I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/19th_century_terminator_arm_found_i.html
Well, OK, it's actually a prosthesis. And I stole the Terminator joke from Minnesotastan over at Neatorama. This object is one of literally thousands of remarkable items in the online Brought to Life exhibit at the UK's Science Museum, where it is labeled, apparently incorrectly, as a "right" arm. What is it with surgeons confusing left and right appendages?
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Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!August 31 2010, 5:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/restoring_a_wimshurst_machine.html
Hans, a maker from Trondheim, Norway, sent us a link to this Wimshurst Influence Machine he bought. He asked about the history of the device from the seller and found out that it was used in a grade school, from 1911 to 1951, and was owned by the principal. Nice job on the restoration:
The original disks on the machine were too warped and worn to be successfully restored. All the sectors were also missing from the disks. I acquired a large 3 mm thick bakelite sheet from a local plastics supplier and used this as a base material for cutting out a pair of new disks. The disks were then painted with black acrylic paint and sectors of aluminoum tape were then added to the disks.
More:
We've covered other Wimshurst machines here on MAKE
From MAKE magazine:
In Volume 17, MAKE goes really old school with the Lost Knowledge issue, featuring projects and articles covering the steampunk scene -- makers creating their own alternative Victorian world through modified computers, phones, cars, costumes, and other fantastic creations. Projects include an elegant Wimshurst Influence Machine (an electrostatic generator built entirely from Home Depot parts), a Florence Siphon coffee brewer, and a teacup-powered Stirling engine. This special section also covers watchmaking, letterpress printing, the early multimedia art of William Blake, and other wondrous and lost (or fading) pre-20th-century technologies.
Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!August 27 2010, 7:01pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/lost_knowledge_knot_tying.html
The Lost Knowledge column explores the possible technologies of the future in the forgotten ideas of the past (and those slightly forgotten or just off to the side). 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
One of my favorite sites for finding ideas for the "Lost Knowledge" column, Low-Tech Magazine, has a piece (first in a series?) called "Lost Knowledge: ropes and knots." Hey, why not? We've been... "borrowing" from them... In fact, I'd been planning on doing a column on knot tying, and again, they've done most of the work for me! They actually have two fairly in-depth features, the "Ropes and knots" piece and "How to tie the world together: online knotting reference books." Here are some excerpts from these pieces, followed by some additional resources, and previous knotty content from MAKE.
From "Lost Knowledge: Ropes and knots:"
Few realize the importance that knots and cords have played in human history. It is remarkable that they are not even mentioned in otherwise great books on the history of technology. Yet, it is hard to find any important technology developed over the last 250,000 years that did not, in some way, make use of ropes and knots. Starting in prehistoric times, they were used for hunting, pulling, fastening, attaching, carrying, lifting and climbing.
The hardware: ropesRead the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!
From fibers to rope In rope making, four basic steps are identified: preparing the fibre, spinning the fibres together to form yarns, twisting the yarns in bunches to form strands, and winding the strands in rope.At each stage the twisting is performed in the opposite direction from the previous stage, in order to overcome the natural tendency for each yarn, strand or rope to unravel. Most ropes consist of three twisted strands (called a Hawser laid rope).
August 19 2010, 6:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com
http://hackaday.com/2010/08/19/lee-harts-memebership-card/
In an act of retro revival, [Lee Hart] has created this “Membership Card“, an altoid tin sized tribute to the 1802 CMOS chip. Made popular in the late 70s in the RCA COSMAC ELF computer, the 1802 stole many a hackers heart. There’s tons of information available if you explore the site, from history to kit building experiences.
[via Retro Thing)
August 19 2010, 9:45am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/google_maps_wristlet_navigator.html
Simon Jansen, he of Star Wars ASCIImation, the TARDIS MAME console, Beer Brewing Bender fame, was recently inspired by the 1920s "Plus Four Wristlet Route Indicator" that he'd sent us the link to some weeks back. He decided to try and build one.
I made my own version, using some brass bits and pieces, a scrap of leather, a glass microscope slide, and a list of directions printed out from Google Maps. Amazingly, it actually works!
Brass wristlet Google maps navigator watch
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August 15 2010, 1:30pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/retro_tv_ipad_dock.html
The perfect accessory for zoning out to Netflix with, this oddly appropriate iPad dock modeled after an early '80s CRT television set was designed by Jonas Damon, creative director for Frog Design's New York office. It comes complete with grainy television snow screen saver, though a scrambled pay TV signal would add a touch more realism if I recall correctly. [via Sight Unseen]
August 11 2010, 7:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/a_collection_of_old_cpus.html
Here's a nice collection of CPU throughout the ages.
July 31 2010, 6:30am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/gorgeous_-_frank_westfalls_1930_art.html
Frank Westfall's 1930 Art Deco Henderson motorcycle via Twitter. Knucklebuster writes -
I took these photos at the Rhinebeck Grand National Meet where the newly restored bike was unveiled. The bike belongs to Frank Westfall from Syracuse, NY. According to some info I found online, the bike was originally built by O. Ray Courtney in 1936 and is based on a 1930 K.J Henderson. The bike is powered by inline four cylinder (not a scooter as some have said, check the shot of the motor below) and as I’m sure you can gather by now, is a one-off custom. What I can confirm is it does run and while it looked a bit unwieldy, Frank could be seen riding the bike around the Fairgrounds all weekend. But let’s be honest here (and maybe I’m wrong) - you don’t have this bike in your stable to go out for a long Sunday afternoon ride to get some ice cream. That said, it was pretty awesome to see the bike being ridden (even when rain started to come down) instead of being sheltered behind a velvet rope, never to see the rubber touch asphalt again. The bike is a fantastic piece of history, the craftsmanship is absolutely stunning and it’s surely more of a museum piece than a daily rider. Frank has obviously spent an incredible amount of time meticulously restoring and rebuilding the bike to its current gorgeous state. Hats off to Frank for the amazing work he did and for sharing it with all us gawkers.Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!
July 22 2010, 11:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/primitive_knife_knapped_from_fiber.html
My buddy Mike Cook of Portland, Michican, has been knapping for 30 years. It shows. And while I'd probably never dare to use such a knife for fear of damaging it, I'm still amazed at how inexpensive fine hand-knapped points and blades are compared to handmade steel knives. A traditional custom knifemaker with Mike's experience would charge several times as much for his skill. I first ran across Mike's work on FlintKnappers.com, which is a great all-around resource for those interested in the hobby.
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Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!July 16 2010, 5:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/restored_edison_electric_car_from_1.html
Restored Edison Electric car from 1889. Charles writes...
Hello again! I looked up from my computer today to take a look at the history of one of the major projects we are working on at Global Research– electrification of the world. Here is what I found. What is really interesting is that I believe this video was filmed when the car was being driven to our Global Research campus for the 2008 Battery Symposium that we hosted. It is a video of a restored Edison Electric car, located in our hometown of Schenectady, NY at the Edison Exploratorium. It had a 26 volt GE Automobile Motor Patent 1889.It's 121 years later.
June 25 2010, 11:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/sid_barnetts_machine_shop.html
Patrick Parrish was vacationing in North Carolina when he spotted this long-abandoned yet fully stocked machine shop:
It looked like one day possibly in the 1960s or 70s that they just up and closed without even clearing off their desks. The window were so filty, but it looked AMAZING inside. I would kill to get in there to see the machines and tools that were all just sitting there in a state of suspended animation....
Wouldn't that be weird if someone shut down your neighborhood hackerspace one day but never cleared the equipment out? [Via Dinosaurs and Robots]
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!June 19 2010, 11:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/chris_schaies_mechanical_irises_for.html
When I first saw Chris's gorgeous brass-and-wood irising door peephole mechanism in the ShopBot booth at Maker Faire, I knew it was something special: A beautiful piece of machinery, designed and built solely for the pleasure of operating and observing its operation. When Chris contacted us wanting to sell them in Makers Market, naturally I was excited, but I was also a bit skeptical. I couldn't imagine that such a large, relatively complex machine of solid brass and wood could be manufactured and sold at anything like a reasonable price point. But the $285 Chris is now asking, while certainly not cheap, is about 35% of what I was expecting to see when I clicked on his listing. I will be surprised if he can afford to continue selling them at that price. Which is why I already bought mine.
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Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!June 11 2010, 5:25pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/lost_knowledge_clockwork_automata.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). 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
I can't think of a more romantic makery job than running an antique automata fix-it shop. You get to be part Geppetto, part horologist, and part Dr. Tyrell from Bladerunner. Such is the life of "automatist" Michael Start and his partner, sculptor and artist, Maria Start. From their shop, in Findhorn, Scotland, which looks like something straight from a fantasy movie set, they repair antique automata and singing birds. It's a union made in a clockwork heaven. Michael, a trained horologist, does the mechanical repairs, and Maria sculpts the missing body parts and expertly color-matches the time-worn paint jobs. Here's a brief video tour of their shop:
On their website, House of Automata (formerly Autonomania), they can claim (and who would challenge them?) to be "the UK's only specialist automata restoration company." Wonder how many self-described "automatists" there are in the world? And automata repairmen? Now there's a party in a teacup.
June 10 2010, 7:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/finally_a_use_for_plastic_blister_p.html
Finally a use for plastic blister pack packaging - pinball machine repair!
June 8 2010, 11:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/recovering_the_past_with_dead_techn.html
Retro Thing has a great article on recreating an archaic recording device to recover some old recordings. A while back Schenectady Museum curator Chris Hunter came across some old pallophotophone recordings from radio station WGY. "What's a pallophotophone?", you might ask. Also known as the RCA Photophone, it's an early recording device developed by GE researcher Charles Hoxie.
Eventually Hunter meets GE Engineer Russ DeMuth, who recreates a pallophotophone from Hoxie's original design and manages to extract some rather interesting recordings from the old media. Recovered are long-lost recordings of GE founder Thomas Edison, Herbert Hoover, Henry Ford, a recording thought to be the second oldest known sports broadcast, and the earliest known recording of the NBC chimes.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!June 2 2010, 7:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/typewriter_repairmen_on_wired.html
In Wired's "Raw File," they have a charming piece about typewriter repair shops and repairmen, profiling three shops in the Bay Area:
Despite these inefficiencies, there are a few places where typewriters still clack away. New York City police stations, the desks of a few stubborn hangers-on, and, increasingly, the apartments of hip young people who have a fetish for the retro. Mechanical devices with a lot of moving parts, typewriters require maintenance by technicians with specialized knowledge and years of experience. A surprising number of people still make their living meeting that demand.
Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
Meet the Last Generation of Typewriter Repairmen
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June 2 2010, 12:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/original_mars_attacks_art_in_makers.html
Aw, man, this is almost too good to be true: Makers Market seller LTL PRINTS, a Philadelphia, PA startup company, has scored a license to reprint every card in Topps' famous 1962 trading card series Mars Attacks. LTL has a novel full-color print-on-demand process using environmentally friendly inks, at 1440 dpi, on a 10 mil self-adhesive "fabric paper" substrate that can be removed and repositioned over and over again. He'll sell you any card in the series at your choice of six sizes ranging from one foot to six feet on the long edge, with prices starting at $15. He's also selling complete sets at a steep discount over the per-print price.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!May 28 2010, 9:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/two-cylinder_flame_gulper.html
A flame gulper is an old fashioned type of engine also known as a vacuum engine. According to the Wikipedia page, "A mixture of gas and air was drawn into the cylinder and ignited; the mixture expanded and part of it escaped through the exhaust valve; the valve then closed, the mixture cooled and contracted, and atmospheric pressure pushed the piston in." [Thanks, Erik!]
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!May 23 2010, 2:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/gorgeous_irising_peephole_mechanism.html
Designed by San Diego artist Christopher Schaie and crafted from parts milled on his ShopBot CNC robot, this beautiful wood-and-brass irising shutter is to be installed, with a glass dome on one side, to serve as the peephole in a nautical-themed door he is building for his studio. Details, including DXF files, in this thread on the ShopBot forum.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!May 22 2010, 11:30pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/costume_ray_gun.html
Found in the MAKE Flickr pool:
Mario Caicedo Langer of Bogotá, Colombia, built this excellent prop weapon called the Pistol WTF 2000 that packs light and sound effects. (Click on the image for a bigger pic.)
MATERIALS: My old heat gun (RIP), pieces of video camera, industrial plastic rollers, toilet tank tree, blender glass funds. Coming to Instructables.
(I wanted to call it "Plasma Pistol Ejector Organic Fabric and ash, but my brother said that the acronym PEPITO was a household name ...)
(Translated by Google Translate)
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!May 17 2010, 8:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/the_incredible_san_fancisco_artists.html
The Incredible San Fancisco Artists' Soapbox Derby, 1975 via Kottke.
Stumbled across and purchased an actual print of this film back in SF while working on a project for the SF MOMA. Amanda Pope did a great job capturing the spirit of creativity and the event itself. I wonder where all of these cars are today?Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!
May 14 2010, 11:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/soda_can_stirling_engine.html
This Instructable details how to build a Stirling engine out of a few soda cans, a balloon, and some terminal blocks (and other bits and pieces). Power is provided by tea candles. In the second vid, the builder uses his engine to power a radio.
Build a Coke Can Stirling Engine
More:
How-To Tuesday: Teacup Stirling engine
From MAKE magazine:
In Volume 17, MAKE goes really old school with the Lost Knowledge issue, featuring projects and articles covering the steampunk scene -- makers creating their own alternative Victorian world through modified computers, phones, cars, costumes, and other fantastic creations. Projects include an elegant Wimshurst Influence Machine (an electrostatic generator built entirely from Home Depot parts), a Florence Siphon coffee brewer, and a teacup-powered Stirling engine. This special section also covers watchmaking, letterpress printing, the early multimedia art of William Blake, and other wondrous and lost (or fading) pre-20th-century technologies.
May 10 2010, 6:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/lost_knowledge_timeline_technologie.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
One of the perks of this job is unexpectedly getting review copies of books in the mail. A few days ago, a package from Princeton Architectural Press got plunked down on my doorstep (always a joyful sound). I've been absolutely enthralled by its contents ever since I pulled it from the padded envelope.
Cartographies of Time, by Daniel Rosenberg and Anthony Grafton, literally impresses you with its point from the moment you take it in-hand. Subtitled "A History of the Timeline," the book itself is corrugated with horizontally-embossed lines on its covers. The effect is delightful (signaling right up front that this book is something special) and things just keep getting better as you travel deeper into the text.
Those lines on the cover begin the journey of mapping time, which threads its way through the book's surprisingly engaging text and images (the book itself being a meta-timeline). Cartographies of Time is absolutely gorgeous (the NY Times book blog called it possibly the most beautiful book of the year), with lots of illustrations and photographs showing how humans (of the European persuasion, anyway) have chosen to depict the flow of time and the events that we anchor to it. I was shocked to discover that the first evidence of the use of timelines as we know them only dates back 250 years. The book looks at timeline antecedents, in annals, chronologies, and other pre-timeline technologies, and how the emergence of printing, scientific research methods of the 18th century, and the work of timeline pioneers such as Joseph Priestley, helped establish the visual vocabulary of time-mapping that we recognize today.
May 6 2010, 6:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/big_fish_caught_by_electrocution_19.html
Big fish caught by electrocution (1931). People seem to have a different relationship with fish and electricity in the 30s.
April 24 2010, 6:30am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/steampunk_stormtrooper_boba_fett_an.html
Steampunk Stormtrooper, Boba Fett, and Princess Leia.
The helmet was created for the TK Helmet Project, a charity event that the 501st Stormtooper Legion is holding for the Make A Wish Foundation. Check out more photos after the jump, including other photos from the week which include Steampunk cosplay photos of Princess Leia and Boba Fett, and a Steampunk-ified version of the Iron Man Helmet.Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!
March 23 2010, 11:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/nova_albion_steampunk_exhibition_th.html
More info on their website.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!March 12 2010, 5:30pm | More »
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.
March 10 2010, 6:30pm | More »
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 »
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.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!January 31 2010, 7:00am | More »
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
January 27 2010, 12:01am | More »
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]
January 9 2010, 7:00pm | More »
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).
January 6 2010, 6:00pm | More »
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!]
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!December 31 2009, 10:00am | More »
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...
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!December 13 2009, 4:30pm | More »
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.Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!
December 5 2009, 4:00pm | More »
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
December 1 2009, 6:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/nintendo_cartridges_throne.html
A throne fit for a retro gamer! This one is comprised entirely of Nintendo cartridges.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!November 16 2009, 1:00pm | More »
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.
November 13 2009, 10:00pm | More »
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.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Retro | Digg this!November 9 2009, 7:10pm | More »
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!
October 3 2009, 9:56pm | More »