The Ultimate Kit Guide

Kit Complexity: 2

(1=Easy, 5=Difficult) Is the kit easy, moderate, or challenging to build for its most likely target audience? Kits clearly aimed at children would, for example, be rated differently from microcontroller kits.

Tabletop Ballista

Tabletop Catapult, Ballista, and Trebuchet

Make Kit Reviews

Tabletop Catapult, Ballista, and Trebuchet

$20 and up

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Reviewed: November 14th, 2011

These three great starter kits for making small tabletop siege weapons pack quite a kick. They’re simple to build, and include well-documented, easy-to-follow instructions. All components are made of quality materials accurately machined and drilled. The Ballista kit (pictured) is built of laser-cut hardwood and is a real blast to assemble and fire. It’s a bit more difficult […]

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The Dice Kit

The Dice Kit

Make Kit Reviews

The Dice Kit

$20

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Reviewed: November 13th, 2011

This is a fantastic introductory electronics kit that comes with your choice of large red or green LEDs and everything else needed (aside from a soldering iron, solder, and flush cutters) to make one electronic 6-sided die. (The manufacturer says: “The name Dice Kit sounds a great deal better than ‘Die Kit’, so we bent […]

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Mayan Magic Chocolate Making Kit

Mayan Magic Chocolate Making Kit

Make Kit Reviews

Mayan Magic Chocolate Making Kit

$25

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Reviewed: November 12th, 2011

Chocoholics, take note! This kit allows you to make your flavor fantasies come true. It’s got everything you need to make basic, agave-sweetened chocolate, but I used honey instead and added lemon zest to create something out of this world. Ruffled paper cups are included, so the presentation is worthy of your sweetheart. After a […]

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Reinventing Edison: Light Bulb Kit

Reinventing Edison: Light Bulb Kit

Make Kit Reviews

Reinventing Edison: Light Bulb Kit

$60

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Reviewed: November 8th, 2011

Thomas Edison purportedly said that he didn’t fail 700 times in trying to make the incandescent light, he succeeded in proving 700 ways not to do it. Now it can be your turn. This fun science kit is designed to excite and engage experimenters of all ages in re-creating the development of the first light […]

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LEGO Syringe Kit

LEGO Syringe Kit

Make Kit Reviews

LEGO Syringe Kit

$20

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Reviewed: November 2nd, 2011

MAKE blogger Sean Ragan created this provocative kit enabling you to make a medical replica out of nothing but Lego, with the exception of one slightly modified piece. Build the syringe by following the easy “order-of-operations,” using red for blood, or maybe a blue medicine from the future, or create yourself a sickly yellow-green poison. Complete […]

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