Have you ever fancied building and fly your own model aircraft? Well nowadays its more possible than ever, and even on the cheap! If you hop over to FliteTest.com you’ll find a massive collection of DIY aircraft projects. But before doing that, let’s step into the workshop at Flite Test (via Youtube) and see one of the gangs…
Whether it’s a toy Lightsaber, a miniature city, a robot or even just a plain old box, few materials can fuel a child’s imagination like cardboard can. Not to mention, the environmentally-friendly material is easy to work with and is nearly free – depending on where you look. Aiming to make creating awesome cardboard toys easy…
There has been much fanfare around 3D printers in recent years. Meanwhile, you rarely hear about the laser cutter in mainstream media. Honestly, I am not sure why. Perhaps it is because the laser cutter doesn’t have a charismatic evangelist like Bre Pettis. Hey laser cutter manufacturers, I’m pretty charismatic and available, wink wink. It…
As convenient as it is for rapid prototyping purposes, 3D printing as a method of final manufacturing can be a bit of eyesore, depending on your tastes. However, when done right and put into context, the use of additive manufacturing to create everyday items can also create some attractive objects that are worthy of a…
While glimpses into the design process and fabrication methods have become more available than ever thanks to cheaper video cameras (e.g. smartphones), free online video hosting and overall public interest, it’s still not too common when a video spans the entire manufacturing process from raw material to finished product. In ‘BEAM / The Making Of’,…
Ask anybody who plays in a code-based environment such as Rhino’s Grasshopper and you’re bound to meet some people doing wild and crazy things. While it may take a little bit of time getting familiar with a code environment–assuming you don’t know printf(“hello world”) from an actual printer–the results can oftentimes be stunning and worth…
As any office prankster worth their salt will tell you, launching objects in a parabolic arc at an unsuspecting co-worker is one of the greatest and most-satisfying ways of communication (assuming that said objects are gummy bears, marshmallows, and the occasional spitball). E&M Labs is offering a new way of stepping up your office warfare…
Having directed both live-action and animated films for over ten years, Nando Costa is no stranger to film production, yet waiting for over 800 pieces of maple to be laser-engraved and used as individual frames for a short film is somewhat new territory. In his latest Kickstarter-backed short film “The New America”, Costa puts those…
A quick note to all you digital dreamers. Until September 22nd, anything ordered from Ponoko out of cardboard or card will only cost your laser time + shipping, making it a little cheaper to try out the geometry of that backscratcher/fruit bowl you’ve been cooking up in Solidworks before you commit to plywood. Both the…
If you ever go ridding a horse bareback through plate glass windows, you may often wonder how to reduce the amount of scarring by attaching a thin acrylic shield around yourself and the horse. I propose Ponoko as the single best resource for creating such a shield. However, you don’t want children attempting to try…
I’ve covered a little of what Ponoko does with their laser-cut, create your design approach to manufacturing. Coupled with the ability to sell your own design, it’s simply the most unique and creative DIY site out there. Their blog is no less and has been one of my favorite to read some time. A group…