottoocomplicated.
UsingtheX-Actoknife,cutouttheshapeyoudrew.Becarefultonotcutyourself.
3.Startmakingcoolbokeheffects.Positionyourbokehdiskinfrontofthelens.Youcanprobablyfixitinplaceusingthethreadingthat’sintendedforattachingfilters.Itdoesn’t
placeusingthethreadingthat’sintendedforattachingfilters.Itdoesn’tmatterhowclosethepaperistotheglasslens,butithastocoverthewholelens.
Adjustyourcameratothelowestaperturesettingandstartshooting.Remember,youwanttohavethelightsoutoffocustogettheeffect.Beascreativeasyoucan—ifyouhaveadigitalcamera,youcanalwaysdeletetheimagesyoudon’tlike.
PhotographbySindriDiego
SindriDiegoisa19-year-oldIcelandicmultimediadesignstudent,gymnasticschampion,andcoach.Heistakinghisfirststepsinphotographyandlovestotrynewthingswithit.
istakinghisfirststepsinphotographyandlovestotrynewthingswithit.
PartIII:ScienceandElectronics
CYTYMONYHASCONTRIBUTEDMOREARTICLESTOMAKE:MAGAZINE’S1+2+3FEATUREthananyotherwriter.Morethanadozenpublishedbooks,withtitleslikeSneakyUsesforEverydayThings,attesttoCy’srestlessimaginationandboundlesscreativity.His10projectsinthissectionrangefromswitchesandbatteriesmadeofeverydaythingstoacleverhackforturninganordinaryAM/FMradiointoanaircraftbandreceiver.
MarkFrauenfeldermakesaningeniouslittle“bot”withamotorandaminttininhis“Vibrobot”project.Formorerobotfun,checkoutSteveHoefer’s“DizzyRobot.”AformerIowafarmboywhowasmaking(andbreaking)thingsassoonashefiguredoutwhichendofthetooltohold,Steveistodaythewriter,inventor,andcreativeproblemsolverbehindGrathioLabsinLasVegas.
CaseyShea’sjourneytobecomingaMakerbeganin2011whenMake:founderDaleDoughertyapproachedhimtostartanexperimentalclasscalledProjectMakeatthehighschoolwherehetaughtmath.Todayhe’snotonlyteachingstudentsbutalsohelpingotherteachersmasterthenewtoolsandapproachesofMakereducation.Casey’s“Springboard”projectresurrectsa50-year-oldtoolforteachingelectronicsandthenaddsamodernupdatethat’snewtothiscollection.
SamuelJohnsonandAnnMarieThomasdemonstratethatelectronicscantakeanyshapeyoucanimaginein“SculptingCircuits,”afunprojectforkidstoexperimentwithLEDs.Forevenmorefun,checkout“LEDThrowies”byGraffitiResearchLab—agreatwaytodecorateyourenvironment!
DougWatsonprovidespracticaladviceformountingyourGPSdevicein“Rear-ViewPowerSocket,”whileSeanRaganpresentsausefulhacktokeepyourArduinoboardsafein“BoardFeet.”FreelancemagazinewriterandacclaimedsuspensenovelistPhilBowiehasaniftytrickforplayingarecordalbumwithapaperclipandapackingpeanut,whichyoucanreadaboutinhisarticle“PaperClipRecordPlayer.”
aboutinhisarticle“PaperClipRecordPlayer.”
PhotographerDannyOsterweilandPhotojojo.compresentanentertainingprojectforturningyoursmartphoneintoaDIYslideprojector.In“SmartphoneSignalGenerator,”softwaredeveloperJacobBeningoexplainshowtouseyourphonetogeneratesignalstotestspeakersandotherdevices,generateaudiotones,orjusttoexperimentwithcircuits.JacobenjoysdesigningpracticaltipsandtricksforengineersandMakers.
Didyouknowthatapieceofironlosesitsattractiontoamagnetwhenheated?ScienceexperimenterandwriterJohnIovine’s“CurieEngine”showsyouhowtousethatprincipletocreateasimpleengine.“SoundSucker,”bybestsellingauthorWilliamGurstelle,employscommonkitchenmaterialstocreateadevicethatseemstocanceloutcertainaudiblefrequencies.Tryityourself!
VibrobotByMarkFrauenfelder
YOUWILLNEED
MetalcandyminttinWirecoathanger1.5Vmotorfromabattery-poweredtoySmallmetalWashers(4)Smallboltsandnuts(2)About1'ofinsulatedwirePaperclip¼Mflatplasticfaucetwashers37⁄64"OD(3)AAbatteryHotgluegunHotglueCabletie
WHENMY3-YEAR-OLDDAUGHTERdroppedthe$1battery-poweredfanIboughther,theplasticcasecracked,ruiningit.IpromisedherI’dmakesomethingevenbetterusingthefan’smotor.I’mafanofChicoBicalho’swonderfulwinduptoys,soImadearobotinspiredbyhisdesigns.IcallminetheVibrobot,andyoucanmakeoneinacoupleofhoursorless.
1.Preparethecandytin.Sandthepaintoffthetin,ifyouwish.Punch2holesthroughthebottomofthetinoneitherend,usingahammerandaPhillipsscrewdriver.You’llusetheseholestoattachthelegs.Punchaholethroughthelidnearoneend.Thisholeisforroutingthewires.
2.Makethelegs.Snipoff2longpiecesofwirefromacoathangerandbendeachintoaV-shape.BendthetipoftheVintoarightangle,andthenbendalittle“foot”ateachend(FigureA).Attachthelegstotheholesinthetinusingbolts,nuts,andmetalwashers(FigureB).Addadollopofhotgluetoeachfoottogivethemrubbertips.
3.Installthemotor.Pushapaperclipthroughoneoftheplasticflatwashers,andattachthewashertothespindleofthemotor.Solder2wirestothe1.5Vbattery,insertthebatteryinthecandytin,andthreadbothwiresthroughtheholeinthelid.Solderonewiretoaleadonthemotor,andsolderathirdloosewiretotheothermotorlead.Put2plasticflatwashersbetweenthemotorandthecandytin,andsecurethemotortothetinusingacabletie.
TooperatetheVibrobot,twisttheloosebatterywireandtheloosemotorwiretogether(youcanalsosolderanalligatorcliptooneofthewiresforaswitch).Experimentwiththecritterbygentlybendingthepaperclipandlegsintodifferentshapesandobservingtheeffects.Watchavideoatmakezine.com/projects/make-10/vibrobots/.
PhotographybyCarlaSinclair
MarkFrauenfelderiseditor-in-chiefofMake:.
MagneticSwitchesfromEverydayThingsByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyMarkFrauenfelder
YOUWILLNEED
MagnetPaperclipAluminumfoilTapeorfoamCardboardWireLEDorbuzzer3VwatchbatteryorequivalentRingoptionalBattery-operatedtoyoptional
X-10universalinterfaceoptionalAppliancemoduleoptional
CONTROLMANYDEVICESFROMafarwiththemagneticallysensitiveSneakySwitch.
1.Makeamagneticactivator.You’llwantastrongmagnettoactivatedevicesfromatleastaninchaway.Tinyrareearthmagnetscanbefoundinmostmicroradio-controlledcars,andinthepackagingofsomehearingaidbatteries.Glueamagnettothefaceofaringorawand,oraffixittosomeobjectsothatwhenit’sneartheswitch,ormovedaway,itwillcausethedesiredeffect.
2.MakeaSneakySwitch.
Inthismagneticswitch,thepaperclipliesacrossa“spring”ofrolledtape,oneendhoveringjustabovethealuminumfoilandtheotherendtapeddown.(Asmallpieceoffoamcanalsobeusedasthespring.)Whenamagnetpassesovertheswitch,ittugsthecliptotouchthefoil,completingthecircuit.Connecttheswitchtoa3VwatchbatterytolightanLED,buzzer,orotherlow-currentdevicesandtoys.
3.Connectswitchtoarelay.Yourmagneticswitchcanbeattachedtoarelaytocontroldevicesthatneedhighercurrent.Mountyourswitchandrelaybehindthedashboardtosecretlyactivateacut-offswitch,alarm,orothercaraccessories.OrhookyourswitchtoanX-10controlleranduniversalinterfacemoduletocontrolavarietyofappliances.Prettysneaky!
BONUS:Detectcounterfeitmoney.Legitimatecurrencyhasironparticlesintheink.Foldabillsohalfofitstandsupvertically—ifthetopedgemovestowardyourmagnet,it’stherealdeal.Ifnot,phonetheSecretService!
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles–basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
BoardFeetWrittenbySeanMichaelRagan■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
YOUWILLNEED
Developmentboardwith3+mountingholessuchasArduinoUno,BeagleBoneBlack,etc.14mm×8mmrecessedrubberbumper(4)Uxcell#A11120700UX0247M3×10mmF/Fthreadedhexstandoff(4)McMaster-Carr92080A110M3lockwasher(8)McMaster-Carr91111A118M3×8mmJISpanheadPhillipsmachinescrew(8)McMaster-Carr94102A103M3flatwasher(8)McMaster-Carr93475A210PhillipsheadscrewdriverElectricaltapeDrillFile
WHENWORKINGWITHARDUINOandotherboards,mostpeoplejustsetthebarePCBdownonthebench,hookupcablesandcomponents,andgo.Aslongasyourbenchtopisn’tmadeofmetal,andyou’recareful,thiscanworkfine.Butit’snotideal.Clippedleadsandothermetaljunkcanshortacrosstheexposedsolderpoints,causingerraticbehaviorandevendamage.Giveyourboardaliftbyaddinglegsbuiltfromoff-the-shelfhardware.
1.Makeaspecialscrew.(Arduinoonly)TheUnoREV3,Mega,andotherArduinoboardshaveaminordesignflawinthemountingholenearesttheUSBport—thenearbypinheadersaretooclosetoclearanystandardscrewhead.Tofix,justturnoneofyourscrewstightlyintooneendofaloosestandoff,wrapthestandoffinelectricaltapetopreventmarring,andchuckitintoahandhelddrillordrillpress.Fireupthedrill,thenuseasmallfile(withonefacetapedtomakeit“safe”)toturndownthescrewheadto0.175”/4.4mmorso.
2.Mountthestandoffs.Passfourscrewsthroughthemountingholesfromthecomponentside.Slipalockwasheroverthethreadsonthesolderside,thenaddthestandoffsandtightendown.
3.Installthefeetonthestandoffs.
SeanMichaelRagan
Putalockwasher,thenaflatwasheroverthethreadsofeachoffourscrewsbeforepassingitthroughtherecessedbumperfromthebottom.Addasecondflatwasherontopofthebumper,thenthreadthescrewsintothefreeendsofthemountedstandoffs.Tightensecurely,andyou’redone!
Checkoutstep-by-stepphotosat:
makezine.com/projects/prop-up-dev-board-rubber-feet/
SeanMichaelRagan(smragan.com)isawriter,chemist,andlongtimeMake:contributor.HisworkhasalsoappearedinReadyMade,c’t—MagazinfürComputertechnik,andTheWallStreetJournal.
BatteriesfromEverydayThingsByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyJulianHonoré
YOUWILLNEED
LemonorotheracidicfruitNail,paperclip,ortwist-tieHeavycopperwireWaterSaltPapertowelPenniesandnickelsPlate
NOONECANDISPUTEtheusefulnessofelectricity.Butwhatdoyoudoifyou’reinaremoteareawithoutACpowerorbatteries?Makesneakybatteries,ofcourse!Andonceyouknowhowtomakesneakybatteries,you’llneveragainbetotallyoutofpowersources.
1.Thefruitbattery.Insertanailorpaperclipintoalemon.Thenstickapieceofheavycopperwireintothelemon.Makesurethewireiscloseto,butdoesnottouch,thenail(Figure1).Thenailhasbecomethebattery’snegativeelectrodeandthecopperwireisthepositiveelectrode.Thelemonjuice,whichisacidic,actsastheelectrolyte.Youcanuseotherelectrodepairsbesidesapaperclipandcopperwire,aslongasthey’remadeofdifferentmetals.
Thelemonbatterywillsupplyabout¼to1⁄3ofavoltofelectricity.Tousesneakybatteriestopowerasmallelectricaldevice,likeanLEDlight,youmustconnectafewoftheminaseries,asinFigure2.
2.Thecoinbattery.Withthefruitbattery,youstuckthemetalintothefruit’selectrolytesolution.Youcanalsomakeabatterybyplacingachemicalsolutionbetween2dissimilarmetalcoins.
Dissolve2tablespoonsofsaltinaglassofwater.Thisisyourelectrolytesolution.
Nowmoistenapieceofpapertowelinthesaltwater.Putanickelonaplateandputasmallpieceofthewetabsorbentpaperonthenickel.Placeapennyontopofthepaper.Next,placeanothermoistenedpieceofpapertowelontopofthepenny,andthenanothernickel,andcontinuetheseriesuntilyouhaveastack.
Themorepairsofcoinsyouadd,thehigherthevoltageoutputwillbe.Onecoinpairshouldproduceabout1⁄3ofavolt.With6pairsstackedup,youshouldbeabletopowerasmallflashlightbulb,LED,orotherdevice(Figure3)whentheregularbatterieshavefailed.Powerwilllastupto2hours.
AdaptedwithpermissionfromSneakyGreenUsesforEverydayThingsbyCyTymony,AndrewsMcMeelPublishing,2009.
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles–basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
SpringboardByCaseyShea■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
YOUWILLNEED
Plywoodorsoftwood,4"×6"×¾"Springs,2"withloopsonends(2)Springs,½"withloopsonends(4–15)Woodscrews,¾"
(2perspring)PowerdrillBattery(Iuseda9V)Snapbatteryconnector9V
IGETAVICARIOUSthrillwatchingyoungMakers’eyeslightupliketheLEDsintheconductivedoughthey’reworkingwith.Butthatfeelingistoooftenfollowedbysharedfrustrationattheincreaseddifficultywhentheyswitchtoasolderlessbreadboard.Toeasethetransition,Icallbacktodutythespringboard,a50-year-
oldrelicthat’sdifficulttofindthesedays,butiseasyandcheaptomake.Thelayoutmimicsabreadboard,sobythetimestudentsreachthelimitationsofthespringboard,they’rereadytomoveontoabreadboard.
1.Designyourboard.Layoutthesprings(whilenotundertension)andmarkwhereyou’llattachthemtotheboard.Thenumberofspringsdependsonthecomplexityofthecircuitsyou’llbuild.Themostbasicdesignhastwovertical2"springsontheleftandrightsides,withtworowsof½"springsrunninghorizontallybetweenthem,twoorthreespringsineachrow.Morecomplicatedcircuitsrequiremorerows.SpacethespringssothelegsofanLEDcaneasilyspantwoofthem.
2.Screwdownthesprings.Screwthemdownwithyourpowerdrill,makingsurethatnoneofthescrewsaretouchingeachother(finishnailsarebestforboardswithcloserspacing).
3.Energize!Spreadoneofthe2"springswithapointedobject(likeamultimeterprobe)andinsertthepositivewirefromthesnapconnector.Connectthenegativewiretotheother2"spring.Completethecircuitbyconnectingindividualcomponentsfromspringtospring,usingjumperwireswhenneeded.Connectthebatterytothesnapconnector.Thespringboardexpressestheconnectedcircuitvisuallyandmakesitmucheasiertopracticeusingamultimeteratvariouslocations.
GuntherKirsch
SpringboardUpdate
MYORIGINALHORIZONTAL-SPRINGBOARDWASbasedonaclassicdesign.I’vesincecreatedanalternativedesignusingverticalsprings.
Themotivationfordesigningtheverticalmodelwastomakeiteasierto
usealligator-clipjumperwiresaswellasregularsolidorstrandedwirewithouttheneedoftools.Thehorizontalmodelrequiressomesortofsharpobjecttospreadthespringswideenoughtoinsertthewire.Theverticalspringscanjustbepushedtothesidewithafingertomakeabigenoughopeningtoinsertwires.Aswiththehorizontalmodel,thisisusedonlytomakesimpleconnectionsandtogiveusersabetterunderstandingofthefunctionofabreadboard.Thephotosdon'tshowit,butweoftenputlongspringshorizontallyalongthesidestosimulatetherails.
Theboardismadebydrillingholesslightlysmallerthanthespring
diameter.It'sreallyatrialanderrorprocessbaseduponthesizeofthespringsused.Thefitneedstobeprettytightforthespringsnottopopoutoftheholes.Weusealasercutterin1⁄8''plywood,butdrillbitsinanythicknessofwoodshouldworkfineaswell.Abitofepoxyorhotglueinthebottomofthehole(oronthebacksideoftheplywood)helpsthespringstostayinplace.
CaseySheateachesmathandProjectMakeatAnalyHighSchoolinSebastopol,CA—thehometownofMAKE:.Inadditiontoteachingstudentstheskillsofmaking,heisinterestedinsharingwitheducatorsthewaysmoderntoolscanbeusedtocreatecustominstructionalmaterialsfortheirclassrooms.
EasyMotorByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyDustinHostetler
YOUWILLNEED
Twostrong,metallicdiscmagnetsapproximately¾"indiameter(largerindiameterthanaAAbattery)6"lengthofstiffcopperwire
AAbatteryNeedlenosepliers
MAKEASPINNINGMOTORwithaminimumofparts.
1.Makeit.First,ifyourcopperwireisinsulated,striptheinsulationoff.Bendthetopofthewireintoahookshape.Pressthetipintoasharppointwiththepliers.Wrapthewireinaspiralformaroundthebodyofthebattery,asshowninFigure1.Thewireshouldbejustlooseenoughsoitwillnotcontactthebatterycase.
Next,place2metallicdiscmagnetsonthebattery’snegativeterminal.Adjusttheshapeofthewiresothetoprestsonthecenterpositiveterminalandthebottomjusttouchesthesideofthemagnet.Thelength,whentwisted,fromthetipofthetophooktothebottomofthewireshouldbe2".
2.Tryit.Oncethewiremakescontactwiththetopbatteryterminal,itwillspin.Ifitdoesnot,carefullybendandadjustthewiresothatitisfreetomoveandmakecontactproperly.Tomakethewirespinintheotherdirection,turnthemagnetsover.
3.Understandit.Whenthewiretouchesthebattery’spositivetopterminalandthesideofthemagnet,electricityflowsthroughit.Thewirebecomesmagneticandisrepelledbythe2discmagnets.Whenthewiremovesawayfromthemagnet,itdisconnectsfromthebatteryandlosesitsmagneticfield.Itfallsbacktoitsoriginalpositionandcontactsthesideofthemagnet.Then,itconnectstothebatterythroughthemetallicmagnetandbecomesmagneticallychargedagain,andthecyclerepeats.
Sincethewirecoilissuspendedbyitssharptipontopofthebattery’spositiveterminal,whenit’srepelledfromandreturnstothemagnet,itrotatesslightly.Thecycleoccurssorapidlythatitproducesacircularmotormotion.
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles–basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
SculptingCircuitsBySamuelJohnsonandAnnMarieThomas■IllustrationsbyJulianHonoré/p4rse.com
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Forconductivedough:1cwater1½cflour¼csalt3Tbspcreamoftartar1TbspvegetableoilFoodcoloring(optional)
AssortedLEDs4AAbatteriesinabatteryholderLow-currentDCmotors
Forinsulatingdough:1½cflour½csugar3Tbspvegetableoil1tspgranulatedalum½cdistilledordeionizedwater(checklabsupplystores)
MAKINGPLAY-DOUGHCREATURESISfun,butmakingthemwithlight-upeyesandmovingpartsisevenmoreenjoyable.Wethoughtitwouldbebetterstillifwecouldmakethecircuitryoutofthedoughitself!Mostplaydoughisalreadyconductive,butweneededawayto
insulatetheconductivedough.Wecameupwithasugar-baseddoughthatworkswellasaninsulator.It’spliableandresistanttoblendingwiththeconductivedough.
Rainydayandfidgetykids?Whipupbothtypesofdough,gathersomeLEDsandbatteries,andcreateyourownmenagerieofsquishycircuit
LEDsandbatteries,andcreateyourownmenagerieofsquishycircuitcreations.Addamotorortwoforsculptureswithmovingparts.Feelingadventurous?Playwiththesaltcontentoftherecipestovarytheirconductivity.
1.Maketheconductivedough.Reserve½cflour,andmixtheremainingingredientsinamedium-sizedpot.Cookovermediumheat,stirringcontinuously.Themixturewillbegintoboilandgetchunky.Keepstirringuntilaballformsinthecenterofthepot.Onceaballforms,turnofftheheatandremovethedoughtoalightlyflouredsurface.
Slowlykneadtheremainingflourintotheballuntilyou’vereachedthedesiredconsistency.
Storedoughinanairtightcontainerorplasticbag.Inthebag,waterfromthedoughwillcreatecondensation.Thisisnormal.Justkneadthedoughafterremovingitfromthebag,anditwillbeasgoodasnew.Storedproperly,itshouldkeepforseveralweeks.Ifitdriesout,justaddalittlemoredeionizedwaterandkneaditwithsomeflour.
CAUTION:Thedoughwillbeveryhot!Flattenitandletitcoolforacoupleofminutesbeforehandling.
2.Maketheinsulatingdough.Mixthedryingredientsandoilinapotorlargebowl.Mixin1Tbspofdeionizedwaterandknead;repeatuntilthemixturebecomesmoistand
deionizedwaterandknead;repeatuntilthemixturebecomesmoistanddough-like.
Removethemixturefromthepotorbowl,andslowlykneadflourintoituntilitattainsafirmconsistency.Youshouldusealmosttheentire½cofflour.
NOTE:Youprobablywon’tneedmorethan¼cofdeionizedwater,buthave½creadyjustincase.
PhotographbySamuelJohnson
3.Makesquishycircuits.Insertthe2leadsfromthebatterypackinto2piecesofconductivedough,separatedbyalumpofinsulatingdough(werecommendusingfoodcoloringtodifferentiatethedoughs).
InsertanLEDsoitsanode(longlead)isinthepositivebatterylump,anditscathode(shortlead)isinthenegativebatterylump.Itwilllightup!
SamuelJohnsonisfromBlaine,MN,andisanengineeringstudentattheUniversityofSt.Thomas.AnnMarieThomasisanengineeringprofessoratthesameuniversity,andcodirectoroftheCenterforPre-CollegiateEngineeringEducation.
CupPositioningSystemByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyAlisonKendall
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StyrofoamcupPenStaplePaperclipMagnetTransparenttape
NOTEVERYONEHASAGPS(GlobalPositioningSystem),butyoucaneasilymakeaCPS(CupPositioningSystem)fromanycupandlearntheartoforienteering!
1.Markthecup.Drawacrescentmoonononesideofthecup.Thendrawadownward-pointingarrowthatrestsagainstbothtipsofthemoon.WriteSouthatthebottom.
Ontheotherside,drawtheBigDipperandLittleDipperconstellations.Theseresemblepanswithhandles.TheBigDipper’srightmoststarspointtotheLittleDipper’s“handle”star,whichisPolaris,theNorthStar.DrawadownwardarrowfromPolarisandwriteNorthatthebottom.Turnthecupoveranddrawthenumbers1through12onitsbottomin
aclockformation.
2.Makeacompassneedle.Straightenastapleorsmallpaperclip.Tomagnetizeit,rubit30timeswithamagnetinonedirectiononly.Placethestaplelengthwiseontransparenttape,andfoldthetapeoversothestapleissealedinthemiddle.Nowfloatyourcompassneedleonacupofwaterandwhenitcomestorest,writeNonthenorth-pointingend,andSontheother(south-facing)end.Tapeittothesideofthecupforsafekeeping.
IllustrationsbyJulianHonoré/p4rse.com
3.Findyourway!YourSneakyCPSdeviceisreadytohelpyoufindyourdirectionsinseveralways,dayornight.
SunIfthesunisvisibleandyouknowwhattimeitis,youcaneasilylocatedirections.Turnthecupovertorevealtheclocknumbers.Keepingthecuplevel,aimthenumberthatrepresentsthecurrenthouratthesun.Forexample,ifit’s3p.m.,aimthenumber3atthesun.Halfwaybetweenthepositionofthesunandthenumber12isthedirectionsouth.
MoonIfthere’sacrescentmooninthesky,imagineanarrowpointingdownwardthatfollowsthe2tipsofthemoon.Thispointssouth.Thistrickalsoworksfairlywellwithahalforgibbous(¾)moon.
StarsPositionthecupsoyoucanseetheBigDipperandtheLittleDipperimagesonit.Nowlookuptofindtheminthenightsky.It’seasiertolocatetheBigDipperfirst,thenfollowitsrightmoststarsthatpointtotheLittleDipper’s“handle,”theNorthStar.
CompassAddwatertothecuptotransformitintoacompass.Floatyourcompassneedleonthesurface.Whenitcomestorestitwillpointnorth!
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles–basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
DizzyRobotBySteveHoefer
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Mini-motor,vibrator:allelectronics.com,#DCM-372*AG13buttoncellbatteryNeedlenosepliers0.008"sheettinfromahobby,art,craft,orhardwarestoreTinsnipsorheavy-dutycraftscissors
*Ifanalternativemotorisneeded,therequirementsare:•1.5-to-3.5VDC•Short(5mm,0.2")metaltabsforpower,notwireleads•13mmlength(includingshaft)x4mmdiameter(or0.5"x0.16")excludingtherubbercasing
Alldimensionsareapproximate
DIZZYROBOTSARECUTEpocket-sizedpalsthatdancearounduntiltheyfallover.Justaboutanyonecanbuildone—itonlyhas3partsandrequiresnospecialskills.
1.Preparethemetalbody.Themetalbodyholdseverythingtogetherandconductspowerfromthebottomofthebatteryuptothemotor.
Tracethepatternshownatright,tapeittoathinpieceoftin,andcutitoutusingtinsnipsorheavy-dutyscissors.Becareful;theedgesandcornerswillbesharp!
Bendthesquarebaseofthebodyatarightangle,thenbendthebottompairofwingsintoaroughcircletoholdthebatteryinplace.Bendthetoppartofthebodyintoacircletoholdthemotor.Useapenorpencilasaroughguidetohelpformtheshape.
2.Preparethemotor.Ifthemotorcamewitharubberizedinsulatingcover,removeit.Useneedlenoseplierstocarefullybendoneofthemotor’scontactsaroundandunderthemotor.Thiswillcompletethecircuitwiththetopofthebattery.
3.Putitalltogether.Placethebatteryinthebaseofthemetalbodywiththenegative(–)sideup.Slidethemotorintotheupperhousingandpositionitsothestraightconductorisinsidethehousingandthebentconductortouchesthetopofthebattery.Useplierstocompressthehousingandholdthemotorin
thebattery.Useplierstocompressthehousingandholdthemotorinplace,beingcarefulnottocrushit.
UseIt.Ifeverythingchecksout,itshouldalreadyberunning.Putitonaflatsurface—it’llspinaroundandoccasionallyfallover.Ifitfallsovermorethanoccasionally,adjustthealignmentofthebasewithpliers.
PhotographyanddiagrambySteveHoefer
WhenyourDizzyRobothashaditsfun,slideasmallscrapofcardbetweenthetopofthebatteryandthemotorcontacttoturntherobotoff.
SteveHoefermakesthings,solvesproblems,andisthemainbrainbehindgrathio.com.
SensorSenseAbilityByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyMarkFrauenfelder
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RCcarWatchbatteriesBuzzerWireLEDsSeltzertabletUniversalACadapter
WIRELESSREMOTEALARMSENSORMakedifferenttypesofalarmsandsensorswithacheapremotecontrolcar.Inexpensiveradio-controlledcarshavemanysneakyadaptation
possibilities.We’llusethecheapsingle-functiontypeofradio-controlledtoycar—thetypethatcontinuouslytravelsforwardonceit’sturnedonuntilyouactuateitsremotecontrol,causingittobackupandturn.Youcanmodifythetransmittertoamorecompactsize,andforuseasanalarmtrigger.You’llalsomodifythereceivertoactivateotherdevices,suchaslightsandbuzzers.
1.ThetransmitterisalwaysintheOffmodeuntilitsactivatorbuttonispressedoruntilwiresconnectedacrossthepush-buttonleadsareconnectedtogether.Thefirststepistoremovethecircuitboardfromthecase.Then,substitutelightweightwatchbatteriesforitsnormalbatterytype.ForeachAAorAAAbattery,useonesmall1.5Vwatchbatterytosupplythesamevoltageoutput.
2.Removetheradioreceiverfromthecar’schassis.Unlikethetransmitter,thereceivermuststayOninordertooperate.YoucanuseanACadapter(withthecorrectoutputvoltage)instead.
Thecarmotorisattachedtothereceiverwithtwowires.Ifyoudisconnectthemotorwires,thereceivercanbeusedformorepracticalpurposestoindicatethataremotesensorisactivated.LEDsandbuzzersareperfect.
3.Ifyouconnecttwowiresacrossthetransmitter’sactivatorbutton,youcanhaveanothersensororswitchactivatethetransmittertoalertyouofanentrybreachorthatyourvaluablesarebeingremoved,orthatyourbasementisflooding.
Here,twopaperclipsareattachedtothewires.Then,aseltzertabletisplacedbetweenthepaperclipswitharubberband.Ifwatergetsnearthe
wires,thetabletwilldissolveandtherubberbandwillcausethepaperclipstomakecontactandactivatethetransmitter.
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles–basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
Rear-ViewPowerSocketByDougWatson■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
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12VpowerreceptacleIusedthePhilmoreTC600cigarettelighterplugsocketWire,2-conductor,insulated,20-gaugesolid,6"suchasbellwire.Or2lengthsofsingle-
conductorwireCableties(5)akaziptiesWirecutter/stripperSolderingironandsolderOhmmeterormultimeter
AGPSUNITISagreatcaraccessory,butthepowercordhangingacrossthedashboardisaneyesore.Manyvehicleshave12Vpowerattherear-viewmirror,witha2-wireplug.Tapintoittostraightenupyourview.
1.Wireyoursocket.UnscrewthePhilmorelightersockettorevealthelugs.Strip¼"ofinsulationoffallendsofyourwirepair.Solderonewiretothecenterlug(+),andtheotherwiretooneoftheouterlugs(–).Reassemblethesocket.
2.Checkpolarityofthemirrorplugwires.Makesureyourcaristurnedoff.Useyourohmmetertofindcontinuitybetweenaground(suchasthemetalhousingofthe12Vsocketinyourdash)andoneoftheexistingwiresatthe12Vmirrorplug.Thewirewithzeroresistanceistheground(–).
3.Connectyoursocket.Pushyoursocketwiresintothemirrorplug,(–)to(–)and(+)to(+),makingsuretheymakegoodcontact.Zip-tiethemtotheplugwiressotheystayput.(Forapermanentconnection,youcouldsolderthem.)Finally,zip-tieyournew12Vsocketsecurelyinitshidingplace.
Yournew12VsocketbehindthemirrorisreadytopoweryourGPSnavigationunit,radardetector,orothergadgetsthataresuction-cuppedtothewindshield.
NOTE:Ifyourmirrorlacksaplug,trytappingintoacourtesylightnearthemirror.
GoingFurtherTomountagadgetpermanently,youcouldsolderitswirestotheplug,withnosocket.ButIwantedmyGPStoberemovable.
DougWatson([email protected])isafixerofallthingsbroken;sometimesthey’reevenimproved.Herecentlyenteredhis50s,andhisbrotherthinkshe'sfinallyplayingwithafulldeck.
AircraftBandReceiverByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyTimmyKucynda
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AM/FMradioSmallPhillipsscrewdriverSmallflatheadscrewdriver
EXTENDINGTHERANGEOFYOURRADIOTheaircraftband,108to138MHz,isdirectlyabovetheFMband.ButaircraftsignalsarebroadcastinanAMformat.Amazingly,it’spossibletomodifyatypicalAM/FMradiotoreceiveaircraftsignalsintheproximityofanairport,withoutremovingoraddinganyparts!Here’show.
1.Identifytheradioparts.Useabattery-powered,inexpensive,analogradio.Removethebackcoverandlocatethemaintuningcapacitor(A).It’seasytofind—justturnthetuningdial,andyou’llseeitspartsmovethroughitsclearcase.
Nearthemaintuningcapacitoryoushouldseeoneortwosmallcoilsofcopperwire(B)mountedonthePCboard.Thesecoilsareusedtolimitthefrequencyrangeoftheradio.
Next,locatethetuningtransformers(C).Theylooklikesquare,metallicboxeswithtuningslotsinthetop.OneofthetuningtransformersmayhaveacoupleofsmalldiodesnearitmountedonthePCboard.Thisis
haveacoupleofsmalldiodesnearitmountedonthePCboard.Thisisthetuningtransformerthatyou’lladjust.ItsfunctionistofilteroutAMnoise.
2.Modifytheradio.TunetheradiotoanFMstationattheupperendoftheFMband.Noticewherethedialispositioned.
Spreadapartthesmallcoilsnearthemaintuningcapacitorusingasmallflatheadscrewdriver.Whenyoufinish,tunethedialandyou’llnoticethatthebroadcaststationshavemoveddownthedial.Theradioisnowabletoreceivestationswellabove108MHz.
Tunetheradiobetweenstationssoyoucanhearaslighthiss.Noticethepositionoftheslotonthetopofthetuningtransformerthatisnearthemaintuningcapacitor(nearesttothesmalldiodes).Slowlyturnitsscrewuntilthehisssoundisatitsmaximumlevel.Noteexactlyhowmanyturnsandinwhichdirectionyouturnthescrew,foreasyrepositioninglater.TheradioisnowabletoreceiveAMsignalsinitsnewlyexpandedFMband.
3.Testthemodifiedradio.
Replacetheradio’scover.Takeit—andthescrewdrivers—nearanairportduringapeakairtrafficperiod.TurntheradioontheFMbandwiththevolumeupandslowlyadjustthedial.Youshouldbeabletohearair-to-towertransmissions.Ifneeded,makeadjustmentstothetuningcoilsandthetuningtransformer.
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles–basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
SmartphoneSignalGeneratorByJacobBeningo■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
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Stereoheadphoneplug,3.5mmWire,1-conductor,insulated,28-gaugesolid,8"orcustomlength(3)Insulatedalligator
clips,red(2)Insulatedalligatorclip,blackSmartdevicewithheadphonejack
ASIGNALGENERATORIShandytohavearoundthelab.It’sperfectfortestinginputsonanewhardwaredesign;useitwithanoscilloscopetoverifythebehaviorofyourcircuit.Turnasmartphoneintooneforlessthan$15!
1.Wiretheadapter.Unscrewthecapfromthe3.5mmplug.Strip¼"ofinsulationofftheendsofeachwire.Solderonewiretotheplug'slargetabfirst—thiswillbetheground.Thensoldereachoftheotherwirestothesmallerchanneltabs—thesewillbethesignalwires.Replacethecap.Eithersolderorscrewtheoppositeendofthegroundwiretotheblackalligatorclip.Thenconnectthe2redalligatorclipstothesignalwires.Makesuretoslidethealligatorclipinsulatordownthewirebeforehandsotheycanbereplacedaftersoldering.
2.Downloadsignalgeneratorapp.Downloadtheappropriatesignalgeneratorappforyourdevice.OniOS,SigGenisoneoption.OnAndroid,WaveformGeneratorisagreatapptouse.Theseappswillgeneratevariouswaveformsatdifferentfrequenciesandamplitudes.Theyrangeinpricefromfreetoacoupledollars.
3.Connectadaptertosmartphone.
Plugtheadapterintothephone.Connecttheclipstoyouroscilloscope,groundtogroundandthensignaltoinput.Turnheadphonevolumetomaximum.Starttheapplication.Selectthewaveform,amplitude,andfrequencyandstartgeneratingwaves!
GoingFurtherToprotecttheheadphonejack,asimplebuffercanbeaddedbetweentheadapterandthecircuit.Foranexample,andsuggestionsonhowtouseyoursignalgenerator,visit
JacobBeningo([email protected])isalecturerandconsultantonembeddedsystemdesign.He’san
avidtweeter,atipandtrickguru,ahomebrewconnoisseur,andafanofpineapple.What!
ShakerFlashlightModificationByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyTimmyKucynda
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ShakerflashlightWireSmallPhillipsscrewdriverSolderingironSolder
ASHAKERFLASHLIGHTHASAbrightLED,aNiCadbattery,andanelectricalgeneratormadefromacoilofwireandacylindricalmagnet.Whenyoushaketheflashlight,themagnetslideswithinthecoiltochargethebattery.Shakerflashlightsprovideabout2to4.5voltsbutproduceaverylowoutputcurrent,sotherewillbelimitsontheirabilitytosupplypowertodevices.RecentlyWalgreensstoresofferedoneforjust$5.
1.Modifytheflashlight.Figure1showsthebasicpartsoftheflashlight—thecase,coil,magnet,battery,andprintedcircuitboard.UnscrewthelensassemblyandremovethescrewsthatsecurethePCboardtothecase.RemoveanLEDleadandsolder3wiresinplace(Figure2),soyoucanstillusetheflashlightnormallywhenyou’rethroughpoweringotherdevices.
Topoweradevice,connectthe2wiresattachedtotheflashlight’sPCboard,withthecorrectpolarity,tothedevice’sbatteryclips.Whenyouneedtousetheflashlightnormally,connecttheLEDwireandoneofthePCboardwirestogether(usecolor-codedwireorlabelsforeasyidentification).
identification).
2.Adaptadevicetoconnecttoflashlight.Selectadevicethatrequires1.5to3voltsatlowcurrent,likeasmallelectronicLCDvideogame.(I’manavidcollectorofthefreehandheldgamesthatfastfoodoutletssupplywithkids’meals.Theyrequireverylittlepowerifyouturnofftheirsoundoption.)Wrapthebareendsof2wirestightlyaroundtheclips.Figure3showstheelectronicgameconnectedtoyourshakerpowersupply.
3.Gofurther.AlargerNiCadbatterycanbesubstitutedformorecapacity.Youshouldbeabletopowerotherlow-currentdevicessuchasasmallWalkman-typeAMradio,travelclock,ormicroradio-controlcar.Youmightalso(possibly)usethemodifiedflashlightasanemergencycellphonepowersupply.
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles–basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
LEDThrowiesByGraffitiResearchLab■IllustrationsbyKirkvonRohr
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10mmdiffusedLED,anycolor(s)20centseachfromHBElectronicComponents(LEDZ.com)
1"strappingtapeonerollwillmakemanythrowiesCR20323Vlithiumbatteries25centseachfromCheapBatteries.com½"x1"NdFeBdiscmagnet,Ni-Cu-Niplated25countfor$13fromAmazingMagnets
(amazingmagnets.com)Conductiveepoxy(optional)Weather-resistantalternativetotape.AvailablefromNewark
InOne(newark.com)
MAKEANDTOSSAbunchoftheseinexpensivelittlelightstoaddcolortoanyferromagneticsurfaceinyourneighborhood.
1.TesttheLED.PinchtheLED’sleadstothebatteryterminals,withthelongerlead(theanode)touchingthepositiveterminal(+)ofthebattery,andtheshorterlead(thecathode)touchingnegative(–).ConfirmthattheLEDlightsup.
2.TapetheLEDtothebattery.TapetheLEDleadstothebatterybycuttingoffa7"pieceofstrappingtapeandwrappingitoncearoundbothsidesofthebattery.Keepthetapeverytightasyouwrap.TheLEDshouldnotflicker.
3.Tapethemagnettothebattery.Placethemagnetonthepositiveterminalofthebattery,andcontinuetowrapthetapetightlyuntilit’salldone.Themagnetshouldholdfirmlytothebattery.That’sit—you’rereadytothrow(ormakeafewdozenmore).Throwituphighandinquantitytoimpressyourfriendsandcityofficials.
Athrowiewillshineforabout1-2weeks,dependingontheweatherandtheLEDcolor.Togetoneoffaferromagneticsurface,don’tpullit,oritmaycomeapart.Instead,applyalateralforcetothemagnetbase,andslideitoffthesurfacewhileliftingitwithafingernailortool.
NOTE:Thebattery’spositivecontactsurfaceextendsaroundthesidesofthebattery.Don’tlettheLED’scathodetouchthepositiveterminal,oryou’llshortthecircuit.
Throwiesnaturallychaintogetherinyourpocket,makingmulti-segmentedthrowiebugs,whichwillalsosticktometalsurfacesiftheyaren’ttoolong.
GraffitiResearchLab(graffitiresearchlab.com)isdedicatedtooutfittinggraffitiartistswithopensourcetechnologiesforurbancommunication.
CupSpeakerandMicrophoneByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyMarkFrauenfelder
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CupMagnetThininsulatedwire1⁄8"plugcableRadioormusicplayer(withearphonejack)
TURNACUPINTOaspeakerandamicrophone.Peopleseldomthinkaboutthecommondevicestheyuseeverydayandevenlessaboutadaptingthemforotherpurposes.Anyonecanlearnreal-lifeMacGyverismsusingeverydayitems—youjusthavetobealittlesneaky.
1.Turnacupintoaspeaker.Atypicalspeakerconsistsofacoilofwireattachedtoapaperconewithamagnetmountedcloseby.Whenanaudiosignaltravelsthroughthewire,itcreatesamagneticfield.Sincemagnetsattractandrepeleachother,thespeaker’smagnetcausesthecoiltopushandpullthepapercone.Thisrapidmotionvibratestheairtocreatesound.
Thisprojectillustrateshowtouseanordinarypaperorstyrofoamcup,wire,andamagnettocreateaSneakySpeaker.
Youcanuseanythinwireavailable(e.g.,fromanoldtelephonecord)anda1"plugcablefromanoldheadphonecable.Useastrongmagnetforthisproject(nottheweak,ceramictypeusedforrefrigeratormagnets).Arareearthmagnet,ifavailable,worksnicely.
First,wrap10ormoreturnsofthinwirearoundathickpenandusetapetokeepitintoacoilshape.Mountthecoilonthebackofthecupandaffixitwithtape.
Next,connectthecoilwirestothe1"plugcable.Inserttheplugintotheradio’searphonejack,andturnthevolumetomaximum.
Holdthemagnetneartheendofthecoil.Youshouldbeabletohearsoundsemanatingfromthecup.Ifnot,repositionthemagnetonthebackofthewirecoil.Onceyou’velocatedtheareathatprovidesmaximumvolume,tapethemagnettothebackofthecup.
2.Turnacupintoamicrophone.Justastheaudiosignalinthecoilnearthemagnetcanvibratethecuptoproducesound,youcanreversetheeffectandcreateaSneakyMicrophone.
ThisprojectusesthesamepartsandsetupastheSneakySpeakerbutsubstitutesataperecorderfortheradio.
Simplyinsertthe1"plugcableintothetaperecorder’smicrophonejack.Withablanktapeintherecorder,presstheRECORDbutton.Speakloudlyintothecuptorecordamessage.Rewindandplaybackthetape,andyou’llhearyourmessagerecordedwithyourSneakyMicrophone.
Howitworks:Byspeakingloudlyintothecup,youvibratethecoilnearthemagnet.Anelectricalaudiosignalisproducedinthewirethatcorrespondstoyourvoice.Thesignalisdetectedandamplifiedbythetaperecorder,whichrecordsitontape.
GoingFurtherTakeapartanoldspeakerandstudyitsdesignclosely.Experimentwithlongercoillengths.
Testtheprojectwithlargermagnetstoincreasethesoundlevel.Placethespeakerinthewirecoilandseewhatoccurs.Suspendthecupwithaclotheshangerframeandadhesivetape.Foraddedvolume,setupaspeakerarrayconnectedinparalleltothe1"plugcable.Placethewirecoilagainstthebackofyourearandbringthemagnetnearthecoil.
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles–basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
PaperClipRecordPlayerByPhilBowie■IllustrationsbyDamienScogin
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Paperclip,standard#1sizePolystyrenefoampackingpeanut,rigidSandpaper,fine-grit
GOTATURNTABLETHATSTILLTURNS?Gotanoldvinylrecord?Makethispocketplayerinafewminutesforlessthanapenny.
1.Preparethepaperclip.Unbendthepaperclipandreshapeitintoahook.Usingfine-gritsandpaper,sandthelongendtoafairlyeven,slightlydullpoint.
2.Jointhepaperclipandfoampeanut.Insertthehook-shapedclipintothepeanutasshown.
3.Playarecord.Placeanold45rpmor33rpmLPrecord(oneyoudon’tcareaboutscratching)ontoaturntable,andturniton.Withoutpressingdowntoohard,carefullyholdthepointedendofthepaperclipinagrooveasshown.You’llhearthemusicreproducedinremarkablefidelity,astheclosedcellsinthefoampeanutactlikeaclusteroftinyamplifyingspeakers.
GoingFurtherFormellowersound,useasofter(butstillclosed-cell)foampeanut.Formorevolume,addanotherpeanutalongsidethefirstone,likeapeanutkabob,andapplyahairmoreplayingpressure.Formoresophistication,aswhenplayingclassicalselections,useanactualsteelrecordneedlewiththefoampeanut,availabledirt-cheaponline.
Toexperimentfurther,trystraighteningthepaperclipandtapingitfirmlytothesideofasmallpolystyrenedrinkingcupwithathin,translucent,plastictopsnappedontoit(ahalf-pintdeli-stylecontainerworkswell,too).Itmakesaremarkablyloudspeaker.
Don’thaveaturntable?TurnalazySusanintoamakeshiftturntable:oiltheballbearinginthebase,placeapieceofrubbernonskidshelflineronthetopsurface,andcentera45recordontop.Youhavetospinitfairlyfasttogetenoughrpm,butitdoeswork!
NOTE:It’simportanttoholdtheplayerbythepaperclipwiretogetthebestsound.Ifyouholdthepeanut,yourfingerstendtodampenthesound.
PhilBowieisalifelongfreelancerwith300magazinearticlespublished.HehasthreeacclaimedsuspensenovelsandashortstorycollectionavailableonAmazon.Visithimatwww.philbowie.com.
PiezoContactMicByJustinEmerson■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
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PiezodiscAudiocablesuchasa¼"guitarcableLow-poweredpracticeampHeat-shrinktubingwide
enoughtofitoverthepiezoGaffer’stapeSolderingironandsolderWirecutter/stripperScrewdriversmallHeatgunorhairdryerHotgluegunandglue
ACONTACTMICROPHONEISASMALLDEVICEthatcanbeusedtoamplifyacousticinstruments.Youdon’tsingortalkintoacontactmic.Asthenameimplies,itmakescontactwithasolidobjectandturnsmechanicalvibrationsintoelectricity.Becauseacontactmicdoesn'tpickupambientsoundsintheroom,itfocusesinononeinstrumentwithoutinterferenceorfeedback.
1.Aquireparts.Gatheroldtoysfromtheatticorthethriftstoreandpullouttheblippitybleepyones.Openthemuptoseeiftheyhaveapiezoelectricdiscora
bleepyones.Openthemuptoseeiftheyhaveapiezoelectricdiscoranormalspeaker.Hopefullyyou'llfindsomepiezos.Youwillneedtobreakapartsomeplasticbitstogetatthem—justbecarefulnottodamagethediscs.
2.Wireitup.Cuttheaudiocableinhalf.Nowyouhaveenoughcableandconnectorsfortwocontactmics!Stripoffabitofouterinsulationfromthecutendoftheaudiocable.Stripandtinthesignalandgroundwires.Desolderthetwopiezowireswheretheyconnecttothepiezo.Nowsolderthesignalandgroundwiresfromyouraudiocabletothosesamepointsonthepiezo.Dabsomehotglueonthebackofthepiezo,forstrength.Testitbypluggingthecableintoalow-poweredampandtappingonthepiezo.Youshouldhearthesoundoftheamplifiedtapping.
3.Finishitup.Useheat-shrinktubing,electricaltape,PlastiDip,orepoxytoinsulatethewires,thesolderconnections,andthepiezoitself.Usegaffer’stapetoattachthemictodifferentobjectslikecardboardboxesandpapercups,andacousticinstrumentslikeguitarsandkalimbas.Youmaygetafeedbackloopifthemicistooclosetotheamp;notnecessarilyabadthingifyou’reanoiseartist.Effectspedalscanbeusedtoflavorthesoundtoyourtaste.
JustinEmersonmakesexperimentalelectronicmusicwithhand-builtandmodifiedinstruments.Hisband,Burnkit2600(burnkit2600.com),performsandgivesworkshopsandpresentationsonthetopicsofcircuitbending,chiptune,andDIYelectronics.
$5SmartphoneProjectorByPhotojojo/DannyOsterweil■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
YOUWILLNEED
ShoeboxPaperclipSmartphoneMagnifyingglasswithlowmagnifyingpowerPencilX-ActoknifeElectricalorblackducttapeMatteblackspraypaintorblackpaperoptional
SLIDEPROJECTORSAREGREAT,BUTOUTDATED,anddigitalprojectorscostabundle.Fortunately,youcanshowoffyourmobilephotosandyourphonehacksavvybyturningyoursmartphoneintoaninexpensiveprojector.
1.Preparetheprojectorbox.Iftheinsideofyourshoeboxisabrightcolor,paintitblackortapeupsomeblackpaperforbestimagequality.»Onashortsideofthebox,tracetheouteredgeofyourmagnifyingglassandcutitout.»Forextendeduse,cutasmallholeatthebackofyourboxforyourphone’spowercord.Tapethemagnifyinglenssecurelyinplace,andmakesuretherearenoholestoletlightin.
2.Makeaphonestandandflipyourscreen.Bendyourpaperclipintoacellphonestand.»Whenlightpassesthoughthelens,itgetsflipped,sothepicturefromyourprojectorwillcomeoutupside-down.FortheiPhonegotoSettings>General>AccessibilityandturnonAssistiveTouch.Onceactivated,alittlewhiteorbwillpopopenthatyoucandragaroundthescreen.ClickontheorbandgotoDevice>RotateScreen.ThiswillallowyoutoflipapplicationslikethePhotosapp,whichwouldnormallyrotateitselfrightside-up.ForAndroidphonesopentheSettingsmenu,thenselectDisplayundertheDeviceheading,thenselect“Screenrotation”andturnoffthescreenrotationswitchtodisablescreenrotation.
3.Findyourfocus.Projectontoabarewhitewalloranotherflat,whitesurface.»Positionyourphoneinitsstandnearthebackoftheboxandwalktheboxforwardorbackwarduntiltheimagestartstocomeintofocus.Fine-tunethefocusbymovingthephoneforwardorbackwardinthebox.»Setyourphone’sphotoapptoslideshowmodeforahands-freeexperience.»Ifdesired,putthepowercordthroughtheholeinthebackoftheboxandsealwithabitoftape.»Forbestviewing,turnthescreenbrightnessofyourphoneallthewayup,putontheboxtop,coveranywindows,andturntheroomlightsdown.
ThankstoInstructablesuserMattBothellforinspiringthisproject!
Photojojoisonamissiontomakephotographymorefunforeveryone!Itpublishesaninsanelygreatnewsletterandcarriesonlythemostawesomephotogiftsandgearforphotographers.photojojo.com
HypsometerByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyJulianHonoré/p4rse.com
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DrinkingstrawCalculatorPenTapeLargepaperclipScissorsandholepunch6"×8"pieceofcardboardorathickplasticbagRulerwithinchandcentimetermarkings
WANTTOKNOWTHEheightofapersonorbuilding?Usingsimpletrigonometricprinciples,youcancloselyestimatetheheightofobjectswithaneasy-to-makehypsometer(hypsmeansheightinGreek).
1.Makeit.Tapethestrawalongthetopofthecard.Punchasmallholeintherightsideofthecard,10cmfromthebottom.Straightenthepaperclip,bendoneendintoasmallhook,andhangitintheholesoitswingsfreely.Next,writenumbers0to12,1cmapart,fromrighttoleftacrossthebottomofthecard,startingwith0directlybeneaththehangingpaperclip,proceedingleftwardto12.Here’satip:Ifyouuseathickplasticbaginsteadofthecard,yourhypsometercanberolledupandcarriedinyourpocket.
2.Testit.Standing10'away,lookthroughthestrawatthetopofafriend’shead.Whenyoutiltyourhead(andthehypsometer),thepaperclipwillmoveleftwardatanangleasgravitykeepsitpointingdownattheground.InFigure2,itpointstonumber1.
Bymeasuringyourdistancefromanobject(incentimeters)andtheangleoftiltindicatedbyyourhypsometer,youcancalculateyourfriend’sheight.
3.Calculateit.You’llneed2morenumbersforyourcalculation:theheightofthecard(10cm),andtheheightofyoureyeline,measuredfromtheground.Youcanalsomeasurefromthetopofyourhead,thensubtractthisnumberfromyourheight.Forinstance,ifyou’re5'8"tallandyoureyesare4"fromthetopofyourhead,youreyelineis5'4",or164cm,offtheground.
Metricmeasurementsaremucheasiertocalculatewithahypsometer,becausemetricisabase10system.Useametricruler,orwriteequivalentsonyourhypsometerasshowninFigure3.
Multiplythedistancetoyourfriend(10'or305cm)bytheanglenumberindicatedbythepaperclip(1),thendividebythecardheight(10);inthis
indicatedbythepaperclip(1),thendividebythecardheight(10);inthiscase,youget30.5.Addthistoyoureyelineheight(164cm),foratotalof194.5cm.That’sabout6'3"tall.
Nowtestyourhypsometerwithobjectsofunknownheight,suchasdoors,walls,andbuildings,tocalibrateitandsharpenyourmeasuringskills.
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles–basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
CurieEngineByJohnIovine■IllustrationsbyDustinHostetler
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Abitoflow-Curienickelalloy1”wire,orlargerneodymium“supermagnet”CopperwireBirthdaycandleBrassscrewandnutSmallsteelplateGlueorwoodscrews4"×¾"woodenslat2"×1¼"×½"woodblockNickelwireandmagnet,orafullkit,areavailableforpurchaseat
makezine.com/go/heatengine
CHANGINGTHETEMPERATUREOFNICKELWIREturnsheatintomotion.
1.Putittogether.Glueorscrewthesteelplateand4"slattothewoodblockbaseasshownbelow.Drillapilothole,andscrewthebrassscrewatthetopoftheslat.Drilla¼"holeinthebaseabout7/16"fromthesteelplateend.Forcompletemeasurements,gotothewebsitelistedabove.
Wrapabout1"ofnickelalloywirearoundapenciltomakeacoil.Take4"ofcopperwire,andtwistthecoilontooneend.Makea90°bendinthecopperwire1½"downfromtheendwiththecoil,andcuttheotherendsothere’s1"afterthebend.Hookthewirebendontothebrassscrew,withthecoilonthesidenearerthesteelplate.
2.Testthewireandmagnet.Placetheneodymiummagnetontothemetalplate.Thewireshouldswinguptomeetthemagnet,pulledbythenickelalloycoil.Pushdownandreleasethewire,anditshouldswingbackup.Insertabirthdaycandleinthebase,andadjustthemagnetpositionandwiresothecoilissuspendedabovethewick.
3.Lightthecandle.Thewireshouldswingdownanduprepeatedly,outofandbackintothecandleflame.Likeordinaryironorsteel,thenickel-ironalloyismagnetic,butithasamuchlowerCuriepoint—thetemperatureabovewhichitlosesitsmagneticproperties.(Thecopperwireandbrassscrewarenotmagnetic.)Whenthecoilheatsuptothispoint,itisnolongerattractedtothemagnet,soitfallsawayandoutoftheflame.Asitcools,itbecomesmagneticagainandswingsbackup,overandoveragain,untiltheflame
magneticagainandswingsbackup,overandoveragain,untiltheflameburnstoolowtotouchthecoil.
JohnIovineisascienceandelectronicstinkerer.Hehaspublishedbooksandarticles,andheownsandoperatesImagesSIInc.(imagesco.com).Tolearnmoreaboutthistopicvisit:imagesco.com/articles/heatengine/HeatEngine.html
SoundSuckerByWilliamGurstelle■IllustrationsbyDamienScogin
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BoilingwaterGelatindessertmixsuchasJell-O,Knox,etc.Coffeestirrers,plastic,thin,hollow,5½"long(1box)Mug,large,flat-bottomedFrequencygenerator(optional)orfrequencygeneratorsmart-deviceappBowSpoonMeasuringcup
USINGTHIS“SOUNDSUCKER”DEVICEallowsyoutoexperienceacurioussensation:it’sasifsoundisnotonlybeingblocked,butactuallysuckedawayfromyourear.Thesoundsuckerworksonanarrowrangeoffrequencies.Mytesting
showeditmosteffectiveafewcyclestoeithersideof660Hz(dependingontheamountofgelatin),andtheeffectismostnoticeableinaroomwithawidespectrumofambientnoisefrequencies.
Canyouexplainthisacousticphenomenon?Orbetteryet,canyoudrawasimplediagramshowinghowyouthinkitworks?
1.Startcookin’.Preparethegelatinaccordingtoboxdirections.Beforeitsets,reserveabouta¼cupoftheliquidfortheproject.
2.Packyourmug.Pourthe¼cupofgelatinintothemug.Placecoffeestirrersinthemug,packingitasdenselyaspossible.Whendone,itlookssomethinglikethecompoundeyeofaninsect.
3.Letitset.Placethestirrer-packedmugintherefrigeratoruntilthegelatinsets.Theideaisthatthegelatinsealsthebottomtipofeachstirrer.
SuckUptheSoundInaplacewithmedium-to-loudambientnoise,holdthemugnexttoyourear,tiltedsidewayssotheopeningisfacingyourear.Ifthere’senoughsoundinthe660Hzrange,you’llnoticeasuddendrop-offinacousticenergy(noise)whenyoubringthesoundsuckernear.
Ifyouhaveafrequencygenerator,testarangeoffrequencies.Besidesthe660Hztone,italsoattenuatessomehigherfrequencies.
Make:contributingeditorWilliamGurstelleistheauthorofthe“RemakingHistory”columnaswellaspopularDIYbooksincludingBackyardBallisticsandThePracticalPyromaniac.
SneakyUVInkPasswordProtectorByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyDamienScogin
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Invisibleink(UV)markingpenUVLEDPaperOption1:WidebarrelpenCoincellbatteryTapeOption2:LEDpocketlightScrewdriverOption3:Spareremotecontrol
WITHSOMANYCOMPUTERpasswordstorememberthesedays,it’snecessarytosafelystorethemsomewhere—butnotinacomputerfile.Sowhere?Writethemwithanultraviolet(UV)invisibleinkpensotheinformation
can’tbeseenbythenakedeye.OnlyshiningaspecialUVlightonthepasswordswillrevealthem.Usepaperwithwrittenmaterialalreadyonit,sopeoplethinkthevisiblewordsareallthat’sthere.
ButhowdoyoupreventsomeoneelsefromusingyourUVlight?Byhidingittoo!Hereare3waystorenderyourUVlightunfindabletothecasualsnooper.
1.HideacoincellbatteryandUVLED.GetaUVLED(availableonlineforunder$1)andasmallwatchbattery(youcouldremovethemfromastandardUVLEDlightset).Wrapthemtogetherwithtape,andhidetheminsideawide-barrelpen.Ifneeded,youcanretrievetheparts,squeezethebatterybetweentheLED’slegs,andcheckyourpasswords.
2.InstallaUVLEDinanLEDpocketlight.UseascrewdrivertoopenanLEDpocketlight.RemovethestandardLEDandreplaceitwithaUVLED.Nowshinetheinvisiblebeamatyourmessagetorevealit.Thismethodworkswell,butsomeonemightbesuspiciousthatyoukeepa“nonworking”LEDpocketlightaround.
3.HideyourUVLEDinaremotecontrol.Tobereallysneaky,substituteaUVLEDfortheinfraredLEDfoundina
TVorDVDremotecontrol.Useadiscardedremote,orbuyauniversalremotefromadollarstore.Ifpeopletrytousetheremote,theyprobablywon’tdetectanythingunusual,becausearemotedoesn’tmakeabrightlightanyway!
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles–basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakierUsesforEverydayThings.
PartIV:HomeandOutdoors
EASY1+2+3PROJECTSCANBEPRACTICALANDUSEFUL,aswellasfun.Theprojectsthatfollowincludetipsandtricksforthekitchen,usefulideasforfurnitureanddécor,andsuggestionsforrecyclingandreusingthingsthatmightotherwiseendupaslandfill.
CorkyMorkisalifelongMakerwhosemanyinterestsrangefromLEDprojectswithmicrocontrollerstobackyardrailroading.In“StudChair,”heoutlineshowtomakeasturdychairoutofasingle2x4board.
RegularMake:magazinereaderswillknowthatoneofthefavoritebuildingmaterialsofMakerseverywhereisgood-oldPVCpipe.Afterall,it’sversatile,strong,andeconomical!Thestandardwhitepipegetsalittleboringthough.That’swhySeanMichaelRagandemonstratesamethodforcreatingalittlevarietyin“StainPVCAnyColor.”
Ourprolific“DIYHacksandHowTos"authorJasonPoelSmithcontributesaquintetofcleverprojects.The“ClothesFoldingBoard”willhelpyouputawayyourfreshlylaunderedshirtsquicklyandefficiently.His“CustomSodaCooler”istheperfectsummerpicniccompanion.Tryingtosprayhard-to-reachareascanbefrustrating,butJason’s“OmnidirectionalSprayBottle”hacksolvestheproblem.“KeyboardRefrigeratorMagnets”suggestsawaytoreuseoldcomputerequipmentthatmaygiveyoumoreideasalongsimilarlines.Andhis“RealisticDuctTapeRose”demonstratesonceagaintheunendingversatilityofducttapewiththeperfecthandyman’svalentine.
In“BoxFanBeefJerky,”Make:magazineengineeringinternPalomaFautleypassesalongatastytechniqueforturningaboxfanandsomeairfiltersintoafooddehydrator.YouTube’sCoolGadgetGuyTomFoxhasaniftybakingtipthathesharesin“BurntCookieDeflector.”You’llneveragainmakecookieswithoutit!
DesignengineerGusDassiosreturns(see“DicePopper”earlierinthisbook)withtwousefulideas.“PaperClipPaperHolder”presentsahandydesktophelpermadefromametalcoathanger,while“World’sCheapestMonopod”fashionsaquickandeasycamerastandfromabroomstick.
Monopod”fashionsaquickandeasycamerastandfromabroomstick.
“Skip”Areyusuallyfavorsmechanicalorelectronicsprojectsrelatingtohistwomainhobbies—bicyclingandamateurradio.Butthe“TrashCanComposter”projecttiesintohispassionforscroungingandrepurposing.He’llshowyouhowtoturnanoldtrashcanintoacompostingcanisterforcreatingrich,freshsoil.
You’llfindalltheseandevenmorehandyhouseholdprojectsinthepagesthatfollow.
StudChairByCorkyMork
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Dimensionallumber,2×4,8'lengthstraightandsmooth,withasfewknotsaspossible.Anominal2×4actuallymeasures1½"×3½"
Drywallscrews,15⁄8"(32)WoodglueSawIrecommendatablesaworbandsaw,thoughaportablecircularsaworevena
handsawcouldworkifyou’recarefulDrillwith1⁄8"twistbitandPhillipsscrewdriverbitsSquareoptional
RECENTLY,ATMYLOCALHOMECENTERIstoppedtolookatthe2×4studs.Theycostjustafewdollars,andIoftentakeafewhome“justtohave.”They’rehandyforworkbenchlegs,sawhorses,shelving,mailboxposts,temporarystaging,andmanyotheruses.Igottothinking,WhatcouldImakewithjustone8'2×4?Igotoutmy
sketchpadandworkeditthrough...Yes!Icoulddoit.
Isettoworkwithmytablesaw,andinlessthananhour,Ihadaperfectlyserviceablechair!It’snottheprettiestormostcomfortable,butforthepriceinmaterialsandeffort,it’shardtobeat.
1.Cutthe2×4.Cutthe2×4into132"and416"lengths,thenripthesepieceslengthwise.Thefollowingripmeasurementsassumea1⁄8"kerf.
Ripthe32"pieceintothirds(13⁄32"thick)forthelegs,thencutoneoftheseinto216"legs.Ripthe16"piecesinto8slats11⁄16"thick.
2.Screwandglue.Asquarecanhelpkeepthings,well,squareduringassembly.Foreachjoint,squareitup,drillpilotholestoavoidsplitting,andassemblewithglueand2drywallscrews.Thegluewillhelpkeepthechairfromracking(twistingoutofsquare),especiallyonthelegjoints.
Firstbuildthe2sideframes;oneismirroredfromtheother.Addslatstothefrontandtheseatback,thenaddtheseatslats.
3.Finishit,ornot.Youcanpaint,stain,anddecorateyourchairanywayyoulike.Ikeptmyfirstoneaunaturelandleftitoutdoorstodeveloparusticlook.
IllustrationandphotobyCorkyMork
Whatcanyoumakewithan8'2×4?Maybeabetterchair?Atable?Orwhat?
CorkyMork(tiny.cc/corkysprojects)hasbeenaMakersincehewaskid.Inadditiontowoodworking,heenjoysworkingwithmicrocontrollers,stageeffects,toys,andoutdoorprojects,includingakid-poweredbackyardrailroad.
StainPVCAnyColorBySeanMichaelRagan■IllustrationsbyDamienScogin
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NitrileglovesSafetygogglesPVCcleanerCheckthelabelandmakesureitcontainstetrahydrofuran.IusedOatey
ClearCleaner,aproductusedtopreparePVCpipeforgluing.Volumetricpipette,measuring1mLSolventdyeIfoundRekhaoilRedHF(SolventRed164),RekhaoilYellowHF(Solvent
Yellow126),andRekhaoilBlue(SolventBlue98)oneBaybysearching“petroleumdye.”
PapertowelsBentwirehanger(optional)
PVCPIPEISGREAT,butit’skindaugly—itonlycomesinwhite,gray,sometimesblack,andclear.Sure,youcanpaintit,butpaintcanflakeandcanscrewupdimensionaltolerances.Staindoesn’tflakeoraddthickness,sothepieceswillstillfittogether.
1.Mixthestain.Visitmakezine.com/projects/make-30/stain-pvc-any-color-you-like/foralistofdye-to-PVC-cleanerratiosforred,orange,yellow,green,blue,indigo,violet,brown,andblack.
Usingyourpipette,drawuptherequiredvolumeofeachdyeandtransferittothePVCcleanercontainer.Becarefulnottocross-contaminatethedyes.Notethatsolventdyesareverystrong;1ouncegoesalongway.
Closethecanlidtightly.Wipeoffanystrayliquidontheoutsideofthecan.Gentlyshakeforabout15secondstomix.
CAUTION:Workinawell-ventilatedworkspaceandwearglovesandgoggleswhenhandlingthesolventordye.
2.Applythestain.YoucanuseaholderforthePVC,suchasapieceofbentwirehanger.Generouslyslatherthestainontothepipeusingthecleanercan’sbuilt-inapplicator.Workquickly,smoothingoutstreaksbeforetheyhavetimetodry.
3.Dryandtest.Thesolventwilldryquickly—anhourwillbemorethanenough.Oncedry,thestainedPVCshouldbeabletopassa“whiteglovetest”andnottransferevenasmallamountofcolortoanythingthattouchesit.
NOTE:Dyescanfadeovertime;tryusinglight-fastdyesoraddingUVstabilizers.
SeanMichaelRaganisdescendedfrom5,000generationsoftool-usinghominids.Alsohewenttocollegeandstuff.
ClothesFoldingBoardByJasonPoelSmith■IllustrationsbyAndrewJ.Nilsen
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CardboardDucttapeRulerormeasuringtapeSharpknifeorscissors
FOLDINGCLOTHESISAboringandlaboriouschore.SoItriedtofigureoutawaytospeeduptheprocessusingmaterialsthatIhadlyingaround.Mysolutionwastomakeafoldingboardoutofcardboardandducttape,liketheonesusedtofoldshirtsatretailstores.
1.Cutoutthepanels.Tomakeafoldingboard,you’llneed6cardboardpanels.Eachpanelshouldhavethedimensionsofafoldedshirt.
Sofoldoneshirtbyhandandmeasureitsdimensions.Thencutout6piecesofcardboardthissize.
2.Assembletheboard.Laythecardboardpanelsonthefloorin2rowsof3.Spacethemoutsothatthere’sa¼"gapbetweeneachpiece.Next,tapethe3panelsinthetoprowtogether.
Thenindividuallytapeeachpanelinthetoprowtothepanelbelowit.
Thenindividuallytapeeachpanelinthetoprowtothepanelbelowit.
Turnthewholeassemblyoverandapplytapetothebackofallthesesamegaps.
Pressthe2sidesoftapetogethertosealthem.
3.Usethefoldingboard.Placethefoldingboardonyourworksurface.Thenlayashirtfacedownontopofit.
Foldonesidepaneloverandback.
Thenfoldtheothersideoverandback.
Lastly,foldupthebottomcenterpanel.Youshouldnowhaveaperfectlyfoldedshirt.Thistoolcandrasticallyspeedupthefoldingprocess,andeveryshirtwillbeuniformlyfolded.
Seethehow-tovideoandmorephotosatmakezine.com/go/diy-clothes-folding-board.
JasonPoelSmithmakesthe“DIYHacksandHowTos”projectvideoseriesonMake:.Heisalifelongstudentofallformsofmaking,andhisprojectsrangefromelectronicstocraftsandeverythinginbetween.
GiveOldWorkJeansNewLegsByGregoryHayes■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
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PairofjeansFabricscissorsStraightpinsSewingmachineUpholsterythread
DON’TLETATORNseamdoomyourveteranworkjeanstothelandfill.Withjustafewstitches,theycanreturntotheworkshopwithhonorasahandsome,durabletoolwrapforwrenches,chisels,andthelike.
1.Cut‘em.Startingatthepantcuff,cutupthelengthoftheinseam,stayingquiteclosetothetuckededgeoftheseam.Whenyoureachthecrotchseam,turn90°andcutaroundtheleg;takecarenottocutthroughanypocketsincaseyoudecidetorepurposemorethanjustthelegs.
2.Fit‘em.Withoneflapofthelegmaterialopen,layoutyourtoolsevenlywith
Withoneflapofthelegmaterialopen,layoutyourtoolsevenlywithelbowroomforeasyrolling,thenpegbetweenthemwithstraightpins.Iftheleg'stoolongforallyourtools,trimtheexcess(orgetmoretools).
3.Stitch‘em.Removethetools,thenstraightstitchonyoursewingmachineintheplacesyoupinned,usingupholsterythread.Togetthetopflaptoalwaysfoldthesameway,stitchalongthefoldedtopedge.Ifthepocketsaretoodeepforsometools,addastitchtoshallowthosepockets.Foraddedfinishanddurability,foldoverandstitchalledges;foraroughlook,don’tstitchanythingyoudon’tneedto.
GoingFurtherTrimoutthewaistband(includingzipper)tocreateabuttoningstraptosecuretherollarounditstop.Formoreideasvisitmakezine.com/projects/make-34/123-give-old-work-jeans-new-legs/.
NOTE:Testwhetheryourtoolswilleasilypullfreeandrollupbeforesewing.
GregoryHayeswranglesphotosforMake:andknowslotsofotherwaystodestroygoodjeans.
CustomSodaCoolerByJasonPoelSmith■IllustrationsbyAndrewJ.Nilsen
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VinylsheetIusedavinyltablecloth.FlexiblefoamsheetsuchascraftfoamSewingmachineorsprayglueVelcroorazipper
SUMMERISHOT.Sowhynotmakeacustomcoolertokeepyourdrinkscold!Here’showtomakeaflexiblecoolerthatperfectlyfitsa12-packofsoda.Takethewholepackoutofthefridge,slipitintoyourcustomcooler,andgo.
1.Makethesides.Startbydeterminingtheshapeofyourcooler.Tracetheoutlineofeachsideontothefoam.Thencutouteachoutline.
Applyagenerousamountofspraygluetoonesheetofvinyl.Thenstickonthefoamcutouts,spacingthemoutbyatleast1".
Applyspraygluetoasecondsheetofvinylandstickthatontop.
Dryovernight,thencutout.
2.Assemblethecoolerbody.Layoutthesectionsastheywillbeassembled,andglueorsewthepiecestogether.
Afterattachingthesidestogether,trimtheseamstonomorethan½".
3.Invertandaddaclosure.Carefullyturnyourcoolerinsideout,sothatalltheseamsareontheinside.Ifyou’reworriedaboutbreakingaweakseam,youcansecure
inside.Ifyou’reworriedaboutbreakingaweakseam,youcansecureyourseamswithbinderclipsbeforeinvertingthecooler.
Finally,addazipperorvelcrothatwillholdtheopeningofthecoolerclosed.Attachthisbygluingorsewingitinplace.You’rereadytochill.
Seestep-by-stepphotosandvideoandshareyourcoolerdesignsatmakezine.com/go/custom-cooler.
JasonPoelSmithmakesthe“DIYHacksandHowTos”videoseriesonMake:.Heisalifelongstudentofallformsofmaking,andhisprojectsrangefromelectronicstocraftsandeverythinginbetween.
PaperClipPaperHolderByGusDassios■IllustrationsbyDamienScogin
YOUWILLNEED
WireclotheshangerorotherstiffwirePaintandprimer(optional)WirecuttersorhacksawLineman’spliers
FileElectricaltapeBenchviseoranotherwayofmakingacleanbendPaperclip(optional)
WHAT’SBETTERATHOLDINGpaperthanapaperclip?Abiggerpaperclip!Here’saverysimpleprojectthatwascompletedinabout5minutes.Findingthepartsandtoolstooklonger!
1.Cutthewire.Cuta15"lengthofstiffwire.Wirecuttersmakethecuteasy,butasmallhacksawwillwork,too.
Youcanusethebottomofawireclotheshanger,sothatyoudon’thavetostraightenoutanyofthebends.Naturally,alongerlengthwillmakealargerclipandashorterlengthwillmakeasmallerclip.
Filethesharpendsuntilsmooth.
2.Benditintoapaper-clipshape.Lookatanormalpapercliptohelpyoudeterminewhereandhowtomakeyourbends.
Someonewithstronghandsshouldbeabletobendthewirewithoutanytools,butlineman’spliersmakeiteasiertotwistthewireintoalargeversionofatraditionalpaperclip.
Wrapsomeelectricaltapearoundtheteethoftheplierssotheydon’tdigintothewiretoomuch.
3.Makea90°bend.Forthefinalbend—requiredsothattheclipcanbefreestanding—useavise.Securethebottomquarteroftheclipinthevise,andthenbendthetopoverintoa90°bend.
Afterremovingtheclipfromthevise,benditbyhandanother10°farther,sothatitwon’ttipovereasily.
Ifthecoatingremainsintactontheclotheshangerwire,you’refinished.Ifyouchippedthecoatingduringthebendingprocess,orifyouusedbaremetalwire,youcanprimeandpaintyourpaperclippaperholder.
GusDassioslives,designs,andbuildsinToronto,Ontario.
OmnidirectionalSprayBottleByJasonPoelSmith■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
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Spraybottle,16ozorbiggerFlexibletubing,1⁄8"ID,¼"OD,suchasaquariumairlineStainlesssteelnuts,¼"(5)ScissorsGlue(optional)
MODIFYASPRAYBOTTLEsoitworkswhenheldatanyangle.Ifyoureplacethehardsuctiontubewithflexibletubingandaweightontheend,thetubingwillnaturallyfalltothelowestpointofthecontainer.
1.Cutthetubestolength.Cuttheoriginalspraybottletube,leavingabout1"stickingoutpastthescrewcap.Thencuttheflextubingabout1"longerthanthecutportionoftheoriginaltube.
2.Attachthe2cuttubes.Thesuctiontubeonatypicalspraybottlehasanouterdiameterbetween1⁄8"and¼",sotheflextubingshouldmakeagoodsealwithoutanyadhesive.Slideitontotheoriginaltubeuntilyougetafirmseal,withatleast¼"ofoverlap.
Ifyoudon'tgetasatisfactoryseal,useglue.Withbothtubescleananddry,applyathinlayerofgluearoundthelower½"oftheoriginaltube.Slidetheflextubingontotheoriginaltube,overlappingbyatleast½",andslowlytwisttheflextubetohelpspreadtheglueevenly.Lettheadhesivecompletelycurebeforecontinuing.
3.Addtheweight.Twistanutontotheendoftheflextubingandturnthesprayerupsidedowntoseehowlowthetubehangs.Addnutsuntilthetubehangsalmostdowntothecap.Thestifferthetubing,themorenutsyou’llneed.Iused5.
UseIt.Fillthebottlewithliquidandenjoysprayingup,down,andupsidedown!
Ifthetubegetsstuck,givethebottleagentleshake.
JasonPoelSmithisahelicoptertoolingengineer.Whenhe’snotinventing,he’sspendingtimewithhisamazingfamily.
BurntCookieDeflectorByThomasR.Fox■IllustrationsbyDamienScogin
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Aluminumfoilheavy-dutyCookiesheetroughlythesamesizeasthecookiesheetyouusetobakethecookieson
PROBABLYTHETOUGHESTPARTOFBAKINGgreat-tastingcookiesisavoidingahard,burntbottom!Whiletheproblemcouldbethattheoven’sthermostatisinaccurate,thecauseismorelikelythatinfraredradiationisstrikingthebottomofthebakingsheet,whichheatsitseveralhundreddegreeshotterthantheoven’sairtemperature.Thisreallyhotbakingsheetiswhatburnsthebottomsofthecookies.Tosolvetheproblem,keepthebakingsheetascoolaspossibleby
usingaradiationdeflectorshield,madebycoveringasecondbakingsheetwithshinyaluminumfoil.
1.Cutthefoil.Cutalengthoffoil8"longerthanthecookiesheet(or2lengthsifyoursheetiswiderthanthefoil).
2.Coverthebakingsheet.Centerthefoiloverthebakingsheet,shinysideup,soyouhave4"ofoverlaponeachend,andsecureitinplacebyfoldingtheextrafoilaroundthebottomofthesheet.
3.Setinsideoven.Placetheovenrackforthecookiesinthemiddlepositionoftheoven,andmovethedeflectorracktothelowestposition.
Invertthenewlymadedeflectorsothefoilsidefacesdownandthebottomofthecookiesheetfacesup,andplaceitonthelowestrack.
Oncethecookiesarereadyfortheoven,simplyplacethebakingsheetontherackabovethedeflector.There’snoneedtoadjustoventemperatureorbakingtime.
HowItWorksInanelectricoven,theheatingelementgetscloseto1500°Fandradiatesintenseinfraredtothecookiesheet.Inagasoven,theburnerdoesnotgetquitehotasanelectricelement;but,evenwithgas,itisn'tuncommontogetburntcookiebottoms!Theshield’sheatcapacity(amountofheatenergyneededtochangeabody'stemperature)protectsthebottomofthecookiesheetfromthemostintenseinfraredradiation.
PhotobyTomFox
TomFox(magiclandfarms.com)isabookauthorandmagazineeditor.
BoxFanBeefJerkyByPalomaFautley■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
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BeefMarinadeKnifeKitchencontainerorplasticbagsformarinatingAirfilters,nonfiberglass(3-4)forfurnace
orairconditionerBungeecordBoxfan
JERKYISTHEON-THE-GOSNACKthathasfueledNativeAmericans,pioneers,andastronautsalike.Andit’seasytomakeathome.Thismethod,popularizedbyAltonBrown,usesanordinaryboxfanandairfilterstodrythemeat.
PalomaFautley
1.Sliceit.Buyyourdesiredcutofbeef(sirloinisagoodchoice),andsliceitintothinstripsusingalong,thinblade.
2.Marinateit.Chooseamarinadeandletthemeatsoakintherefrigeratorfor6–8hours.Makesuretoincludeingredientsthathelpthemeatstaymoistand
hours.Makesuretoincludeingredientsthathelpthemeatstaymoistandtender.Honeyisagoodchoice.
3.Dryit.Removethemeatfromthemarinadeandpatdrywithapapertowel.Placethestripsontopofalarge,cleanairfilter(makesureitcontainsnofiberglass).Continuestackingmeatandfiltersuntilyourunoutofmeat.Placeonefinalairfilterontopandputthestackoffiltersonaboxfan.Useabungeecordtosecurethefilters,thenturnonthefan.
Letthefanrunandenjoythatsweet,sweetmeatsmellfor8–12hours.Oncethemeatisdehydrated,enjoy!
Checkoutstep-by-stepphotosat:makezine.com/projects/box-fan-beef-jerky.
PalomaFautleyiscurrentlypursuingadegreeinroboticsengineeringandhasawiderangeofinterests,frombakingtopyrotechnics.
TrashCanComposterByThomasJ.Arey■IllustrationsbyDamienScogin
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TrashcanwithlidDrillwith1"spadebit
ILIKETOPICKthingsoutoftrashcansandreusecastawayitems.Here,Irepurposethetrashcanitselftofacilitaterecyclingorganicwasteintobeneficialcompost.Commercialcompostingcanisterscanbecostly,butthey’resimplya
placetoallownaturalmicrobialprocessestoconvertwastematterintoadark,fresh-smellingsoil.Commercialversionsallowairandsomewatertogetin,andsometimesawaytomix.
Mosthometrashcansfailwhenpartofthebottomwearsaway,leavingahole.Suchatrashcanisperfectforthisproject,sincewe’rejustgoingtoaddmoreholesanyway.
1.Cleanthetrashcan.Scrubthetrashcanthoroughlyinsideandouttoensurethatnoinorganicwasteremains.Ifyou’resqueamishaboutthis,buyanewone.
It’shelpfulbutnotnecessarytohavealid.Iftheoriginallidhasgonemissing,I’llleaveittoyoutocomeupwithanothersolution.
2.Drillairholes.Useadrillwitha1"spadebittomakeairholes.Spacetheholesabout3"to4"apartoverallsidesofthetrashcan.Drillplentyofholes,butdon’tcompromisethestructuralintegrityofthetrashcan.Avoidthecornerstomaintainthetrashcan’sstrength.Drillholesonthebottomtohelpwithdrainage.
3.Startcomposting.Theoriesaboutcompostingareasnumerousastheholesyouhavedrilled.Generalrules:
▶Keepthecompostmaterialdamp,notwet.▶Mixbrownmaterial(suchasleaves)inwithgreenmaterial(suchasgrassclippings).▶Useuncookedfoodscraps;nomeat.▶Don’tallowpetwasteoranythingtreatedwithpesticidesintoyourcomposter.▶Turnthecompostmaterialregularly.Ifyourcanhasatight-fittinglid,youcanlayitonitssideandrollitaroundontheground.
TIP:Nothinggoestowasteinthisproject!The1"cutoutsmadebythespadebitcanbeusedasinsulatingwashersinotherprojects.
T.J.“Skip”Areyhasbeenafreelancewritertotheradio/electronicshobbyworldforover25yearsandistheauthorofRadioMonitoring:AHowToGuide.
KeyboardRefrigeratorMagnetsByJasonPoelSmith■IllustrationsbyJulieWest
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ComputerkeyboardSheetmagnetsneworrecycledfrommagneticadvertisements,carsigns,orbusiness
cardsScrewdriverScissorsWirecuttersPliers,needlenoseHotgluegun
IALWAYSTRYTOFINDWAYSTOREUSEthepartsfrommyoldelectronics.Ihadacoupleofoldkeyboardslyingaround,soIdecidedtousethekeystomakealphabetrefrigeratormagnets.
1.Removethekeyboardkeys.Useanarrowscrewdrivertoprythekeysoffthekeyboard.Inmostcasestheywilljustpoprightoff.
Lookatthebacksideofthekeys.Ifthemountingtabsstickoutpastthebodyofthekey,thenyouneedtotrimthemsothatyoucanmountthemagnetsflushwiththebackside.Youcaneithercutthetabswithwirecuttersorjustbreakthemoffwithneedlenosepliers.
2.Cutthemagnetsintosquares.Nowgetsomemagneticadvertisementsormagneticbusinesscards.Usescissorsoraknifetocutthemagneticsheetintosquaresthatarethesamesizeasthebackofthekeys.
3.Gluethekeystothemagnets.Applyalargedropofhotgluetothebackofoneofthekeys.
Thenpressthekeyontooneofthemagneticsquaresthatyoucutout.Youwantthebaremagnetsidetobefacingoutsothatitcansticktothefridgebetter.
Repeatthisprocesswithallthekeys.
JasonPoelSmith
Checkoutstep-by-stepphotosat:
makezine.com/projects/keyboard-refrigerator-magnets.
JasonPoelSmithmakesthe“DIYHacksandHowTos”projectvideoseriesonMake:.Heisalifelong
studentofallformsofmakingandhisprojectsrangefromelectronicstocraftsandeverythinginbetween.
World’sCheapestMonopodByGusDassios■IllustrationsbyDamienScogin
YOUWILLNEED
Broomhandleor1"-diameterwooddowelElectricdrillanddrillbits:3⁄16"andanotherbitnarrowerthanyourspiralnailHexnut,¼"-20thread
Hangerbolt,¼"-20threadWrenchSpiralnail,8"HammerHacksawSandpaper(optional)
MOSTPEOPLEAREFAMILIARWITHtripods.Theyhavethreelegsandaregreatforsettingupatalocationandtakingphotosfromthatonespot.Monopods,ontheotherhand,haveonlyoneleg,sotheycanbequicklymovedfromplacetoplace.Butwithonlyoneleg,monopodsaren’tverystable.Thisonehasa
spikeatoneendthatcanbepushedintothegroundfortimedphotos.Oryoucantakefixed-heightorbitalphotos,whichisusefulforprojectslikePrintYourHeadin3D(makezine.com/projects/make-ultimate-guide-to-3d-printing/print-your-head-in-3d/)inwhichyoutakeaseriesofphotos,createadigitalmeshonline,andthenprintoutyoursubjectona3Dprinter.
1.Preparethehandle.Ifithasaroundedend,cutofforsandtheendsoit’sflat.Pre-drilleachendofthebroomhandle:onewiththe3⁄16"bit,theotherwiththebitsizedforyournail.
Pre-drillingallowsthehangerboltandnailtogoineasierandreducestheriskofthewoodsplitting.
2.Attachthehardware.Securethehexnutonthehangerbolt,andthenattachbothtothebroomhandleusingawrench.
Ontheotherend,installthenailbycarefullyhammeringitintotheotherpre-drilledhole.Afterit’ssecure,useahacksawtocutofftheheadofthenail.Thiswillallowthemonopodtobestuckintotheground.
3.Attachthecamera.Thefinalstepistoscrewonthecamera.Mostcamerashavea¼"-20threadedholeonthebottom.Withoutthethreadedhole,itcannotbemountedtoamonopodoratripod.Ifyousecurethemonopodintotheground,makesureit’ssteadybeforelettinggo.
GusDassioslives,designs,andbuildsinToronto,Ontario.
RealisticDuctTapeRoseByJasonPoelSmith
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Ducttape,red,~3-4'perroseDucttape,green,~2-3'perroseFloralwireorotherstiffwireMarkers,redandgreen
ScissorsWirecutters,optional
JasonPoelSmith
SURPRISEYOURSWEETHEARTWITHarealistic,handmaderosecraftedfromanunexpectedmaterial—ducttape!
1.Makethepetals.Cutoffa1'lengthofwireanda4"pieceofredducttape.Stickthewiretothetapesothattheyoverlapby1½".Thenfoldthetapeovertheendofthewireandstickthe2sidestogether,leavingabout1"ofstickytapeexposed.
Cutthepetaltoshapebyroundingoffthecorners,andcolorinthecutedgeswithmarkers.Makeabout10petals.
2.Buildthebud.Takethefirstpetalandlooselyrollitintoatube.Thensoftlywrapeachadditionalpetalaroundthepreviousone.Asyougo,bendagentlecurlintoeachpetaltogiveittheshapeofanactualrose.
3.Makethestem.Buildthestembytwistingthewirestogetherandwrappingthemingreenducttape.
Tomakethesepals,takeseveralpiecesofgreenducttapeandfoldoneendover,similartothewaythepetalsweremade.Cutout5smalltriangleswiththeexposedtapeatthebase,andcolorinthecutedges.Thenattachthesetothebaseoftheflower.Yourducttaperoseiscomplete.
Seethehow-tovideoandmorephotosandtipsatmakezine.com/go/duct-tape-rose.
JasonPoelSmithmakesthe“DIYHacksandHowTos”projectvideoseriesonMake:.He’salifelongstudentofallformsofmaking,fromelectronicstocraftsandeverythinginbetween.
UrbanSurvivalButtonByCyTymony■IllustrationsbyTimLillis
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Garmentbutton,hollowMagnet,neodymium,smallJacketKeyfob,retractableVelcrostripMirror,small,roundScissors
Optional:MatchbookLED,super-brightBattery,3Vbuttoncell,CR1025typeor1.5Vwatchbatteries(2)TapeStaple
EMERGENCYSURVIVALKITSAREdesignedforthewildernessandenclosedinpouchesormintcontainers.Butwhataboutsurvivalsituationsinthecity?PrepareyourselfbymakingaSneakyButtonSurvivalKit,which
containspracticalitemsyoucanusetoprotectyourselfinurbansituations.
1.Insertthemagnet.Getahollowgarmentbuttonfromanoldcoatorasewingsupplystore.Ithas2parts:abuttonandaseparatecaporcover.Openthecover,putthesmallmagnetinside,andpressthebuttonbacktogether.
2.Attachtoyourjacket.Withthescissors,removeabuttonfromyourjacketandpunchasmallholewhereitwasattached.
Removethekeyring(ifsupplied)fromthekeyfob.Pushthefob’sextendablecordthroughthejacket’ssmallholeandloopitthroughyourbutton’sshank.
3.Attachthemirror.Cutasmall,roundpieceofvelcroandstickittoonesideofthekeyfob.Peeltheothersideofthevelcrobackingandpressthebackofthesmallmirrortoit.
UseIt.Pulloutthekeyfobandusethemirrortoseebehindyouwhileyou’rewalking,orwhenusinganATM.
Totestforcounterfeitcurrency,bringthebuttonneartheedgeofafoldedbill.Ifthebillislegitimate,it’llmovetowardthemagnet,duetotheironparticlesinthecurrency’sink.
GoingFurtherStoremoreemergencyitemsinsidethebutton:
Fire:Tearoffsomematchheadsandasmallpieceofthematchbookstrikermaterial.(Wrapthestrikerintapesothematchesdon’tstrikeaccidentally.)Compass:Asmall,straightenedstaplecanmakeahandy
compassinapinch.Simplystrokeitmultipletimeswiththemagnet.
Light:Storeasuper-brightLEDandasmall3Vbattery(ortwo1.5Vbatteries).Insulatethebatterieswithtapesotheywon’tdraintheircharge.
CyTymony(sneakyuses.com)isaLosAngeles–basedwriterandistheauthorofSneakiestUsesforEverydayThings.
EasyBoomboxByMatthewT.Miller■IllustrationsbyJulianHonoré
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EarbudsPapercupsPocketknifeAudiosourceVelcrostrip
MatthewT.Miller
MANYEARBUDSCANPLAYathighvolumewithoutdistortion.Usethemtodrivepapercups,andthesoundissurprisinglygood.Ifirstput
thistogetherwhenIreallyneededtolistentosomejamsatwork.Puttheghettobackintotheblaster!
1.Preparethecups.CutsmallXsinthebottomsof2papercups.
2.Inserttheearbuds.CarefullyinserttheearbudsintotheXs.Theyshouldfitsnugly.
3.Turnonthejamsandrockout.
UseIt.
Myearbudsdoplayatveryhighvolumeswithoutdistortion...sothesoundfrommyghettoblasterisactuallyreallygood.Thisisacheap,easytrickandwillsaveyouseriousmoney.
MatthewTeagueMillerisa36-year-oldfatherwholivesinSanPedro,CA.Helovestocreatethingsoutofhouseholdobjects.