How to Make A Digital Pinhole Camera – Fast, Cheap and Easy
The most basic style of camera is the pinhole camera, usually a light-proof box that holds a piece of film inside. When the pinhole is uncovered, the film is exposed for an arbitrary amount of time, and later developed to discover the results. The…
Deal of the Day: Bosch Laser Rangefinder/Measuring Tool $65 (Update: Still a Steal at $89)
78% off the list price ($291), December 12 only. The special is over, but the price has only gone up to $89. I have this exact model and love it. I use it at home to measure simple things like the square footage of…
Make Your Own Wooden Pizza Peel (Paddle)
A pizza peel (that’s the proper name) is a must-have tool for any pizza chef. Most of the wooden peels you’ll find in the restaurants and stores have a wide paddle area with a simple tapered edge, extending about 3/4″ around the perimeter, top…
How Those Crazy Punkin Chunkin Machines Work – Cannons, Trebuchets, Centrifugals and Onagers – Behind the Chunk!
Part of hosting the Science Channel coverage of the 2009 Punkin Chunkin World Championships with Zach Selwyn means I get to do a few web videos to explain the ins-and-outs of how the amazing machines at the event work. These web spots are called…
DIY Builder Holiday Buying Guide – Gift Tips
A few Holiday suggestions that I’ve been enjoying this year, for the science geek/builder/pizza fanatic in your life. Tools Flexible shaft precision screwdriver: Don’t tell Apple but I’ve taken my Macbook apart plenty of times, made easy with this mini-screwdriver. It has 6 double-ended…
Build a 3D Camera Rig from Canon Powershot Cameras
Shoot your own “In your face!” photos – very rad. This project is from MaximumPC. Overview: – Install the StereoData Maker script onto two CHDK-modifiable Canon Powershot cameras. The script allows the cameras to be triggered through their USB ports. The page lists the compatible…
Arduino RC Controlled Lawnmower Project
Using the guts from a push-mower, two wheelchair motors and a custom carriage, and some hand-built electronics, Instructables user Johndavid400 has created a radio-controlled lawnmower dubbed the Lawnbot4000. His detailed writeup is available here. Background: Most R/C equipment comes packaged for a single specific…
Make Your Own Mega-LED Bike Light
High-powered ultra bright LEDs, a series of lenses, and a home-built power supply. Aluminum heatsink and a flashlight casing, mounted to your bike for incredible night biking fun. The instructions for this DIY bike light are written in Finnish, and the translation isn’t perfect,…
Trebuchet Calculator Tool – Model your Pumpkin Launching Design for Maximum Distance
Super cool program: Trebstar, a Mac and PC trebuchet modeling software, calculates the range and efficiency of your trebuchet design. The program has various configurable parameters and animations, and also shows the forces on the different components of the trebuchet itself – lets you…
Bubble Level with LED Light Mod for Gorillapod (and Other Tripods)
I love my Gorillapod – it comes with me everywhere I go, camera bag, backpack or suitcase. The versatility of it extends beyond “turn-anything-into-a-tripod” – it’s also an amazingly entertaining toy for children, and some people have even looked to hack them into “helping…
Hi, I'm Mike. I’m the executive editor of Make: magazine, and host of Discovery channel’s Punkin' Chunkin' and Catch It Keep It, TV shows where I build and explain crazy machines that crush stuff, blow things up, shoot fire, all in the name of science.
I've previously worked at Wired and ReadyMade magazines, writing about how to utilize new technology in our everyday lives.
This site is where I keep a list of instructions for fun projects I've done, am working on, or draw inspiration from. I encourage everyone to get involved — get up and do something!