Pencils haven’t changed much over the last century, at least not for the General Pencil Company, one of the last pencil manufacturing companies in the US. While they do use conveyors and other machine shop tools, the pencils crafted there are still made by hand and have been done this way since the company opened its doors back in 1889 in Jersey City, New Jersey. The process of handcrafting pencils begins with graphite—chunks of it are placed, along with clay, into a giant rotating drum where they get pulverized with rocks into a fine powder. Water is then thrown into the mix, which is then blended for three days, after…
These days, you can get just about any computer rig designed to your exact specifications. Whether you’re a RAM-hogging SolidWorks user, or simply just want a powerful workstation, there’s something for everybody. But no standardized hardware mod will ever replace the satisfaction of building your own rig from scratch. If you’ve ever wanted to create your own custom-built PC but didn’t know where to start, boy do we have great news for you. The How to Build a Computer Bundle consolidates five intensive online courses (a total of 126 individual lessons) ranging from how to create a blueprint for your desired desktop or laptop setup to how to overclock CPU…
Cherished by writers, designers, illustrators, and other creative professionals for its soft dark lead and unique flat eraser, the Blackwing 602 is worth trying at least once—but be forewarned: you may never go back to plain old #2 pencils again. Originally manufactured by the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company from 1934 – 1988, the Blackwing brand was acquired by California Cedar Products Company in 2008 and reintroduced to a new generation of creatives in 2012. And now, you can score your own 12-pack of the legendary pencil for just 23 bucks. Palomino Blackwing 602 Pencils 12-Pack — $22.95 Features: One pack of 12 Palomino Blackwing pencils Pencils feature a soft and…
Like clockwork, the number of designers, engineers, and makers who launch their projects on crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo never ceases to amaze us. After all—doesn’t everybody love a great success story? For those curious to see if their side project ideas are worthy of a successful funding campaign, the best way to head into battle is to learn everything you can about why certain crowdfunding projects thrive—while many others, sadly do not. With over 98 lessons and 8 hours of content, this Ultimate Crowdfunding Bundle is a surefire way to ensure that you have your ducks in a row when it comes to launching your very own campaign.…
The LighterSaber, as its name implies, is a lighter which looks like those wonderful laser swords from that one movie, whatsit? Ah yes…. Star Wars. Instead of spending years in Jedi training, running around Dagoba with small greet creature attached to your back, Iqbal Ameer and Singapore-based Expedio Design are bringing you the next best thing in the palm-sized, butane-powered flame maker. It isn’t made from materials found in a galaxy far, far away, but the LighterSaber’s outer body is a molded zinc alloy construction. It looks just like a wee lightsaber too with a design which went through several version before the final product version. The lighter stands at 121mm,…
Usually, when I’m talking to someone about vegetables, it’s about making a room size bed of leafy greens, methods for stitching carrot and snap pea riot gear or practical locations for beet juice dispensers. But you have to GROW your veggies first before doing any such interesting endeavors. Morgan Morey, a historied jeweller from the Isle of Wright, went outside his usual creative prowess of fantastical sculpted jewellry and figure design to create a practical, yet artful, aquaponics wall installation. Best of all, it’s MODULAR and serves a variety of functions. The cans are all easily removed to work as individual pots. The system will be easily customizable for individual plant setups as each tin…