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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/lost_knowledge_magic_lanterns.html
The Lost Knowledge column explores the possible technology of the future in the forgotten ideas of the past (and those just slightly off to the side). Every other Wednesday, we look at retro-tech, "lost" technology, and the make-do, improvised "street tech" of village artisans and tradespeople from around the globe. "Lost Knowledge" was also the theme of MAKE Volume 17
Ever since we humans started making shadow puppets in the firelight of our caves, we've been fascinated by the power of the projected image. It seems only fitting that, for DIY Movie Making Month, we'd take a look at magic lanterns, some of our first technological baby steps that have delivered us to the age of Avatar.
What is a magic lantern? It's basically a 17th century pre-cursor to the slide, and then movie, projector. The Magic Lantern Society defines a magic lantern as:
...an appliance by means of which transparencies are projected by artificial light upon a screen with the projected image having a diameter generally from thirty to eighty times greater than that of the transparency or slide, whilst the area of the image may be from one thousand to six thousand times as great.
Magic lanterns grew on the developments of magic shadow shows (i.e. shadow puppets), camera obscura, magic mirrors, and other earlier optics and projection techniques. The period of the magic lantern spanned from the mid-17th century to the late 19th. While there is no clear inventor of the device, Dutch astronomer, mathematician, and physicist, Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695), with his lenses designed for use in telescopes, is probably the closest thing to a father of the technology.
Parts of a common type of Magic Lantern. [From The Magic Lantern Society's website]
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Digg this!March 10 2010, 6:30pm | More »
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I posted to hackaday.com
http://hackaday.com/2010/02/08/modded-c64-eye-candy/
“Everyone needs a hobby,” they tell us. For the blogger mysteriously identified only as “R,” that hobby would be an almost fanatical nostalgia for the Commodore 64 computer.
At first we thought this was a fan community site, but apparently it’s all the work of a single person. [R] has tweaked, extended, repackaged and resurfaced this 1980’s icon in nearly every imaginable way. They tend to gloss over the technical aspects of these mods, but that’s okay – the C64 is such an exhaustively documented system now that the site dwells mainly on the aesthetics and meaning of these reborn devices.
The 64 has made an indelible impression on electronic music, and the machines are still sought after by collectors, composers and circuit-benders. [R] pays homage by housing these vintage systems in styles reminiscent of even vintage-er synthesizers. Any one of these would warrant a post here, yet there’s a whole collection to browse. Check it out!
[via Retro Thing]
February 8 2010, 4:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/back_to_the_earth_in_maymand_villag.html
Maymand Village in the Kerman province of Iran has been carved out of the rock over the ages. The village has a population of 140, and was recognized by UNESCO in 2005.
The kinds of dwelling-place dug out of the mountains are not of a temporary nature but rather are permanent homes (having been lived in for the last 2000 or 3000 years). The pastoral type architecture (shepherd huts known as kapar or gambeh, and barns or sheepfolds) can be seen here and there about the landscape and is part of the built heritage.
Maymand bears some similarities to Derinkuyu in Turkey.
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Digg this!January 31 2010, 7:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/single-digit_nixie_clock.html
These single-digit nixie clocks seem to be showing up a lot these days, inspired, at least in part, by this project page. The one seen here is a single Russian IN-12 tube, controlled by a PIC16F628A. It's housed in a brass former table clock.
Steampunk Single Digit Nixie Clock II
More:
Check out all of our nixie tube coverage on Make: Online
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January 27 2010, 12:01am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/altces_andy_warhol_at_the_amiga_lau.html
Here we are in the Wayback Machine, at the press conference launch of the Commodore Amiga, in 1985. Andy Warhol paints Debbie Harry in real time. There are a couple of great moments in this:
Andy: "...such a great thing"
[Laughter]
Interviewer: "What more can you say?..."
Andy: "Oh, I could say a lot of things."
Interviewer: "What other computers have you worked on before?"
Andy: "Oh, I haven't worked on anything. I've been waiting for this one."
[Laughter]
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January 9 2010, 7:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/lost_knowledge_artistic_printing.html
The Lost Knowledge column explores the possible technology of the future in the forgotten ideas of the past (and those just slightly off to the side). Every other Wednesday, we look at retro-tech, "lost" technology, and the make-do, improvised "street tech" of village artisans and tradespeople from around the globe. "Lost Knowledge" was also the theme of MAKE, Volume 17
Sorry we haven't run a Lost Knowledge column recently. We had the winter holiday rush to contend with, all those gift guides, etc. And there was a short holiday break in there somewhere. Anyway, we're back on track now and looking forward to a year of lost, nearly-forgotten, or preciously-preserved technologies. If you have ideas for columns (some of our more popular pieces last year came from you, our readers), please pop them into the comments below.
This week's column is on a letterpress printing style I knew nothing about. One of the things I'm most proud of in my life is that I'm a printer by trade, or I used to be. It's actually the only trade or discipline in which I have any formal training. To my over-romantic mind, there's something extremely noble, even patriotic, about being a printer. It's no wonder that William Blake and Ben Franklin are a couple of my heroes. I co-ran a small job shop for about five years in the late 70s, doing everything from flyers for the local supermarket to full-blown newsletters and magazines, even a couple of books. We did offset lithography, not letterpress, but I was basically familiar with letterpress and the techniques and technologies involved. So I was surprised when I came across a book in a paper store (I'm such a printer nerd that I still haunt paper stores) on the Victorian heyday of "artistic printing," something I'd never even heard of. (FWIW: Wikipedia doesn't even have an entry for "artistic printing.")
The book (which I, of course, had to get) is called The Handy Book of Artistic Printing, by Doug Clouse and Angela Voulangas (2009, Princeton Architectural Press) and it's a wonder. It covers the history of artistic printing, shows examples of the machines used to create it, and offers dozens of gorgeous examples of the artform, along with thoughtful commentary on each example. The book itself is a lovely piece of bookart (er... offset lithographic bookart).
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Digg this!January 6 2010, 6:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/fossil_tech.html
Artist Christopher Locke makes these cool "fossilized" versions of obsolete techno-artifacts. Shown above is Asportatio acroamatis or the common cassette tape. Christopher explains his technopaleontology:
Most of these examples were discovered in the United States, although the various species are represented all over the world. It is sad, but most of these units lived very short lives. Most people attribute the shortened lifespan to aggressive predators or accelerated evolution, but this is not necessarily true. It has been shown recently that the true demise of most of these specimens came from runaway consumerism and wastefulness at the high end of the food chain.
[Thanks, Mauricio!]
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Digg this!December 31 2009, 10:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/radio_hams_in_old_cinema.html
This neat video about "Radio Hams" from 1939 has recently been circulating on the ham email lists. It's neat to see the excitement and sense of adventure that people had for hacks or "kinks" as they called it way back when...
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December 13 2009, 4:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/chumbaphone_-_antiqued_chumby_guts.html
Recently, Kent noticed that Etsy member AbrahamBook has been bitten by the Chumby Guts bug. He's converted several ancient objects into modern WiFi-enabled chumtainment devices. I asked Abraham about what he was aiming for in this latest piece:
My Chumby creation started with an original Chumby, although I have produced three similar devices from the Chumby Guts kit. I much prefer producing my devices with the Chumby Guts kit as it is always a messier build when having to undo a stock Chumby configuration. On the occasion that I set out to create the "Chumbaphone," I had used all of my "Guts" and Maker Shed had since run dry.
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Digg this!December 5 2009, 4:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/jake_von_slatts_gift_guide.html
Our pal Jake von Slatt has a great gift guide up at the Steampunk Workshop. Now, all you steampunk haters out there can calm down. This isn't a steampunk gift guide, just a guide from a maker who happens to work in the style of steampunk (as Jake puts it). The guide covers all sorts of tools and toys that Jake likes, such as the above Oxy/Acetelyne torch kit. Here's what he has to say about it:
I bought my first Oxy/Acetelyne torch kit nearly twenty years ago. I used it to dissasemble a 1971 Buick Electra 225 and cut it into pieces small enough so that I could place it by the curb for collection by the trashman, that was the cheapest way to get rid of it at the time.
The frame became a utility trailer that I towed behind my 1977 Lincoln car, and it had nearly as nice a ride! In fact, it was one of the stablest trailers I've ever owned and the only one that I could pilot through a 6 wheel drift while taking off ramps at . . . well, imprudent speeds.
Anyway, with an Oxy/Acetylene torch you can braze, weld, cut, and heat. Auto Mechanics call this tool 'the hot wrench" and with a little practice you will be able to use one to cut a nut off of a bolt without damaging the the threads. Furthermore, the process of "gas welding" is incredibly useful for all types of steel and the experience you'll get "pushing puddles" of molten metal around will prepare you well for learning all other types of welding.
Plus, fire hawt!
$169
Also, the most-talented artist and photographer, Libby Bulloff, has a Steampunk Fashion Gift Guide on the site (which has a pair of tabi books that are so awesome, I almost bought them on the spot!).
Jake's 2009 Steampunk Gift Guide - A few of my favorite things.
Libby's Steampunk Fashion Gift Guide
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December 1 2009, 6:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/nintendo_cartridges_throne.html
November 16 2009, 1:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/piano_music_composing_computer_from.html
Inventor, author and futurist Ray Kurzweil appeared on I've Got a Secret in 1965 when he was 17 years old. He made a computer that plays music, at the end of the video they show the computer - via Bruce Sterling.
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Digg this!November 13 2009, 10:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/teacup_stirling_engine.html
Gorgeous teacup Stirling engine, spotted in the MAKE Flickr pool.
From MAKE magazine:
Check out MAKE, Volume 17: The Lost Knowledge issue! Buy your copy in the Maker Shed, Subscribe to MAKE, or Access the Digital Edition (if you're already a subscriber).
We have a teacup Stirling engine project in MAKE, Volume 17.
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November 9 2009, 7:10pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/unpowered_mechanical_gate_opener_th.html
Okay, MichaelLubke is officially my favorite reader ever. In response to my recent post speculating about mechanical gate openers, not only did he run out and snap some photos of a working "Gandy Slide-A-Way" near his ranch, but in response to appreciative comments from our readers he went back and got this video of it in operation. Awesome! Look at it go! Thanks so much Michael!
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October 3 2009, 9:56pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/09/unpowered_mechanical_gate_opener_pa.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
Now here's a perfect example of why I love the MAKE community. In response to my earlier post about the possibility of modern mechanical gate openers, reader MichaelLubke went out and took these photos (1,2,3) of a real live working mechanical gate near his ranch. What's more, he ran down the original patent on the gate's design! This patent, US number 3,163,947, was issued to Mr. Alvin E. Gandy of Eden, TX, in the year of Our Lord nineteen-hundred and sixty-five. His invention, known as the "Gandy Slide-A-Way," is activated by the weight of one of your vehicle's tires on a short steel ramp built into the driveway right in front of the gate. I wonder how many of these were ever made?
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Digg this!September 28 2009, 4:37pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/09/unpowered_mechanical_gate_opener.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
In an age of ubiquitous electronics and electromechanical systems, I think it's easy to forget that we don't necessarily need electricity for everything. I'm no Luddite, by any stretch of the imagination; I just think some problems are more sustainably and elegantly solved with purely mechanical devices.
Take the problem of opening a gate from a vehicle. Both my father and my brother live on gated properties, not because they're rolling in so much dough, but because they live out in the sticks and keep livestock and pets that they can't have wandering off. So they've both got vehicle gates in their fences, and both gates are well removed from any source of municipal electricity.
Dad went to considerable expense to install an electric gate opener powered by a lead-acid battery kept up by a solar panel, which works just like a suburban garage door opener. Very convenient, in use, but expensive to install and with considerable maintenance troubles associated with the battery and the solar panel and the motor and the mechanics. My brother, on the other hand, opted for the minimal solution and has no opener at all. When he leaves in the morning and when he gets home at night, he has to stop at the gate, get out of the car, open the gate, drive through it, stop again, get out again, close the gate, and get back in the car before continuing on his way. A low-cost solution with basically zero maintenance, but he pays for it with inconvenience.
Personally, I've always thought an intermediate solution would suit them both better--something purely mechanical, that would be cheaper and hardier than the radioservomechanical rig my Dad installed, and yet considerably more convenient than the get-out-and-do-it-yourself approach my brother has taken. Then last weekend I was browsing a use bookstore and happened upon a copy of George A. Martin's Fences, Gates, and Bridges and How to Build Them, first published in 1900. It included the diagram shown above, with the accompanying explanation:
Figure 204 shows a gate balanced in a similar manner, and arranged so it can be opened by a person desiring to drive through, without leaving the vehicle. It is suspended by ropes which pass over pulleys near the top of long posts, and counterpoised by weights upon the other ends of the ropes. Small wheels are placed in the ends of the gate to move along the inside of the posts, and thus reduce the friction. The gate is raised by means of ropes attached to the center of the upper side of the gate, from which they pass up to pulleys in the center of the archway, and then out along horizontal arms at right angles to the bars which connect the tops of the posts. By pulling on the rope, the gate, which is but a trifle heavier than the balancing weights, is raised, and after the vehicle has passed, the gate falls of itself. In passing in the opposite direction, another rope is pulled, when the gate is raised as before.
Googling around reveals, of course, that nobody is selling any such device, that I can find, so if one wanted one it would have to be a custom job. I wonder about the possibility of a system that uses the weight of the vehicle to trip the mechanism instead of a rope. Anybody seen a purely mechanical gate opener in real life?
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Digg this!September 23 2009, 5:00pm | More »
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I posted to hackaday.com
http://hackaday.com/2009/09/07/c64-emulator-for-iphone-approved-%E2%80%94-minus-basic/
After a lengthy process that had previously met with rejection, Manomio’s Commodore 64 emulator for the iPhone and iPod touch has finally been accepted by Apple. This marks the first time a multi-purpose emulation title has been approved by the App Store. The $4.99 C64 app comes bundled with five fully-licensed classic games, and additional titles can be purchased and downloaded directly within the application.
App Store policies prohibit software that could run downloadable code, which barred most emulation attempts in the past. A couple of Sega titles worked around this by nature of being single-purpose emulators. The condition by which the C64 title was finally approved was the removal of the BASIC programming language (though ironically it’s still shown in screen shots, even on the App Store). Since only sanctioned programs can be installed and run from within the application, no user-alterable code is present.
The C64 emulator is neat enough in itself, but the really encouraging news here is that a precedent has been set; the business model may open the floodgates for developers to bring more classic gaming titles to the iPhone platform. So download that SDK and get hacking!
[via TouchArcade]
September 7 2009, 8:27am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/08/computer_history_museum_photo_galle.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
Computer History Museum photo gallery @ PC Authority...
Zara Baxter toured the Computer History Museum in California, and took these fascinating photos, including a giant 27Kg hard drive, a Star Trek-like SAGE Air defense system, and other intriguing artifacts.
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August 28 2009, 9:55pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/08/vector_drawing_application_from_196.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
Ivan Sutherland's Sketchpad... 1963 via DF.
Alan Kay presenting Ivan Sutherland's Sketchpad, one of most influencial programs in the history of graphical user interfaces. Sutherland developed Sketchpad in 1963. This video was extracted taken from a longer one (here)...
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August 25 2009, 5:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/08/the_lost_art_of_type_specing.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
Mark has an example of what designers used to have to do in the days before desktop publishing... via textfiles.
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August 22 2009, 1:29pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/08/a_1970s_teenagers_bedroom.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
A 1970s teenager's bedroom via Joel. What was yours like if you were a teen in the 70s?
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August 19 2009, 10:19pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/08/da_vincis_lion_springs_to_life.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
Da Vinci's lion springs to life... (amazing video!)
A mechanical lion invented by Leonardo da Vinci to entertain the King of France has sprung back to life in the Renaissance genius's last home.
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August 17 2009, 6:30am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/08/gorgeous_typewriter_ribbon_tins.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
Gorgeous typewriter ribbon tins.... via LoL.
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August 16 2009, 3:07pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/08/radioshack_soon_to_be_called_the_sh.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
The end of an era.. RadioShack soon to be called "The Shack" ? via Engadget.
"The Shack" re-branding RadioShack is in the process of re-branding[citation needed] the company as "The Shack" as well as re-building corporate culture. This will be kicked off by a launch celebration in both San Francisco and New York featuring "14 foot tall laptops" streaming the images from their webcams from one city to the other, live music in both locations, as well as television coverage of the event.[13] The event will take place in Times Square and Justin Herman Plaza on August 6-8, 2009, starting each morning at 6AM Eastern and lasting until Midnight. In addition, "The Shack" began a telemarketing campaign on July 31, 2009, in which they call post-paid customers in the morning to inform them about upgrade eligibility.
Post up your RadioShack stories and good times you had in the comments for googlemultivac to eternalize.
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August 2 2009, 11:07pm | More »
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I posted to hackaday.com
http://hackaday.com/2009/07/26/dencon/
July 26 2009, 4:50pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/07/how-to_mount_a_knife_blade_in_an_an.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
I'm really digging the collection of user-submitted articles on primitive technology over at PrimitiveWays. So far, one of my favorites is this article, by one Dino Labiste, about how to treat the natural pith in a deer antler to make an adhesive bed for a stub-tang blade.
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July 24 2009, 11:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/07/one_small_step_for_open_source_soft.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
MAKE subscriber Chris Brent sent us word of this release of the source code for the Apollo 11 command module and lunar lander software, which can be run on yaAGC (an open source emulator of the Apollo Guidance Computer).
From the Google Code Blog:
On this day 40 years ago, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon. This was quite an achievement for mankind and a key milestone in world history.
To commemorate this event the Command Module code (Comanche054) and Lunar Module code (Luminary099) have been transcribed from scanned images to run on yaAGC (an open source AGC emulator) by the Virtual AGC and AGS project.
For more information on this project, I recommend looking at the website and the open source project.
Here's a cute video of the AGC emulator compiled to run on a Palm Centro.
Apollo 11 mission's 40th Anniversary: One large step for open source code...
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July 20 2009, 9:32pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/07/nixie_clock_round-ups.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
Jake von Slatt, of Steampunk Workshop, points us toward this nice round-up of commercially-available nixie clocks (top image). That article points to another round-up of homemade nixies (bottom image).
A Modern Take On Nixie Tube Clocks...
Nixie Clock Gallery
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July 15 2009, 5:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/07/lost_knowledge_stick_chart_navigati.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
The twice-monthly Lost Knowledge column explores the possible technology of the future in the forgotten ideas of the past (and those just slightly off to the side). Every other Wednesday, we look at retro-tech, "lost" technology, and the make-do, improvised "street tech" of village artisans and tradespeople from around the globe. "Lost Knowledge" was also the theme of MAKE, Volume 17
This week, we look at an awesome, indigenous type of ocean mapping and navigation technology known as stick charts (aka Marshall Islands stick charts, Micronesian stick charts, or Polynesian stick charts).
The Wikipedia entry for Marshall Islands stick chart starts:
Marshall Islands stick charts were made and used by the Marshallese to navigate the Pacific Ocean by canoe off the coast of the Marshall Islands. The charts represented major ocean swell patterns and the ways the islands disrupted those patterns, typically determined by sensing disruptions in ocean swells by islands during sea navigation. Stick charts were typically made from the midribs of coconut fronds tied together to form an open framework. Island locations were represented by shells tied to the framework, or by the lashed junction of two or more sticks. The threads represented prevailing ocean surface wave-crests and directions they took as they approached islands and met other similar wave-crests formed by the ebb and flow of breakers. Individual charts varied so much in form and interpretation that the individual navigator who made the chart was the only person who could fully interpret and use it. Use of stick charts and navigation by swells apparently came to demise after World War II, when travel between islands by canoe halted.
An article on Jaime Morrison's wonderful blog, The Nonist, identifies three basic types of stick charts:
The "MATTANG" or "WAPPEPE" is a small, square-shaped chart which shows wave patterns around a single island or atoll and was used for teaching purposes only.
The "REBBELIB" is a general wave navigational chart mapping an entire chain, showing the relationships between the islands and the major ocean swells.
The "MEDO" covers only a few islands and is useful for specific voyages.
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July 15 2009, 2:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/07/lost_knowledge_timbrel_vaulting.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
The twice-monthly Lost Knowledge column explores the possible technology of the future in the forgotten ideas of the past (and those just slightly off to the side). Every other Wednesday, we look at retro-tech, "lost" technology, and the make-do, improvised "street tech" of village artisans and tradespeople from around the globe. "Lost Knowledge" was also the theme of MAKE, Volume 17
This week, we look at the largely-lost Medieval art of timbrel vaulting structures and the related, more modern (late 19th century) system of interlocking terracotta tiles which create what are known as Guastavino domes, after their inventor, Rafael Guastavino.
Low-Tech magazine has an excellent introduction to timbrel vaulting and Guastavino domes, called "Tiles as a substitute for steel: the art of the timbrel vault." Here's an excerpt:
The method of timbrel vaulting was developed in the 14th century around the Mediterranean, although its precise origins are unknown. The timbrel vault is also known as a "masonry vault", "Catalan vault", "tiled vault", "laminated vault", "flat vault" and "layered vault" (derived from Spanish, French, Italian and Catalonian descriptions).
A roof of tiles
Timbrel vaulting differs substantially from the Roman method of arch building, which relies on gravity. A Roman vault consists of a single layer of thick, wedge-shaped stones (see below).
The timbrel vault does not rely on gravity but on the adhesion of several layers of overlapping tiles which are woven together with fast-setting mortar. If just one layer of thin tiles was used, the structure would collapse, but adding two or three layers makes the resulting laminated shell almost as strong as reinforced concrete.
The result defies common sense, because a timbrel vault is very thin compared to a Roman vault, while at the same time it is capable of bearing much higher loads. This of course enables wider spans and gentler curves.
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July 1 2009, 2:00pm | More »
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I posted to hackaday.com
http://hackaday.com/2009/06/22/atari-2600-slim/
June 22 2009, 1:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/06/my_grandfathers_home_built_car.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
[Photo from Uncle Ray]
Long before my time, my grandfather Raymond Albert Sheffield, was messing about with cars. When I was about 10 or 11, we sat on a beach on Martha's Vineyard watching the ferries come and go exchanging cars and passengers while he told me of the car that he had built in his younger days.
Apparently, not having enough money for a vehicle was not going to stop him, so he built his own version of what I recall was a Model A. Where the model name would have been embossed, he put his own name. During the winters, he needed to get his ride off the street, so he and his mates dismantled the vehicle so that it could be carried down the stairs to the basement of the house he and my grandmother lived in. I imagine that he spent the winter modding and tuning the components for a better vehicle in the following year's driving season. In several of the pictures here, you can see the gleeful pride he had in owning and driving the vehicle that he made with his own hands. In this one you can see the excitement he had of driving his project.
My uncle Ray inherited the task of dealing with the room full of photos (no kidding!) after my grandfather passed on. He has since scanned and archived the decades of black and white photos that my grandfather shot, developed and printed in a darkroom located in his office.
My grandfather went on to become something of an inventor, tinkerer, and maker. Some time in the 1970's, I recall being at his Cambridge workshop, Air Conditioning Engineering, and seeing all the metallic creations he was cooking up with the help of his staff. One that I recall was a tubed fireplace contraption that drew the cool air from below the fire and expelled warm air out the top of the tubes, increasing the efficiency of the average wood burning fireplace.
Much of my grandfather's life's work seemed to track back to the creation of his car, the RayBiltIt, and the practical joy of a useful project. We should all do what we can to cultivate this kind of competent pursuit of dreams in the young people around us. Who knows what can come of such interests? New inventions, new technologies, new solutions to the world's problems, or maybe just some good wholesome fun with innovation?
If you have a father in your life who has nurtured your making spirit, you can share some stories with us in the comments, and if you are still hunting for the perfect gift, he may enjoy a discounted subscription to MAKE magazine.
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June 21 2009, 10:35pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/06/interactive_ping-pong_table.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
Ah, the gay (19)90s: before Y2K, 9/11, Gitmo, CDOs, and all kinds of other depressing modern acronyms. Venture capital fell from the sky like manna, and everyone was getting rich on the Internet, even though nobody knew exactly how. Enter, into that milieu, the following brilliant idea, courtesy of the wunderkinder at MIT's then-ascendant Media Lab: Ping-pong tables ought to contain schools of virtual fish that react to the impact of the ball. The rave toy to end all rave toys!
Pre-coffee sarcasm aside, this really is pretty cool. PingPongPlus is the work of Craig Wisneski, Julian Orbanes, Ben Chun and Professor Hiroshi Ishii. The "fish" mode is only one of several possible interactions, and they all include sound effects. Check out the vid:
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June 18 2009, 2:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/06/how-to_knap_an_arrowhead_from_a_bee.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
(Image courtesy of Kevin Dunn, whose book Caveman Chemistry, along with a bunch of other cool hands-on projects, contains a chapter on knapping in bottle glass. Thanks Kevin!)
Anybody else read Snow Crash? Remember the big scary Aleut who likes to steal warheads from nuclear submarines using only his canoe and handmade glass knife? Remember how, when you first read that book, you kinda wanted to be that guy? Well, I'm here telling you: It's not too late to become the baddest mango-farmer in the world. After all, even Raven had to start somewhere, and apparently chipping an arrowhead out of bottle glass is the "hello world" of the flintknapping user community. Mike Melbourne and Tim Rast's venerable tutorial shows you how.
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June 11 2009, 2:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/06/difference_engine_maintenance_manua.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
[Image: Creative Commons Attribution photo from Adactio's Flickr stream]
Do you have a Babbage Difference Engine in dire need of servicing? Fret no more! Reg Crick of the London Science Museum has put together this handy "INSTRUCTION MANUAL to Operate and Maintain Charles Babbage's 2nd Difference Engine," written in 1991 to help keep the Engine built at the museum (to mark the bicentennial of Babbage's birth) in tip-top calculating condition.
INSTRUCTION MANUAL to Operate and Maintain Charles Babbage's 2nd Difference Engine [via Boing Boing]
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June 9 2009, 6:30am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/05/lost_knowledge_resources.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
The weekly Lost Knowledge column explores the possible technology of the future in the forgotten ideas of the past (and those slightly off to the side). Each Tuesday, we look at retro-tech, "lost" technology, and the make-do, improvised "street tech" of village artisans and tradespeople from around the globe. "Lost Knowledge" was also the theme of MAKE, Volume 17
This week's Lost Knowledge column is something of a link dump of resources I've collected in my research on Lost Knowledge, for MAKE Volume 17, and for this column. I want to grow it with additional resources, so if you know of decent repositories of information related to these subjects, please post them in the comments.
The New York Public Library maintains an online gallery of 700 years worth of scientific drawings. They can be viewed here. [via Brass Goggles]
John Jenkins is a private collector of radios and antique scientific apparatus who's been collecting for some 35 years. His amazing collection, called the SparkMuseum, is available for viewing online. Absolutely incredible stuff here, from the dawn of electrical experimentation up to the vacuum tube.
You'll need a robot translator to tell you what you're looking at, but there are all sorts of cool steam-powered machinery on display. Lots of steampunky inspiration to be had at Stoommachine!
Early Technology is a Scottish firm that provides antique technology to collectors, museums, film sets, and others. From miner's lanterns to adding machines.
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May 14 2009, 2:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/05/lost_knowledge_save_teslas_lab.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
The weekly Lost Knowledge column explores the possible technology of the future in the forgotten ideas of the past (and those slightly off to the side). Each Tuesday, we look at retro-tech, "lost" technology, and the make-do, improvised "street tech" of village artisans and tradespeople from around the globe. "Lost Knowledge" is also the theme of the current issue of MAKE, Volume 17 (on newsstands now)
As we've pointed out here before, most of what we publish in the Lost Knowledge column isn't actually lost. It may be in hiding, a scarcely practiced discipline, an obscure preservational hobby. But here's a piece of technology's past, America's past, that's in jeopardy of being lost forever. The New York Times ran an article on Monday about the fate of Wardenclyffe, the rural Long Island site of Tesla's lab, and his insane plan to wirelessly distribute power around the planet.
In 1901, Nikola Tesla began work on a global system of giant towers meant to relay through the air not only news, stock reports and even pictures but also, unbeknown to investors such as J. Pierpont Morgan, free electricity for one and all.
It was the inventor's biggest project, and his most audacious.
The first tower rose on rural Long Island and, by 1903, stood more than 18 stories tall. One midsummer night, it emitted a dull rumble and proceeded to hurl bolts of electricity into the sky. The blinding flashes, The New York Sun reported, "seemed to shoot off into the darkness on some mysterious errand."
But the system failed for want of money, and at least partly for scientific viability. Tesla never finished his prototype tower and was forced to abandon its adjoining laboratory.
Today, a fight is looming over the ghostly remains of that site, called Wardenclyffe -- what Tesla authorities call the only surviving workplace of the eccentric genius who dreamed countless big dreams while pioneering wireless communication and alternating current. The disagreement began recently after the property went up for sale in Shoreham, N.Y.
It appears the Agfa Corporation, who owns the site, is looking for some quick cash and is willing to deliver the place to a buyer "fully cleared and level." Nice going, Agfa. Classy.
This Scrooge-y news has mobilized Tesla enthusiasts and organizations to start a drive to save the site, restore it, and turn it into a Tesla museum.
You can give a tax-deductible donation here, or just sign up to be kept in loop on what's going on. I'm going to kick in a few bucks. I hate the idea of the memory of this uber-maker continuing to get such disrespect. Let's make this a maker cause celebre!
The Tesla Wardenclyffe Project and Friends of Science East.
A Battle to Preserve a Visionary's Bold Failure [Thanks, Keith!]
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May 6 2009, 6:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/04/ignite_cutting-edge_technology_-_sa.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
Brady Forrest writes:
A katana (commonly called a samurai sword) is a marvel of art and technology. In this week's Ignite Episode, Jonathan Kahan walks us through its creation and usage. This was filmed at Ignite NYC 3.
The katana is made of steel that's been folded up to 20x which produces hundreds of thousands of layers. To function as a sword the blade needs to be able to hold an edge, but also be flexible. This is achieved through the quenching process where clay is used to form the two types of steel necessary. The work of art is then polished to bee as smooth and reflective as glass. Jonathan walks us through the process.
Jonathan Kahan on Samurai Swords as Cutting Edge Technology
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April 23 2009, 3:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/04/jeris_nifty_nintendo_purse.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
The amazing and talented Jeri Ellsworth was at Notacon 2009 last week, and among other things, was showing off this awesome Nintendo/C64 purse. There are no details on it, but I'll see if I can't get more info from Jeri.
From Rose White's Flickr photostream. Thanks, Rose!
Update:
In response to my post, Jeri emailed me this video of her explaining her Nintendo purse. Thanks, Jer!
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April 21 2009, 2:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/04/celestia_clock_finished.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
We've been anxious to see how this amazing calendar clock turned out since we first wrote about it last April. One year later, it's finished! Actually, it was finished in December -- the builder, Sean Gallagher, finished it over the holidays, as a present to himself. Really incredible design, engineering, and craftsmanship. And it's driven by the MAKE Controller.
Celestia archive at Negative Space
Celestia Clock Flickr set
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Make: Controller-driven celestial clock
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April 20 2009, 7:30am | More »
