Make Makerprojectsguide PDF

Spring 2013
Maker Projects Guide
Want to
Make a
tesla coil?
special issue
page 51
42 PROJECTS TO BUILD
FAIRE OF THE FUTURE
42
Awesome
Projects
for Makers
MEET THE MAKERS
electrifiying science
meets rock 'n' roll
INSIDE
MAKER SHED BUYERS GUIDE
MAKER
FAIRE
Our Top Projects!
Secret
Knock
Gumball
Machine
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HighPower
Water
Rocket
How to
3D Print
Your
Head
$9.99 Display Until AUG. 27, 2013
4/21/13 11:13 AM
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Find a Maker Faire

near you this summer!
makerfaire.com
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a celebration of amazing creations

and the parts that made them possible.
Extreme LED
Throwies
Build these cheery, magnetic lights then make them swim, fly, and defy the weather.
The LED Throwie was invented around 2005 as a kind of
electronic graffiti. Its a little LED light with a strong magnet
taped to it. Theyre fun you throw them onto metal
surfaces and they stick there and stay lit up for days, or
even weeks. Theyre easy, and people love making them.
Since we first published the LED Throwie project, makers
have invented dozens of ways to use them. In this project
we show you how to adapt Throwies for extreme weather,
add a simple off switch, and even immerse them in water
and float them in the air.
1. Make an LED Throwie. Slip the coin cell battery between

the LEDs leads so the batterys positive side is touching the
positive (longer) lead. The LED will light up. Wrap it once
in electrical tape to insulate it. Then stick the magnet on
the positive side and wrap it again. Youre done. (You can
use 5mm LEDs for basic Throwies but youll want 10mm to
make the Indestructible LED Lantern in Step 4.)
Now throw it onto your fridge, or truck, or any ferromagnetic
metal surface, and youll see why they call it a Throwie.
2. Build a Throwie Bug. Throwies naturally
stick together magnetically. Chain them
together into giant Throwie Bugs to really light
things up!
3. Hack your Throwie with an On-Off tab. Cut
2 tabs of cardstock and sandwich the LEDs
positive lead between them before you tape up
the Throwie. One tab will stick to the tape; the
other will slip in and out, making and breaking
electrical contact. Now you can switch your
Throwie on and off.
4. Build an Indestructible LED Lantern.
Ditch the magnet and slip your Throwie into a weatherproof
capsule made from standard 1" PVC pipe fittings and Teflon
tape. These simple, rugged, floating LED lanterns will glow
for days, even in extreme weather. Theyve survived being
submerged in water for a week, frozen, and laundered in the
washing machine.
5. Make LED Swimmies. Slip your Throwies into little toy
fish, seal them up, and set them free in a pond or pool to
light up a party.
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6
b
th
fl
To
p
g
THIS PROJECT INCLUDES
THESE
PARTS
r.
n
e
e
n
n
o
Coin cell batteries,

CR2032 type
LEDs, 10mm
y
m
ht
ut
s
p
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g
ur
6. Make LED Floaties. Stuff your Throwies into helium

balloons before inflating them. Then cover the ceiling with
them, or tether them in bunches anywhere you want cool
floating lights.
Keith Hammond, MAKE Projects Editor
Electrical tape
To see full build instructions, photos, and video, visit the

project page for this build: radioshackdiy.com/projectgallery/extreme-led-throwies
n.
of
n
w
g
e
To submit your own creation,
explore other great creations,
and get the hard-to-find parts you
need, visit RadioShack.com/DIY.
y
o
SCAN THIS QR CODE TO LEARN

MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
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Maker Projects GuideContents

Welcome
07
Made On Earth
08
Faire of the Future
20
20
Its all about the makers.
The world of backyard

technology.
Maker Faire in photos.
Maker Profiles
ArcAttack
30
Luke Iseman 34
Steve Hoefer
36
36
William Gurstelle 38
Fun Bike Unicorn
CLUB
40
Maker Projects
A DIY guide in each section,

plus 6 more online.
Electronics
Secret-Knock Gumball
Machine
42
Fun at Home
Soda Bottle Rocket
52
In the Workshop
3D Print Your Head
62
88
62
Science 68
Tabletop Biosphere
Craft
Bleach Stencil T-Shirt
76
Art & Design

Stroboscope
80
Maker Shed
Makers Guide
88
Featuring 3D printers,
microcontrollers, kits,
electronics, toys, and more.
Your Electronics
Workbench
105
Howtoons
110
Toy Inventors
Notebook
112
What you need to

get started.
Make your own
kaleidoscope.
Experiment with an updated

Victorian-era toy.
4
makezine.com
SIP5_004_TOC_F1.indd 4
80
4/21/13 3:04 PM
If only RF could be so easy.
RF Modules Remote Controls Antennas

RF Connectors Custom Designs
www.linxtechnologies.com
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Maker Faire is the only

place where someone
yells fire and people
run toward it.
Dale Wheat
founder & PUBLISHER
Dale Dougherty
dale@makezine.com
editorial director
vice president
Gareth Branwyn
Sherry Huss
gareth@makezine.com
sherry@makezine.com
EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief
Mark Frauenfelder
mark@makezine.com
DESIGN, PHOTO & VIDEO

creative DIRECTOR
Jason Babler
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projects Editor
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Keith Hammond
Senior designer
sales & advertising

senior Sales Manager
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katie@makezine.com
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senior Editor
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Stett Holbrook
Technical Editor
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assistant editor
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Copy Editor
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EDITORS AT LARGE
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Videographer
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contributing editors
William Gurstelle, Brian Jepson, Charles Platt, Matt Richardson

CONTRIBUTING writers
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Walter Kitundu, Bob Knetzger, Steve Lodefink, Bre Pettis,
Stacey Ransom, Dave Sims
online contributors
John Baichtal, Kipp Bradford, Meg Allan Cole,

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& operations
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heatherh@makezine.com
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operations MANAGER
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MARKETING
Senior Director of Marketing
Vickie Welch
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MAKER FAIRE
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MARKETING COORDINATOR
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executive Assistant
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MARKETING Assistant
Courtney Lentz
PublisheD by
maker MEDIA, INC.
Dale Dougherty, CEO

Copyright 2013
Maker Media, Inc.
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MAKE SPECIAL ISSUE: Maker Faire 2013 is a supplement to MAKE magazine. MAKE (ISSN 1556-2336) is published quarterly by Maker Media, Inc. in the months of January, April, July, and October. Maker Media is located at 1005
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4/21/13 3:06 PM
Its All About the Makers

by Sherry Huss, Vice President, Maker Media
Surprise. Curiosity. Fun.

Inspiration. MAKE magazine
launched in 2005, full of eye-opening
how-to projects and fascinating makers.
It immediately became the catalyst for
a tech-influenced DIY community that
has come to be identified as the Maker
Movement. Later that year, publisher
Dale Dougherty asked, Wouldnt it be
cool if we could get all these makers
together in one place to share what
they make?
The result was the first Maker Faire
a gathering of the maker tribe to show
and tell, and inspire each other and anyone whod pay attention. It was an aha
moment for us. Today the Maker Movement continues to grow because every
day, more people go from observer to
participant inspired by other makers,
they begin making things themselves.
Weve watched makers gravitate
together to form intense creative
communities that are innovating in
technologies like personal 3D printing,
hobby robotics, Arduino microcontrollers, and embedded computing. Makers
are showing their work, collaborating
online, and egging each other on.
Weve seen makers branch outward,
launching local makerspaces where
any kind of making can be done by anyone from electronics to CNC wood
and metalworking to sewing and other
traditional crafts. Makers are sharing
expertise and high-tech tools, and
cross-pollinating each others ideas
in the process.
And weve watched amateur makers
go pro, leveraging shared knowledge
and open technologies to manufacture
products that can earn them a living.
Makers are creating their own market
ecosystem of products and services, and
learning to push their pet projects out of
the nest to fly in global commerce.
A few stories we love to tell:
Schoolteacher Rick
Schertle read MAKE, invented an air
rocket launcher and wrote a how-to for
the magazine, then came and showed it
off at Maker Faire. Compressed Air

Rockets became an annual Faire favorite
for thousands of kids, leading Rick to
develop a kit (page 102) and now
thousands more kids have built their
own rocket launchers.
Husband and wife Jeffrey
McGrew and Jillian Northrup
bought one of the first ShopBot CNC
routers, taught themselves to use it, and
showed off their custom-cut furniture at
the first Maker Faire in 2006. Their parttime CNC fascination blossomed into
the successful architectural design-build
studio called Because We Can. These
days when they come to Maker Faire
its to give talks on how to become a
professional maker.
Inventor Steve Hoefer
(page 36) read about the Arduino
microcontroller, built an amazing
Secret-Knock Gumball Machine and
wrote a how-to for MAKE, then came
and showed it off at Maker Faire, where
thousands of kids (and adults) were
delighted by it. He still gets letters from
people who were inspired by his project
to start making things. (You can build
it on page 42.)
Young Entrepreneur Luke
Iseman (page 34) entered his homebrew electric motorcycle in Austins
Maker Faire and was instantly hooked.
Since then hes developed the Garduino
garden controller (page 61) and
published a how-to in MAKE, leading
to his successful Growerbot business.
(He launched two other businesses
while he was at it.)
Brook Drumms wife bought him
MAKE for Christmas, and when he saw a
3D printer on the cover he saved up and
bought a kit. Building it with his 6-yearold son, he thought, I could do better!
then launched a record-setting Kickstarter campaign. At Maker Faire last
year he showed off the portable, ultra-affordable Printrbot Jr. (it won MAKEs
At the heart of Maker

Faire is this idea of play.
We kind of get lost in
it. People here have a
love of what theyre
doing, and it comes
across, and you walk
away optimistic What
people come away with
is a feeling: they can do
things.
Dale Dougherty
Founder, President,
and CEO, Maker Media
best value award in our 2012 Ultimate

Guide to 3D Printing special issue),
inspiring thousands with his product
and his story. Thousands more will
build Printrbot kits (page 91) and in
turn, inspire others with the things
they can make.
And thats what its all about
makers inspiring makers by sharing
their methods and projects, whether on
the internet, in MAKE, or at Maker Faire,
from the San Francisco Bay Area and
New York City to Tokyo, Dublin,
Singapore, Rome, London, Vancouver,
and dozens of other cities around the
world. Many are brand-new makers, fired
up and ready to build their wildest dream
or just solder their first circuit. Others
are collaborating online and dreaming
of attending a Maker Faire soon to meet
up with the maker tribe theyre feeling
so strongly a part of. Many, like you, are
reading MAKE and planning their next
project right now.
Its in that spirit that we offer this
special edition were calling the Maker
Projects Guide. In it youll meet some
of the makers whove inspired the Maker
Movement. Youll build projects theyve
shared with the world classics from
the pages of MAKE and favorites from
Maker Faire. And in our Maker Shed
buyers guide youll find the kits, books,
tools, and boards you need to get
started building almost anything you
can imagine.
So make something and show it off
online or at a Maker Faire, to your
friends, your kids, the world. You never
know who youll inspire.
Make
SIP5_007_Welcome_F1.indd 7
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Face
Face
to
Tom Banwell
Made On Earth
Tom Banwell is a self-taught man of many

talents. Hes a leatherworker, a caster/
sculptor, and a tireless inventor of a vast
selection of imaginative facemasks, many
of which have been featured in films, television, and major magazines.
His most complex and extraordinary
works are his steampunk gas masks, but
hes also known for his delicate, laser-cut
leather party masks and other uniquely
shaped costume masks. Just to keep
things interesting, he also makes rayguns.
His fantastic blog is a must-read for any
costume designer or lover of steampunk.
Its filled with well-written, step-by-step
explanations and interesting tips and tricks.
(Be sure to search for A Steamier Raygun
Holster, Elevated Shoes, and Modifying
a Straw Hat.)
When asked why he gravitated to gas
masks, Banwell says, A gas mask, though
functional, dramatically alters the appearance of the wearer. This can be perceived
by the viewer as terrifying as one resembles a monster or humorous as one
becomes a silly clown.
Banwell manages to combine these two
feelings to create unforgettable masks
that embody both fear and curiosity. The
formal, antiqued leatherwork feels classic
and foreboding, but he says the form of the
masks which can resemble a rhinoceros
or an elephant is pure fantasy.
Banwell is constantly looking at the
world around him and re-creating it in the
most mad and pleasing manner possible.
Looking through his fan photos, its clear
that when seemingly ordinary people don
his masks, they unleash the more fantastic
selves that lay dormant. Stacey Ransom
tombanwell.blogspot.com
makezine.com
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4/21/13 3:08 PM
"MAKING is at the
center of my teaching."
Jack Chen uses digital fabrication
technology to make STEM
subjects come to life.
Jack Chen is one of hundreds of teachers

around the country who've joined the
100kSchools.org community, a new, free
resource created by ShopBot Tools to help
teachers incorporate digital fabrication.
"I'm looking forward to finding and sharing
projects at 100kSchools, and letting all my
teaching colleagues from science to art
know about this resource." In this photo:
Jack with the ShopBot Desktop he
purchased for his classroom as part of
ShopBot's "Digital Fab Tools for Schools"
promotion that was launched with the
support of Autodesk 123D Design.
Jack Chen, a former manufacturing engineer and now a Math

for America Fellow, is the instructor for the Instrumentation
and Automation program, a three-year high school
pre-engineering elective at the Sewanhaka (NY) Central
School District's Career & Technical Education Center.
Jack also serves as the advisor for his high school districts
robotics club, the Sewanhaka RoboPandas. In early March, the
club competed at the 2013 New York City FIRST Tech Challenge
Championship and won! The RoboPandas will now go on to
compete at the World Championship in St. Louis in April.
Jack says, "A great number of my students are very artistic.

They naturally want to make things. What's so exciting about
digital fabrication is that you can help students feed their
desire to create while learning key STEM concepts."
Read more of Jack's story at www.100kschools.org/blog/

And if you're teaching, whether in traditional schools or other
community settings, join us! The 100kSchools community can
help you:
Learn about many digital tools and technologies
Find projects and curricula and share yours
Connect with other teachers for mentorship and advice
Find funding resources for your program
org
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4/21/13 3:10 PM
Stick
City
When Scott Weaver first started gluing

toothpicks together to create sculptures
at the age of 8, little did he know he would
later embark on a monumental 34-year
journey toward completion of his epic
Rolling Through the Bay sculpture.
The fourth-generation San Franciscan
started Rolling Through the Bay in 1974
as a smaller piece that featured his signature ping-pong ball path running through
it. He continued to work on the piece off
and on until 2008, when he debuted it
at the Sonoma County Fair, winning Best
of Show. Utilizing a staggering 100,000
toothpicks, it stands 9 feet tall, 7 feet wide,
and 30 inches deep, and features four
different ping-pong ball routes that start
at entry points atop the piece and travel
past San Francisco landmarks. Weaver
uses only Elmers white glue.
The ping-pong ball routes are essential
for a full appreciation of the details, which
are so numerous and uniform in color that
they risk being overlooked. The main tour
starts at Coit Tower, wraps under a Rice-ARoni cable car, through the Transamerica
Pyramid, out to the Cliff House, down
Lombard Street to Chinatown, back
toward the Palace of Fine Arts, out around
the windmill at Ocean Beach, across the
Golden Gate Bridge, over Humphrey the
humpback whale, behind Alcatraz, by the
Maritime Museum, ending in the long-lost
Fleishhacker Pool.
At Maker Faire Bay Area 2011, Weaver
earned Editors Choice blue ribbons and
had perhaps one of the most photographed projects at the Faire. He is fueled
by seeing peoples reactions to his work,
recognizing the madness in his method.
What kind of eccentric idiot would spend
thousands of hours making a toothpick
sculpture? Thats me!
Goli Mohammadi
rollingthroughthebay.com
10
Luigi Anzivino/Exploratorium
Made On Earth
makezine.com
4/21/13 3:08 PM
Don't just change the world. Build it.

If you can imagine it, you can build it on ROBLOX, the world's greatest online creative community.
What will you build?
www.roblox.com
Maker Profile: JDS Labs
Shown here with optional

stand, machine arm,
LCD monitor, and other
accessories.
Tormach PCNC 770 Series 3

starting at:
$6850
(plus shipping)
Tormach PCNC mills are the ultimate

maker machines. Whether youre a
maker, fabber, innovator, or builder, a
Tormach PCNC will enable your ideas
with real CNC capability and precision.
Dont let your tools hold back your
innovation visit www.tormach.com.
SIP5_011_Ad-RbTrm_FI.indd 11
Open source design is a key

element in the creation of
the high-end DIY ampliers
and objective digital-to-analog
converters (ODAC) produced
at JDS Labs in Glen Carbon,
Illinois. Founder and recent
Missouri University of Science
and Technology graduate John
Seaber is using his PCNC
770 to streamline the manufacturing process and produce high-quality
product for the image-conscious audiophile marketplace.
For us, product appearance is just as important as sound quality. Some
audiophiles will return a product that performs well because its visually
unpleasant. Cases we machine in-house
with the PCNC 770 are of noticeably
higher quality than those we had
machined by outside shops, because we
now have the ability to iterate design
and manufacturing changes.
Read the full story at:

www.tormach.com/jdslabs
4/21/13 3:10 PM
Tony DeRose
Made On Earth
Fast &
Furious
Fuselage
12
Amid the sea of projects at Maker Faire

Bay Area 2012, one shining standout
was crafted by a team of five young
makers, all under the age of 18 at the
time. Welcome to the Viper, a full-motion
flight simulator built into the fuselage
of a Piper PA-28 plane, complete with
360 rotation on both the pitch and
roll axes and a fully immersive flying
environment inside. Not your typical
after-school project.
Team Viper is John Boyer, Joseph
DeRose, Sam DeRose, Sam Frank,
and Alex Jacobson, all members of
the Young Makers club. Inspired by a
simulator at the National Air and Space
Museum, they set out to build a better
version based on Battlestar Galactica's
Viper spaceship.
Mission accomplished. Once the

rider is harnessed in the Recaro racing
seat with a full helmet, the plane door
is put in place. Inside the cockpit, three
22" high-def screens display the game
FlightGear, which you play as you fly.
The armrests hold the joystick and
thruster, while the custom instrument
panel, dozens of buttons and LEDs,
and sound system complete the full
immersion experience. For control the
team used five Arduinos, two iPhones,
and one iPad, all networked together. As
Sam D. says, The only senses we dont
control are taste and smell thats for
Maker Faire 2013. Goli Mohammadi
the-viper.org
makezine.com
4/21/13 3:08 PM
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SIP5_013_Ad_EpSlr_F1.indd 13
4/21/13 3:11 PM
Made On Earth
Warm
Glow of
Abduction
Inspired by the flying saucers, rocket ships,

and robots of 1950s sci-fi comic covers,
Jason Dietz set out to create a little of that
magic for his home. He decided to make
lamps that depict a classic flying saucer
shooting down a giant plasma ray and pulling up an unsuspecting victim into the ship.
To get the desired effect, he knew he had to
go big.
Dietz UFO Lamps stand over 6 feet tall
from base to saucer. The 2-foot-diameter
flying saucer that crowns each lamp is a
sturdy sandwich of parabolic aluminum heat
dishes, Edison flame bulbs, and an acrylic
disk. The saucer sits atop a giant handblown recycled-glass vase that holds 10 gallons of water.
CFL, LED, and halogen lights, in combination with a 110-volt air pump, nail the illusion,
as the abduction victim, a lone cow, hovers
and twirls helplessly above the grassy pasture from which it was plucked.
With its size, varied lighting, and constant
motion, the lamp is beautiful and bizarre at
once, not a sight easily overlooked. Dietz
keeps one in his living room. The soft glow
of an alien abduction in progress in the corner of the room is quite the sight indeed,
he says. Staring at it for a while lets your
imagination run wild it puts me into that
retro sci-fi world.
Like many makers, Dietz gains inspiration
as much from seeing his visions come to life
as from seeing others enjoying his creations.
At Maker Faire Bay Area 2010, he displayed
six of his UFO Lamps in a half circle at the
back of Fiesta Hall, a dark environment that
featured only projects that glow. Fairgoers
were drawn in by the UFO beams, and thousands came closer for a good look.
It looked like a small-scale alien invasion
in the back of the hall, Dietz remembers.
Apparently he wasnt the only one excited to
see this fantasy made reality, as the lamps
were in high demand.
We all have the power to create anything
we want to see, proclaims Dietz. It just
depends on how much you really want to see
it happen.
Goli Mohammadi
Jason Dietz
makezine.com/go/dietz
14
makezine.com
4/21/13 3:09 PM
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CHECK OUT OUR

EXPANDED ASSORTMENT
ONLY AT RADIOSHACKDIY.COM.
You dont make things like they used to

And thats a good thing. Now you can make almost anything. You can
3D print a replacement for something thats broken. Or maybe you want
to mod a design so its just right for you. If you have an idea you want
to make real, check out the free* Autodesk 123D apps for designing,
creating, and making things. Its a brave new world.
www.autodesk.com/makesomething
*Free products are subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user license and services agreement that accompanies the software.
Autodesk and 123D are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or
other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter
product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical
errors that may appear in this document. 2013 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
SIP5_015_Ad_RS_AU_F1.indd 15
4/21/13 3:11 PM
Made On Earth
John Edgar Park showcases his Arduino Grande at Maker
Faire New York, while co-founder of the Arduino project,
Massimo Banzi (background), holds the standard size.
Arduino is going to be really big at Maker

Faire this year. As these words rang in
MAKE editor John Edgar Parks ears, the
thought occurred to him that he could
make Arduino even bigger literally.
Using 3D modeling software, Park
designed a giant version of the Arduino
Uno microcontroller board. He then
turned his delightful dream into reality
by laser cutting, soldering, etching, and
painting.
The result? Arduino Grande, a work-
16
ing microcontroller (thanks to a normal

Uno mounted on the board) six times
larger than life. In the top left corner (the
location where a regular-sized Arduino
declares its Italian origins), Arduino
Grande proudly announces, Made in
Burbank (Calif.). Park is pleased with his
results: The first time I hoisted it up on
my shoulder like a boombox I was pretty
darned psyched!
Laura Cochrane
makezine.com/go/arduinogrande
Gregory Hayes (top); John Edgar Park (bottom)
Honey I Shrunk the Maker
makezine.com
4/21/13 3:09 PM
SIP5_017_Ad_HSub_F1.indd 17
4/21/13 3:12 PM
Made On Earth
If a camel is a horse designed by committee, then what is the Hennepin Crawler?

It looks like a jalopy, but its really a
big bike, designed by Krank-Boom-Clank,
four Santa Rosa, Calif., artists who wanted
to build something that moves as gracefully along railroad tracks as it maneuvers
around the playa at Burning Man.
Two of the members, Clifford Hill and
Skye Barnett, had built an art car for
Burning Man in 2007. For the Crawler,
they drew in fellow welders David Farish
and Dan Kirby.
It was a very organic process, says
Barnett. The only thing we had set was
that it would be pedal-powered and that
it had four seats since there are four
of us.
They also got involved in planning a
18
local event, the Great West End & Railroad

Square Handcar Regatta, which aimed
to raise awareness for transportation
beyond the car, including bikes and commuter rail. So they designed the Crawler
(Farish was fond of the antique-sounding
Tom Waits song 9th and Hennepin) to
ride the rails, too.
Found materials helped dictate the
design: Barnett returned from one dump
run with a $15 metal hammock holder. It
eventually became the centerpiece of the
Crawlers curvy chassis.
I refer to it as improv, because we
were using metal like Play-Doh, says Hill.
We would try something, break it if it
didnt work, try something else. They got
together once a week Our Thursday
night TV watching got all screwed up,
says Kirby and cranked into the night

to get it finished.
Now they pedal it out to community
events, where it draws a lot of interest.
People ask who designed it, says Hill.
Everybody pulled their weight. People
cant handle that.
Hill says their goal is to plug this notion
of art and celebration in a public context,
inspiring more people to do creative things
with bikes, especially kids.
Kids see it, they find out theres bike
parts in it, and then they realize they can
make something like that, says Farish.

Dave Sims

Clifford Hill
Hennepin Crawler
krankboomclank.com
makezine.com
4/21/13 3:09 PM
A founding sponsor of the Maker Education

Initiative, Intel helps provide access to the tools
and instructional support that allow makers to
Start Making! http://makered.org/
At Maker Faire 2013, Intel will be hosting
Sketch it! Play it! an activity that encourages
beginner makers to create musical instruments
by drawing digital circuits. This is the first in a
series of activities that can be easily replicated
at home or in the classroom using electronics
kits, software tools and everyday materials.
Copyright 2013 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel and the Intel logo
are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
CA MAKE Ad.indd 1
SIP5_019_Ad-In_Za_F1.indd 19
3/29/13 6:56 AM
4/21/13 3:12 PM
Faire
of the
Faire of the Future: MAKER FAIRE
Future
By Goli Mohammadi
20
makezine.com
SIP5_20-7_Faire_F1.indd 20
4/21/13 3:14 PM
Maker Faire is the mecca of art

merged with technology. Its like
being at a buffet of knowledge.
early 75 years ago, the New York Worlds
Fair of 1939/1940 was the first expo based
on the future, with its exhibits geared to
give fairgoers a glimpse at Building the
World of Tomorrow. The official pamphlet read,
The eyes of the Fair are on the future in the sense
of presenting a new and clearer view of today in
preparation for tomorrow; a view of the forces and
ideas that prevail as well as the machines. Participants included nearly 60 nations and over 1,000
exhibitors, among them the largest U.S. corporations. The next iteration, the Worlds Fair of 1964/65
continued this glimpse into the future, offering a
showcase of mid-century technology and giving
many attendees their first interaction with computer
equipment, previously tucked away from consumers.
Fast-forward to 2006 and the inaugural Maker
Faire, which took place in San Mateo, Calif., featured
100 proud makers, and drew 20,000 folks. Unlike
the standard that the Worlds Fairs set, we turn the
power of defining the future to the makers themselves, the creators of the future. Were in our eighth
year now, and Maker Faire has grown to become
The Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth. Our 2012
Bay Area Faire drew 110,000 attendees and featured 900 amazing maker exhibits. There have been
countless cutting-edge products launched and tech
revolutions, like 3D printing, started at the Faire. The
future is here, and its maker made.
And while our flagship Faires are in the Bay (in
May) and in New York City (in September at the
original Worlds Fair site), we encourage communitybased, independently produced Mini Maker Faires,
both domestic and international, and provide the
tools and knowledge to help folks make their own
Maker Faires. In 2012, there were 61 Maker Faires, 56
of them community-based Minis and 16 in countries
including Japan, Nigeria, Spain, Australia, China,
Ireland, Chile, Israel, and the U.K. This fall, Rome is
hosting their first Maker Faire, which will span four
days and aims to be the biggest Faire in Europe.
Here we take you on a journey into Maker Faires
past and present, near and far. Words cannot convey
how inspirational and fun attending Maker Faire is.
We hope pictures come closer. Find a Faire near you
and join us, and if there isnt one, get to know the
makers in your community and make a Faire happen.
All the information you need is at makerfaire.com.
(Above) Chris James of the R2-D2 Builder's Club at Maker Faire Bay Area 2012. (Below) Elektro
the Moto-Man and his dog Sparko, created by Westinghouse for the 1939 World's Fair.
Daderot
Justin Gray, artists and roboticist
Make
21
4/21/13 3:14 PM
Gary Malerba
Anne Peterson
Mark Madeo
1. EepyBird's Coke and Mentos fountain show is always a huge

crowd pleaser. Here, they create sticky magic at Maker Faire
Detroit at the Henry Ford.
2. Artist Robyn Love led an effort to yarnbomb one of the
rockets at New York Hall of Science for Maker Faire New York.
3. Todd Barricklow's Two Penny is a four-wheeled version of

the classic penny-farthing, with 8-foot-diameter wheels and
rear-wheel steering. Shown here at Maker Faire Bay Area.
4. Jeff and Lisa Hannan's technicolor Lunapillar mobile
kinetic sculpture has been giving rides to fairgoers and
spreading smiles for years at Maker Faire Bay Area.
5. David Bryan from Minneapolis' Hack Factory takes a spill
in their modded vehicle titled "Little Death Trap" at the Power
Racing Series race at Maker Faire Detroit.
6. Artist Christian Ristow's 12-foot-tall robotic sculpture
Face Forward has facial features that are controlled by
audience members at remote stations. Shown here at Maker
Faire Bay Area.
7. Artist Rob Bell creates giant math-inspired modular Zomes,
which are an endless source of amusement for folks young
and old at Maker Faire Bay Area.
4/21/13 3:15 PM
Anne Peterson
Gary Malerba
There's no other
energy like it
on Earth."
John Collins, The Paper Airplane Guy
7
Make
23
4/21/13 3:15 PM

1. A member of Fakeworks Ladies Racing Team competes at
The Madagascar Institute's Chariot Races, which took place at
Maker Faire New York 2010.
2. A main component of Maker Faires is the Learn to Solder
area, where fairgoers of all ages are taught how to solder, the
gateway to electronics.
3. Lisa Pongrace's Acme Muffineering cupcake cars have
become an iconic part of Maker Faire Bay Area over the years.
4. Todd Williams' remote controlled, EL wire laden Land
Sharks have been known to make children squeal as they
zoom around Maker Faire Bay Area's dimly lit Fiesta Hall.
5. A fairgoer tries out the glove-like device that controls

Christian Ristow's interactive sculpture Hand of Man, a
26-foot-long hydraulically actuated human hand and forearm
capable of picking up and crushing cars.
6. Artists Ryan Doyle and Teddy Lo's Gon KiRin interactive
dragon sculpture is built on the frame of a 1963 dump truck.
Roughly 64 feet long and 26 feet tall, she spews over 10 feet
of flames.
5
24
9. Lindsay Lawlor's 16-foot Russell the Electric Giraffe is a

Maker Faire Bay Area favorite and has been to every Bay Area
Faire since the first in 2006.
Sabrina Merlo
8. Five Ton Crane's sci-fi-influenced Gothic Raygun Rocket

Ship towered 40 feet above the crowd at Maker Faire Bay Area
and featured three habitable decks.
makezine.com
4/21/13 3:15 PM
Andrew Kelly
Michael C Moore
7. Irish roboticist Pete Redmond's RuBot II, seen at Maker

Faire New York, can solve a Rubik's Cube in 20 seconds.
Why did we want

to participate? How
could we not?
John Dunivant of Theatre Bizarre
Andrew Kelly
Sabrina Merlo
9
Make
25
4/21/13 3:15 PM
Zara Ansar
Maker Faire provides

a deadline and
incentive to build
something great
before time runs out.
Joseph DeRose, young maker
Tada (Yukai)
James Bastow
5
26
makezine.com
4/21/13 3:16 PM
WD Wilson
Austin Fresh Photography
Faire of the Future: MINI MAKER FAIRE
WD Wilson
Zara Ansar
7
1. The Austin Bike Zoo displays their art bikes, like this 17-foot
butterfly, at Austin Mini Maker Faire in Texas.
2. Artist Ian Langohr displays his larger-than-life masks, like
this one, Nest, at the Ottawa Mini Maker Faire in Canada.
3. Hands-on activities at the East Bay Mini Maker Faire in
Oakland, Calif.
4. The East Bay Mini Maker Faire also features a solid array of
art bikes, like this deer bike by Slimm Buick.
5. KwartzLab Makerspace members pour liquid nitrogen from
a Dewar into a mixer bowl during a liquid nitrogen ice cream
presentation at Mini Maker Faire Toronto.
6. Suidobashi Heavy Industry displays their 13-foot-tall
Kinect-operated rideable robot, Kuratas, at Maker Faire Tokyo.
7. A large, stylized anatomical heart sculpture, fresh back

from Burning Man, on display at Mini Maker Faire Toronto.
8. A maker displays his Lego domino robot at the inaugural
Jerusalem Mini Maker Faire in Israel.
9. Young ones at the Sonoma County Mini Maker Faire in
Santa Rosa, Calif., had a blast with the oversized kaleidoscope.
Find a Maker Faire near you, or learn

how to organize a Maker Faire in
your community at makerfaire.com.
Ian Brunswick
10. The Dublin Mini Maker Faire in Ireland featured this art
space shuttle made from discarded tech for an Irish Burning
Man decompression party.
10
Make
27
4/21/13 3:16 PM
Maker Camp on G+
will be a blast!
makercamp.com
SIP5_28-9_MakrCmp_F1.indd 28
4/21/13 3:19 PM
Spend Your Summer Vacation

at Maker Camp 2013
Hey campers!
Get ready for 30 days of awesome

projects, fun field trips, and your
favorite maker celebrities.
No need to bring your sleeping
bag or pack your toothbrush,
Maker Camp is a free, online
summer camp on Google+!
To join, simply create a Google+ profile
and follow MAKE on Google+. Or go to
makercamp.com and sign up.
Even if you miss a day, you can still
experience Maker Camp just visit
makercamp.com for videos of all the cool
projects and epic field trips.
JULY
Week 1
8 Makers in Motion
Week 2
15 Create the Future

Week 3
22 Fun & Games

Week 4
29 Art & Design
AUGUST
Week 5
5 DIY Music
Week 6
12 Make: Believe
Check out the schedule, and mark
your calendars so you dont miss a
day! Camp starts Monday, July 8!
SIP5_28-9_MakrCmp_F1.indd 29
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Maker Profile: ARCATTACK
ARC
ATTACK
30
By Gregory Hayes
makezine.com
SIP5_30-3_ArcAtck_F1.indd 30
4/21/13 3:21 PM
ArcAttack group members (from left to

right) Sam McFadden, King Beat (robot
drummer), Steve Ward, and the Brothers
Arc: Giovanni and Joe DiPrima. (Right)
ArcAttacks four-coil setup at World Maker
Faire 2011 at the New York Hall of Science.
Gregory Hayes
Andrew Kelly
arcattack.com
ArcAttack, an Austin, Texas-based performance group, has made singing Tesla

coils famous, appearing at Maker Faires, on televisions Americas Got Talent,
and around the world. Their show constantly evolves and improves, thanks to
the inspiration and hard work of a rotating cast and crew. We spoke with three
of ArcAttacks longest-standing members Joe DiPrima, brother Giovanni
(John) DiPrima, and Steve Ward to get the story behind the spectacle.
1. How did you come up

with the idea for musically
controlled Tesla coils?
Steve: I first met Joe in Michigan at a
Geek Group meeting, and the idea came
up pretty fast. I was playing around with
solid state Tesla coil technology, pretty
new at the time, and I could control the
pitch with a potentiometer. The first
time Joe saw this thing, he immediately
wanted to control it musically.
2. How does it work?

Joe: A standard Tesla coil used to have
two knobs: pulse rate and pulse width. So
I got rid of the interrupter circuit, made a
pulse rate modulator out of a keyboard,
and played it like a piano.
Steve: The coils we bring to Maker Faire
are 14kW outputting 600,000V, and each
one makes 10-foot bolts of lightning,
which produces the sound. Each time the
air is energized it heats up and makes a
pressure wave, producing a tick sound.
We control the rate, the audio pitch, like
440 snaps a second corresponds to
concert A. Anything that can source MIDI
will work, whether a computer, keyboard,
or MIDI guitar. Joe brewed up some

custom hardware, a MIDI player/MP3
player and controller. We compose a MIDI
track to be played on the coils while the
audio tracks play on the PA system.
3. How do you develop

music to fit the medium?
John: Well, its strange. There are a
couple of caveats to what we do. No
matter what, people are going to like it.
Chicken Dance? People are going to freak
out. But theres not much of a tonality
range to use with the coils. You write
every song like the lead instrument was
a heavily distorted trumpet, and try to
make it as pleasing as possible for as
long as possible.
I was living in Michigan when Joe
called me with this awesome idea, so Id
write the music, sequence it, and send
it to him to test it out. I had to compose
not knowing how it would work. Like,
we didnt have a lot of time when theyd
book a show. Id email it to them while
they were on the road; theyd pick it up
on wi-fi at McDonalds, test it out, and
phone in the changes.
Make
31
4/21/13 3:21 PM
Maker Profile: ARCATTACK
John: These guys are our show brains. Ive been trying
to convince people the show controller (right) was an
iPod prototype from the 80s, but no one believes me. It
takes show data from an SD card and outputs from four
RCA jacks, and MIDI through a fiber out, and lives next
to the sound board far away from the Tesla coils so that
EMI from the coils will not be an issue.
We then run a fiber from the show controller all the
way back to the stage. With this setup we can get our
audio to the sound guy without having any physical
connections from the stage to the sound board. The
remote (left) links up wirelessly to the show controller
via XBee, allowing us to pick songs from the stage
without any physical connections. It's totally independent from the show controller so if it screws up around
the Tesla coils (it hasn't as of yet), the show controller
will still continue to operate.
4. Lets go back. What got

you started?
Joe: Im self taught in electronics. Dad,
a biomedical technician, taught me a
lot and I picked it up hands-on. I always
made a habit of taking on projects, using
it as a form of education. I was building
rudimentary electronics projects by
the time I was six or seven, but didnt
understand it that well. I took a good
interest in electronics until I was 15 or 16,
then put four or five years into computer
programming. I graduated from high
school, needed a job, and got one at a
TV repair shop. Then for the next seven
or eight years I worked in consumer
electronics repairs.
Steve: I had a friend who built a Tesla
coil for the 8th grade science fair. I saw
it, got hooked on the idea, and started
tinkering. I played with high voltage stuff,
ways of generating sparks with static
electricity. Then in about a year I built
my first Tesla coil, slowly pieced together
from scrap. I was 13, and got fascinated
with making sparks.
John: I always wanted to be a rock star,
but never thought it was plausible and
studied sound instead.
Theres never anything specific we have

5. Who else works on
ArcAttacks show?
Joe: Weve had a few people in and out
of our crew and had a lot of people work
with us who dont actually travel with us.
But lets see. Andrew Mansberger goes
on a lot of tours with us, plays guitar and
keyboards. Craig Newswanger is pretty
much awesome at building anything and
built our drum robot. Christian Miller is a
computer science guy at UT [University
of Texas at Austin], and works with us
on a lot of our code. Pat Sullivans an
electrician, goes out with us on shows.
He built the Faraday cages.
6. Any close calls?

Joe: Weve never had a dangerous close
32
call; were generally pretty safe. Weve

never almost killed anybody! Oh wait,
except this one time. We were at Art
Outside in Austin.
Steve: At one show there was a girl,
excited to see her friend in the Faraday
cage so excited she hopped our safety
fence and ran toward the Tesla coil.
Safety engineer Sam McFadden shut the
system off; Joe tackled her.
Joe: She just had no idea what was going
on, didnt know what she was seeing.
7. What would have

happened?
Joe: We think the arc is probably
equivalent to getting hit by a stun gun.
I dont think it would kill you instantly.
makezine.com
4/21/13 3:21 PM
to
ve
Gregory Hayes
At Maker Faire Bay Area 2012: Adam Savage dances in

ArcAttacks custom Faraday cage, which directs the
flow of electricity around its enclosure and allows the
band to invite the audience safely into the act.
to do ... so we build the things we want to build.

Could put your eyes out or, I dont know,
burn you badly. Scare the pants off you.
We hope to not find that out.
8. So what does it feel like

with the Faraday suit?
Joe: Nothing.
9. No tingle? The chainmail

doesnt get warm?
Joe: It feels like nothing at all. If I couldnt
see the arcs hitting me, I wouldnt even
know it was on.
10. Want to add anything

a good story?
Joe: We hold a world record for the Tesla
coils running during the David Blaine
stunt, a million volts on for 72 hours

straight. Thats funny; when we first
started out, we were just thinking of
how to make machines last a week,
then two weeks, then machines that
would survive shipping.
John: Its extremely difficult to explain
what I do in a loud bar. There was an
incident where I was trying to describe
my seven-foot-tall Tesla coils, but the girl
misheard me.
Steve: There is one question I get. If
youre really into the Tesla coils, where
do you go to learn more? Theres no
one good place. A Google search will
show you lots of stuff. I kind of fumble
around on the internet until I find the
information. But Tesla himself was
limited to the simple spark gap coil

start with that and work your way toward
more advanced stuff.
Joe: Ive probably built 20 Tesla coils.
Every time we build one we think, All
right, this is it; it doesnt have to be any
better. But then, it could be better, so we
make it better. ArcAttack is fun because
theres never anything specific we have
to do. We just have to do something, and
it generally works out, so we build the
things we want to build.
Make
33
4/21/13 3:21 PM
Maker Profile: LUKE ISEMAN
Meet
Luke
Iseman
By Stett Holbrook
Boredom is as good an inspiration for making as anything

else. Five years ago, Luke Iseman, 30, was working at a
startup in Austin, Texas, and he was restless. I didnt like
sitting at a desk. I was very bored.
To break out of his slump, he decided he would rebuild a
1970s Kawasaki to see if he could get it to run on battery
power. He picked up a falling-apart motorcycle for under
$100 outside Austin and set to work. Never mind that
he didnt know what he was doing and had never done
anything mechanical beyond changing a flat tire. He liked
bikes and thought that was enough to get him started.
He entered the project in Austins Maker Faire. On the
last day of the fair, he got the old bike to work, however
briefly. For a glorious five minutes, I got it to run I was
hooked. He was hooked on making.
Michael T. Carter
lukeiseman.com
34
makezine.com
SIP5_34-5_Iseman_F1.indd 34
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Michael T. Carter
Increasingly, the people he admired

were makers, folks who created things
and took risks far outside of the office
environment where he worked.
I became more and more excited
about not sitting in a cubicle, he says.
Maker Faire nudged him toward a
career as a maker, and attending SXSWs
interactive panel the following year
pushed him over the edge. Two weeks
later, he quit his job. Then he took off to
Nicaragua, for adventure and to ponder
his next move. While roaming around the
country, a couple of ideas percolated in
his head, and they began to take root
once he was back in Austin.
He had previously been exposed to
Arduino and loved the idea of physical
computing. He was also interested
in permaculture and sustainable
agriculture. Those interests commingled
and yielded Garduino (garduino.dirtnail.
com, see also page 61), an open source,
Arduino-powered device for monitoring
your garden. That project blossomed
into Growerbot (growerbot.com), the
worlds first social gardening assistant
that helps grow food while offering
entertaining updates from the garden.
Meanwhile, his interest in bikes led to
another idea: a pedicab business.
Luke Iseman
I became more
and more excited
about not sitting
in a cubicle.
MAKER MINDED: (Facing) Iseman and his Garduino garden monitor project. (This page) Iseman's electric motorcycle, Re:char's newest biochar kiln design, and the Growerbot, a social, automated garden assistant.
While he admits the idea was as much

a whim as his trip to Nicaragua, his
timing was good, and the business began
to build as he refined his designs.
I had learned just enough to start
building them, he says.
Over the course of two years, his fleet
of pedicabs grew to 28. He called the
company DirtNail, a nickname his former
startup boss gave him when hed come to
work with grease-stained fingers during
his electric motorcycle tinkering days.
Iseman eventually sold the company
to a friend. The fleet of neon orange
pedicabs now numbers more than 35.
DirtNail was the preferred downtown
transportation provider for SXSW 2013.
Before he sold, hed posted an ad on
Craigslist looking for someone to share
his underutilized workspace. One of the
people who responded was soil scientist
Jason Aramburu.
Aramburu had started Re:char
(re-char.com), a company that makes
biochar (a charcoal fertilizer made from

agricultural waste that takes carbon out
of the atmosphere) and a simple kiln that
allows farmers in developing countries
to make it themselves. Iseman, with his
background in sustainable ag and his
growing maker chops, decided to team
up with Aramburu. The two developed
a shop-in-a-box, a portable CNC shop
in a shipping container, which they sent
to Kenya to train farmers how to make
their own biochar kilns. Now Re:char is a
bustling business in Kenya.
That company is going strong, and
already Iseman is germinating new ideas.
Fundamental to his transformation from
office worker to maker is the belief that
he can make anything.
Its a material change in perception,
he reflects. For me its a much more
enjoyable and productive way of living
my life.
Make
SIP5_34-5_Iseman_F1.indd 35
35
4/21/13 3:24 PM
Maker Profile: Steve Hoefer
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About
Steve Hoefer
By Goli Mohammadi
Steve Hoefer is a San Francisco-based

inventor and creative problem solver
with nearly 20 years of experience. Hes
contributed several projects to the pages
of MAKE, including his Indestructible
LED Lanterns, Secret-Knock Gumball
Machine, and Haptic Wrist Rangefinder.
Hes also active in the open source
hardware and software communities and
is working on a new MAKE video series
called Make: Inventions.
Steve Hoefer
grathio.com
Hoefer's simple, rugged, floating Indestructible LED

Lanterns project appeared in MAKE Volume 30.
One project youre

particularly proud of:
1. The Secret-Knock Gumball Machine.

A lot of the things I do are for a specific
audience or solving a specific problem,
but the Secret-Knock Gumball Machine
has something for everyone, and it
manages to make candy more fun. Its
mechanically and technically pretty
simple you can build your own! I still
regularly get messages from people
who are inspired by it and have used it
as their own springboard into making.
Two past mistakes youve

learned the most from:
1. The first one is one I didnt learn

from. My primary and secondary school
math teachers were not effective, and
I didnt complain when they put me
36
in alternative (non-math) classes. I

shouldve been more involved in my
math education and asked my teachers
to challenge me more, or simply
invested more effort into it. Having
a stronger, more confident base in
mathematics is something I could use
every single day.
2. Second is not bringing in an expert.
Ive made this mistake more times than
I can count and I still fight with it. I come
from a very DIY background and Im
really curious, so I want to know how
everything works and how to do it. That
means that I take on tasks that I hate
or are much better suited to a domain
expert. Ill spend hours/days/weeks
trying to learn how to do something I
dont want to do, or that an expert can
do better and faster.
Three ideas that have

excited you most lately:
1. Crowdfunding. Kickstarter gets a lot

of love and hate, but the idea is powerful
and transformative. It takes the idea of
patronage away from popes and kings
supporting a handful of artists, and lets
anyone support the people and projects
that they enjoy. Project flame-outs get
a lot of attention, but everyday sites like
Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and RocketHub
are making things possible that couldnt
happen any other way. Im really keeping
my eye on how it will change science.
2. Small-scale or personal factories.
Makers creating machines that extend
their creativity and power to make. The
explosion of hobbyist 3D printers, CNC
mills, etc., is creating standardized and
affordable motion control. Combining
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them with sensors, cameras, increased

dexterity, etc., you can create custom
machines that make complex objects. A
good example is DIWire, an open source
CNC-controlled wire bender.
3. Tomorrow. Im hugely optimistic
about the future. The worlds not
perfect, but historically, earthlings
are living longer, healthier, more
productively, and more peacefully than
they ever have, and I cant wait to see
how much further we can go. Were 3D
printing cartilage and blood vessels.
There is a private space race to mine
asteroids. We have flying cars, jetpacks,
and hovercraft. My only worry is that
reality is outstripping science fictions
ability to make up new things.
Four tools you cant

live without:
1. Dremel rotary tool. My Dremel model

395 is durable, portable, and I use it
in some way on most projects. I have
mounts that turn it into a drill press and
a router. Ive even used it as a tiny lathe.
2. Ryoba (Japanese pull saw). It has a
crosscut blade on one side, rip blade on
the other. The blade is thin so the kerf is
small, and the blades are replaceable.
Since it cuts on the pull of the stroke
the saw wont flex when cutting, and it
makes straighter cuts with less fatigue
than a standard wood saw. My 300mm
Gyokucho gets the most use, but I have
a 100mm one for special occasions.
Great on wood, plastic, and other nonferrous materials.
3. DSLR. When I want a project to look
really nice I cant beat the control and
options of a DSLR. At the moment I use
a Nikon D5100, which I really like.
Its more affordable than the true
professional-grade cameras, but has the
same sensor and most of the features of
the higher-end models. It works with all
the past (and future) Nikon lenses and it
shoots great-looking video as well.
4. Sleep. I cant count the number
of problems that have become
manageable or vanished altogether
after a good nights sleep. Being well
rested gives me patience and optimism
I wouldnt have otherwise.
Five people/things that

have inspired your work:
1. The Apollo program. The brainpower,

engineering, research, and design
that were applied to the problem were
unprecedented. It shows that motivated
people can come together to make
positive things happen. They solved
problems that seemed impossible only
a few years before.
2. Benjamin Franklin. Humble, but not
afraid to think big. Polymath. Made the
best of misfortunes. Constantly worked
to improve himself. Most everything he
set out to do was for the good of others,
yet he rarely lacked for anything.
3. Japan. The current Japanese
design aesthetic combines simplicity,
functionality, and whimsy, all things I
value. (Im flattered that it goes both
ways since my projects have been
featured on Japanese TV more often
than American TV.) Also, in Japan
technology is embraced much more
optimistically. Real robots provide
opportunities and fictional ones are
protectors and companions.
4. The early Royal Society. Hackerspaces
have a lot in common with the early
Royal Society. Its early members were
not professional scientists, but they had
ideas, did revolutionary experiments,
made devices to prove (or disprove)
them, and in doing so changed the world.
5. Kids. Theyre honest, earnest, curious,
and more fearless than adult makers.
The stuff they make is incredibly
inspirational. And quite often when I see
what they create it makes me realize I
need to step up my game.
Hoefer's Secret-Knock Gumball Machine, Dizzy

Robots, Book Light, and Haptic Wrist Rangefinder.
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Maker Profile: WILLIAM GURSTELLE
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About
William Gurstelle
Minnesota-based maker, public

speaker, and inventor William
Gurstellehas authoredseven
books, with provocative titles
likeBackyard Ballistics, Absinthe
and Flamethrowers, and The
Practical Pyromaniac. Hes currently
the ballistics and pyrotechnics
editor atPopular Mechanicsand
has been a contributing editor
to MAKE for years. Gurstelle
has taught us how to makemany
projects, from gravity catapults to
flame tubes, and has penned his
Remaking Historycolumn for the
past 3 years, combining history
lessons and project builds.
williamgurstelle.com
Gregory Hayes (Sound-O-Light Speakers); Garry McLeod (Flame Tube);

Casimir A. Sienkiewicz (Night Lighter)
By Goli Mohammadi
Gurstelle's Sound-O-Light Speakers from MAKE Volume 31.
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One project youre particularly proud of:
1.My favorite project? Its always the

one I happen to be working on at the
time! Right now, thats a Warren truss
bridge. Researching and building this
project let me reconnect with the first
real engineering course I took in college:
Introduction to Statics. Every mechanical, aeronautical, and civil engineer in
the world takes that class as a freshman
and forgets 90% of it by the time they
graduate. For me, designing and building
the truss bridge was a great excuse to
bone up on a cool but forgotten subject.
Three ideas that have

excited you most lately:
1.Fast prototyping services are becoming more common. Recently I used a

laser-cutting service to get some project
parts in a hurry, and they were way
better than anything I could cut out of
plywood with a jigsaw. Stuff like proquality 3D printing, water jetting, and
laser cutting is a real boon to makers.
2.Community workshops are wonderful places. Shared tools are great, but
shared expertise is even better.
3.Shop class is coming back, sort of.
Once something gets thought up, it has
Gregory Hayes (Sound-O-Light Speakers); Garry McLeod (Flame Tube);

Casimir A. Sienkiewicz (Night Lighter)
Gurstelle's Flame Tube sound visualizer project from MAKE Volume 26.
Two past mistakes youve

learned the most from:
1.Making bulk buys is often a false

economy. Sure, a box of two hundred
"x2" machine screws on the internet
costs only a little more than buying 25
screws from a hardware store, and buying a gallon of hydrochloric acid doesnt
cost much more than a quart. But, my
workshop isnt huge and now Ive got it
packed with stuff that I doubt Ill ever
use up. Just buy what you need, when
you need it.
2.Using the wrong tool. Yes, Ive used a
wrench for a hammer, a screwdriver for
a chisel, Channellock pliers for a wrench,
and so on. Usually it works, sort of, but
sometimes it really makes for a bad job.
Not real safe either. Ive finally learned
to go get the right tool for the job, even
if I have to walk all the way back to the
garage to get it.
invented if he had access to the camera

in an iPhone?
Five people/things that

have inspired your work:
1.Speaking of Edison, he was quite a

maker. Favorite quote: Just because
something doesnt do what you planned
it to do doesnt mean its useless.
2.No one remembers him, butVictor W.
Pagewas the foremost technical writer
of the first half of the 20th century. He
wrote articles and books on the operation and repair of automobiles, airplanes,
motorcycles, tractors, and boats. In
The Night Lighter 36 spud gun from Volume 03 was Gurstelle's first
project to appear in MAKE.
to be turned into reality by a carpenter, a

millwright, a machinist, a maker. Knowing how to do that is once again cool.
Four tools you cant live

without:
1.No tool can do more, ounce for ounce,

than a rotary tool like a Dremel. I could
probably make a Dremel tool with a few
lumps of plastic, steel rod, and a Dremel.
2.I love my hot glue gun absolutely
love it. They say you can have it fast,
have it strong, or have it cheap, but you
cant have all three. Well, with a hot glue
gun, you pretty much can.
3.I also love my hammer. Its an Estwing.
While it cant be beat, it sure beats on
other stuff.
4.With a digital camera, you no longer
have to remember how those parts
youre taking apart fit together. A few
pics and youve got an instant record.
How much faster would Edison have
short, he wrote about anything that was

powered by an internal combustion engine. He took what he knew and started
an automobile manufacturing company.
But he was a much better writer than
businessman. See, you can make a living
writing about making things!
3.About 20 years ago I sawChristian
Ristowand his fiery robots at a show in
Phoenix. Right then, I knew I wanted to
make stuff like that. His stuff continues
to inspire me.
4.It may sound clichd but its true: my
family is my inspiration. I have a great
family wife, kids, nuclear family, and
extended family. Thats real luck.
5.It could be self-reverential or at least
recursive but MAKE magazine is a tremendous inspiration to me. Every issue
contains something that starts my motor running and gets me thinking about
making something new.
Make
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Maker Profile: THE FUN BIKE UNICORN CLUB
By Goli Mohammadi
TheFun Bike Unicorn Club (FBUC),

a lively group of bicycle enthusiasts
based in Sonoma County, Calif.,
brought the Death Defying Figure 8
Pedal Car Races to Maker Faire Bay
Area in 2012 and 2013. They threw
down a challenge to makers: to handbuild a pedal-powered single seater
with no less than four wheels, bring
it to the Faire, and race it on their
tricky track bearing two turns and a
cross. The result was a mighty good
time had by all. FBUCs focus is on
fun and bikes, with a sprinkling of
unicorns thrown in for good measure.
One of FBUCs founding members,
Klaus Rappensperger, gives us the
inside scoop.
Mike Solari
fbuc.org
John Lohne
The Fun Bike

Unicorn Club
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UNICORNS UNITE: (Above from left) FBUC's Todd Barricklow and his classic racer at Maker Faire Bay Area 2012,
Cyclecide's Laird Rickard joins the fun, FBUC's Joshua Thwaites brings the moxie. (Facing) Klaus Rappensperger
rocks the Whiskeydrome and racers work the Death Defying Figure 8 Pedal Car Races at the Faire.
1. How was FBUC formed?
John Lohne
FBUC was formed out of necessity. We

(as artists and bicycle junkies) needed
a way to display our toys outside of the
Handcar Regatta [race in Santa Rosa,
Calif.]. We all met racing each other
on the railroad tracks and had a great
respect for vision, craftsmanship, and
what we were doing to make our community more fun.Weorganized a meetingin my garage one night and wrote
down as many random words that epitomized what we do and how we wanted to
be portrayed.Then, by random selection (closed eyes and finger points), we
selected the four words that make up
the Fun Bike Unicorn Club.The idea was
that FBUC could stand for anything(Fix
Broken Useless Crap not as cool as
unicorns). We claim to be the North Bay
Chapter, in hopes that everyone could
be a unicorn and start their own chapter. We do not discriminate, nor exclude
anyone. Unicorns are everywhere.
2. What types of events

have you participated in?
We participate in parades, bikeexpos,
nonprofit fundraisers, parties, art openings, galas, events that contact us and
pique our interest.
Mike Solari
3. Tell us about the

Whiskeydrome.
Whiskeydrunk Cycles built the Drome
for Joshua Thwaites initially.Hefounda
picture inabook (The Noblest Invention) of Keiths Bicycle Track, a sideshow
attraction of the late 1800s to early
1900s.We found absolutely no information on the track or who Keith was. This
has always haunted me Igotta know
what happened to that track.I feel like
we have such a connection to the four

men of the original photo, but know
nothing about them. We only found a
few photos of it online.I printed out
the photos we found and scaled them
to the best of my ability.I decided to
change the dimensions a bitto make
Fun, bicycles,
unicorns!Inspire
people to put down
the remote and
pick up a wrench.
it a bit more rideable.Our track diameter is a bit bigger and Keiths is a little
steeper.Its not a replica, but more of
a homage.We ran into some obstacles
and confusion on how they actually built
it, so the design was modernized.It
breaks down into eight pieces, fits into
a 6x10 trailer, and takes about1-2 hours
to set up.
4. Why a Death Defying

Figure 8 race?
Isaw a small little blurb ina MAKE
magazine about cyclekarts [Volume
26, page 54].These makers were, and
are, building little replicas of racecars
from the 20s and 30s.They have little
5-horsepower motors in them and they
are absolutely beautiful!They race
each other and look like theyre having
a blast.I wanted that.We needed that.
The Regatta was done and we needed a
newavenue to build, race, and inspire.
I put the challenge out to the Unicorns
and anyone else who can sit still to build
a car within the requirements.Originally

the idea was to build a huge board track
and have races, but the figure 8 was
easy and way more death defying! For
me it was an inexpensive way to fulfill
my need to have a vintage racecar. The
pedal power just came naturally.We are
Junkies of the Bicycle and have a lot of
spare parts.
5. How many members does

FBUC currently have and
how often do you meet?
Whiskeydrunk Cycles meets on Wednesday nights.The Unicorns crash the
meetings on occasion.Currently there
arefive organizations that make up the
North Bay Chapter: Klank-Boom-Crank,
T3D, Eight Pack, Bunnyfluffer Cycles,
and Whiskeydrunk Cycles.
6. What is the FBUC

philosophy?
Fun, bicycles, unicorns!Inspire people
to put down the remote and pick up
a wrench.
7. How many years have

you been makers at Maker
Faire and what keeps you
coming back?
Four years.Its a great platform for
inspiration!It boggles my mind to see
the amount of people who walk through
those gates and see stuff that they
would have never found if it were not
for MAKE magazine.The lookof aweon
the childrens faces is what keeps me
motivated to continue doing what I do.I
had Popular Science and the Boy Scouts
when I was a kid, but nothing even close
to what MAKE has done.I still havent
seen everything the Faire has to offer.
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Garry McLeod
Projects: ELECTRONICS
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Secret-Knock
Gumball Machine
By Steve Hoefer
Candy RapperMake a cute candy vending machine that only

dispenses treats when you knock the secret rhythm on its front panel.
A
Open Sez Me
A
Sweet, satisfying gumballs tempt passersby.
B A piezoelectric sensor detects knocks

on the front panel.
C An Arduino microcontroller listens for the knocks
and tracks the relative times between them.
D If the Arduino determines that the input
knock rhythm matches the target pattern, it
switches on the servomotor.
E The servo rotates the dispensing wheel
through the gumballs, which causes one of
them to fall into its delivery hole.
E
F As the wheel completes its rotation, it
dumps the gumball from its delivery hole into
the delivery tray.
G Whenever the Arduino hears a knock,
it also flashes the green indicator light.
H You can program the Arduino

to listen for different patterns
by pressing the programming
button on the back and
B
knocking a new sequence.
I The Arduino shines the

red indicator light while the
programming button is
pressed and whenever a
knock pattern fails
to match the target.
J The sensitivity
potentiometer sets
the level of loudness
the circuit will
recognize as a knock.
K All project-specific circuitry

is built onto a perf board shield
that plugs on top of the
Arduino. This lets you
+9V
unplug the microcontroller for use in
GND
other projects.
BONUS
SPRAY
PAINT
STENCILS
Rob Nance
One of the best things about

exhibiting at Maker Faire is
giving attendees a challenge.
For the 2010 Maker Faire Bay
Area, I decided to combine a
past project of mine, a door
lock that opens only when you
give a secret knock, with a
standard crowd pleaser: candy.
The result was this SecretKnock Gumball Machine, which
tempted and tested the crowds
at Maker Faire to guess the right
rhythm and receive a treat. Since
the knock was not terribly secret
(I happily handed out hints), it
distributed hundreds of gumballs
over the events two days.
The secret knock defaults to
the famous Shave and
a Haircut rhythm, but you can
program custom knocks by
simply pressing a button and
knocking a new pattern. The
machine only listens for the
rhythm, not the tempo, so the
correct knock will dispense a
treat whether you perform
it fast or slow.
Inside the machine, a piezo
sensor picks up sounds from
the front knock panel, while an
Arduino microcontroller
recognizes the target pattern and
controls a servo-driven gumballdispensing wheel. You can build
the Secret-Knock Gumball
Machine with its inner workings
visible or hidden, depending on
whether you want to show off the
mechanism or keep it a mystery.
D
G
Download stencils of this

design by Rob Nance at
makezine.com/25/gumball.
Make
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Steve Hoefer
Anna Kaziunas France
Materials
Plywood, " thick, or 6"

clear acrylic, 2'4'
Use plywood to hide the
internal workings or acrylic
for maximum visibility.
Plywood is much easier to
work with than acrylic, which
tends to crack, chip, and
scuff. To give a view inside
with minimal hassle, I cut all
my pieces out of plywood
except for the 7"55"
acrylic access panel in front.
Wood stock,
" square, 64" long
Clear plastic light globe,
8" diameter
with 4" opening item
#3202-08020 from
1000bulbs.com, $11
Wood screws: #8,
" long (65); and #12,
1" long (2)
T-nut, #10-24, long prong
Machine screw, #10-24,
1" long
Washers, " OD,
6" ID (5)
Brass tube, 7/32" diameter,
at least 2" long
Arduino Uno microcontroller item #MKSP11 from
Maker Shed (makershed.
com), $35. You can also
use an older Arduino Duemilanove or equivalent, but
in one test build an Uno
worked while the Duemilanove mysteriously did not.
Servomotor, small, hightorque Turnigy S3317M,
#TGY-S3317M from
hobbyking.com, $8
Male breakaway
headers, 401 pin
#PRT-00116 from
SparkFun Electronics
(sparkfun.com), $2
Perf board, 0.10" pitch,
at least 1520 holes
#276-149 from RadioShack
(radioshack.com), $3 (or cut
from a larger piece)
LEDs, 5.5mm: red (1),
green (1)
LED holders, panel mount
(2) RadioShack #276-079,
$2 each
Piezo buzzer, 1" diameter
RadioShack #273-059, $4
Resistors, W: 100 (2),
150 (2), 10k (1), and
470k (1)
SPST momentary pushbutton, panel mount
Potentiometer, 10k linear
trim SparkFun #COM09806, $1
Power jack, 5mm2.1mm
coaxial (size M), panel
mount RadioShack #2741582, $4
9V DC power supply with
5mm2.1mm center-
positive plug Maker Shed
#MKSF3, $7
Insulated solid-core wire,
22 gauge, multiple colors,
around 8' total length plus
another 5' if making the
transparent case
Stick-on rubber feet (8)
Small cable ties (8)
Wood screws, round head,
#2, " long (6)
Machine screws, round
head, #4-40, " long (2)
Nuts, #4-40 (2)

Gumballs, 1" diameter
a standard box of 850
[optional, for
visible interior]
LEDs, high brightness,
white (2)
Thumbtacks (2)
TOOLS
Drill or drill press and

assorted drill bits
4" hole saw
1" Forstner (flat bottom)
drill bit
Wood saw(s) for cutting
straight lines and curves;
a table saw and jigsaw, or
a handsaw and miter box
Vise
Screwdrivers
Hammer
L-square ruler
Pencil
Masking tape
Pipe cutter or hacksaw
Sandpaper, 80- and
120-grit
Wire cutters and strippers
Needlenose pliers
Thick cardstock or cardboard, 6"12" square
Soldering iron and solder
Computer with printer and
internet connection
USB cable
BUILD YOUR
SECRET-KNOCK
GUMBALL MACHINE
1. Build the Case
1a. Download the templates from

makezine.com/25/gumball and print
them at full size. Transfer to plywood or
acrylic, and cut all pieces to size. Mark
all screw and rail locations for later drilling and placement. To avoid confusing
or flipping parts, temporarily mark the
outside of each part with masking tape.
Sand all edges smooth
Use a 4" hole saw to cut the hole in
the top plate as well as the 7 dispensing
wheel disks (2 stir plates and 5 center
disks). You can use the remnant of the
top plate hole as one of the dispensing wheel disks. Drill the " axle holes
(which are off-center on the stir plates)
as shown on the template.
TIP: To minimize chipping when working
with acrylic, support the work well, tape
both sides of all cuts, and use fine-bladed
saws at low speed or have your local
plastics retailer cut the pieces.
1
p
1
g
a
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1a
1b
1b. Attach 3 rails to each side panel
where indicated on the template. The
front and back rails are 6" from the
edge. The 2 side pieces should mirror
each other, with rails on the inside of
the case.
1c
NOTE: Unless otherwise specified, all attachments in this project are made with #8"
wood screws, and pilot holes should be
drilled to prevent splitting.
1c. Attach the bottom panel and front

panel to the side panels.
1d. Drill holes for the power plug and programming switch in the back panel, then
attach it to the side panels.
1d
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1e
2a
2c
3a
1e. Test the knock plate, top panel, and

access panel for fit, and pre-drill the
holes, but dont attach them yet.
2. Build the
Gumball Funnel
2a. Attach the top and bottom rails to
each funnel end piece.
2b. Attach the funnel side pieces to the

funnel ends. Be sure to put the rails on
the outside of the funnel.
2c. Attach the completed funnel to the
bottom of the top plate with 4 screws.
3. Build the
Dispensing
Wheel
3a. Make a sandwich of round plates: the

5 dispensing wheel plates stacked in the
middle and one stir plate on each end,
with the stir plates rotated 30 from each
other. Push the brass tube through the
axle holes and use an L-square to check
for true.
Clamp, pre-drill, and secure the whole
stack with a #121" wood screw on
each side.
46
2b
3b. Clamp the dispensing wheel (in a

drill press if available) and drill a 1" deep
hole using a 1" Forstner bit. The hole
should point directly down toward the
axle, centered between the stir plates
and equidistant between their peaks. To
help gauge the right hole depth, place a
masking tape flag 1" from the bottom of
the drill bit.
Toss a 1" gumball in the hole to check
for fit. It should fall in and out easily, and
the top of the gumball should sit flush
with the wheel.
3c. Attach the servo horn (the X-shaped
plastic piece that connects to the servo
shaft) to the center of the wheel using
four #2" screws. Space the screws
so they dont intrude into the 1" hole
drilled in the previous step. To center
the horn, sight its drive-shaft mounting
hole through the axle hole of the
dispensing wheel.
4. Mount the
Dispensing
Wheel
3b
4a. Before attaching the servo, we

need to zero its rotational position
using the Arduino. Download and install the latest version of the Arduino
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4/21/13 3:31 PM
4c
4a
application from arduino.cc/en/Main/
Software, and attach the Arduino to your
computer with the USB cable. Use 3 solid-core wire leads to temporarily connect
the servos red wire to Arduino +5V, the
servos black (or brown) wire to Arduino
ground (GND), and the servos white (or
orange) wire to Arduino Digital Out 7.
4b. Download servo_reset.pde from
makezine.com/25/gumball, open it in the
Arduino application, and upload it to the
microcontroller. The servo should rotate
fully one way, then the other, then stop.
4c. Remove the wires connecting the
servo to the Arduino. Use the servos
supplied mounting screws to attach it
to the dispensing wheel right side plate,
with the servo shaft centered to line up
with the y" center hole in the left side
plate. Before screwing, fit the included
rubber bushings and metal grommets
into the servo mounting holes to provide
strain relief, with the curved edges of the
grommets facing the wood. Its OK if the
screw points run out the other side of
the plate.
4d. Orient the dispensing wheel next to
4d
the right side plate so that the gumball
hole tilts back 45 toward what will be the
back of the machine. Slide the servo horn
over the servo shaft and secure it with
the included servo horn screw that runs
through the center of the horn.
4e. Use a hacksaw or pipe cutter to cut
a 18" length of brass tube for the axle.
Insert the tube into the dispensing wheel
axle hole. It should be flush with the
stir plates.
4f
4f. Hammer the T-nut firmly into the hole

on the dispensing wheel left side plate,
on the outside (not the wheel side).
4g. Place a washer on the #10-24x 1"
machine screw, thread it entirely through
the T-nut, and tighten the bolt firmly.
Place three 6"" washers on the
inside of the bolt.
4g
4h. Insert the end of the bolt into the

dispensing wheel axle. Attach the left
and right side plates to each other with
the 2" dispensing wheel rails. If theres a
lot of play between the T-nut and the dispensing wheel, add an additional washer
before screwing the plates together.
4h
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5. Assemble
and Test the
Electronics
button. If youre making a transparent

case, youll also need two 12" leads and
two 16" leads for the white LEDs.
For all connections, refer to the

schematic and circuit board layout at
makezine.com/25/gumball.
5a. Cut and strip leads for all off-board
components. Youll need four 5" leads for
the indicator LEDs and four 14" leads for
the power connector and programming
5a
Bridged
to ground
Bridged to
+5V
Other bridged
connection
On-board
connection
Off-board
component
5b. Cut the breakaway header pins into

rows of 8, 6, 6, and 3. On all but the 3-pin
header, use needlenose pliers to push the
pins flush with the plastic spacer.
5c. Solder the headers in place on the
perf board, following the layout diagram
SNGM_layout.pdf. The 3-pin headers
long pins should point up, for connecting
the servo, while the other header pins
should run down through the bottom of
the board for plugging into the Arduino.
5d. Solder the rest of the components
to the perf board following the layout or
schematic diagram SNGM_schematic.
pdf. Pay special attention to the polarity
of the LEDs (longer leg is positive) and
power connector (center pin is positive).
Omit the 2 white LEDs and the 100
resistors if youre not making a transparent case.
5e. Plug the completed shield into the
top of the Arduino, aligning the 8-pin
header with digital pins 07. Plug the
servo into the 3-pin header on the shield,
taking care to observe the polarity (because plugging the servo in backward
can damage it).
5b
5f. Connect the Arduino to your computer with a USB cable. Download the
code file secret_knock_gumball_machine.
pde from makezine.com/25/gumball and
upload it to the Arduino.
After you upload the sketch (or apply
power for the first time) all the LEDs
should light, and the servo should rotate
the dispensing wheel to its start location.
When the lights go out, its ready to listen
for a knock.
5c
5g. Turn the sensitivity potentiometer

down until the green LED stops blinking.
If the light stays on no matter how far you
turn it, check the piezo sensor wiring for
shorts or bad connections.
5h. For testing, adjust the pot so that the
green light stops blinking without any
5e
48
input, but gently tapping the knock

sensor makes it blink.
Tap the Shave and a Haircut rhythm.
The green LED should blink and the servo
should rotate. If you included the white
LEDs, #1 should blink and #2 should stay
lit for a few seconds. If you entered an incorrect rhythm, the red LED should blink.
Press the programming button, and
both red and green LEDs should light.
Tap a new rhythm, release the button,
and wait a second. The red and green
lights should echo the rhythm visually,
and tapping this new rhythm should rotate the servo. Resetting or unplugging
the Arduino will revert it to the default
Shave and a Haircut.
6. Wire and
Complete
the Case
6a. Secure the top panel to the rest of

the case with 4 screws. Align the panel
so the offset 4" hole is toward the back of
the device.
6b. Secure the dispensing wheel assembly to the bottom panel with 2 screws.
Rotate the dispensing wheel to check for
clearance against the back panel and the
funnel, and remove material wherever it
hits the wheel.
6c. Attach the gumball tray support
directly in front of the dispensing wheel,
with the supports angled end on top,
and inclining down toward the front of
the case.
6d. Unplug the shield from the Arduino.
Attach 4 rubber feet to its underside and
use two 4-40 bolts and nuts to attach it
to the bottom panel. Insert the screws up
from the bottom through the pre-drilled
holes, and thread the nuts on top. Do not
overtighten the nuts.
6e. Attach the knock sensor to the center back of the knock plate using two
#2" screws. The piezo buzzer should
fully contact the back of the knock plate,
and the screws shouldnt penetrate
through to the other side of the wood.
makezine.com
4/21/13 3:31 PM
6e
6b
6g
I attached the sensor upside down

with its mounting tabs away from the
wood to keep the screws from running
through, but the sensor will function
facing either way.
6f. Insert the LED holders into the
front of the knock plate and slide the
red and green LEDs into the holders
from the back.
6g. Attach the power plug and
programming button to the back of the
case with their mounting hardware.
6h. If youre making a transparent case,
attach the white LEDs to illuminate the
action. Tighten a small cable tie around
the base of each LED and secure it in
place with a thumbtack. Place LED #1
behind the right side pillar pointing
inward, and LED #2 on the bottom front
of the dispensing funnel, pointing to the
gumball tray. Use cable ties to secure
and manage the cables inside the case.
6i. Screw the knock panel into place.
6j. Screw the gumball tray sides to the
gumball tray, and screw the tray down
onto the tray support post. Before
attaching it permanently, check for
gumball clearance against the dispensing
wheel and the access panel.
6k. Stick a rubber foot on each bottom
corner to prevent the machine from
sliding around as people knock. Finally,
attach the access panel. Youre done!
Visit makezine.com/25/gumball
for project templates, Arduino code,
a schematic diagram, and a layout/
wiring diagram.
6c
6h
6d
6k
Knock Yourself Out!

Machine Setup
1. Plug the power adapter into a handy

outlet and plug the other end into the
back of the machine.
2. Fill the plastic globe with your favorite 1"
gumballs (or other candy balls) and put it
on top. To prevent spilling the balls all over
the floor, put a piece of thick cardstock
or cardboard over the hole in the globe,
invert it in place, then slide the card out.
3. Program your new secret knock or
leave it with the standard Shave and a
Haircut knock.
4. Knock and enjoy!
tip: To make the machine more responsive,
loosen the screws that hold down the knock
plate and gumball tray, so they move and
clatter when you knock.
Treat Selection
The 1" ball is a vending industry standard

for not only gum, but also jawbreakers
and other candies, bouncy balls, toy capsules, and empty capsules that you can
fill with your own small objects.
An 8" globe holds about 200 gumballs,
which are usually sold in quantities of
850 but you can also buy 1" gumballs
by the pound at bulk candy stores, and
there are sellers on eBay that offer them
in smaller quantities. I also found a box of
500 gumballs at Smart & Final.
Steve Hoefer is a technological problem solver in San Francisco. He spends much of his time trying to help people
and technology understand each other better.
Liz Smith (bottom)
6a
Make
49
4/21/13 3:32 PM
SKILL BUILDERS:
Soldering and Desoldering
Soldering is a way of joining metals using soft alloys that melt

at lower temperatures. Its especially useful in electronics
for making permanent, electricity-conducting connections
between components. Desoldering is just as handy, especially
for salvaging parts from old boards. Both skills are easy to
pick up with a few pointers.
Indestructible
LED Lantern
LED Throwies, a kind of

electronic graffiti, are a favorite
project at Maker Faire. Build
them from just an LED, battery,
magnet, and tape, then throw
them and theyll stick to any
ferromagnetic surface. Fun!
Now take them up a notch:
make an Indestructible LED
Lantern to defy any weather.
(See page 2 for more Extreme
LED Throwies ideas.)
Etching Printed Circuit Boards
Printed circuit boards, or PCBs, are the foundation of most

modern electronic devices. Using a laser printer, an electric
iron, and a few other simple tools, its relatively easy to make
small batches of custom PCBs at home, and give your projects a
professional look thats prettier than perfboard by a mile.
50
One-Hour
CoasterBot
Build a basic programmable

robot platform in about an
hour using a tiny Arduino clone,
some hacked servomotors,
and a couple of dead CDs
(aka coasters). Then start
experimenting! Add new sensors,
actuators, and other features
as you expand on the basic
bot-building knowledge you
learn in this project.
makezine.com
SIP5_50-1_Etease_F1.indd 50
4/21/13 3:33 PM
Build all these projects at
makezine.com/maker-projects
SKILL BUILDER:
Servo Controllers
Servomotors do the heavy lifting
in countless projects. Because
the motors themselves are so
visible, its easy to overlook their
controller behind the scenes.
While choosing servos is fairly
simple, choosing a controller is
bit more complicated. How many
servos can you run at once? Do
you need a dedicated controller?
Read our guide and find out.
Another Faire favorite, the

Brain Machine commandeers
your mind with lights
and sounds that pulse at
brainwave frequencies: alpha,
beta, theta, and delta. Build
the kit from the Maker Shed,
then train your brain for
meditation, relaxation, even
hallucination. To hack the kit
for a stealthier look, mount
the circuit in a mint tin instead
of on the glasses.
Raspberry Pi
Radio Time
Machine
The Six Pack

Tesla Coil
This classic spark-gap

Tesla coil is smaller than
ArcAttacks design, but still
packs a wallop, and will draw
a 15" spark through open
air.It uses an old neon sign
transformer and a capacitor
bank made from foil-wrapped
beer bottles. If youre old
enough to buy the beer, youre
old enough to build the coil!
The Brain
Machine
Kitty Twitty
Build a networked cat toy that tweets when touched.

Even if you dont have a kitty, this technology is easy to
adapt for other sensing jobs. Want to know when the
garage door opens? When theres water on the basement
floor? If youve got internet access at both ends, this
project makes it easy.
The Raspberry Pi is a cheap,

powerful single-board
computer thats taking the
maker world by storm. Well
show you how to build a
Raspberry Pi-based audio
player inside an antique
wooden case, then upload
some classic serials to revisit
the glory days of radio. Who
knows what evil lurks inside?
You do!
Make
SIP5_50-1_Etease_F1.indd 51
51
4/21/13 3:33 PM
Projects: HOME
Soda Bottle
Rocket
By Steve Lodefink
You dont have to be Burt Rutan to start your

own rocket program. With a few empty soda
bottles and some PVC pipe, you can build your
own high-performance water rocket.
52
Ive been a big fan of model

rocketry since I built my first
Estes Alpha back in third grade.
Nothing is more exciting to a
9-year-old proto-geek than
launching a homemade rocket.
But flying those one-shot
solid-fuel rockets can burn a hole
through a young hobbyists wallet
faster than they burn through the
atmosphere, and with todays larger,
high-powered rockets, locating
and traveling to a safe and suitable
launch site can require substantial
planning and effort.
Instead, you can use 2-liter
carbonated drink bottles to build an
inexpensive, reusable water rocket.
The thrill factor is surprisingly high,
and you can fly them all day long
for the cost of a little air and water.
Its the perfect thing for those times
when you just want to head down to
the local soccer field and shoot off
some rockets!
makezine.com
SIP5_52-9_SodaR_F1.indd 52
4/21/13 3:36 PM
The parachute is packed

in the nose and wants to
expand, but the nose stays
on the rocket during ascent
thanks to the upward
acceleration, which pushes
the rocket up against the
nose as the nose gets pushed
back from wind resistance.
In this design, the launch

tube extends fully into
the bottle, which boosts
performance by acting as
a sort of piston, letting
the rocket shoot up some
distance before it starts
releasing water and losing
pressure. The tube also
acts as a launch guide,
helping to keep the rocket
headed straight.
An O-ring creates a seal,
so the pressure can build.
The soda-bottle rocket works the same

way as those little red and white plastic
rocket toys you had as a kid.
Compressed air
forces a jet of water
out through the
exhaust nozzle,
producing thrust
and sending the
rocket skyward.
PRESSURE TESTED
Two-liter carbonated drink
bottles are made to withstand
high internal pressures,
so theyre natural waterrocketry material.
Rob Nance
L-Dopa
The simple release mechanism,

triggered by pulling a wireretaining pin off a grooved
section of PVC, is robust
and reliable.
(Water) Rocket Science
Make
53
4/21/13 3:36 PM
Projects: HOME
Build Your
Soda-Bottle
Rocket
1. BUILD THE
LAUNCH TUBE
1a. Cut the tube. Use a hacksaw to cut

the " PVC pipe to length. A 50" tube
will make a launcher thats a convenient
height for most adults to load from a
standing position. The " Schedule 40
PVC pipe fits perfectly into the neck of
a standard 2-liter soda bottle.
launcher
Materials
Schedule 40 PVC pipe,

", 50" length for the
launch tube
PVC pipe, 1", 4" length
for the release body
PVC elbow fitting, "
for the end cap
PVC coupler fitting, 1"
for the release collar
PVC plug cap, "
Rubber O-ring, 22mm
outside diameter (OD),
16mm17mm inside
diameter (ID)
Eyebolts, 2" (3)
Hex bolts (3)
Flexible vinyl tubing, 7"
OD 6" ID, 15' length
Hose barb, 6"
Tire air valve
Music wire, 1" for the
release spring
Nylon cord
Small binder rings (3)
for stay clips
Small tent stakes (3)
for stays
PVC cement
Bicycle pump with
pressure gauge
rocket
Materials
2-liter carbonated drink

bottles (3) We used Pepsi
bottles.
Deli cup lid, 4"
Fin material, such as balsa,
thin plywood, or Plastruct
sheeting
Eyebolt, 2"
Medium nylon washer
Kite string
Large garbage bag
for parachute material collar
Round hole reinforcement
labels
Quick-set epoxy
TOOLS
Hacksaw
Utility knife
File, 1"
Drill
Locking pliers
Sandpaper, 120-grit
Thread-cutting taps
and dies (optional)
2. BUILD THE RELEASE MECHANISM

2a. Assemble the release body.
Cut a 4" length of 1" PVC pipe and pressfit it into the 1" coupler. Cut squarely
and deburr all PVC cuts with 120-grit
sandpaper.
2b. Cut the release spring slots.

Insert your bottles neck into the release
assembly and determine the distance of
the bottles neck flange from the end of
the bottle. Mark the flange location on
the 1" pipe coupler and use the hacksaw
to cut a 6" long slot on each side. These
slots will hold the retainer/release spring.
2c. Attach bolts. Drill 3 evenly spaced
holes through the release collar and
release body together, and thread the 3
eyebolts into these holes. Similarly, drill
3 holes in the lower release body tube to
accept the 3 hex bolts.
54 makezine.com
4/21/13 3:36 PM
Steve Lodefink
Kirk von Rohr
1b. Install the O-ring. Mark the O-ring

position by fully inserting the launch tube
into the type of bottle that you plan to
use for your rockets. Locate the O-ring
roughly in the middle of the bottles neck.
Use the edge of a file to cut a channel for
the O-ring to occupy. Rotate the launch
tube often while you work to maintain an
even depth of cut, and be careful not to
go too deep. Then slip the O-ring over the
launch tube and seat it in the groove.
1a
1b
2a
2b
optional: Cut threads in these holes

with a tap to accept the hex/eyebolts. If you
wont be tapping them, drill the holes just
undersized, and the bolts will cut through
the PVC just fine. Be careful not to strip
these holes.
2d. Make the retainer/release spring.

Bend a piece of 1" music wire one and
a half turns around a piece of scrap "
pipe clamped into a vise. The spring
should be roughly V-shaped.
Make a retainer clip for the spring by
drilling 2 holes in a scrap of " pipe. The
ends of the compressed spring will fit
into these holes. This keeps the spring
closed above the bottles neck flange,
holding the bottle in place.
Tie a 15' trigger line to the clip. At
launch time, you pull the clip off with this
trigger line, which allows the spring to
open and the rocket to take off.
2e. Install the release assembly.
Slide the assembly into position on the
launch tube, and tighten the 6 bolts
evenly to keep it centered. To find the
proper position, place a bottle on the
launch tube and clip the release spring
in place above the bottles neck flange.
3. MAKE THE AIR

HOSE
Steve Lodefink
3a. Drill a 6" hole in the center of the

threaded " end cap, and press in the
6" barb fitting.
3b. Thread the end cap into the elbow
fitting and tighten it with a wrench. Using
PVC cement, solvent-weld the elbow to
the bottom end of the launch tube. The
end cap is tapered, so it should require
no Teflon tape or adhesive.
2d
2c
3a
2e
3b
3c. Use a utility knife to strip the rubber

from the tire valve to one inch from the
end. Insert the valve into one end of the
6" flexible tubing.
optional: You can use a die to cut
threads into the plain end of the valve
stem, and then twist it into the tube.
3c
3d. Push the other end of the air tube

onto the barb fitting.
3d
Make
55
4/21/13 3:37 PM
Projects: HOME
Topher Lucas (4a)
4b
4a
4b
4. SET UP AND TEST

THE LAUNCHER
5. ASSEMBLE
THE ROCKET
4a. Stake down the stays. The launcher

is installed in a field using 3 stays, each
consisting of a 72" length of light nylon
cord. Stake one end of each line to the
ground, and clip the other end of each
stay to the eyebolts on the launcher.
4b. Pressure-test the launcher. Now is
a good time to ensure that all the launchers connections are airtight. Fill a bottle
to the top with water (this way, if the
bottle fails this pressure test, it will not
explode). Quickly invert the bottle and
slip it onto the launcher. A little Vaseline
inside the neck will help the bottle make
a seal against the O-ring. Squeeze the
release spring into the slots in the release
collar and clip it in place. Use the bicycle
pump to pressurize the system to 70psi.
If the pressure holds steady, all is well.
Otherwise, fix any leaks and test again.
tip: If you cant fit the bottle over the O-ring,
try these tricks: 1) bevel the inside of the
bottle mouth by carving or sanding, 2) deepen the O-ring groove slightly, or 3) shave the
O-ring with a razor to reduce its diameter.
56
Water rocket designs range from a

simple finned bottle to those with
elaborate six-stage systems with rocketdeployed parachute recovery and onboard video cameras. Ours is a painted
single bottle affair with wood fins and
parachute recovery. Chute deployment
is by the passive nose cone falls off at
apogee method.
5a. Cut 3 or 4 fins from a light, stiff
material such as balsa, thin plywood, or
Plastruct sheeting. Search the web for
water rocket fin template, and youll
find plenty of shapes to try.
Roughen the surface of the bottle with
sandpaper where the fins will attach,
and then glue the fins to the bottle
with epoxy or a polyurethane adhesive
such as PL Premium. Sand the leading
edges smooth.
tip: Gluing on the fins at a slight angle will
cause the rocket to spiral as it flies, adding
stability to the flight. Try offsetting the base
of the fin 4 from the top of the fin.
5a
5b. Make the nose section by cutting
off the neck and base of another bottle.
Cut a 6" circle of material from a third
bottle. Make a radial slit on the circle,
fashion it into a nose cone, and cement
it in place atop the nose section.
5c. Outfit the nose cone. When the
cement is dry, turn the nose over and
epoxy the 2" eyebolt to the inside tip
of the nose cone. This bolt serves as a
place to anchor the parachute shock
cord. It also adds extra mass to the
nose section, which will help to pull this
section off as the rocket decelerates,
exposing the parachute.
5d. Make the nose-stop. Cut the
center from a 4" deli container lid,
leaving only the outer rim. Cement
the rim onto the rockets lower motor
section such that it allows the nose to
sit loosely and straight on the rocket.
This nose-stop will prevent the nose
from being jammed on too tightly by the
force of the launch, which ensures that
the nose will separate off and deploy
the parachute during descent.
makezine.com
4/21/13 3:37 PM
5b
5b
5c
5d
5e
5e
5e. Make a parachute canopy from a

36" or so circle cut from a large trash
can liner. For best results, use 12 or more
shrouds made from kite string. Apply paper reinforcement labels to both sides of
the chute, where the shrouds attach, to
keep the chute from tearing. Tie the loose
ends of the shrouds to a nylon washer or
ring to make the chute easy to manage.
5f
tip: Ideally, a parachutes shrouds should

be a bit longer than the diameter of the
chute canopy.
5f. Epoxy a parachute-anchoring ring

to the top of the rocket base and tie
the parachute to the ring with a short
cord. Cut a 4' connecting cord and tie it
between the nose cone eyebolt and the
parachute-anchoring ring. This cord will
keep both halves of the rocket together
during descent.
tip: Make sure the connecting cord is long
enough to allow the parachute to completely
pull out from the nose cone.
Make
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4/21/13 3:37 PM
Projects: HOME
Topher Lucas
THREE, TWO, ONE, LIFTOFF!
Safety
Water rockets produce a considerable

amount of thrust, and getting in the way
of one could cause severe injury. Take
the same common-sense precautions
that you would when launching any type
of rocket. Make sure that everyone in
the area is clear of the rocket and aware
that it is about to launch. Do a verbal
countdown, or yell something alarming,
such as Fire in the hole! just before you
launch the rocket.
you need to choose a launch site that

is large and open enough to allow your
rocket to wander a bit without getting
lost in a tree, or on the roof of some
Rottweilers doghouse.
Big sports fields are the logical site
choice for most of us, but if you are in
a rural area, any wide-open space will
work as a rocketry range. Be sure to take
wind direction into consideration when
deciding on which side of the field to set
up the launcher.
Selecting a Site
Operation
A well-built, single-stage water rocket

is capable of flying several hundred feet
into the air and drifting a considerable
distance during descent. Less well-built
rockets may choose to travel several
hundred feet to the side. In any case,
58
1. Set up the launcher by clipping the

3 support stays to the launchers eyebolts. Take up any slack in the lines and
stake the other ends to the ground,
evenly spaced. Uncoil the air hose and
tuck it under one of the tent stakes to
keep it from coiling. Attach the bicycle

pump to the air hose.
2. Pack the parachute. Grab the center
of the parachute canopy between your
thumb and forefinger, and let it hang.
Draw the chute through your closed hand
to gather it, and then fold it into thirds,
zigzag style. Lay down the parachute
shrouds on the ground, and accordionfold them back on themselves. Dont
wrap the shrouds around the canopy;
just slide the whole thing into the nose
section and bring the 2 halves of the
rocket together.
tip: Line the nose section with parchment
paper or Teflon baking sheet liner to help
the parachute deploy smoothly. A light dusting of talcum powder will also help keep the
chute from sticking.
makezine.com
4/21/13 3:37 PM
Rocket
Boy
The author kindly (and wed

say somewhat naively)
allowed the MAKE team to
borrow his rocket. After
making the rounds through
numerous photo shoots,
kids birthday parties,
and a high-decibel, codeviolating Thanksgiving affair,
the rocket sustained the
damage you see here. We
deeply regret the mishap
and promise not to do it to
the next rocket weve asked
Steve to build for us.
Watch a video clip of author Steve

Lodefink and his 4-year-old son,
Ivan, launching their soda-bottle rocket
at makezine.com/go/sodabottlerocket.
4. Compress the release spring into

the slots of the release collar, locking the
bottle flange in place. Install the springretaining clip on the ends of the spring,
and carefully run the trigger line back to
your ground control area.
3. Fill and set up the rocket. While

holding the nose in place, turn the rocket
over and fill it one-third full of water.
Apply petroleum jelly to both the launch
tube O-ring and the inside of the bottles
mouth to help it slip onto the O-ring. Hold
the mouth of the rocket up to the launch
tube. In one smooth motion, pivot the
rocket up, slide it down onto the launch
tube, and twist it back and forth, if necessary, to help it engage the O-ring seal.
tip: Tie the release spring to the launcher
with some string to keep it from flying
across the field and getting lost every time
you launch.
5. Launch! Jump over to the bicycle

pump and bring the pressure up to about
70psi. When you're ready, clear the area,
count down to zero, and pull the trigger
line, releasing the spring and freeing
the rocket.
If all goes as planned, your rocket will
shoot upward, dispensing with its entire
fuel load in less than half a second.
Then it will begin to decelerate, and the
nose will want to separate. As the rocket
reaches apogee, the 2 halves will come
apart, deploying the recovery chute
and bringing the craft gently back to
Earth, much to the excitement of the
assembled crowd.
Experiment with different amounts of
water and air pressure until you find the
sweet spot that sends your rocket the
highest. Dont exceed the amount of air
pressure that your bottle is designed to
withstand; 70psi seems to be about right
for a standard 2-liter soda bottle.
Advanced
Development
Once youve tasted the joys of basic

water rocketry, you'll inevitably want
to improve and refine your rocket
designs. If you want your rockets to fly
higher, the best improvement you can
make is to increase the volume of the
rocket motor. This is usually done by
splicing or otherwise coupling 2 or more
bottles into a single pressure chamber.
There are also various schemes for
building multi-stage rockets, as well
as more elaborate parachute deployment setups.
There's an abundance of water rocket
information available online. Here are a
few sources to get you started:
Antigravity Research Corporation
ready-made water rocket components:
antigravityresearch.com
Water rocket links:
makezine.com/go/waterrockets
The Martinet Launcher, the basis for
this projects launcher design:
martinet.nl/articles/20050101
Steve Lodefink works as a software user interface and experience designer for the Walt Disney Company in Seattle.
Make
59
4/21/13 3:37 PM
Projects: HOME
SKILL BUILDER:
Getting
Started
with Solar
Power
Ready to get off the grid, or

just go green? Build your own
20-watt solar panels from
inexpensive solar cells. Then
learn the basics of designing
a home solar power system
and hook your panels up
to storage batteries and
inverters (and even the grid)
in this 2-part series.
College
Bike
Trunk
PVC Kids Table

and Stool
Learn to cut and fasten humble

PVC pipe for building simple, sturdy
structures. This small stool and table
fit young kids perfectly and they
can scribble to their hearts content
on the dry-erase tabletop. Theres
even a stash for crayons and markers.
60
Car drivers can

lock things up while
running errands, so
why not cyclists?
Build this sheet metal
bike trunk, secure,
weatherproof, and
lockable. Itll hold two
1-gallon jugs of milk
with room to spare
or if youre a college
student, an ample
haul of your beverage
of choice.
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al
Fetch-O-Matic Dog
Ball Launcher
Build a spring-loaded automatic launcher

that whacks a tennis ball 25 feet, for about
50 feet of total roll. It runs on cordless drill
batteries, so you can take it anywhere. You
can even train your dog to drop the ball
back into the hopper. Attaboy!
Coffee Hacks:
Bottomless
Portafilter
and PID
Temperature
Control
Espresso geeks spare no

effort in their quest for
perfection. Modify your
espresso makers filter holder
for a tastier cup and more
prized crema on top. Or
add a precision temperature
controller to the hackable
Rancilio Silvia machine and
get your shot truly dialed in.
Sous Vide
Immersion Cooker
In sous vide cooking, foods are vacuumsealed and immersed in a temperaturecontrolled hot water bath to achieve
optimal doneness and flavor. Commercial
units cost thousands, but you can build
your own smart, programmable immersion
circulator for about $75 that heats water
at temperatures accurate within 0.1C.
Get ready for incredibly rich eggs, perfect
medium-rare steaks, and much more.
Garduino
Garden
Controller
Homemade
Fruit
Roll-Ups
Fruit leather is a kids snack

trifecta they love it, its
healthy, and praises be
it doesnt melt or crumble all
over clothes and car seats.
Its also easy to make. Try
this technique on peaches,
cherries, or whatever needs
rescuing from your fruit bowl
this summer.
Create an automated
watering, light, and temperature control system to
keep your plants happy.
An Arduino microcontroller
reads simple sensors and
then waters the plants
only when theyre thirsty,
turns on supplemental
lights based on how much
natural sunlight is received,
and even alerts you if the
temperature gets too cold.
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Gregory Hayes
Projects: WORKSHOP
Print Your
Head in 3D!
tools
By Keith Hammond
Use digital photos and a 3D printer to

make a mini plastic replica of your noggin.
Heres a great project to get you
started in 3D printing create a 3D
model of your own head and then print
it out in solid plastic.
A 3D printer makes an object by
squirting out a tiny filament of hot
plastic, adding one layer at a time. Thats
why its called additive manufacturing.
You send the printer a computer file
thats a 3D model of something an
iPod case, a bike part, your head then
it prints out the object for you. These
machines are becoming affordable for
62
schools, labs, libraries, and families, and

theres lots of software out there for
creating 3D files to print.
We chose Autodesk 123D software
because its free, its web-based so
you can use it from any computer, and
amazingly, it lets you create a 3D model
directly from digital photos. That way,
you can do it all from home, and you
dont have to get yourself scanned by a
laser scanner.
When youre done making your 3D
model, you can take it to a makerspace
Computer with
internet access and
web browser
MeshMixer software
(optional) free from
meshmixer.com
3D printer and computer with printers
software (optional) If
you dont have access
to a 3D printer, just send
your 3D model to a service instead, and theyll
print and mail it to you
(see Step 10).
where they have a 3D printer, or you

can send it out to a service and theyll
print it and mail it right to your home.
We printed our heads on an Ultimaker
printer, using Cura as the printer
software. It was easy!
Imagine what else you could 3D-print
with these tools. Instead of printing your
head, why not replicas of buildings or
sculptures at an art museum? Or you
could make models of your pets, your
car almost anything you can capture
in photos.
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Gregory Hayes
1. Register with
Autodesk 123D
Go to 123dapp.com and create a free

account. For this project, well use the
web app for 123D Catch. It stitches your
digital photos together into a 3D model.
Autodesk recently updated 123D
Catch so you can 3D-print your head two
ways: either send your model out to be
printed for you, or download it so you
can print it yourself. (Theres a powerful
desktop PC version of 123D Catch, but
you wont need it for this project.)
2. Take digital
photos of
your head
Youll want a friends help with this part.

You can use a cellphone camera or a nice
DSLR the better the camera, the better 123D Catch will work. Shooting in full
shade works best.
Sit still while your friend snaps 30 to
40 photos of your head, in 2 separate
loops moving completely around you
one lower loop, and one higher loop
where the top of your head is seen clearly. This will prevent unwanted holes in
your head where the software is missing
part of the scene. For best results, make
sure your head fills most of the frame.
If youre going to stick out your tongue
or make a face, ask your friend to work
fast so you can hold your expression.
But remember to keep the camera still
and focused when snapping each photo,
because blurry images may confuse the
software and cause weird horns
on your head.
3. Create a
new capture
In 123D Catch, upload all of your

head photos. In the Model Resolution
pull-down menu, select High (For
Fabrication). Give your model a name
and click Create Model.
Autodesks computers will automatically stitch all your photos together to
make a 3D model, and then put the
model in your My Projects section.
4. Open your
3D model
Youre looking at yourself as a 3D

model! Its got a realistic texture, like
your original photos. You can Dolly,
Pan, and Orbit to move your view around,
by using those 3 buttons on the righthand toolbar.
On the same toolbar, select Material
& Outlines to see the 3D mesh thats
underneath the texture. Cool!
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Projects: WORKSHOP
5. Edit your
3D model
My 3D model had a crazy horn on the

back of my head, maybe because we
took some photos that were blurry or too
far away. It also captured background
elements that we dont want to print. To
remove major unwanted features, use
the Select Faces tool to highlight them,
and then Delete them. (Or highlight your
model, click Invert Selection, and delete
everything but your model.) To snip a
horn from your head, use the Delete &
Fill tool, then use the Smooth Brush to
round it off. Trim your model to size and
save it under a new name.
6. Make it
watertight
Click on Inspect Model and Cap All to

automatically repair any holes.
The bottom of your model will be
closed now, but it might be an extended
blob. For best results on the 3D printer,
your model should be flat on the bottom.
Click on Plane Cut Model, then drag and/
or rotate the plane to where you want to
slice the bottom off your model. Click on
Apply and your model will have a flat bottom. Re-save your model to My Projects.
You can export your model as an STL
file for printing now, or fool with it some
more using MeshMixer software as
shown in Step 7.
7. embellish it
(optional)
MeshMixer (free from meshmixer.com)

is a powerful tool for editing 3D models
and merging them together. Autodesk
recently acquired it, and its frequently
updated. Before using it, we recommend
that you watch the video tutorials at
youtube.com/user/meshmixer.
For a quick-and-dirty pedestal, open

your STL file in MeshMixer. Select the
whole mesh (Ctrl-A or Cmd-A), then
select Edits Plane Cut to slice off the
bottom. Select the bottom face of the
model and click Edits Extrude. In the
Tool Properties bar on the right, set the
EndType to Flat. Then click and drag the
Offset bar to extend your model, creating
a simple pedestal thats perfectly flat.
Click Accept and save a new STL file.
To merge your head with a fancy pedestal, start with a 123D mesh thats still
open on the bottom. Select the whole
mesh, choose Edit Convert to Part,
and click Accept. Look at the Parts bar
on the left: your head is now a part you
can merge with other parts. Now import
an STL file of a pedestal I like the pawn
from Mark Durbins Column Chess Set
(thingiverse.com/thing:19659). Open it in
MeshMixer, scale it to match your head,
then drag your head onto it to merge the
two. If it doesnt work the first time, try
Edit Remesh. Save as a new STL file.
You can do lots more with MeshMixer.
Put bunny ears on your head, or stick
octopus tentacles on it, or make yourself
a two-headed monster. Or put your head
on a Pez candy dispenser!
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8. Share your
model (optional)
When your model is done, click Publish

to Gallery. Now anyone can open it in a
web browser and play with it. (If youre
using the desktop version of 123D Catch,
you can make a video animation and
send it straight to YouTube.)
9. Save your
final model as
a printable file
(optional)
To print your own head, you need a

copy of your 3D model in a format that
3D printers can understand. Export
your model from 123D Catch (or from
MeshMixer) as an STL file. (Fun fact: STL
stands for stereolithography, which is a
different type of 3D printing.)
If youre sending your head out to
be printed by Autodesk, you can skip
this step.
10
10. 3D-print
your head!
Find a place where you can use a 3D

printer (see directories at makerspace.
com and hackerspaces.org). Bring your
STL file on a thumb drive.
We printed the heads on page 62 on
the Ultimaker in the MAKE Labs, which
we like because its fast and accurate
and because you can buy it as a kit and
build it yourself. Weve also had good
success with a MakerBot Thing-O-Matic.
First, youll open your STL file in the 3D
printers software, which tells the printer
exactly where to make trails with the hot
plastic to build up your object. For example, if your MakerBot uses ReplicatorG
software, import your STL file, center the
model and put it on the platform, then
scale it to your desired size. Next, choose
Generate GCode, select the default print
profile, and check the Use Print-O-Matic
checkbox. Now hit Print.
Watch in amazement as your head
materializes before your eyes.
If theres no 3D printer close by, thats

OK lots of service companies will print
out your 3D model for you. At 123dapp.
com, select your project and click
Fabricate 3D Print to send your file to
Autodesks digital fabrication service and
receive your 3D-printed plastic head in
your mailbox. It only costs about $10 for
a 3"-tall head.
Or try sending your file to Shapeways
(shapeways.com) or Ponoko
(ponoko.com), or in Europe, try
Sculpteo or i.materalise. Some of
these services will even print out your
head in ceramic, glass, steel, silver,
gold, or titanium!
123D tutorial videos from Autodesk:
youtube.com/123d and
123dapp.com/catch/learn
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Projects: WORKSHOP
5-Minute
Foam Factory
Build this easy hot-wire foam
cutter and start carving
styrofoam into any shape
you imagine. Youll learn to
double- and triple-cut 3D
shapes, spin a compoundcurve cone, and cut a stack
of foam sheets to make a
blizzard of snowflakes plus
make simple tools for circle
cutting, bevels, and more.
SKILL BUILDER:
CNC Panel Joinery
Suddenly the world is full of people designing models, project

enclosures, sculpture, furniture, and all kinds of other cool stuff
to be slotted together from parts made on laser cutters and CNC
routers. Heres a clever bag of tricks for making interlocking, selfaligning, and demountable joints in flat stock.
66
$30 Micro
Forge
Always wanted to try

blacksmithing? Grab your
hammer and tongs and
build this mini forge from a
propane torch and a firebrick.
Itll heat iron to white-hot
so you can forge your own
nails, chain links, and other
small iron parts for carpentry,
decorative hardware, fantasy,
or historic reenactment.
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KitchenFloor Vacuum
Former
SKILL BUILDER:
Understanding Basic Woodworking Tools

For a lot of makers, nothing satisfies like sawdust and shavings. Get
your hands on the five basic hand tools the hammer and chisel,
hand plane, handsaw, and clamp and learn how to sharpen your
edges to make the shavings fly. Then move on to squares, snap
lines, and other layout tools, then step up to power tools.
JapaneseStyle
Workhorses
Car Battery
Welding
Welding is a glorious,
mystery-infused, thoroughly
badass way to stick things
together. Welders are dirtier,
tougher, and sexier than other
makers, and the things they
build are big and strong and
hold our world together. Build
your own welding rig with
three car batteries and a box
of cheap welding rods.
From coffee lids to

stormtrooper costumes,
vacuum-formed plastic is
everywhere. Build this
simple vacuum box, hook it
up to your vacuum cleaner,
and youll be molding parts
like the pros, using simple
suction to conform warm
plastic tightly to whatever
mold you choose.
Hovercraft Shop Vac
Casters never roll where you tell them to. Modify

your drum vacuum to be self-levitating so it will float
obediently behind you on a cushion of air.
Use a simple mortise-andtenon joint to make these

fine-looking shop horses
thatll last a lifetime. Theyre
a good beginning joinery
project without any metal
fasteners instead, they use
the drawbore style of mortise
and tenon, which is secured
by a wooden pin that draws it
tight and makes it look great.
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Sam Murphy
Projects: SCIENCE
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Tabletop
Biosphere
By Martin John Brown
The Tabletop Shrimp Support Module (TSSM) is a fun demonstration of the ecological cycles that keep us alive and an enticement
to muse on everything from godhood to space colonization.
When my 7th grade vocational aptitude test came back
stamped Forester instead of Astronaut, I knew the testmakers had screwed up. Sure, I liked sitting in streams,
and peering down those creepy holes by the roots of old
trees. But I also knew that someday the whole frickin park
would be flying through space. Hadnt anyone else seen
Battlestar Galactica?
Now we know that space colonists are just as likely to be
muddy ecologists as hotshot flyboys the kind of people who
assemble ecosystems instead of engines. Todays pack-it-in,

pack-it-out life support is impractical for long, manned missions,
but in the future, regenerative systems could provide years
worth of food, air, and water while processing human waste.
Its recycling and reuse on a radical scale, light years beyond
anything pitched by those hairy guys down at the co-op.
Heres a mini version of this dream, a sealed system that
supplies a freshwater shrimp econaut with food, oxygen, and
waste processing for a desktop journey of 3 months or more.
Tabletop Shrimp Support Module: How It Works
ECONAUT
A shrimp that
consumes algae and
plant matter. Like all
animals, it consumes
O2 and emits CO2.
ENERGY SOURCE
Light from sun or bulb
powers photosynthesis.
PHOTOSYNTHESIZER
Floating plant converts
light and CO2 to O2 and
food for animals.
RECYCLERS
Microbes include
photosynthetic algae
and decomposing bacteria, which variously
consume or liberate
chemical nutrients.
SCAVENGERS
Tiny amphipods,
ostracods, and copepods such as Cyclops,
eat tiny bits of plant
and animal matter.
CLEANING CREW
Assorted snails
consume algae, clean
the glass walls, and
reproduce freely.
pH BUFFER
Rocks, shells, or mineral
powders contain CaCO3,
which helps stabilize pH.
REFUGE
Kitschy aquarium
ornament provides
hiding place for small or
stressed animals.
The Cast of Waterworld

In our TSSM, the econaut we
imagine ourselves in the place
of is a shrimp. We encourage
photosynthesis and waste
processing with abundant light
and vascular plants, and we limit
oxygen demand by constraining
animal biomass and algaefertilizing nitrate and phosphate.
Protection against chemical
spikes comes from pH buffers.
Dustin Hostetler/UPSO
ENCLOSURE
Glass jar transmits light,
but prevents materials
(and inhabitants) from
entering or leaving.
Our Bottled-Up World

On Spaceship Earth, little goes
in or out except light and heat,
and all organisms live off each
others waste, whether its oxygen from plants or feces from
animals. Our world is bottled up.
Ecologists have often scaled
down these processes, creating
sealed aquariums for research.
Meanwhile, space scientists
have searched for organism
and machine combinations
that could cooperate to support
humans in a space colony.
The TSSMs basic principles
come from ecologist H.T. Odum,
but many details derive from the
Autonomous Biological System
(ABS), a sealed aquarium
invented by Jane Poynter, which
has returned healthy from
extended trips on the space
shuttle and the Mir and ISS
space stations.
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Projects: SCIENCE
create your
biosphere
1. Gather the
Aquarium Supplies
Martin John Brown (snails); Christian Fischer (hornwort)
1a. Visit an aquarium store for the materials listed on this page. While youre
there, ask them how to dechlorinate
local tap water for aquarium use.
NOTE: The store staff might not believe
that your Tabletop Shrimp Support Module
will work. Make nice anyway.
1b. At home, dump your shrimp, snails,

hornwort, duckweed, and the water they
came in into an open holding tank. I use
a plastic Tupperware or yogurt container.
Add some dechlorinated tap water to
keep everything comfortable (alive).
Materials
1-quart glass canning jar

Dont use plastic; it may
bleed air.
Clear bottles or plastic
containers for sampling
and a holding tank
Tap water
Small river rocks just
enough to cover the jar
bottom. Rocks piled too
thick let muck and algae
build up where snails and
shrimp cannot eat them.
FROM AN AQUARIUM
STORE
Tap-water dechlorinator
Aquarium ornament(s)
or other glass or ceramic
obstacle(s) Seashells also
are nice, and supply extra
calcium carbonate.
Fine fishnet or kitchen
strainer
Freshwater minerals such
as Kent Freshwater or
cichlid salts These are
essential trace nutrients.
Amano shrimp (1)
(Caridina multidentata) an
algae-eater with a reputation
for tolerating high pH
Snails (4) of assorted species smaller than 1cm each.
8 stem inches of hornwort

(Ceratophyllum demersum)
2"2" piece of duckweed
(Lemna). You can also collect this from a local pond.
[not shown]
1Tbsp powdered calcium
carbonate This is your
primary pH buffer.
FROM A LOCAL POND
Assorted amphipods (28)
These are tiny crustaceans;
try to collect 8, but you can
use fewer.
1 or 2Tbsp pond sludge
hopefully containing copepods and ostracods (even
tinier crustaceans), bacteria,
microalgae, etc.
NOTE: Aquarium fish,
shrimps, and snails may be
invasive and destructive if
released into the environment, so boil or freeze
them after the experiment.
Or keep them living in an
aquarium environment.
2. collect the
pond life
Go to a local pond. Spring and summer

are best. Bring a net or bottle (or other
container), and visit during late afternoon. Thats when the pH is higher, like
that of your TSSM.
2a. Find a good, shallow area of the
pond to collect your goodies. If you see
duckweed, water lilies, or other vascular
plants, try near there. Ive done well in
areas with a mixture of substrates, like
sand, rock, and decaying wood.
2b. Drag your bottle or net through
mud, rocks, and half-submerged plants.
Examine your take for shrimp-like creatures 1mm10mm long. These are probably amphipods; collect up to 8 of these
if you can. You need to look aggressively,
getting into the muck and shaking bits
of plant away. Then collect 1 or 2Tbsp
of pond sludge from the pond bottom,
which should contain some nearly
microscopic copepods and ostracods.
Back home, dump your pond samples
and sludge into the holding tank.
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3a. In a new container, whip up a gallon

of NPFW (nitrate-poor fresh water). This
is tap water, dechlorinated and supplemented with your freshwater mineral mix
(follow package directions).
NOTE: Waters from the aquarium store and
pond are probably loaded with algae and
algae-supporting nitrates, which will lead
to algae takeover. Diluting with NPFW helps
prevent this.
3b. Thoroughly rinse your fixtures

quart canning jar, ornaments, rocks, etc.
with NPFW.
1a
3c. Fill your jar halfway with NPFW, and

transfer all the ingredients to the jar,
except for calcium carbonate powder,
if used: shrimp, snails, hornwort, duckweed, amphipods, sludge, ornaments,
rocks, seashells. Use the quantities
listed. Do not put in extra animals or
sludge, or otherwise mimic a traditional
aquarium. What makes this system work
is its sparseness.
3d. Fill the remaining volume of the
canning jar with NPFW, leaving 1" or 2" of
airspace at the top. If you have calcium
carbonate, add it last, and note that it
will cloud the water for hours.
Martin John Brown (aquarium store & pond)
3. bottle it up
2b
3e. Say a little prayer as you tighten the

cap on the jar.
3f. Your biosphere is complete! Place
it in a spot with a fairly consistent temperature (7080F) and 1216 daily
hours of moderate light. Standard room
lighting is too dim, and direct sun is too
much. A bright north window or a 50W
bulb a few feet away are both good, but
watch the temperature.
3a
3a
3a
3c
3d
3f
Martin John Brown (martinjohnbrown.net) is a writer and

researcher specializing in environmental and historical
topics. He really likes the blog bottleworld.net.
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Enjoy Your Biosphere

Maintaining the TSSM is a joy. Theres no
feeding or fiddling with parameters. Just
observe and philosophize. Get enchanted
with your econaut shrimp, casting its
antennae in slow looping rhythms. Watch
the snails cruise the glass like silent
Sumo wrestlers on night patrol. Zoom
in on the tiny creatures oozing out of the
muck. They are the bottom of the food
chain, the disassemblers of the dead.
72
is rarely a cakewalk, and this begs some

questions. Does closed-system sustainability simply emerge as you scale things
up? Or is there something about the
Earth and its milieu of flux on flux that
weve failed to understand so far? Might
our increasingly crowded planet, with a
rising rate of extinctions, start resembling
a laboratory microcosm? And for those
with sci-fi dreams, could living on Mars
be little more than desperate farming?
But if ecosystems engineering makes
progress, we have hope. Mark Kliss,
chief of the Bioengineering Branch at
NASAs Ames Research Center, envisions

extraterrestrial life support systems that
provide a high quality of life, with a big
contribution from automation. Machines
and software could monitor conditions
and energy inputs, nudging ecological
feedback loops away from mutual parasitism and into productive symbiosis.
Its a vision our environmental movement might consider. The thing that finally allows people to live in balance with
nature might be technology, the force
that once seemed most opposed to it.
BC Anna (snail)
Theres never been another world like

this one. In a way, youre God! Which
might bring on some curious emotions
if something goes awry. Multispecies
assemblages like the TSSM are never
100% reliable. Your econaut might die
mysteriously. Or you might observe
signs of stress: shrimp that molt and
then shrink instead of grow, or carnivory
among normally vegetarian shrimp or
snails. Hard questions arise. Was it right
to start this world? Will you intervene, or
abandon your creations to a sealed fate?
Life inside such tight ecological loops
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Courtesy of Roy L. Walford Living Trust
From left to right: Amano shrimp

chills upside down; snail grazes on
algae; snail-on-hornwort action.
Beyond Spaceship Earth
Courtesy of Roy L. Walford Living Trust
BC Anna (snail)
At least 5kg of food, water, and oxygen must be lifted into space
for every person-day spent on the International Space Station,
relates NASAs Mark Kliss. For human habitation on the Moon,
Mars, or elsewhere stays of hundreds or thousands of days
that adds up to an unworkable ball and chain.
Thats why Kliss and others are trying
to replicate the closed-system sustainability of Spaceship Earth. Academics
have long built closed ecosystem
models for streams or lakes to investigate subjects like carbon cycling and
population dynamics.
For potential space travel, the conditions are far more constrained. Species
may be mixed in ways never seen in
nature, but must include the target
species, humans.
American and Russian space scientists
have been working on the problem since
the 1960s. Early Russian tests were brutally simple: one guy climbed into a cask
with little more than a light and a bucket
of photosynthetic algae, to stumble out
24 hours later, alive and stinking. Progress
has been slow, and no bioregenerative
systems have yet been used in space for
human life support.
Research has followed two paths. Space
agencies have focused on highly engineered systems that include just a few
well-understood species and fully account
for their chemical products and needs.
Projects like Biosphere 2 (and the
TSSM project here), however, take a
more top-down approach. Thousands of
species were imported to Biosphere 2s
fantastic glass structure in the Arizona
desert, and assembled into new forests,
farms, and oceans. By the time eight
jump-suited econauts were sealed in,
in 1991, it was a publicity juggernaut.
Over the next two years the duration of a Mars expedition the econauts
met the recycling challenge, surviving
very largely on regenerated air, food, and
water. But their elaborate menagerie suffered a hard shakeout. Oxygen declined to
dangerously low levels, and food became
scarce. Extinctions were rampant and,
Econaut Jane Poynter

working within Biosphere 2.
critically, included all the pollinating

species.
Life in Biosphere 2, that questing ecological utopia, wasnt sustainable. When
ecosystems are sealed off, its Escape
from New York. Systems must balance
locally, and an ecological shakeout
ensues. The community that emerges
may be strange and new, or as dismal as
pond scum. Even with our TSSM, you can
follow the same recipe to bottle up more
than one tabletop biosphere, and things
will evolve in different directions.
As Kliss philosophizes, closed ecosystems tread a fine line between symbiosis
and mutual parasitism. Will the inhabitants help each other survive, or eat each
other alive?
Resources at makezine.com/10/
biosphere
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Projects: SCIENCE
Jellyfish
Tank
A tank of healthy jellyfish

is hypnotically beautiful.
Unfortunately, jellies cant
live in a regular aquarium
because they get sucked
into the filtration pumps
or trapped in dead spots
at the edges. This special
design creates a laminar
flow that keeps jellies safely
suspended in the middle of
the tank.
Beating Heart Headband
Build a pulse-sensing headband that flashes an LED array in

time to the beating of your heart. Youll scratch-build your own
perfboard Arduino, assemble the Open Heart LED display, and
learn how to use the AMPED pulse sensor. Its the next best
thing to wearing your heart on your sleeve.
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Home Molecular Genetics
Working directly with DNA isnt only for the labs of CSI,
agribusiness, and headline-grabbing research institutions. Its
basic chemistry, but it uses the molecules of life. You can even
do it at home. This project explains how you can isolate and
even fingerprint some of your own DNA.
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Lensless Microscope
Inside your webcam is an imager chip with thousands of

sensors, each much smaller than a hair. Replace the lens
with an LED, place a sample directly on the chip, and you
have a lensless microscope capable of streaming live video of
plankton or other microorganisms to any display.
Geiger Counter
This DIY Geiger counter clicks and flashes an LED each time
it detects a radioactive particle. It works with most common
GeigerMller tubes, and easily connects to radiation rate
meters, data loggers, true random number generators, and
the Radiation Networks GeigerGraph software. Share your
radiation readings with the whole world!
Backyard Biodiesel
Biodiesel is vegetable oil (often used) thats been chemically
converted into a fuel thin enough to spray through a diesel
fuel-injection system. No special equipment is needed to
cook a small batch of biodiesel that will work in any diesel
engine, from a model airplane to the family car.
Make
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Nora Abousteit
Projects: CRAFT
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Bleach Shirt
Stencil
By Bre Pettis
Not your fathers tie-dye
You want a design on a

T-shirt and you want it now!
Sometimes the best designs
come out of desperation. Heres
how to put a cool design on a
T-shirt ASAP!
1. Prepare
Put on gloves and safety goggles. Mix
up a batch of 50/50 bleach to water
solution in a spray bottle. Label it, and
draw a skull and crossbones on the bottle
so nobody mistakenly thinks it contains
water. Then put a piece of cardboard
inside the shirt so the bleach doesnt
bleed through.
You will need

Dark T-shirt
Gloves
Safety goggles
Bleach
Spray bottle
Piece of cardboard
Pen or pencil
Marker
Paper
Scissors
Sink
Water
Spray-adhesive tack
(optional)
2. Design
Draw a stencil design on paper

and cut it out. Just remember that
its going to be a stencil, so it should be
designed so it can be filled in with color
(or bleach). Bleach can bleed into the
shirt, so keep it simple and be bold.
When youre done, place the design
on the shirt. I put some spray-adhesive
tack on the back of the stencil so it would
stick to the shirt a bit.
3. Bleach
Set your sprayer to a fine mist and spray

the bleach solution over the stencil.
Watch the color disappear before
your eyes.
4. Rinse
If you leave the bleach on too long, itll

make the fabric disintegrate, so when its
getting close to the right color, dunk the
shirt in a sink full of water and rinse until
it doesnt smell like bleach. Dry it out, and
youre good to go your T-shirt design
is done!
Bre Pettis makes things that make things. He is the CEO of

MakerBot Industries.
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Projects: CRAFT
War and
Peace
Bookend
Turn war into peace by

converting a childrens action
figure into a peace-loving
bookend. Or if you dont have
a soldier, try using an old
space ranger (you know the
one were thinking of) or any
other large toy figure.
Custom Converse Uppers
Originally created in 1917 as basketball shoes, Chucks (nicknamed

after basketball player Chuck Taylor) quickly caught on to become one of
the most popular shoe brands of all time. Its their playful shape, easy-tocut canvas, accessibility, and relative low cost that make these sneakers
fun to hack. So try this fabric swap or knitted Chuck project and consider
Shiny Globes
of Mud
Everyone enjoyed playing in

the mud as a child, right? Well,
thats what you get to do with
hikaru dorodango (shining
mud ball in Japanese).
Except this time, you dont
just wash the mud off and
forget about it. Instead, you
create a beautiful and unique
shiny ball of mud.
yourself a Converse crafter.

78
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Needle Felting
Jam Jar Lanterns
Lighting makes an event, and candles transform the mundane

into the extraordinary. These glass jar lanterns are beautiful
hanging from a tree, or from chain across a deck. Pick any jar you
like, then bend a snug-fitting cage of wire on a custom-made jig.
The technique makes it easy to mass-produce a large number of
lanterns in a short time.
Needle felting is the art

of sculpting wool with a
barbed needle. As a medium,
carded-wool batting can
be manipulated into any
shape. Infinite varieties and
colors of wool are available
to make flowers, dinosaurs,
cats, dogs, robots, jewelry, or
any sculpture. The supplies
are inexpensive, and the
techniques are simple and fun.
Build an
Inkle Loom
Weaving is a great craft,

because its meditative
and challenging, practical
and artistic. Build this easy,
inexpensive inkle loom to
weave a belt or a unique strap
for your messenger bag or
camera. The slot-and-peg
tensioning rod allows you to
move the continuous warp
through the loom and weave
the entire length, giving you
eight feet of warp that you
can weave all in one go
without stopping.
SKILL BUILDER:
Moldmaking
Molds can be made of rubber, steel, clay, brass, wood, plastic, lead, and
even sand. Adam Savage of MythBusters fame shows you how to replicate
objects of any size by casting them in rubber, which is a reliable technique
thats employed throughout the film and special effects industries, as well
as the jewelry industry.
Make
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Projects: ART & DESIGN
Stroboscope
Walter Kitundu
PLAY WITH SPACE AND TIME By Nicole Catrett and Walter Kitundu
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Freeze Frame
A spinning disk with a single slit lets your camera see serial glimpses of a moving
subject and record them all in a single image.
A
A The subject moves through space. Lights and
a black background ensure that each successive
image is sharp and distinct.
A camera is aimed at the subject.
C A black strobe disk covers the cameras lens,

preventing light from entering.
D A battery-powered DC motor spins the
strobe disk.
B
E A cork in the center of the disk makes it easy
to mount and remove from the motor.
The motor is mounted to a base with a

broom-holder clip.
F
G A slit in the spinning strobe disk lets a bit of

light into the lens as it passes over. When the
camera is set to a long exposure time, each slit
passage allows a new image to overlay onto the
cameras image sensor.
H A cardboard camera hood reduces ambient
light that can cloud the captured images.
Steve Hoefer
Rob Nance
Materials
Cork from a wine or

champagne bottle
Battery holder, 1xAA and
battery RadioShack
(radioshack.com) part
#270-401, $1
Motor, small, 1.5V3V DC
Alligator test leads (2)
RadioShack #278-001,
$10 for a set of 4
Foam sheet (Foamies),
2mm9"12" Craft Supplies For Less #F2BB10
(craftsuppliesforless.com),
$4 for a pack of 10
Broom-holder spring clip
with mounting screw
McMaster-Carr #1722A43
(mcmaster.com), $11 for a
pack of 10. You can also
use a zip tie.
Zip tie
Digital SLR camera with
manual focus that can
take long exposures
Some good options are the
Nikon D40, D3000, and
D5000, and the Canon EOS
Rebel Ti, XTi, XS, or XT. You
might be able to use a pointand-shoot camera, but it
needs to have a manual
focus and exposure mode.
Plywood, " thick,
10"10"
Make a mechanical strobe with a toy motor

and construction paper, pair it with a digital
SLR camera, and take stunning photographs
of objects in motion.
We were inspired to play with stroboscopic
photography after seeing photographs taken by
19th-century French scientist tienne-Jules
Marey. In the 1880s, Marey invented a camera
with a rotating shutter that could capture multiple
images on a single photographic plate. He used
this camera to study locomotion in humans,
animals, birds, sea creatures, and insects.
Lumber, 24 ,
10" lengths (2)
Wood screws, 1" (4)
Black fabric, enough to
work as a backdrop A
queen sheet is a good size,
and black cotton works well.
Avoid anything shiny or
reflective. You could also use
matte-finish black paint for
your backdrop.
Clamp lights (2 or more)
Home Depot #CE-303PDQ
(homedepot.com), $14 each
Velcro tape, 3" strips
OfficeMax #09015086
(officemax.com), $5 for
a pack of 10
Construction paper or
cardstock, black (1 sheet)
Cardboard box approximately 12" square
TOOLS
Drawing compass
and pencil
Ruler or calipers
X-Acto knife
Scissors
Hot glue gun
Sewing needle, large
Screwdriver, Phillips head
Drill and drill bits
Marey used clockwork mechanisms and

photographic plates for his contraption, but you
can make a much simpler version with a slotted
paper disk, a toy motor, and a digital camera. The
camera is set to take long exposures while the
slotted disk spins in front of its lens. Each time
the slot spins past the lens, the camera gets a
glimpse of your subject and adds another layer to
the image. The resulting photograph is a record of
your subject moving through space and time, and
these images often reveal beautiful patterns that
would otherwise be invisible to us.
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4/21/13 3:51 PM
BUILD YOUR Stroboscope
1a
1b
1c
1d
1e
1f
1. Make the
Strobe Disk
1a. Use a compass to draw an 8"diameter circle on black construction

paper or cardstock; apply enough
pressure with the compass point to
mark the circles center.
1b. Measure the diameter of your cork.
Use the compass to draw a circle of that
diameter at the center of the larger circle.
This will come in handy later when you
mount the strobe disk on the motor shaft.
Anna Kaziunas France
1c. For the strobe disk slot, use a ruler to

draw a line from the center mark to the
outer edge of the big circle. Then draw a
second line 1" away from and parallel to
the first line.
1d. Make a perpendicular mark across
the 2 slot lines " in from the edge of the
big circle. The slot will run from this mark
to the closest edge of the inner circle.
1e. Cut out the slot with an X-Acto knife,
using the ruler as a guide to make the
cuts clean and straight.
82
1f. Use scissors to cut out the large circle.
2. Attach the
Disk to the
Motor
2a. Use an X-Acto knife to slice a round

section from the cork, " thick.
2b. Hot-glue the flat side of the cork
section to the center of the strobe disk,
using the small center circle you drew
as a guide.
2c. Use a large sewing needle to pierce
the center of the cork through the disk.
This will create the pathway for the
motor shaft.
2d. Push the strobe disk and cork onto
the motor shaft, with the cork facing out.
This should be a snug fit.
2e. To test the motor and strobe disk,
use alligator test leads to connect the
toy motor to your AA battery holder. The
strobe disk should begin to spin.
You now have the fundamental parts
of your stroboscope. Peer through the

contraption at anything moving, and the
scene will turn into an old-time movie.
Watching your friends dance will be a
whole new syncopated experience. Also
try looking at a vibrating guitar string or
a stream of water.
3. Build the Base
3a. Cut a 10" square piece of plywood

for the base platform. Position a broomholder clip (screw-hole down) with its
long side parallel to an edge of the plywood, spaced approximately " in from
the edge and 2" in from a corner. Screw
the clip down tight. (If youre using a zip
tie instead of a broom clip, see Step 3c.)
3b. Remove the strobe disk from the
motor and set it aside. Wrap a thin
foam sheet (cut to fit) around the motor
and pop it into the broom holder, shaft
pointing out. The foam keeps the motor
from vibrating.
3c. (Alternative) If you dont have a
broom holder, you can use a zip tie. Drill
2 parallel holes (each large enough to
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4/21/13 3:52 PM
accommodate the diameter of your zip

tie) " in from the edge of the plywood
and 2" and 3" from the corner, respectively, and pass the zip tie through the
holes and around the motor to secure it
to the plywood.
2a
2b
3d. For the legs of the base, cut two

10" lengths of 24 lumber. Position the
legs parallel to each other (upright on
their long sides) about 7" apart, and
place the plywood square on top so it
lines up with the outside edges of the
legs. Mark and drill pilot holes in the
corners of the plywood square and legs,
about " in from each outside edge, and
use the 4 wood screws to securely attach
the base together.
3e. Put the strobe disk back on the
motor shaft.
3a
3b
4. Mount the
Camera (following page)
2c
4a. If your camera has a zoom lens,

set it to the widest angle possible. Place
your camera on the wooden base so
that its lens points at the strobe disk,
completely within the slots path. To
keep extra light from entering the lens,
the disk and lens should be as close as
possible without touching.
3c
4b. Use a pencil to mark the location of

the cameras body on the base. Set your
camera aside.
2d
4c. Adhere two 3" strips of velcro tape

(hook side) onto the wooden base in the
camera body location, parallel to each
other and perpendicular to the image
plane. The velcro will hold the camera in
place and let you make fine adjustments
to its position.
3d
4d. Place one strip of velcro (loop side)

along the bottom of the camera body.
Make sure you can still access the battery compartment.
2e
4e. Position your camera on the base. If it

tips forward, slice a round section of cork
to place flat under the lens for support;
3e
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4/21/13 3:52 PM

dry-test the fit, then remove the camera
and hot-glue the cork to the base.
4f. Put your camera back in position, and
locate a place for your battery holder a
couple of inches behind your camera and
opposite the motor. Remove the battery
and use hot glue to attach the battery
holder to the base.
4a
4g. Replace the battery and reattach

all but one of the alligator test lead
connections.
4b
5. Make the Hood
5a
5a. Find a cardboard box big enough to

turn upside down and fit over your whole
rig, with room to spare. Use an X-Acto
knife to cut out the back wall so you can
access the camera. Cut a round opening
in the front of the box, to give your camera and strobe disk a clear line of sight.
4c
5b. Place the box over your rig to check

the fit. Make sure the camera still has a
clear view and that the slot in your strobe
disk isnt obscured.
Voil your stroboscope is complete!
5b
4d
getting Set up
Backdrop, Subject,
and Lighting
Good stroboscope photography

requires a black backdrop, preferably fabric, which makes your
subject show up clearly without
being lost in a bright clutter of
background noise. With a black
background, light and brightly
colored objects will pop, while
dark objects will disappear.
Your subject also needs to be
well lit, or else it wont show up.
Clamp lights work well and are
easy to adjust. With the camera
pointing straight toward the backdrop and your subject in between,
place 2 clamp lights pointing in
from the left and right, respectively, lighting up the
subject rather than the backdrop.
You can also set up your stroboscope outside,
using sunlight instead of clamp lights. As long
as you have a black background and bright light,
youre in business.
4e
4f
Camera Settings
To set up your camera, temporarily remove the

strobe disk and focus your lens on the place where
4g
84
your subject will be moving. Make sure the focus

remains set to manual. Here are some good typical
settings you can experiment with for starters:
Shutter/exposure: Two seconds. With a
too-short exposure, you wont see much happening
in the image, but if its too long, the image will be
washed out.
Aperture: Set this to the lowest number possible
to gather the maximum amount of light with each
pass of the strobe disk slot.
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HAPPY TRAILS!
The Fun Part
Now you can start to play with stroboscopic photography. Have a friend press
the shutter while you try tossing or
bouncing balls, juggling, throwing sticks
or paper airplanes, releasing balloons,
doing cartwheels, or dancing. Almost
anything that moves is fun to photograph
with a stroboscope. One of our favorite
things to play with is string. Try twirling it
in spirals or jumping rope.
Dont be discouraged if your first few
images are out of focus or washed out.
You can solve these issues by adjusting

your camera settings, making sure the
cardboard hood is in place, and adjusting
or adding lights.
The camera will be focused at a single
fixed distance, so it helps to mark the
floor to remind yourself or your subject
to stay in the plane of focus. This will
instantly improve your images.
Disk Variations
Large, slower-moving subjects (like

people) look better when the disk
only has one slot. However, certain
fast-moving subjects such as thrown
objects or vibrating strings look better
if you use a strobe disk with 2 or 3 slots,
which doubles or triples the number
of exposures per second. Follow Steps
1a2c to make additional disks that have
multiple slots, and make sure that the
slots are spaced apart evenly, so the
disk stays balanced while it spins.
Nicole Catrett is an exhibit developer at the Exploratorium

in San Francisco. You can play with her stroboscope
exhibit there.
Walter Kitundu is an artist and bird photographer. You can
see more of his work at kitundu.com.
Make
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4/21/13 3:52 PM
The Diddley
Bow
Originally an instrument of
the rural South by way of
West Africa, the diddley bow
is basically a slide guitar
stripped down to its most
elemental level: one string,
no frets, and your ear for
tuning. Best of all, you can
make it in about 10 minutes.
So get playing!
The
BeatBearing
Tangible
Rhythm
Sequencer
Music sequencing doesnt

get much simpler than Peter
Bennetts BeatBearing
tangible rhythm sequencer.
Move the ball bearings on the
grid and you change the beat.
The transparent interface
highlights which beats are
switched on, and what sounds
theyre playing so you can
drop (or maybe gently place)
some heavy beats.
86
SKILL BUILDER:
Industrial Design for Makers
OK, so youve made your project, with an awkward project box,

exposed wires and all. Want to bring that lovable mess from the
garage into the living room? Or go next-level by manufacturing and
selling it? Its time to start thinking like an industrial designer, and
Bob Knetzger has some ideas to get you started.
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Laser Harp
Laser harps date back to the

80s, but these customizable
electronic instruments still
ooze futuristic cool. The harp
acts as a MIDI controller using
an Arduino and off-the-shelf
laser pointers to drive an
audio synthesizer. Use it to
play single notes or activate
sound or drum loops. Time
to take your prog rock space
opera to the next level!
Time-Lapse
Movie Setup
Whether its documenting

a busy street corner or
blooming flowers, the spedup world of time-lapse
photography is mesmerizing.
With an old digital camera
and a spare PC, you can
continuously capture photos
around the clock and compile
them into compelling videos.
SKILL BUILDER:
Linocuts
Similar to woodblock printing, linoleum printing is an easy way to make
both simple and complex block prints. Its also versatile and can be used
to print on almost any type of paper or fabric. Transfer your design to the
linoleum, scrape away the white space, and start printing!
Bokeh Filter
Bokeh comes from the

Japanese word for blur.
In photography, the bokeh
effect has to do with the
aesthetics of out-of-focus
areas of the picture. This
easy-to-make camera lens
attachment allows you to
make out-of-focus lights in
your pictures appear any
shape you want, like hearts,
stars, or letters.
The Flame Tube
Forget the fire pit at your next backyard BBQ. This flaming
apparatus visualizes sound waves moving through the
propane-filled tube, causing the flames to grow larger or
smaller. A single tone produces a stationary sine wave,
but adding some bass and beats produces a dazzling
display of musical pyrotechnics. You know, for science.
Make
SIP5_86-7_ArtDes_F1.indd 87
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4/21/13 3:54 PM
Were on a mission to help you get started making

things. MAKE is all about explaining new technology so
that beginners can use it we literally write the books on
this stuff. In the Maker Shed, we curate the best kits,
tools, and how-to books that will take you from zero
to maker in electronics, microcontrollers, embedded
computing, 3D printing, and more.
Weve done the homework for you. We test and review
gear year-round to showcase the latest products that are
worth your while. We take the pain out of buying a 3D
printer (and our buyers guide tells you how they really
perform). We demystify microcontrollers and singleboard computers, offering comparison charts to help
you make the choice thats right for you. And we develop
great kits based on successful DIY projects from MAKE
magazine.
Get it now. Hot products like 3D printers can be hard
to source and take forever to ship ours are ready to
roll. And while our Maker Shed stores at Maker Faire are
legendary, its all online, 24/7, at makershed.com.
Contents:
89.........New for Makers
90.........3D Printing
94.........Arduino
96.........Raspberry PI & More
88
97.........Board comparison
98.........robots
100......Make electronics
102......kits
103......Toys
104......FUN Tools
105......Your Electronics
workbench
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New for makers
makershed.com
Make: Special Edition
Arduino Esplora
Arduino Uno
MKSP19
MKSP99
$59
$29.99
for gamers and tinkerers alike
MAKE's Custom Arduino UNO
Find instant gratification in this Arduino disguised as a

joystick, with ready-to-use onboard sensors and inputs.
Order up, special sauce! Get the latest Uno microcontroller

(Rev. 3) with our custom MAKE graphics and a great price.
HexBright Flex Flashlight

MKHB1
$119
The makers choice

A programmable flashlight that has a
GitHub repository to share hacks, like
varying brightness based on angle held.
Arduino GSM Shield

MKSP21
$99
Getting
Started with
MakerBot
MKBK20
$16.99
By Bre Pettis,
Anna Kaziunas
France, and Jay
Shergill
Connect to the GSM

cellular network
Use this shield to handle phone calls
and SMS. We cant wait to see the cool
projects that come out of this technology!
Getting Started with Raspberry

Pi (Bundled with the Board)
MKRPI2
$54.99
By Matt Richardson and

Shawn Wallace
Youll be up and running quickly with this
board-and-book combo pack.
Make
89
4/22/13 1:03 PM
MAKER'S GUIDE
3D printing
Afinia
H-Series
BEERSAT
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Make:
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$1,599
Make:
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This accurate and reliable printer
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transport, it weighs just 11lbs.
$9.99
choose the 3D
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The in-depth DIY guide.
MakerBot
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DSMB03
$2,199
Fast, dependable, and very
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This sleek-looking machine is easy to set up and produces
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MakerBot
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$2,799
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dual extruders to open up even
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This impressive machine has a heated bed for
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a dual extruder, you can print objects with two
different colors or two different materials.
makezine.com
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makershed.com
BEST
Printrbot Jr.
VALUE
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Make
DSPB1
$499
Simple, small, and portable,
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within reach of casual users
This easy-to-set-up, easy-to-use printer
is small enough to fold up and slip into a
backpack. Unique to this machine: the option
of using a rechargeable lithium polymer
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Fast and inexpensive, with the
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This compact, flexible, build-it-yourself printers open
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$799
solid and Affordable, with a
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This kits straightforward assembly makes it a great
weekend project, with plenty of customizable options
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Make
91
4/21/13 3:57 PM
MAKER'S GUIDE
3D printing
3D Systems
Cube
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DS3DS01
$1,299
Stylish, with a well laid-out
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This reliable, easy-to-use printer is well
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the build surface, and washes away with water
to cleanly release them. Users can configure
nozzle height, Wi-Fi settings, and other details
using the touchscreen interface, which also
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This printer is designed for speed and
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the box. You can also download the
pertinent case and equipment files to
build your own and make modifications.
Ultimaker 3D
Printer Kit
DSUM1*
$1,599
*While
supplies
last.
Fast, accurate, and modifiable, with straightforward

build instructions
This high-resolution printer with a large
build platform is designed for speed.
Plus, users can hack it, making it a
perfect machine for the tinkering maker.
makezine.com
4/21/13 3:58 PM
makershed.com
REPLICATOR 2/2X
$2,199/$2,799
Print Volume
11.2"6"6.1"
Print Speed (per Mfr.)
80100mm/sec
Print Material
PLA (2) / ABS, PLA (2X)
OS Supported
Windows, Mac, Linux
Print without
computer? SD card
makerbot.com
CUBE
$1,299
Print Volume
5"5"5"
15mm3/sec
Print Material
ABS, PLA
OS Supported
Windows
Print without computer? Wi-Fi, USB stick
cubify.com/cube
ULTIMAKER
$1,599 KIT
Print Volume
8.3"8.3"8.3"
150mm/sec
Print Material
PLA
OS Supported
Windows, Mac, Linux
Print without computer? Optional, SD card
ultimaker.com
PRINTRBOT PLUS
$799 KIT
Print Volume
8"8"8"
70mm/sec
Print Material
ABS, PLA
OS Supported
Windows, Mac, Linux
Print without computer? SD card
printrbot.com
AFINIA H-SERIES
$1,599
Print Volume
5.5"5.5"5.3"
330mm3/sec
Print Material
ABS, PLA
OS Supported
Windows, Mac
Print without computer? Onboard storage
afinia.com
PRINTRBOT LC
$649 KIT
Print Volume
6"6"6"
70mm/sec
Print Material
ABS, PLA
OS Supported
Windows, Mac, Linux
printrbot.com
TYPE A SERIES 1
$1,400
Print Volume
9"9"9"
90mm/sec
Print Material
ABS, PLA, PVA
OS Supported
Windows, Mac, Linux
Print without computer? No
typeamachines.com
PRINTRBOT JR.
$499
Print Volume
4"4"4"
70mm/sec
Print Material
PLA
OS Supported
Windows, Mac, Linux
printrbot.com
Make
93
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MAKER'S GUIDE
Arduino boards
Make:
Ultimate Arduino
Microcontroller
Project Pack
MSUMP1
$119.99
A smart purchase for anyone serious
about learning microcontrollers
More than 100 electronics components and parts are
packaged along with an Arduino, giving you the means
to create a multitude of projects right out of the box.
Arduino
Leonardo
with Soldered
Headers
MKSP15
$24.99
Make: Getting Started

with Arduino Kit v3.0
MSGSA
$64.99
Learn how to use the

Arduino Microcontroller
Write simple programs such as blinking
LEDs and reading sensor inputs and
advance to creating custom code to
control motors, lights, and other outputs.
opens doors to product development

This board has HID support, which allows it to appear to
any connected computer as a mouse and keyboard.
Arduino Due
MKSP16
$49.99
The first ARM processor-powered Arduino
Getting
Started
with
Arduino
THE OPEN
SOURCE
ELECTRONICS
PROTOTYPING
PLATFORM
2nd Edition
Massimo Banzi co-founder of Arduino
Getting Started
with Arduino
2nd Edition
By Massimo Banzi
A perfect companion to the kit.
MBK1
$14.99
94
This powerful board packs many new features in a Mega-sized

form factor.
Arduino
Mega 2560
MKSP5
$65
for more involved projects This board offers
more inputs/outputs and 4x the memory of the standard Uno.
makezine.com
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makershed.com
Arduino Uno
MKSP11
$34.99
in its third revision, this is the

current official Arduino board
With this microcontroller, you can create
interactive objects that can sense inputs from
switches, sensors, and computers and
then control motors, lights, and other physical
outputs in the real world. Features driverless
USB-to-serial and auto power switching.
Picking
your
first
Microcontroller
Choose the right controller for your project and your skill level.
Focus on ease of use. Youre
learning to program and learning to
build a computer. Starting simple will
keep your enthusiasm high.
Dont be seduced by features.
Apollo spacecraft made it to the moon
and back with less processing power
than most microcontrollers have. Dont
be tempted by the fastest, or the one
with the most memory or I/O, at the
expense of simplicity.
Whats the Getting Started
guide like? The time youre most
likely to give up on microcontrollers is in
the first hour. The Getting Started guide
should take you from zero to blinking an
LED or reading a switch in a short time.
Read it before you buy. If you dont
understand any of it, or it doesnt exist,
be wary.
How complicated is the programming environment? The
program in which you write your code,
called the integrated development
environment (IDE), should be easy to
understand. Download the IDE and
check it out before you buy hardware.

If you dont feel you can understand it
quickly, keep looking around.
How expandable is the programming environment? I/O
boards and very simple languages
make getting started easy, but youll
reach their limits quickly. If youre
experienced in programming or electronics, you want to feel liberated by a
platforms simplicity, not limited by it.
Is the programming environment free? If not, dont bother.
There are too many good free environments for a beginner to bother paying
for the software alone.
Whats the community
knowledge base like? Youre
not just getting hardware, youre getting a community. Every controller has
websites and email lists dedicated to its
use; check them out, look at the code
samples and application notes, read a
few discussion threads. Do a few web
searches for the microcontroller youre
considering. Is there a lot of collected
By Tom Igoe
knowledge available in a form you

understand? If nobody besides you is
using your controller, youll find it much
harder to learn, no matter how great its
features are.
How easy is it to add extra
components? If theres a particular component you want to work with,
check to see if someones written an
example for how to use it with the
controller youre considering. Most controllers offer 16 or so I/O connections,
which is plenty enough to get started.
Tools for expanding your I/O, such as
shift registers and multiplexers, are
compatible with most controllers.
Is your operating system
supported? Most microcontroller
manufacturers focus on the Windows
operating system. Some have thirdparty support for Mac OS X and Linux.
Learning from friends is common, and
being able to have the same user experience on different operating systems is
helpful for that.
Make
95
4/21/13 4:00 PM
MAKER'S GUIDE
Raspberry pi & MORE

Raspberry Pi
Starter
Kit
Includes Raspberry Pi!
MSRPIK
$129.99
power your next project WITH

THIS tiny, hackable COMPUTER
This credit card-sized computer runs Linux and
has many of the capabilities of a traditional PC.
Our Starter Kit includes a copy of the Getting
Started with Raspberry Pi book, as well as all the
proper peripherals and add-ons to get you up
and running in all sorts of maker applications.
Youll still need to add your own USB keyboard
and mouse, but otherwise, this kit includes all
the components you need to get started.
AlaMode for
Raspberry Pi
MKWY1
$49.99
Give your Pi the expansion and ease

of use of an Arduino
This Arduino-compatible board connects to the Pi, giving
you the freedom to write programs to control or monitor
your Arduino application in any language you like.
96
BeagleBone Black
MKCCE3
$45
The connectivity of Arduino, with the

programmability of Raspberry Pi
Ready to use right out of the box, this small, low-cost,
high-expansion standalone Linux computer is perfect for
hackers and tinkerers who need a little more oomph to
run complex electronics projects.
makezine.com
4/21/13 4:00 PM
makershed.com
MicrocontrollerArduino
Comparison Chart
Board
Price
Starter Kit
Quick
summary
Arduino Uno
Leonardo
$34.99
$64.99
$24.99
Arduino Due
MintDuino
Raspberry Pi
$49.99
$24.99
$39.99 (N/A)
$129.99
Newest Arduino
Current official
Somewhat
based on a powerful
Arduino USB board, experimental Arduino
ARM processor.
driverless USB-to- with HID support for
Packs many new
serial, auto power mouse or keyboard
features in a Megaswitching
emulation
sized form factor
Special
Features
Onboard USB
controller
HID emulation, USB,

SPI on ISP header
Android ADK Support,

2 12bit ADC / DAC,
USB host, CAN
BUS support
Processor
ATmega328
ATmega32U4
Processor
Speed
16MHz
Analog Pins
Digital Pins
Memory
Programming
Language
An Arduinocompatible board
you build yourself
on a breadboard
BeagleBone
Black
$45
Next-gen, ARMSingle-board
based, hardware
Linux computer with
hacker-focused
video processing and Linux board; RaspPi
GPIO ports
programmability +
Arduino connectivity
DIY Arduino!
HD-capable video
processor, HDMI and
composite outputs,
onboard Ethernet
Onboard USB host

and Ethernet, 2GB
onboard storage,
HDMI output
32-bit SAM3X8E
ARM Cortex-M3
ATmega328
ARM1176JZF-S
Sitara AM3359A
ARM Cortex-A8
16MHz
84MHz
16MHz
700MHz
1GHz
12
12
14 (6 PWM)
SRAM 2KB,
EEPROM 1KB
20 (7 PWM)
SRAM 2.5 KB,
EEPROM 1 KB
54 (12 PWM)
14 (6 PWM)
SRAM 2KB,
EEPROM 1KB
Arduino / C variant
Arduino / C variant
SRAM 96 KB
Arduino / C variant
Arduino / C variant
None
(no onboard ADC)
8 digital GPIO
RAM 512MB
Any language
supported by a
compatible Linux
distribution (such
as Raspbian or
Occidentalis)*
7
65 GPIO (8 PWM)
DRAM 512MB DDR3L,
eMMC 2GB
Any language
supported by a
compatible Linux
distribution (ngstrm,
Ubuntu, Android,
etc.).* Pre-loaded
with ngstrm
Runs any of the

Runs any of the
Linux-compatible
Linux-compatible
text editors and IDEs;
text editors and IDEs
supports Web IDE
on the board
and BoneScript
USB, ISP
USB, ISP
USB, ISP
Requires
programmer like
FTDI Friend
Expansion
Shield compatible
Most shields
Some shields
(3V only)
N/A
Breakout boards such

as Pi Plate, Pi Cobbler
Capes
Assembled
or Kit
Assembled
Assembled
Assembled
Kit
Assembled
Assembled
Programmer
*Including Python, Scratch, Perl, Java, JavaScript/Node, C, C++, and Ruby.

Make
97
4/22/13 3:42 PM
MAKER'S GUIDE
Beginner robots
Mousebot Kit
MKSB001
$39.95
a light-chasing robot that's
Easy to solder AND perfect
for beginners
Herbie the Mousebot is a favorite here at MAKE
and has been a staple in the Shed for years.
This full-fledged robot can explore its environment, and even chase around other Herbies.
He has an ingenious body made from three electrically connected printed circuit boards,
and is a graceful step up from basic skills to
slightly more challenging soldering.
Big Bad
Beetlebot Kit
MKSB019
$39.95
This obstacle-avoiding robot is
a great parent-child project
Made of simple components, this autonomous
robot can sense its environment and navigate a
space. Antenna-equipped switches cross-wired
to two DC motors power this minimalist bug,
which has been featured as a popular MAKE
magazine and Instructables project. No
soldering required.
98
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SIP5_98-9_Robots_F1.indd 98
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Advanced Robots
makershed.com
Make: Rovera
Arduino Robot Kit
2WD
MSROB2W
$169.99
Delve into the
worlds of both
microcontrollers
and robotics
4WD
MSROB4W
$194.
99
Make a robot that can serve

as the foundation for all
sorts of robotic experimentation. Available in 2WD
and 4WD models, both kits
come with the book Make an
Arduino-Controlled Robot,
which will walk you through
building, programming, and
expanding each one.
Make an ArduinoControlled Robot

MKBK3
$19.99
by michael
margolis
EZ-Robot
Complete Kit
MKEZ2
$169
A dream-come-true set of parts
for hobby roboticists
This kit lets you turn just about anything (R/C
vehicles, motorized dumb robot toys, little sisters
doll collection) into a robot. And the downloadable
(Windows-only) software interface makes it easy
to program and control your bots. Combine this
with one of our robot platform kits, and youre
well on your way to creating the race of intelligent
machines that are going to rise up one day and take
over the world.
Make
SIP5_98-9_Robots_F1.indd 99
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4/21/13 4:02 PM
MAKER'S GUIDE
make Electronics
Itatemquunt voluptature
Burn things out, mess things upthats how you learn.
Charles Platt
Learn by
Discovery
A hAnds-on
primer for
the new
electronics
enthusiAst
Power Sources & Conversions

Tem. Et optae nem labo. Tetur? Conet eos et doluptis volupta quissus alis
doluptat ditem nonse perorepedis enis et alit incilitiorem harumqu aspient
voluptius dit, ipis dollam sum id ulpa vendit pa nusapitem et verum sam que
nis ea core iundi im inctur autas descill uptius, sum quat aut liquae.
Ut a il inume disque omni commoditatio qui alignih icatempor as secernatur?
Qui ipidenitius incte nusapeditem eture solorru mentum re, quo delibus.
Henim fugia volupta
temporeium dolut pari ad
Facepudio beatemo et accum, sin nis que ne
odit voluptis molupta comnis magniet usaped
expliberit intiaerumet quamus quo doluptatur
acit rem sandit reperese secte volupta
tiundaestia quat lia imo eum quia quiderum
cullessus alit el mo eaquasin poriam
hitiandam que nati utese exceatiam
lacerspernam sum faccullantem.
Pientio. Ita et quatemporero moloremosse non
pero vent ipsam dissimi liquunt, sum qui
omnimilit fugitium esequidus recto que cor se
volo mod quibus resequatus, ommolum.
Learn how to:

n
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etusae aut et unt quatiate nestrup
Atiam invelest aliquam, ut hicaest
Undeni maximus maio beria iumque
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Doluptat andia vendici nulluptas re nus

veliquis doluptae exeribus
Agnatus molupta tinctassed ex es eum
veritas sincite ped qui consequis et
dunte eos nihil is vent officta tiatiae
Sunti occuptat que peres maiostiis sita dit excestione mi, quis prest, nost, vellum si ium aut hilic to dolupti
ssimint. Antiis dolorero te sumquundio. Rovitiur arcitae nobit fuga. Nequasp erumquisti bea vendit alitam
quodi dio in cor sed maximin conse cus quodis sollentius doles andeliatia perro quassin et voloreperum.
VOL. 1
Encyclopedia of
Electronic
Components
Power Sources & Conversion
Resistors n Capacitors n Inductors

Switches n Encoders n Relays n Transistors
Platt
Charles Platt
Charles Platt
Encyclopedia of Electronic Components
Make:
Electronics
VOL. 1
Encyclopedia of Electronic Components
Twitter: @make
Facebook: makemagazine
oreilly.com
100
Make: Electronics Book
Encyclopedia of Electronic
Components Vol. 1
MKBK2
MKBK17
$34.99
$24.99
Burn things out, mess things up

thats how you learn
This reference puts reliable, key

information right at your fingertips
Complete the 36 experiments in this clearly written

book, and youll have a solid knowledge of electronics
and the confidence to venture into complex projects.
Packed with photographs, schematics, and diagrams,

this well-organized book explains each component, how
it works, why its useful, and what variants exist.
Make: Electronics
Components Pack 1
Make: Electronics
Components Pack 2
MECP1
MECP2
$109.99
$129.99
Learn voltage, amperage, and resistance through hands-on experiments
Experience the circuit first, then

learn the theories behind it
This 250-piece companion pack gives you all the components you need to complete experiments from the first
two sections of our popular book, Make: Electronics.
This more than 130-piece companion pack gives you the

rest of the components you need to complete experiments 1224 in our popular book, Make: Electronics.
makezine.com
SIP5_100-1_Elec_F1.indd 100
4/21/13 4:04 PM
makershed.com
Make:
Electronics
Deluxe Toolkit
MKEE1
$129.99
A complete set of tools to get
started with electronics
and soldering
Great by itself, or as a companion to the Make:
Electronics book and Components Packs, this
kit contains more than 20 tools in a handy case.
Make: Soldering Kit

MSGSWS
$64.
99
Go from novice to proud blinky badge

wearer in an afternoon
With this collection of tools and our Learn to Solder book,
youll be mastering this skill in no time. Added bonus:
weve included five of our Learn to Solder badges.
Mintronics:
Survival Pack
MSTIN2
$24.99
Because you never know when you
might need to MacGyver something
This jam-packed mint tin contains more than 60 useful
components for making, hacking, and modifying electronic circuits and repairs on the go.
Make
SIP5_100-1_Elec_F1.indd 101
101
4/22/13 9:56 AM
MAKER'S GUIDE
Kits
Elev-8 Quadcopter Kit

MKPX23
MKRS1
$599.99
$69.99
flying robotic platform is lifted and

propelled by four fixed rotors
BLAST cheap, reusable paper rockets

hundreds of feet into the air
Large enough for outdoor flight, with room for payload

and attachments, this kit is an inexpensive way to get
into the quadcopter arena.
Developed by teacher and maker Rick Schertle, this kit is

a fun way to introduce science concepts, basic soldering,
and electronics to a youngster or an entire classroom.
Calculator Kit
MKSKL16
$44.95
102
Make: Compressed
Air Rockets Kit
Brooklyn Aerodrome
Flying Wing Kit
MSFW1
$299
construct your own OLD-SCHOOL TOOL
Crashing is part of the fun with this

durable R/C airplane
This quick-to-assemble DIY calculator kit is pre-programmed so it will work as soon as youre done soldering
and put in the battery.
Designed to be maneuverable and easily repairable,

this kit plane is optimized for gusty winds, small flying
spaces, and rough landing spots.
makezine.com
SIP5_102-3_KITS_F1.indd 102
4/21/13 4:06 PM
toys
Squishy
Circuits Kit
MKSC1
$24.
99
Explore electronics
using a fun, familiar
form Play dough
Light LEDs, make noise, and run
motors by simply plugging them
into conductive dough.
LittleBits
Starter Kit
v0.3
makershed.com
Makey Makey
MKJL1
$49.99
This Arduino-based
device turns nearly
anything into a
computer key
Just attach the included alligator
clips to food, people, liquids, or
any other conductive material for
a new level of interactivity. Make a
drum kit from oranges, a keyboard
from bananas, and jam out.
Bare
Conductive
House Kit
MKBC4
$19.99
Create paper houses
that light up
in the dark
Create two light-sensitive
paper houses using electrically
conductive paint.
Make:
BrushBot
Party Pack
Make:
SpinBot Kit
Small magnets
make prototyping
sophisticated
electronics a snap
$24.99
$24.99
turn a Toothbrush
into a robot
Each bit has a simple, unique

function (light, sound, sensors,
buttons, thresholds, pulse, motors, etc.) and modules connect
to make larger circuits.
Easy to make, fun to personalize,

and good, goofy fun to race, these
vibrating robots are great for
groups, parties, or schools.
Kit makes 12 BrushBots.
Build a simple, easyto-assemble vibrating

artbot
MKLB2
$89
MSBBRP
MSRSPIN
This triple-armed, pen- or chalkgrasping bot spins in circles to

draw elaborate geometric shapes.
Just add markers and a battery.
Make
SIP5_102-3_KITS_F1.indd 103
103
4/21/13 4:06 PM
MAKER'S GUIDE
Fun tools
makershed.com
Make: Circuit Breaker

Leatherman
54-Piece Bit Driver Kit
MKLTM3
MKIF2
$36
$24.95
This mini wire stripper tool fits on

your key chain
GREAT for accessing laptops and

other small electronics
The Circuit Breaker is the perfect companion for

electronics, mobile fixing, hacking, and MacGyvering.
This Squirt model also features built-in scissors.
This kit includes all the current common and specialty

bits, and features a 60mm extensionas well as a 130mm
flexible extension for those hard-to-reach areas.
TOOOL Emergency Lock-Pick Card

MKLP02
$29.
99
Avoid being locked out

with this snap-apart set
Fits in your wallet, handy when a situation
arises, and once removed, you can place
the lock picks on your key chain.
Beginner's Lock-Picking Blend Set

Jackknife Pocket
Lock Pick Set
MKSD02
MKLP01
$39.99
$39.99
A perfect size to keep
at the ready
This high-quality set features
tempered stainless steel picks,
knurled stainless steel set
screw for a positive lockup,
and a hard alloy handle for
increased durablity.
104
Learn the art of picking

locks with this 8-tool set
Hand selected by The Open Organisation
Of Lockpickers, these tools open the
majority of pin tumbler locks in use today.
Locksmith School in a Box

MKSD01
$99.99
Master pin-tumbler locks

with this progressive
learning system
Featuring five increasingly difficult lock
cylinders, this kit includes four picks, one
tension tool, and an instructional book.
makezine.com
SIP5_104-7_Wrkbnch_F1.indd 104
4/21/13 4:08 PM
Your
Electronics
Workbench
What you need to

get started in hobby
electronics.
By Charles Platt
The Basics
Charles Platt is the author

of Make: Electronics, an
introductory guide for all
ages. He is completing
a sequel, Make: More
Electronics, and is also the
author of the Encyclopedia
of Electronic Components,
Volume 1. Volumes 2 and 3
are in preparation.
First, youll need a breadboard. You can call

it a prototyping board, but this is like calling
a battery a power cell. Search online for
breadboard and youll find more than a
dozen products, all of them for electronics
hobbyists, and none of them useful for doing
anything with bread.
A breadboard is a plastic strip perforated
with holes 1/10" apart, which happens to be
the same spacing as the legs on old-style
silicon chips the kind that were endemic in
computers before the era of surface-mounted
chips with legs so close together only a robot
could love them. Fortunately for hobbyists,
old-style chips are still in plentiful supply and
are simple to play with.
Your breadboard makes this easy. Behind
its holes are copper conductors, arrayed in
hidden rows and columns. When you push the
wires of components into the holes, the wires
engage with the conductors, and the conductors link the components together, with no
solder required.
Figure A (following page) shows a basic
breadboard. You insert chips so that their legs
straddle the central groove, and you add other
components on either side. Youll also want to
buy a matching printed circuit board (PCB)
that has the same pattern of copper connectors as the breadboard. First use the breadboard to make sure everything works, then
transpose the parts to the PCB, pushing their
wires through from the top. You immortalize
your circuit by soldering the wires to the copper
strips.
Soldering, of course, is the tricky part.
As always, it pays to get the right tool for
the job. I never used to believe this, because I grew up in England, where making do with less is somehow seen as a
virtue. When I finally bought a 15-watt
pencil-sized soldering iron with a very fine

tip (Figure C), I realized I had spent years
punishing myself. You need that fine-tipped
soldering iron, and thin solder to go with it. You
also need a loupe (Figure D), a little magnifier.
A cheap plastic one is sufficient. Youll use it
to make sure the solder you apply to the PCB
hasnt run across any of the spaces separating
adjacent copper strips, creating short circuits.
Short circuits are the #2 cause of frustration when a project that worked perfectly on a
breadboard becomes totally uncommunicative
on a PCB. The #1 cause of frustration (in my
experience, anyway) would be dry joints.
Any soldering guide will tell you to hold two
metal parts together while simultaneously
applying solder and the tip of the soldering
iron. If you can manage this far-fetched anatomical feat, you must also watch the solder
with supernatural close-up vision. You want
the solder to run like a tiny stream that clings
to the metal, instead of forming beads that sit
on top of the metal. At that precise moment,
you remove the soldering iron. The solder
solidifies, and the joint is complete.
You get a dry joint if the solder isnt quite hot
enough. Its crystalline structure lacks integrity
and crumbles under stress. If youve joined two
wires, its easy to test for a dry joint: you can
pull them apart easily. On a PCB, its another
matter. You cant test a chip by trying to pull it
off the board, because the good joints on most
of its legs will compensate for any bad joints.
You'll use your loupe to check for the bad
joints. You may see a wire-end perfectly
centered in a PCB hole, with solder on the
wire, solder around the hole, but no solder
actually connecting the two. This gap of 1/100"
is enough to stop everything from working,
but youll need a good desk lamp and magnification to see it.
Make
105
4/21/13 4:08 PM
MAKER'S GUIDE
A. BREADBOARD: Used for prototyping the connections youll make on

your printed circuit board (PCB),
without the need for solder.
B. PROJECT BOX: This
aluminum storage box
has grooves inside that
accept a PCB.
C. soldering iron:
A 15-watt pencil-sized
iron with a very fine tip.
Get thin solder to go
with it.
D. LOUPE: Good
for checking solder connections
on the PCB.
F. WIRE STRIPPER:
A Kronus Automatic,
shown here, works
with supernatural
efficiency.
G. COMPONENTS: Youll
want a variety of resistors
and capacitors, available at
your local Shack or online.
106
H. WIRE: Youll need

both hookup and
stranded wire.
Illustration by Damien Scogin
E. NEEDLENOSE
PLIERS: Various
sizes are essential.
makezine.com
4/21/13 4:09 PM
A Few Components and Tools

Just as a kitchen should contain eggs
and orange juice, youll want a variety of
resistors and capacitors (Figure G). Your
neighborhood Radio Shack can sell you
prepackaged assortments, or you can
shop online at makershed.com.
After you buy the components, youll
need to sort and label them. Some may
be marked only with colored bands to
indicate their values. With a multimeter (a
good one costs maybe $50) you can test
the values instead of trying to remember
the color-coding system. For storage I like
the kind of little plastic boxes that craft
stores sell to store beads.
For your breadboard youll need
hookup wire (Figure H). This is available
in precut lengths, with insulation already
stripped to expose the ends. Youll also

need stranded wire to make flexible
connections from the PCB to panelmounted components such as LEDs or
switches. To strip the ends of the wire,
nothing beats the Kronus Automatic
Wire Stripper (Figure F), which looks like
a monster but works with supernatural
efficiency, letting you do the job with just
one hand.
Needlenose pliers (Figure E) and side
cutters of various sizes are essential,
with perhaps tweezers, a miniature vise
to hold your work, alligator clips, and that
wonderfully mysterious stuff, heat-shrink
tubing (youll never use electrical tape
again).
If this sounds like a serious investment,
it isnt. A basic workbench should entail

no more than a $250 expenditure for
tools and parts. Electronics is a much
cheaper hobby than more venerable
crafts such as woodworking, and since all
the components are small, it consumes
very little space.
For completed projects youll need
project boxes (Figure B). You can settle
for simple plastic containers with lids,
but I prefer something a little fancier.
Hammond Instruments makes a brushed
aluminum box with a lid that slides out
for access and grooves inside the box for
a PCB. My preferred box has a pattern of
conductors emulating three breadboards
put together. This is big enough for ambitious projects involving multiple chips.
Learn the Rules

Read a basic electronics guide, like my
Make: Electronics (makershed.com), to
learn the relationships between ohms
(), amperes (A), volts (V), and watts
(W), so that you can do the numbers
and avoid burning out a resistor with
excessive current or an LED with too
much voltage. And follow the rules of
troubleshooting:
Look for dead zones

This is easy on a breadboard, where
you can include extra LEDs to give a
visual indication of whether each section is dead or alive. You can use piezo
beepers for this purpose, too. And, of
course, you can clip the black wire of
your meter to the negative source in
your circuit, then touch the red probe
(carefully, without shorting anything
out!) to points of interest.
If you get an intermittent reading
when you flex the circuit board gently,
almost certainly you have a dry joint
somewhere, making and breaking
contact. More than once Ive found that

a circuit that works fine on a naked
PCB stops working when I mount it in
a plastic box, because the process of
screwing the board into place has flexed
it just enough to break a connection.
Check for short

circuits
If theres a short, current will prefer
to flow through it, and other parts of
the circuit will be deprived. Theyll show
much less voltage than they should.
Alternatively you can set your meter to
measure amperes and then connect the
meter between one side of your power
source and the input point on your
circuit. A zero reading on the meter may
mean that you just blew its internal fuse
because a short circuit tried to draw too
much current.
damaging the components in the first

place. If you use sockets for your chips,
solder the empty socket to the PCB, then
plug the chip in after everything cools.
When soldering delicate diodes (including LEDs), apply an alligator clip between
the soldering iron and the component.
The clip absorbs the heat.
Tracing faults in circuits is truly
an annoying process. On the upside,
when you do manage to put together
an array of components that works
properly, it usually keeps on working
cooperatively, without change or complaint, for decades unlike automobiles,
lawn mowers, power tools, or, for that
matter, people.
To me this is the irresistible aspect
of hobby electronics. You end up with
something thats more than the sum of
its parts and the magic endures.
Check for heatdamaged components

This is harder, and its better to avoid
Make
107
4/21/13 4:09 PM
Precisely in tune with every touch.

TOUCH 2O TECHNOLOGY. THE FIRST OF ITS KIND.
deltafaucet.com/touch
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Call or visit us online today to receive

your FREE copy of our 2013 catalog!
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Projects: HOWTOONS
carefulLy puncture
botTom with sCrewdriver.
Glue mylar sheEt to the inside.
Fold and
tape into
a triangle.
cut FOAMCORE OR CARDBOARD TO

9" x 6.75" and score into thirds.
- Pringles canister
- foamcore or
cardboard
- plastic wrap
- mylar paper
- wax paper
- duct tape
- beads
- glue
DRAPE transparent plastic

wrap OVER the canister.
Slide into
Canister.
Fill with large beads.
cover with translucent

wax paper.
secure
with cap.
Wow!
Spin the
canister to see
the beautiful
shapes and
colors!
110
makezine.com
SIP5_110_Howtoons_F1.indd 110
4/21/13 4:11 PM
Training Camp for Makers!
Starts
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1
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J gn up today!
Si
Our virtual boot camp for makers.

Online courses include skill-building, tips, and tricks and how-to tutorials in
the most popular areas. Classes are multi-session, culminating in a project at
the end of the course. The best part: its taught by makers for makers.
First courses:
Introduction to Arduino
Introduction to Raspberry Pi
makezine.com/trainingcamp
SIP5_111_Ad-HTCamp.indd 1
4/21/13 11:01 AM
Projects: Toy Inventors Notebook
Victorian Toys and

Flatland Rockets
Invented & drawn by Bob Knetzger
Figure A
Figure B
Heres an update of a Victorian

plaything. Cut out the fish on the
dotted line and float it on a pan of water.
Place a single drop of olive oil in the
circle. The oil quickly spreads out the slit
and across the water. The fish swims
in the opposite direction, like an exhaustspewing rocket subject to Newtons third
law of motion. Sadly, the soggy paper
fish is only good for just a single use
(Figure A).
Now try this new, more
durable version: find a flexible lid
from a margarine or yogurt container.
Look for the recycling symbol 2 or 4 for
112
Figure C
low- or high-density polyethylene. (PE is

one of the few plastics that floats.) Use
a paper punch to make a small circular
hole, then cut out the rocket shape,
same size as shown in Figure B.
Float the rocket in a pan of clean water. Dip the tip of a toothpick in detergent
and momentarily touch it inside the
rockets round hole. As the detergent
dissolves, it spreads down the slit and
out along the surface of the water the
rocket shoots forward! Touch it again.
After a time or two, youll have to change
the water for the effect to work again.
Visit makezine.com/maker-projects to
see a video demo.
Another force is also at work: the

Marangoni effect, the difference
in surface tensions created by the
molecules of detergent as they make
the water slipperier and wetter. The
surface tension is reduced behind the
rocket, causing the water in front to
contract, pulling the rocket forward
(Figure C).
These tensions, forces, and actions
all exist at the single-molecule-thick
surface of the water similar to
the two-dimensional world in Edwin
Abbotts Victorian-era book, Flatland:
A Romance of Many Dimensions.
makezine.com
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Plastic?
Fantastic.
Parts?
Smart.
Desktop 3D Printers
[and everything you need for them]

LulzBot.com is your go-to outlet for
the highest quality parts and filaments
on the market. We personally test all
materials, because we understand that
efficient innovation shouldnt be slowed
by less-than-excellent components.
LulzBot.com
Printers, Parts, and Plastics
Free software, libre hardware, collaborative communities:
fsf.org/ryf
Slic3r
FreeCAD OpenSCAD
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Pra Research s.r.o.
LulzBot is a trademark of Aleph Objects, Inc. 123 SW 12th Street. Loveland, Colorado, USA 80537
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4/21/13 11:11 AM

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Spring 2013

Maker Projects Guide

MEET THE MAKERS

MAKER SHED BUYERS GUIDE

$9.99 Display Until AUG. 27, 2013

Find a Maker Faire

a celebration of amazing creations

1. Make an LED Throwie. Slip the coin cell battery between

THIS PROJECT INCLUDES

Coin cell batteries,

6. Make LED Floaties. Stuff your Throwies into helium

To see full build instructions, photos, and video, visit the

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO LEARN

Maker Projects GuideContents

Faire of the Future

Its all about the makers.

The world of backyard

A DIY guide in each section,

Art & Design

What you need to

Experiment with an updated

If only RF could be so easy.

RF Modules Remote Controls Antennas

Maker Faire is the only

founder & PUBLISHER

DESIGN, PHOTO & VIDEO

sales & advertising

Katie Dougherty Kunde

Sean Michael Ragan

Arwen OReilly Griffith

William Gurstelle, Brian Jepson, Charles Platt, Matt Richardson

Martin John Brown, Nicole Catrett, Steve Hoefer,

John Baichtal, Kipp Bradford, Meg Allan Cole,

Heather Harmon Cochran

Product Development Engineer

Maker shed evangelist

Dale Dougherty, CEO

Technical Advisory Board

Kipp Bradford, Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories, Limor Fried,

Uyen Cao (ecomm.), Eric Chu (engr.), Craig Couden (edit.),

Its All About the Makers

Surprise. Curiosity. Fun.

off at Maker Faire. Compressed Air

At the heart of Maker

best value award in our 2012 Ultimate

Tom Banwell is a self-taught man of many

Jack Chen is one of hundreds of teachers

Jack Chen, a former manufacturing engineer and now a Math

Jack says, "A great number of my students are very artistic.

Read more of Jack's story at www.100kschools.org/blog/

When Scott Weaver first started gluing

Don't just change the world. Build it.

What will you build?

Shown here with optional

Tormach PCNC 770 Series 3

Tormach PCNC mills are the ultimate

Open source design is a key

Read the full story at:

Amid the sea of projects at Maker Faire