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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/watervalveshield_controls_your_gard.html
First Ray built a minty water valve controller that gave him control over a garden water supply, then he turned it into a shield.
For the water valve, I picked the Orbit yard watering valve. It's widely available in home improvement stores, and it is cheap. It has two pins: applying +24v opens the valve, and -24v closes the valve. It uses a latch solenoid, drawing power only when you open or close it. This makes it very power efficient.
To use a single li-poly battery to drive the valve, I needed a voltage booster to raise the 3.6v provided by the battery to 24v momentarily before connecting to the valve solenoid. For this I chose an LT1303 DC/DC step-up converter, but any similar converter will do as well. Switching between applying +24v or -24v to the solenoid is achieved by using some MOSFETs. I can't use small BJT transistors because they won't handle the large impulse current through the solenoid (as high as 5A). Darlington transistor would work but I prefer MOSFETS for their power efficiency.
Read the first link to get a sense of the overall project; at any rate, Ray supplies schematics and code for both.
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Digg this!August 23 2010, 8:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/more_little_drifter_boats_from_arou.html
Heather Kew/The Saanich Peninsula Flotilla
Sarah Blum/Maryland
Kelly Gratton/Saint Johns Pond, Delafield
It turns out that Jeff Hamada of Booooooom got quite a response to his call for little drifter boats from readers of his blog. He received dozens of submissions, photos of little leaf and twig craft from around the world. Some of them are quite exquisite. Here are a few (a couple more after the jump).
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August 17 2010, 12:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/little_drifters_art_boats_made_from.html
This just showed up in our inbox moments ago, and man does it ever look like a fun and creative way to spend a lazy summer afternoon. And it'd make a perfect MAKEcation project! Booooooom, the Vancouver arts community and blog, headed up by Jeff Hamada, hosted this event at Trout Lake in Vancouver last month. The idea was to build little boats, exclusively out of found natural materials (leaves, twigs, flowers, grass, etc), put them in the lake, and watch them drift away. Love the variety in the designs.
If you decide to build and launch little drifters of your own, take some photos and upload them to the MAKE Flickr pool.
(More images after the jump and plenty more on the following links)
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August 16 2010, 7:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/40000_solar_cookers_in_darfur.html
Phil Shapiro (Takoma Park, Md.) sent us this video of solar cookers being built and deployed by villagers in Darfur. Amazing to think what impact some cardboard and foil material can have on the health and well-being of tens of thousands of people. [Thanks, Phil!]
40,000 solar cookers in Darfur
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August 5 2010, 6:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/humble_homes_simple_shacks_preview.html
Our pal Derek "Deek" Diedricksen, of Tiny Yellow House and RelaxShacks.com, sent us a video tour of his 100% indie-produced, "trash-funded" book, Humble Homes, Simple Shacks, Cozy Cottages, Ramshackle Retreats, Funky Forts, and Whatever Else We Could Squeeze in Here. The book is a hoot and an inspiration, crammed with Deek's designs — from practical to pie in the sky — for "micro-houses," small backyard retreats, kid forts, treehouses, and other no-cost/low-cost outbuildings. The emphasis here is on fun and clever use of recycled materials. Deek did all the hand-lettering and the book is obsessively illustrated with wonderfully wacky cartoons and design drawings. As he himself describes it in the video: "A carpal tunnel-inducing barrage of dime store pen sketches."
I used to be heavily involved in zine and small press comics publishing in the 90s and this book captures that same spirit. It's hand-written and drawn, hand-assembled, GBC-bound, and the printing was funded by selling recyclables. It doesn't get more DIY than that. The book sells for $18.95 and you can order it from Derek's website.
We thought this book was a perfect companion for our summer MAKEcation coverage. What a great idea for a family project -- make a backyard retreat, kid fort, or treehouse! So we've asked Deek to do some micro-house project videos for us. Stay tuned for those. In the meantime, we want to give away a signed copy of Humble Homes to one MAKE reader. In the comments below, tell us what sort of backyard retreat, fort, or kids hangout you fancy building, or tell us a story about building forts and treehouses when you were a kid. This Friday, at noon PDT, we'll announce a winner.
Relax Shacks
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July 13 2010, 6:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/algae-powered_lamp.html
I remember wondering years ago if it were possible to design a lamp that you would feed and water like a houseplant. Well, apparently, it is, and designer Mike Thompson has done it. He calls it Latro. There's more info over at Inhabitat:
The lamp is made possible thanks to a recent discovery made by researchers at the universities of Yansei and Stanford. The researchers found that a tiny electrical current can be extracted from algae during photosynthesis. The Latro Lamp features a battery that stores energy generated by the algae throughout the day and a light sensor that controls the lamp's intensity, preventing the algae from becoming malnourished. Thompson believes this discovery could lead to an algae revolution: "As advances in nanotechnology lead to increasingly energy efficient products, plant life such as algae will become attractive sources for tapping energy," he says.
I'm guessing the electrical potential used to charge the battery during the day is generated between the top and bottom of the algal layer and is ultimately due to a gravity-induced concentration gradient of some kind of metabolite in the broth.
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Digg this!June 11 2010, 12:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/small-scale_solar_trackers_a_diy_so.html
Voltaic (makers solar bags) have a DIY section filled with projects and resources for solar powered goodness - here are couple recent ones I thought were interesting...
Solar trackers can increase power generated by a solar panel by orienting the panel towards the sun throughout the day. This decreases the amount (and cost) of PV required to generate a given amount of power. While we mainly see trackers implemented on utility-scale systems, there has been an explosion of small-scale tracker prototypes online
New DIY Solar Bicycle Rack - Two friends making a cross-country bike trip built out a nice solar bicycle rack. They’re fund raising for cancer research and will be using smart phones to make updates throughout the trip. The kits uses an old backpack shell (free) as the to secure the panels, 3 1.5 Watt 6 Volt solar panels, 1 Mini USB Circuit Box and 1 USB Battery Pack V11.
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Digg this!June 10 2010, 11:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/flashback_off-grid_laundry_machine.html
One issue of MAKE that has no shortage of practical home projects is MAKE Volume 18, the ReMake: America issue. Featuring everything from making a two-person shovel to building the Garduino geeked-out indoor gardening system, this volume is a gem and my regular go-to gift for friends who are homeowners. For this week's Flashback, we offer Michael Perdriel's off-grid laundry machine how-to. Michael is serious about creating sustainable tools for people in developing countries. Check out the tutorial here and pick up a back issue of Volume 18 over in the Maker Shed. You'll be all the wiser for it.
This think-small washer needs no electricity or running water.
By Michael Perdriel
A couple of years ago, I decided to concentrate my design research on devices that would be useful to poor families in developing countries -- easy-to-make tools that address a specific need without disrupting the local economy, culture, or environment.
Here's one of my designs: a manual clothes washer that does a load of laundry in about 20 minutes using no power other than muscle. It's portable, so you can carry or wheel it to a water source, and if you wash with biodegradable soap, the wash water can easily go to a garden afterward.
They're now using the washer in Hyanja, Nepal, where I collaborated on designing a localized version. It's also a neat design if you're living off the grid by choice in an industrialized area, or just conserving water and power.
The washer consists of 3 main components: a container, a net bag, and a lever-driven shaft mechanism held in place by a simple wooden frame. The key component is the net bag, which is designed to hold, squeeze, and agitate the clothes. The middle of the net bag is a wide, open cylinder of flexible mesh netting. End-capping the cylinder above and below are semi-rigid cones made from short plastic pipes strung together with rope. Both cones point upward, so the bottom cone sticks up through the clothes and prevents them from balling together.
While the washer is in operation, the top cone holds fast while the bottom cone is pulled up and down by the shaft, carrying the clothes with it. Each pump of the lever handle pulls the clothes up out of the water, squeezes them out between the nested cones, and releases them back down. The lever's 40" length provides mechanical advantage for easy operation.
You can modify this design to suit both the materials at hand and the skill level of the builder. These instructions show how to build a bare-bones device for less than $50 using materials from any home supply store. You can modify the design to suit available materials and your skill level. A machine of this size can handle only small loads up to 5lbs, but the ones we made in Nepal were larger, and I think that one could be made 2 or 3 times larger and would still be easy to operate. I also built a fancier, wooden version that's towable, with wheels and a barrel-style container.
Read the full tutorial shared with you in our Digital Edition.
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Digg this!June 2 2010, 9:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/spherical_stay_tab_lampshade.html
May 27 2010, 4:58pm | More »
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I posted to hackaday.com
http://hackaday.com/2010/05/23/bamf2010-solarpump-charging-station/
Amidst the noise of a bazillion robots and Tesla coils at the 2010 Bay Area Maker Faire, we located a bubble of usable WiFi, and got a nearby power charge to boot. If nothing else here, we want this:
The SolarPump Charging Station is a self-contained oasis of free power for laptops, cel phones and even electric bikes. This charging station is one of several designs created by Sol Design Labs of sunny Austin, Texas. No bigger than a bus stop (and way cooler looking), it’s like the ultimate case mod, repurposing a vintage Citgo gas pump and recycled metals for more modern needs. Three large Sanyo solar panels provide power for devices and shade for users, while topping off the internal 24V 100AH battery for nighttime use (with LED lighting) or cloudy days. The end result transcends “green” — the SolarPump is simply appealing at a visceral level, managing to be simultaneously fun, attractive and practical. Did we mention wanting one? We totally want one.
May 23 2010, 1:39pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/bobs_3d_birdhouse_webcam.html
MAKE subscriber Bob Alexander sent us info about his bird house with a 3D webcam inside:
At the this URL, I describe how my bird house with an adjustable 3D web camera works. On the main site, http://bobsbirdblog.com, I post 3D videos (and 2D for those without glasses) of what's happening inside the bird house. Currently, wrens are building a nest.
Bob's Bird Blog
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May 6 2010, 8:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/automatic_coop_door_opener.html
The latest issue of MAKE, Volume 22, contains an automated chicken coop door opener project, by Alan Graham (Portland, OR). My geek BFF, Jeri Ellsworth, sent me a link to another, clever remote-controlled coop opener, put together by her friend "Slinky." It uses a $5 power drill as the door winch and a Seeduino as the controller. [Thanks, Jeri!]
Slinky
From the pages of MAKE:
MAKE Volume 22, Remote Control Everything
Automate your world with remote control. From pet care to power outlets, from toys to telepresence, we'll show you how to add a joystick, push-button, twist-knob, or timer to just about anything. Don't forget, subscribers can always read the digital edition here.
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May 5 2010, 1:31am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/building_a_one-stage_anaerobic_dige.html
Kenya-based maker Babamzungu designed and built this proof of concept one-stage anaerobic digester to convert waste organic material into useful methane gas. Anarobic digesters work by placing organic material in an oxygen-free environment, where naturally occurring microorganisms digest the matter and turn it into methane and carbon dioxide. The gas can then be burned as a fuel. While this design isn't the most efficient, the goal of his project is to create an affordable design that can be built using readily available parts. Looks great! [via afrigadget]
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Digg this!May 3 2010, 9:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/mfba_solarpump_electric_charging_st.html
There is no end to the awesome innovations that will be on display at this year's Maker Faire Bay Area, the world's largest DIY festival, taking place at the San Mateo Fairgrounds on May 22nd and 23rd. One of the new green energy projects to be on display (and in use!) is Austin-based Sol Design Lab's SolarPump Electric Charging Station, pictured above at this year's Coachella Music Festival. We caught up with Beth Ferguson, Sol Design Lab's founding director, designer, educator for a seven-question interview. Here's what Beth had to say.
1. Tell us about the project you're bringing to Maker Faire.
The SolarPump Electric Charging Station is an urban intervention; it is designed to help people re-imagine the future of transportation by showcasing solar electric charging stations as part of the future for carbon-free cities, leaving gas mobility as a thing of the past. Imagine turning the corner and instead of your local gas station and convenience store, people are playing music and charging their electric bicycles and cellphones at a solar-powered charging station, while lounging in the shade of the solar roof on furniture made from recycled street signs.
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Digg this!April 29 2010, 9:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/maker_migs_a_good_neighbor.html
"Maker Mig" sent us news of this little act of maker-y kindness, done in support of GOOD magazine's Neighbor Day. We asked, if people did anything in support of this event, to let us know, so Miguel let us know of this trashcan repair:
A couple of months ago, my neighbor was upset that the recycling truck slammed her trashcan down and broke the plastic hinges that held the wheels in place. This is quite a problem for people. The cans sit in the sun and then get slammed around by the recycling trucks and always end up breaking. They get replaced for 60-100 bucks a pop, depending on the size. My neighbor said she was upset that she was going to have to pay 60 bucks for a new one.
For Neighbor Day (which is also my birthday this year), I decided to take care of it for her. With a few hose clamps, screws, and some plywood, I fashioned a fix. From the photo, you can see that the wheels where originally held on by the plastic and you can see how they're broken. So far, this has held pretty well and no complaints from the city! She offered to pay me for the time but I said no big deal and let it go.
It's not a very impressive project, and yet, it shows how you can fix things rather than get new ones!
Maker Mig
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April 27 2010, 7:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/trashing_faq.html
DumpsterWorld is a website devoted to the time-honored geek tradition of dumpster diving. There are tips, a forum, classifieds and, of course, a FAQ.
There's many reasons that perfectly good things go in the garbage. One of the biggest reasons is business practice. Remember that businesses are there to make profit. Goods that are overproduced, don't sell, need repair, or take too much space and maintainence, are unprofitable to keep. It can also be unprofitable to sell them below cost or give them away free, so they go to waste. Wasting goods helps retailers profit if people might otherwise pay for new ones, and producers profit when more get made.
[Via beyond the beyond]
[Photo: ilja (Community Commons)]
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Digg this!April 13 2010, 8:28pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/urban_camouflage_ipad_case.html
My friend Matt Silver showed me the quick and dirty urban camouflage iPad case he made out of an old composition notebook cover and a scrap of non-slip rug padding. This has to be the coolest iPad case I've seen to date. Not only is it extremely simple, low-cost, and recycled, but it has that great warn-in feeling.
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Digg this!April 6 2010, 7:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/yet_more_glass-cutting_inspiration.html
Our coverage of glass-cutting continues to inspire inventive upcycling makers to dream up ways of improving the cutting process through various rolly jigs. Here, Adrian ("awalleigh" on Flickr) was inspired by Ben Light's rolling pin rig to create one out of skateboard parts.
Awalleigh's photostream
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March 24 2010, 12:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/glass-cutting_rig_from_rolling_pins.html
Inspired by one of our postings on glass bottle cutting, Ben Light, of B.Light Design, created this cool bottle cutting jig using two rolling pins.
Wine Bottle Cutting Jig
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Digg this!March 22 2010, 7:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/how-to_buy_sustainably-managed_lumb.html
Photo courtesy Coastal Treated Products Company.
In a discussion in the comments on yesterday's "plastic plywood" post, I mentioned that I was often reluctant to buy plywood and other "new" timber products at the hardware store because I didn't know how to tell if I was buying forest-friendly wood or not. A kindly gent named Hank responded to tell me that it was as simple as looking for the seal of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and supposedly that even the big orange store "is surprisingly good at stocking FSC certified lumber." I haven't verified that last bit for myself, but I did spend a long time googling around yesterday afternoon and satisfied myself that these FSC folks are on the level. That's their "tree with a check mark" seal in the photo, above. Now I know what to look for. And so do you. [Thanks, Hank!]
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Digg this!March 12 2010, 8:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/backpack_hydroelectric_plant.html
Bourne Energy's "militarized" luggable hydroelectric plant measures 3 feet in length and weights around 25 pounds. It can be transported to a water source by one person, then set up either on the surface of the river or, ninjalike, completely submerged.
[I]t is self-contained with its own integrated power, control, cooling and sensor systems. The unit collapses into three major parts which slide into a large backpack. The BPP-2 produces up to 20% more power (600W) and can be set up singularly or in arrays of over 20 kW. The BPP-2, which operates silently with no heat or exhaust emissions, is 40% less visible during operation and can also be bottom mounted to be totally invisible.
[via Wired Science]
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Digg this!March 2 2010, 7:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/waste_oil_foundry_furnace_--_comple.html
Jake von Slatt gives us a video tour of his finished propane and waste oil foundry furnace. I love the lamp post and lights. SO von Slatty!
Final test of Jake von Slatt's Waste Oil Foundry Furnace
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February 16 2010, 5:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/using_snow_to_see_heat_transfer.html
In these photos, you can see the heat transfer happening through a number of roofs in my neighborhood. In a wintery time like we have now, the snow acts as an indicator of your insulation. If you have a full roof of snow, then you're well insulated. If you have spots of bare roof surrounded by snow, then inside the house is an area where it's uninsulated, or poorly insulated. If your roof doesn't hold the snow at all, then it's time to look at your attic insulation. Sunny, South facing roofs will naturally clear faster on clear days, due to the input of solar energy. Any part of your building envelope that transfers heat is spending your money and wasting energy resources.
On some of these roofs, you can see areas of white lines. These are the rafters. The roofing structure is thicker there, and heat isn't transferring as well in those spots. A nearby antique cape, shows that the rafters are 3 or 4 feet apart. That is a big difference from the way it would be framed in modern times with the rafters at 16 inches on center.
One neighborhood house sports a chimney from a woodstove. It seems that the rafter bay where the chimney pierces the roof is totally uninsulated, judging from the lack of snow on that one section of the roof.
On my house, you can see thin spots about two feet from the gutter. That is the place where the studs from the wall meet the rafters. This unusual framing technique seems to have been done to save on materials when building the house. The wall is well insulated, as is the attic. Its just the junction point that is radiating heat.
Before this winter, there were three bare spots on a section of roof over the mudroom in my house. I noticed these spots, and really noticed the cold air flowing from the recessed lights in that room. For a few winters, I put up insulating window plastic over the fixtures to keep the warm in and the cold out. These lights have since been removed and the cavities insulated, there is still a bit of melting in those locations, but nothing like it was.
What can you see by looking at the exterior of the houses around you? Can you see the energy flowing from warm to cold? Does this help you see improvements you can make to your house?
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Digg this!February 14 2010, 4:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/screw-in_coffin_patent_issues.html
This is a choice selection of images from the application for U.S. patent 7,631,404, which has since issued to Donald Scruggs of Chino, CA. The title is "Easy inter burial container." [via Neatorama]
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Digg this!February 9 2010, 3:59pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/bowling_lane_coffee_table.html
William Stranger specializes in building furniture out of repurposed wood. I especially liked the massive coffee table whose top is a four-inch-thick slab of bowling lane. It's part of a exhibit(?) called Second Growth:
A second growth forest is one that has re-grown after it has been heavily logged or clear-cut. The installation of reclaimed materials, organic furniture and hand carved objects suggests the life cycle of a tree. It encourages a closer look at the relationship between consumption and conservation and promotes the idea of a culture in balance with the natural world. A tree is borrowed from its cycle without breaking it. The wood is worked with attention, treated with non-toxic finishes, and after its long second life it will return to nourish the earth. Scrap wood is saved and becomes the raw material for innovative design.
[via dornob]
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Digg this!February 8 2010, 3:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/you_can_lazzzer_biodegradable_plast.html
Make biodegradable "bioplastic" out of common household ingredients, then laser-cut it with ease. [the Shapeways blog]
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February 5 2010, 3:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/apartment-sized_vertical_herb_garde.html
Xavier Calluaud's "Urb Garden -- A vertical food garden for the urban gardener" complete with a composting 'worm farm' and internal watering system. [via Inhabitat]
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Digg this!January 30 2010, 7:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/mypod_looks_like_a_neat_pad.html
Need a unique spot for your studio/workshop/cave? Perhaps you could get inspired to incubate your latest crazy ideas inside one of these. They're being pitched as an environmentally benign alternative to commuting and less expensive to heating a whole house for a home office. These appear to be production models with standardization of design and materials. Anybody have other versions we can see? Do you or your neighbor have one we can view? [Via StumbleUpon]
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Digg this!January 30 2010, 11:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/creating_an_e-tractor.html
Students at Bonham ISD High School, in Bonham, TX, are turning this old on tractor, donated to them by the Ivanhoe Christmas Tree Farm, into their Electric Vehicle Project for the 2009/2010 school year. Plans are to use the tractor in a farm tractor driving certification/safety course. Primary charging of the E-Tractor will be via a solar array, with the option of a plug-in charger for emergency and quick-charge situations.
Bonham ISD: E-Tractor 2009/10 Project
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January 29 2010, 6:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/fablab_house_mit_cribs.html
So apparently, MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms is in the housing biz. Recently they sponsored the FabLab House, a futuristic-looking concept house designed for the Solar Decathalon Europe.
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Digg this!January 29 2010, 2:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/low_impact_vehicles_grant_program.html
This is rather last minute (the deadline is 5pm PST Monday), but it was just sent to us and we thought some of you might find it interesting:
Seattle, WA + aLIVe: a Low-Impact Vehicle exhibition
4Culture is seeking ideas that will inspire and engage the broader community in a conversation about transportation. This opportunity is open to artists and artist teams, architects, landscape architects, designers of all types, engineers, tinkerers and community members residing in Washington, Oregon, California, and British Columbia.
Currently, our transportation system is designed around 40 ton trucks, but what if we were to design around the human body instead? A bicycle is a low-impact vehicle. What else can be imagined? Selected project ideas will be funded and exhibited in a variety of ways, depending upon medium and context. This is a great opportunity for people working across disciplines to explore how the arts can enhance existing systems and stimulate public conversations about energy, livability and design. Citizens from all backgrounds are encouraged to submit ideas for everything from poetry to prototypes. This project is produced in collaboration with artist Cheryl dos Remédios and Great City.
Deadline: January 25, 2010
Budget: varies by selected idea or project
More Info: http://www.greatcity.org/about/alive/
Application Guidelines: http://www.4culture.org/publicart/calls/index.aspx
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January 23 2010, 2:01am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/wind_turbine_covered_in_leds.html
It's a Xmas-time publicity stunt from German engineering conglomerate Siemens AG, which counts a couple of wind power companies amongst its vast holdings. The "Siemens Superstar" was created in collaboration with Munich multimedia artist Michael Pendra and installed on a large wind turbine in Fröttmaning at the gates of Munich, overlooking the A9 autobahn. It was up from November 29 through January 6. The Siemens publicity site has lots more info and some beautiful video. [Thanks, Rachel!]
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January 22 2010, 8:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.craftzine.com
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2010/01/untitled_2.html
>
Elvis and Kresse, a Dutch accessory company, rounds up old firehoses and produces a line of bags made from them. [via Core77]
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Comment on this articleJanuary 2 2010, 1:00pm | More »
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I posted to hackaday.com
http://hackaday.com/2010/01/01/making-a-rail-gun-again/
January 1 2010, 9:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/make_uses_recycled_paper_better_pap.html
MAKE's on a list of about 200 magazines rounded up by the Better Paper Project for using recycled paper in our print magazine. From the statement in the mag:
MAKE is printed on recycled, process-chlorine-free, acid-free paper with 30% post-consumer waste, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forest Initiative, with soy-based inks containing 22%-26% renewable raw materials.
In other words, we love trees and the planet, so you can feel good about subscribing.
From MAKE magazine:
Want to know how to build a hydrogen rocket? How about a laser light show in a lunchbox? Or a simple remote-controlled videocam car? Or maybe you want to go old-school and build a wooden mini sailboat or toy car launcher? All this and tons more, plus revealing photos of Adam Savage's maker childhood, can all be found in MAKE, Volume 20, "For Kids of All Ages." Get your individual copy in the Maker Shed, or subscribe now.
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Digg this!December 3 2009, 10:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/diy_car_hammerhead_eagle_i-thrust.html
Looking for the ultimate DIY gift for the holiday season? Yeah, me too! How about building your own electric car? It won't go more than 55 mph, and the seats happen to be green lawn chairs, but it will save you some money at the pump.
Anyhow, here's a brief review: the Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust is a road legal car/shed that started life as a TVR Chimaera and underwent quite a few modifications to become a 21st-century range-extender, all built for considerably less money than GM would spend... on biscuits.
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Digg this!December 2 2009, 4:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/coconuts_with_zippers.html
The coconut is nature's Altoid tin. If there was one accessory that could drastically improve the coconut it would have to be the zipper. On Lamu Island, off the coast of Kenya, it would appear that they've developed a decent trade around this concept. [via AfriGadget]
More:
Coconut Headphone Mod
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Digg this!November 30 2009, 4:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/energy-harvesting_rocking_chair.html
Rochus Jacob designed this energy-harvesting rocking chair. It works by storing energy while you rock during the day, then lights up the attached OLED lamp at night. It is a neat concept, however there is no reason to wait for future technologies to build one. Just start with this human-powered fan design, add a small generator and a standard LED, grab your whittling project, and you should be set to go. [via gizmodo]
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Digg this!October 16 2009, 4:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/open_source_sourcing.html
This is a really cool idea, an open source project dedicated to the idea of tracking, documenting, and mapping where all of the components for our everyday goods come from. It's supply chain transparency. [Thanks, Laura Cochrane!]
SourceMap - Visualizing Supply Chains
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October 15 2009, 9:31pm | More »
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I posted to instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Jeans-Apron/
Use an old pair of jeans, and you favorite garage-sale material to
make a fun, easy apron. Materials Scissiors1 pair of jeans1 yard
of material (be really green and use an old shirt with a great
pattern!)Needle & threadRazor Blade, or good seam ripper(Just a
disclaimer....I didn't invent...
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Very InterestingOctober 11 2009, 4:29pm | More »
