Do you like Star Trek and have a fascination with do-it-yourself projects? Then I’ve got just the thing for you. It’s an R/C Starship Enterprise Zeppelin. That’s right, this baby actually flies! Granted, it might not be the most perfect replica of the famed ship, but it does bear a striking resemblance to the one seen in the original TV series.
It’s not going to take a rocket scientist to get this project off the ground, but you might not want to tackle this if you’ve not messed around with R/C devices before. Thankfully, there are detailed instructions over at Instructables, so if you’re feeling adventurous, you can craft one for yourself.
Jenga is a popular way to pass the time and stir up some feuds during the holidays with my family, and since it can get really competitive, talk has often turned to creating a device that would take the game to the next level. Well instead of just talking about it, Matthias Wandel created one in the form of this pistol which uses an elastic fired pin to rocket Jenga pieces out of the stack. As you can see in the video below the speed at which it removes pieces is fast enough to pull off some plays you could never do manually, and as to whether it’s a fair way to play, well that probably all depends on whether or not the pistol is shared.
The model pictured above, the version 2, is a refined version of the original Jenga pistol, but Matthias has also created a less complex and easier to build version and you can find the plans and assembly instructions for it on his website if you’re so inclined to build your own.
Lets say that you’re a big Halo fan, and you want to reconstruct the helmet worn by the main protagonist. It’s a pretty detailed helmet, which means you’re going to need some serious skills in the area of molding plastic. That, or you can dig out that box of Legos hiding under your bed, and construct something awesome.
Sound like a difficult undertaking? Well Ben Calukins did just that very thing, and it turned out pretty awesome. Heck, in some ways I almost like the lego version better than a nice smooth reproduction. The only piece of that was not constructed from the tiny plastic bricks is the visor, which is a modified motorcycle helmet visor.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably got old computers just lying around. You keep telling yourself that you’re going to repurpose them as some sort of media box, server or whatnot. But really they’re just cluttering up the back of your closet, or some corner of the garage. Today you’ll learn to put one of them to good use. You’ll fashion some of the parts into a laser capable of cutting through things. Why? Because that sort of thing is awesome.
You’ll just need a DVD burner (16x or higher) some heatsinks and the PSU from an old computer. There are a few other items you’ll need to get, but those are the main components. In a short while, you’ll be able to cut through small objects, and light others on fire. That’s right, you can burn those ants without needing to mess with a magnifying glass or depend on the sun. Just remember not to be an idiot.
What is it about an oversized trash can with a plunger that makes it so fearsome? If you’re a Doctor Who fan, then you’ll understand the might of the Dalek. Otherwise, you’ll probably thing they are just plain silly. For those that not only know of these mighty overlords, but adore them, I have a surprise for you. No, I’m not giving you a Dalek, but I can show you how to make one.
This isn’t your average DIY guide that you find around the internet. No, these are the official blueprints from the BBC. Apparently someone wrote to them back in the 80′s asking for instructions on how to build one. They responded with these complete blueprints. Even if you aren’t planning on building your own, if you’re a Doctor Who fan, you should definitely check them out.
Not long ago the Solarbotics company sent us its easiest BEAM robot that they had to assemble. Everything came included in the kit along with a nice screwdriver to put it together. The only thing required is about an hour of your time and 4 AAA batteries. Unpack it all and you are well on your way to building your very first robot.
The kit assembles easily enough and the supplied instructions are very detailed and easy to follow. All of the pieces screw together quite nicely and each part is clearly labeled. I would highly suggest this item to anyone looking to build a first robot. For its size this thing is extremely fast. I threw in some fresh batteries and this bad little critter took off across the kitchen floor bouncing off of everything it could find. The pets have taken a quite an interest in their new floor buddy as well. Both having mixed reactions especially when the BeetleBot seems to go into “Attack” mode.
I don’t know the entire back story behind this little contraption, but apparently the mailbox for this home in Independence, Missouri is located at the bottom of a steep hill designed to separate their property from traffic. Taking the long way to fetch the mail involves a two block walk, which probably sucks when it’s raining or snowing. So instead of just building a staircase down the hill they decided to totally over-engineer the solution with this mailbox tram system.
The rails run right up the hill, over the bushes and through the quaint picket fence, and it would be particularly cool if the system was motorized allowing them to retrieve their bills and Netflix discs at the flick of a button, though I don’t think it is. Personally I would have gone with the Mr. Rogers miniature railroad solution, running the track right into my house and along my bed so I would only have to roll over to get my Tiger Direct catalogs.
It’s definitely not the kind of homemade toy you’ll want to bring along to entertain your kids on a long flight (I’ll leave it up to your imaginations how that would play out at the airport) but if you’ve been trying to lure them away from video games for something a bit more educational, this looks like it could do the trick. Squishy Circuits was developed at the University of St. Thomas by undergraduates Samuel Johnson and AnnMarie Thomas, and basically uses a couple of special ‘Play-Doh’ recipes allowing the dough to serve as either a conductor or an insulator. You’ll need a battery pack and some electrical powered doohickeys (like a motor or LEDs) to show that the circuits are indeed working, but otherwise it’s all up to the dough itself to teach and amaze.
The recipes for both the conductive and insulating dough can be found here, and hopefully Hasbro sees this idea and comes out with a circuits Play-Doh set of their own that’s more educational than making wacky hairdos or inedible burgers.
What do you do when you drop your expensive graphing calculator on the floor, irreparably damaging the outer housing? Well since it’s not made of recycled paper like a certain alarm clock, you can either buy a new one or salvage and install the innards in a replacement housing made from custom milled aluminum. That’s exactly what University of Iowa industrial engineering student ‘Howard C.’ did, which cost him $50. And even though the calculator’s new housing might be a bit bulkier and heavier than the original, rest assured the next time it’s knocked to the floor the only think breaking will be Howard’s toes.
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