Make: Kit Reviews

Thousands of people mastered soldering for the first time at this year’s Maker Faire events in the Maker Shed’s “Learn to Solder” tents, with the helpful coaching of Mitch Altman, Jimmie Rodgers, and dozens of other hackerspace volunteers. Participants left the Maker Shed with smiles on their faces, new skills, increased confidence, and a cool […]

Electronics and Controllers: electronics, kids, skills, soldering

This awesome three-axis CNC kit is a must-have for small projects such as circuit boards, engraving, or machining various small parts out of plastic or wood. Everything you need is included, except for a few hand tools, a vise, and a computer with a parallel port for running the software. The documentation contains clearly described steps […]

Tools & Workshop: CNC, Tools, Workshop

This pixel-scale, portable Meggy Jr game platform is fun for any gamer, especially those who know their way around an Arduino. About the size of a VHS tape, it offers an 8×8 matrix of RGB LEDs and a lot of functionality with very little setup. It comes pre-programmed with Attack of the Cherry Tomatoes, a side-scrolling […]

LEDs: electronics, Games, LEDs

Whether your motivation is the environment, the economy, independence, or you simply despise the oil companies, converting your diesel vehicle to run on waste vegetable oil (WVO) can truly be a rewarding experience. (You can get WVO free from restaurants, preferably higher end. Luckily for me, my brother-in-law is a head chef, and he has access to WVO.) […]

Wheels: automotive, cars, engines, green conversion, Wheels

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 […]

Food: chocoholic, chocolate, food, Mayan

In an alternate Old West universe, folks played synthesizers, and they called ‘em “Phantastrons.” Incorporating tubes, steel panels, and a branded wooden crate ripe for customization, this is one unusual synth kit. The power supply comes mostly assembled, but the 30s-era “turret board” is a challenge for seasoned solderers. Not your standard volt-per-octave functionality; this oscillator […]

Musical Instruments: music, musical instruments, synthesizer

Named after the Norse goddess of youth, the Seas Idunn kit sets a high standard for DIY speakers. Cabinets come fully assembled in black ash, cherry, or maple, and the crossover also comes prebuilt, so installing it is just a matter of affixing it to the boxes and attaching the drivers. All told, the build took […]

Audio Gear: 2-way, audio, music, speakers

Just one listen to this home-built, high-end tube amp, and you’ll quickly discover that there’s more to that classic song you’ve been listening to for years. It has nothing to do with nostalgia — tubes just sound more musical than pure solid state, and the PoddWatt is a prime example. So, what can you get from a […]

Audio Gear: amplifier, audio, music

The great thing about this kit is the variety of skills you’ll learn. Not only do you end up with a warm-sounding tube amp, but you also learn how all these audio components are produced, as well as proper soldering technique, orientation of polarized capacitors, spacing of large-value wirewound resistors, and heat sinking of transistors. […]

Audio Gear: amplifier, audio, music

Iced coffee is refreshing and delicious, but I’ve never been able to make it as well as I’d like. As it turns out, I was doing it wrong. Rather than prepare it with a traditional hot brew method, I should have been cold brewing it. This reduces acidity and produces a concentrated flavor that stands […]

Beverages: beverages, coffee, cold brewing, iced coffee