As often as we look at and use appliances that live out their entire lives on our kitchen counters, you would expect there to be more exploration into thinking of these objects as ‘functional sculptures’ rather than ‘attractive mass manufactured objects’. At least, this was a glaring concern from Berkely-based design studio Montaag Products. After embarking on a creative experiment a few years ago, Montaag designers asked themselves what an appliance could look like if it was treated like a work of art—without sacrificing the quality or user experience of its intended function. As coffee lovers who just happened to share an address with an espresso machine repair shop, the…

Founded in 1959 as a professional tool manufacturer to support Japan’s burgeoning manufacturing industry, Trusco—a combination of the words “Trust” and “Company”—is still manufacturing some of the best toolboxes, today. While their stripped-down design makes them a must-have for many design aficionados, the pressed steel boxes are ridiculously useful for just about anything—tools or not. Still manufactured in Fukui, Japan, Trusco tool boxes now come in more sizes than ever—capable of whatever storage challenges you throw at them. Trusco Toolboxes — $12.27 – $171.12 Features: Steel body, formed for extra strength Versatile sizing for specific storage solutions Double-hinged construction for smooth opening Dividers included Equally useful in the home, office,…

Italy-based WASP announced a new version of their flagship 3d printer, the DeltaWASP 20 40 Turbo2. WASP has become very well known for their reliable – and sometimes overly large – delta-style 3D printers. They’ve developed equipment that can 3D print in a variety of unusual materials, including local clay, plastic pellets and other substances. But the new DeltaWASP 20 40 Turbo2 prints with typical 3D printing plastic filament, unless you select their clay-printing option. WASP says the DeltaWASP 20 40 Turbo2 is “the fastest delta 3d printer in the world”, and that might be true. According to their specifications, this machine can 3D print at up to 500mm/second, which is…

If you have you ever held a film projector before, chances are you have probably heard the distinct clacking noise that comes with using it. The sound comes from the Geneva Drive, a mechanism which gets its name from the 17th century Swiss watches it used to power. In a video by the Maker’s Muse YouTube channel, they take a look at how the Geneva Drive takes continuous rotational movement and turns it into precise, indexed, movement. One of the earliest mechanisms which translates index movement, the drive consists of a rotating drive wheel which forcibly locks into one of the driven wheel’s many slots (known as “dwells”). The driven…

Sponsored by Siemens PLM. “Large Assemblies” can be difficult to define. For some it’s a 100 part assembly, for others it’s 1000 parts, and still others it can be 10,000 parts and gigabytes of data.

As anybody who works at a desk for more than a few hours a day knows, having the right lighting can have a drastic effect on your work environment and most importantly, productivity. From eye strain to headaches, poor lighting causes eyes to work much harder than they need to. When compounded over hours at a time, work performance can steadily decrease as lack of focus and drowsiness kicks in. Which is why we love the TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp—a must for anybody that wants to increase productivity and improve their work environment…be it a desktop or a workbench. With seven different lighting modes—from natural light to warm yellow—it’s easy…