Close to a year ago, we saw how Big Life Fix was inventing awesome and changing lives. The idea behind the show–finding life-altering solutions to really challenging problems–is just great and I hope you’ve had a chance to catch an episode. But, if you’re like me, you wish you could see a bit more behind-the-scenes…
Rejoice, creators of instructables.com! For if you ever wanted to learn how to use a table saw, manual lathe, CNC mill, or a certain crafting machine, Autodesk’s Pier 9 technology centers have heard your plea and made a slew of workshops to help you get your bearings without losing any important body parts. In total,…
For some strange reason, humans sure love to knock themselves on the head with countless mind puzzles. The Rubik’s Cube, Chess—heck, even Candy Crush are all examples of how we have a penchant for exercising our minds in different ways. This wooden dowel puzzle by Instructables user mtairymd is no different. It may sound easy…
How can something be ancient? And 3D printed? Because we’re IN THE FUTURE. It’s like the answer to why it smells like beer and cigarettes in here. Because WE HAVE CATS. (Name the reference!) But really, it’s not like you’re going to walk downtown and find an ancient skull artifact unburying itself from the sidewalk.…
If someone has ever asked you to build something out of plywood and the first thing you thought of is giant robot, you will love this. What? You’ve never thought that? You need to reconsider your priorities. At the top of that ‘Things to build with plywood’ list should be a robot. Our model this…
You’re slouching. It’s so bad sometimes, it looks like your arms are trying to escape your body. *Roll your shoulders BACK* There we go. That should last a few seconds. If you need a reminder, the Slouch Alert is a DIY device that electrocutes you vibrates when you start to slouch. Slouch Alert was created by Instructables user Lara…
Have a hot rod project car out in the garage? Yes? No? What’s that? It’s more a pile of hot rod parts you say? If you look at my garage in the dark and squint hard enough, all of those boxes look vaugly like a hot rod… kinda. A hot rod is #3 on my…
Welding is a useful skill to have, especially if you want to repair your vehicle, which was the goal of Instructable user Mr-Mash who figured it was cheaper to repair his own rather than taking it to the shop. For him, the easiest way to learn welding was to build one big, freakin’ bicycle outfitted…
I don’t know when you last played Super Mario Bros. 3 for 87 hours straight… what’s that? Last week? Well, after that you probably had that nightmare where you’re running through Mushroom Kingdom being repeatedly pummeled by massive concrete THWOMP blocks, right? No? Ok, just me. Still, those were one of my favorite obstacles and…
This past weekend I took apart a massive 2×4 workbench–it covered the entire side of a garage. It was large enough to lay two 4×8 plywood sheets end-to-end, dismantle a motorcycle upon, gut and clean five deer, or construct a normal size workbench–a workbench like this one.
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…
Of all of the minor annoyances that occur in the workshop, the need for an easily-adjustable bright light while working with both hands certainly ranks high up there – especially when looking for ‘that missing screw’ ends up taking just as much time as a project assembly itself. Of course, the best solutions for these…
Most ‘zen’ practitioners will tell you that reaching a state of higher consciousness is not an art but a way of life, where “awareness” is “consciousness”. The emphasis on the present moment is perhaps Zen’s most distinctive characteristic. In modern times, finding the time and ability to disconnect from technology, busy schedules and sensory overload…
Since it was developed by a post-grad student in Kilkenny, Ireland–Jane Ní Dhulchaointigh–Sugru has been an indispensable tool for those looking to apply quick fixes to industrial design problems ranging from weak iPhone cords to sharp edges and protective bumpers. The substance, which came out of Ní Dhulchaointigh’s goal of enabling people “to easily and…
Every so often a project comes along on Instructables that really, truly is useful…if for nothing but creating great conversations. The ‘EWaste 60$ 3DPrinter’ from first-time Instructables author mikelllc is one of those projects. To begin with, this is the perfect project for anybody that wants to learn more about how a standard CNC system…
It’s Friday, and you know what that means here on The Smack: time for another DIY project to add to your weekend plan arsenal. If you’re like us, you have a fairly organized workspace but somehow manage to continually lose your hammers…resulting in a drawer filled with replaced hammers down the road. If one of…
Sure, we would all love to have a Giant Solar Death Ray or even a simple Tree Branch Edison Bulb Lamp, but at the end of the day the most effective (and sometimes, challenging) designs are those that make life better for those needing assistance to perform basic tasks. Currently featured amongst their highlighted contest…
Just about every library I’ve been to in the past 172 years of my life has had a lot of books, a lot of quiet and a lot of room left vacant for spur-of-the-moment MLM meetings. The child who brings a desktop lathe and scrapes of grandpa’s wood to sit quietly tooling away in a…
It started with a 3D printed pinhole camera for hobbyists. Enthusiasts took it to the other extreme seeking ultimate quality with the wildly successful Travelwide 4×5 kickstarter campaign. Twenty-four year old Léo Marius has taken the middle road this time around with his project OpenReflex; a 35mm film SLR concept created with…you guessed it, a…
Shaving your head, eyebrows and facial hair to instantly apply a putty to your face when the time calls for it is an important skill nowadays, especially considering the joy you’ll bring with various candies added to the outer layer. There are a few options, but frankly, decoupage and papier-mâché is just so messy. Silicone…
Somewhere in a galaxy far, far away the LEGO Deathstar is silently weeping laser tears as it hides under the blanket. Yes, the LEGO Deathstar has been dethroned as the coolest lego project ever…by a DIY project that yes, YOU can build if you feel so inclined. The LEGObot is the brainchild of engineering student…
I know. You’re like, Make it Real?? Wha!? Huh?! WHHHAAAT? I prefer to make it fake. So fake that it causes people to question if it’s really not real at all. However, for those of you who actually like to ‘Make it Real’, there’s a challenge for that and it’s being put on by the…
Yesterday, Autodesk gained the upper hand in the CAD industry by now being able to say, “Here’s how to bake a helicopter cake and a paper catapult with which to launch it into the air.” Autodesk has acquired DIY project site and passionate user community Instructables in an all out effort to seal their takeover…