How to Make a Balsa Wood Canon DSLR Mockup
(Note–if you like this post and other cool DIY projects, make sure to add me on twitter and grab the DOIT feed) In 2003, Canon posted a how-to on their website about making a Canon 1D mockup in balsa wood. The post sat on…
Weekend Garage Sale Purchase: Bolts, Nuts, and Hydraulic Pipe Fittings
Saturday mornings, I love to peek at the local garage sale listings on Craigslist, usually to see what people are unloading in the way of tools. This weekend, I saw a “handyman special” nearby, and strolled over to it with an early morning coffee….
Wide-angle HD Micro-Camera Mounted to a Firework
Happy Fourth of July! Here’s a fun way to get a first-person view of a rocket’s trajectory and mid-air detonation. The setup was put together by Jeremiah Warren (friend him on facebook). The camera is the 808 Car Keys Micro Camera #11. 720p…
Secret Surveillance Garden Birdhouse – Notes and Plans from my Build
This Friday I’m doing a workshop for Craftsman in Chicago, for their first annual blogger summit. The different presenters each introduced themselves by building a birdhouse project that represents them. I started the project by drawing a set of blueprints, knowing that I wanted…
Cheap Ruler Review: You Get What You Pay For
Right between drill presses (#1) and shop-vacs (#3), measuring devices are some of my favorite tools. A few months ago I was rummaging through the stationary and school supplies section at the 99 Cent store and saw the perfect companion to my office cutting…
A Very Peculiar DIY “Hip-Neck Mount” Camera Extension
Check out this wacky “above the crowd” camera rig spotted at the royal wedding. What IS this thing? My friend Travis is an awesome guy and a talented photographer. He’s the type of guy that I admire for finding life curious and fascinating. Case in…
Celebrate your DIY-Handiness With My New Circular Saw and Drill Press T-Shirts
My first two DOIT shirt designs have just been finalized (totally designed by yours truly) and are ready for ordering. Here they are: Circular Saw Tee and Drill Press Tee. Two of my favorite and most used tools, diagrammed for easy explanation. Finally show off…
Using Your iPhone as an Audio Recorder Will Make Your Videos Better
A fast way and easy to make your videos better is to improve the audio quality. It’s a proven fact that poor audio will turn people away from a video much quicker than poor video. Have you ever seen a video that sounds like…
Harbor Freight 25% Off Coupon
Tomorrow, April 24, 2011, Harbor Freight offers up a one-day, one-use only coupon for 25 percent off any one item. I already know what I’m getting with it. How about you? Use this coupon to save 25% off any item when you shop Online…
Twelve Awesome Commodore 64 Hacks and Projects, and a Gallery of Classic C64 Game Discs
I recently visited my folks and as usual, spent most of my late evenings there digging through all my childhood belongings. Comic books, skateboard parts, Guitar Player magazines. And my Commodore 64. Flipping through all the old floppy discs and remembering the countless hours…
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!