Invented by naval engineer Richard James in the early 1940s, the Slinky has provided generations of kids and adults with a never-ending supply of satisfying levitating tricks and was even declared as the official national toy of the United States after having been declared “a recreational device that exemplifies the inventiveness of the American spirit”. Of the many tricks that can be done with the pre-compressed helical spring, few are as satisfying as watching a Slinky propel itself smooothly down down a set of stairs. Of course, no set of stairs can go on forever, so the fun usually ends early. Thanks to the simple and ingenious “Slinky Machine” concept…

When it comes to the near future of immersive 3D viewing platforms, the science behind the holographic and virtual reality experiences can oftentimes be replicated using only the basic of supplies. Among others, Google Cardboard has proven that anybody can experience VR for next to nothing (seriously, the cardboard viewers are given out for free at many tech events). Of course, they may not be as comfortable as the upcoming Oculus Rift headset, but it’s still downright impressive. Now, a simple DIY project allows anybody with a few spare CD jewel cases and a utility knife to create what is certainly one of the most impressive uses for a spare…

Don your favorite bath robe, cream that coffee and get comfortable with this weekend’s SolidSmack Weekend Reader. This week we saw everything from a profile on why the laser cutter is a design tool to “frickin’ love”, a toolbox mod that features a built-in 3D printer, a behind-the-scenes look at how filmmakers created a video cutaway of a motorcycle engine and more… So lay back, relax and take a load off while reading the top ten stories on SolidSmack this past week. Oh and uh…don’t forget to shed some much-needed sunlight on your face, too.

The bubbles rose in front of our faces, nearly lifting us off the plateau along with the wee furry beasts from whence the bubbles exploded out of their neck hairs, which we quickly learned were not hairs at all, but hydrogen absorbing tubulars generating power through the digestion of these links. Tomas Honz – Beautiful environments, some digital, some traditional, and even throws on a mech on one. More please. Face skins – Can Pekdemir has a focus on the deformation and reconstruction of bodies, and in this case faces, using 3d models and procedural textures. Rockin 1000 – 1000 musicians play Learn to Fly by Foo Fighters to ask…

As the Head of Research & Development at Sugru, UK design engineer Jude Pullen has undoubtedly spent more time kneading the ‘moldable glue’ than most of us – and thanks to his uncanny ability to create fun and educational projects involving various prototyping methods and materials, we all get to benefit from it. Previously, Jude has shared how to create ‘Detachable 360deg “Mag-Lights” for Workshop Glasses’ and how to ‘Enhance Your Ceramics’ by creating a non-slip base – and those are just Sugru-related projects. On his own personal website Design Modelling, Jude shares both a variety of tutorials for creating physical models as well as tutorials for actual functional products…

Although manufactured toy construction sets – such as Tinkertoy – have been in existence for over a century now, it wasn’t until the desktop fabrication revolution a few years ago when we started to see how the design and production of similar sets can be created at home by the consumer – in fact, it was one of the earliest examples of what 3D printing was capable of outside of a workshop or lab. Now – less than five years later – the price of 3D printers has dropped dramatically, but the question of how a 3D printer fits into a home environment for casual users is one that, in…