Make: Kit Reviews

To make sauerkraut, all you really need is cabbage, salt, and a jar with a lid, but you can make your life much easier with a mandoline slicer, vegetable starter culture, and fermenting crock from Cultures for Health. (A copy of Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz will only help the cause.) They carry charming crocks […]

Food: fermentation, food, sauerkraut, vegetables

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

If you’ve ever wanted to hurl spears to bring down a woolly mammoth, then these two kits from Thunderbird Atlatl are the way to go. The Nanticoke and Kanakadea kits are both high quality and simple to build, so with a little time and effort you can make a very nice-looking atlatl suitable for serious […]

Siege & Ballistics: atlatl, ballistics, siege, spears

I’ve thought of building a dome for years, and when I was looking for a quick and relatively inexpensive place to put my workshop for the winter, this kit from Shelter Systems seemed like just the ticket. Based in Santa Cruz, Calif., Shelter Systems is still using the same non-puncturing “grip clip” technology they used […]

Home & Shelter: geodesic dome, home, shelter, tent

The Bulbdial Clock displays analog time, without any motor, movement, or screen. The 72 LEDs cast shadow hands across its face, with red, green, and blue for hours, minutes, and seconds. It’s a beautiful effect, and the kit is not difficult to assemble, thanks to incredibly well-done instructions.

Clocks: analog display, clocks, LEDs

The Monochron is an extremely rewarding kit to build. Not only is it fun, but the finished clock adds retro flair to any home. As with all Adafruit kits, the instructions are clear and well thought out. The clock features an alarm function, custom laser-cut case, and several different display modes to suit your mood or […]

Clocks: clocks, retro, vintage

The heart of the Ice Tube Clock is a distinctive, vintage, Russian vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) housed in a transparent, laser-cut enclosure. The clock features a precision watch crystal, alarm function, and battery backup. The build quality and online instructions are excellent, as is the completeness of the kit. Anyone who stops by my studio is always […]

Clocks: clocks, retro, vintage

Need to add a clock function to your next Arduino project? This Real Time Clock (RTC) breakout board kit is your answer. Based on a DS1307 RTC and equipped with an onboard battery and crystal, this kit is simple to solder together, works well, and is easy to use thanks to Adafruit’s online documentation. It’s […]

Clocks: Arduino, clocks

A friend and I tried to build a pottery kick wheel ourselves, but the concrete flywheel we poured cracked immediately, rendering the wheel a bit wobbly. Fortunately I later discovered these two kits, which include everything you need to make a solid kick wheel, including the wheel head, ball bearings, and all the pre-cut wood. And […]

Craft: crafts, pottery

If you’ve never needle felted before, you’ll start this kit a beginner, and complete it an expert. With enough wool to make two large friends, or a handful of tiny octopi, these creatures will take shape before your eyes, and as you work, you’ll refine your skills. Follow the clear and funny directions to needle […]

Craft: animals, crafts, felt, needle-felting, octopus