Make: Kit Reviews

Turn anything into a drum set with your Arduino and this simple kit. Some makers build custom drum sets from fine hardwoods, while others take the easy route and make practice sets from mouse pads and sheet metal. Instead of building my own, I used the included piezo elements to trick out my Rock Band […]

Musical Instruments: Arduino, drums, music, musical instruments

If you like high-voltage sparks arcing through the air (and who doesn’t?), check out the Coil Driver, which drives an automotive ignition coil at audio frequencies. Like other musical kits, the Coil Driver makes a great group build because you can all make cool sounds together when you’re done. However, while it’s an easy solder, […]

Kit Party: Arduino, high voltage, music, party

Another small synth from Bleep Labs, the Nebulophone is more robust than the Pico Paso. It packs three potentiometer knobs, two buttons, an LED/light sensor combo that serves as an analog low-pass filter, and a unique piano-like series of pads on the PCB that you can control with an alligator clip. It has a programmable […]

Kit Party: music, party, synthesizer

This tiny, handheld synth features two light sensors, two pots, and two buttons. It’s an easy build, even for newbies, soldering together very quickly with no difficult steps. I love how snug the little guy is, but this compactness comes at a price: no enclosure and no speaker. To hear the Pico Paso, you’ll need […]

Kit Party: music, party, synthesizer

I chose this kit airplane because it has great performance, but even better, it’s designed for builders who don’t have a ton of tools. Only common hand tools are needed — no fiberglass work or welding. The fuselage comes pre-welded, and the wings fully assembled, so I only needed to assemble and wire the plane, […]

Outdoor & Sport: outdoors, planes, sports

This 1/10 scale kit has amazing realism and performance, with aluminum and steel chassis and body components like those of a full-sized vehicle. You’ll feel like a mechanic building it. You add motor, speed control, radio, servo, and battery.

Radio-Controlled Vehicles: RC, scale model

In my opinion the coolest innovation in R/C vehicles is the crawler. As the name implies, crawlers are incredible crawling machines that are super fun to build and to run. Like a good video game, they’re easy to pick up but hard to master. Crawlers are built to climb over serious terrain, and some are […]

Radio-Controlled Vehicles: crawler, off-road, RC

Although the V90 is an entry-level machine, it’s decidedly not a toy. The way it functions is complicated — a platform carries the tool holder; a larger gantry moves the tool back and forth; the frame positions the gantry; and it’s all driven by a motor turning the screw interposed between two shafts. Indeed, this […]

Tools & Workshop: CNC, Tools, Workshop

Around my house I’ve renamed my MadeUSA “Big Bruiser” for the black and blue marks it leaves on my ankles when it runs into me during programming tests. Chalk it up to an occupational hazard. And besides, I got these bruises while having fun. This bot, which is strong enough to cart around a full-grown […]

Robotics: robotics, robots