In this episode of the adventures of Switch & Lever we’re making custom brass plaques, using reasonably simple tools, and some basic chemistry — via Youtube
Jeff Day talks with Mark Sfirri about his unique style of wood turning. Mark’s work has been featured at the Smithsonian Institute’s Renwick Gallery — via Youtube
A couple in Idaho who go by B&E raise chickens, but they are also artists. When they expanded their flock, they decided to build a UFO chicken coop. Two satellite dishes and a trampoline frame later (plus a lot of work), it was ready for the chickens. The coop has windows, surveillance cameras, insulation, ventilation, heaters, and for the alien landing effect, plenty of lights — via Neatorama
In this video Tod talks about the Colletière à Charavines light hunting bow, one of a very few surviving European crossbows from this period (around 1000AD). This is a very simple bow with only a few components. It could be constructed with European woods such as ash and yew and basic hand tools by any back woods bodger
— via Youtube
In honour of his father, Stephen continues the production of traditional baskets, finding peace in his studio through a deep connection with the man who taught him these traditional skills — via Vimeo
An item about candle-making using modern and traditional methods at Price’s Patent Candle Co Ltd — via Youtube
The complete process of manufacturing Damascus steel from batteries and stationery knives. Probably the world record is 138 layers, welded for one forge welding. Damascus Tesla
. The knife from a lantern Maglite — via Youtube
At first glance this crocheted blanket just looks like a pretty pattern. But it is actually so much more! The blanket maps out climate change over the course of the past 130 years. Each hexagon represents a single year and the colours represent the change from the mid century average.
This ingenious data visualization blanket is the brainchild of Lara Cooper. By day, Cooper is a wildlife conservation biologist. But when she isn’t in the lab she runs Level Up Nerd Apparel, an online store where she makes and sells nerdy apparel. This project was the perfect way for her to put both of those skills together — via Make: Zine
— via Youtube
Kutuleras brings you Cthulhu cosplaying Totoro! — via Etsy
A fast way to make great quality knobs for jigs and furniture. No need for any tools, just a mould and some epoxy, it’s super quick and the knobs look great. Faster than making wooden knobs, ideal for the jigs around the workshop — via Youtube
Godzilla is unique, there’s no one like him, maybe he can not throw his nuclear rays but his evil eyes come from the deepest of Mordor — via Etsy
Build a tiny trebuchet for less than $10 using no tools! In this video, Bill Livolsi of One Car Workshop shows you how to build the world’s cutest siege weapon using popsicle sticks, a pair of scissors, and super glue — via Youtube
— via Etsy
— via Youtube
Check out the instructable. Really light up your next dinner party with a table that glows in the dark. Photoluminescent (glow) powder mixed with clear casting resin fills the the naturally formed voids in this Pecky Cypress hardwood, creating a unique and stunning table. The glow powder charges up in sunlight and emits a cool blue glow when in partial or complete darkness — via Youtube
Pete Dearing is undoubtedly winning the maker dad of the year award for the interactive cockpit in these spaceship bunk beds. He’d noticed how much his kids adored buttons; Elevators, remote controls, mobile phones, they just loved them,
he says. He first made a basic control panel out of some switches and buttons mounted on top of an old toolbox with a power source inside. The boys kept asking him to add more buttons. So, Dearing decided to build something more permanent. With no real experience in electronics or woodwork, Dearing sought inspiration online, and purchased plans for a rocket ship bunk bed — via Make:
Sharon McDermott crocheted a row on an afghan every day. The colour of yarn each day was determined by the day’s high temperature. After a year, she has a full blanket with an archive of the local weather conditions.
You can get instructions from knitting or crocheting blogs, or at YouTube. While the colours are up to the creator, and the blankets will vary widely by latitude, I wonder how a blanket made now will vary from a blanket made in the same home ten years from now — via Youtube
Fashion model and embroidery artist Sheena Liam hand sews images of women whose hair seems to gracefully dangle from each of her 2D surfaces, Liam using black thread as a substitute for her subjects’ long locks. The works are all completed and displayed on embroidery hoops, with hair styles extending from the women in french braids, messy buns, and long ponytails. In one particular design, tiny pieces of thread are seen attached to the wall below the hoop, creating the illusion that the embroidered woman above is messily trimming her fringe. Liam creates relatable, solitary moments within each hand sewn hoop. You can see more of her elegant designs, as well as snapshots from her travels, on her Instagram — via Colossal
If you find yourself in the direct path of a charging 590kg bull, you had better be well dressed. That’s Antonio Lopez Fuentes’ philosophy. The Madrid-based tailor and owner of the Fermin Tailor Shop creates custom suits, or trajes de luces
(literally dresses of light
) for matadors. Fuentes’ is a family business that boasts 55 years of expertise in fashioning the finest handmade matador costumes. As you can imagine, each suit requires months of preparation, loads of material and no small amount of hard work. It’s a tough job, but only the finest will do for the brave few in this death-defying profession — via Youtube
It’s no secret that Adam’s a big fan of Chewbacca. So for his newest cosplay build, Adam revamps his Chewie costume to carry an animatronic threepio, as depicted in The Empire Strikes Back. It’s going to require a bit of disassembly, engineering, and problem-solving to turn two costumes into one that’s still wearable — via Youtube
— via Etsy
A prototype for a Cookie Box that can only be opened when you’re with two people. This is the box without the actual lid, so you can see how the mechanism works. In order to open the box, you need at least three hands.
Details of the complete box, plus instructions on how to make it yourself — via Youtube
This zipper pull is easy to make — via Youtube
— via Etsy
Pat Laperrière of Le PicBois from Quebec who is a woodworker primarily focused on wood turning. In this video, he demonstrates how he makes a simple, yet beautiful wooden bowl out of a log of beech. Pat has been wood turning for three years, and although he makes it look easy, it’s quite a dangerous and skilful endeavour — via Youtube
Drawing inspiration from post-war studio pottery and mid-century design, self-taught ceramicist Matthew Ward’s work blends the past and present in a charming manner. His glazed stoneware Totem Vase is seven inches tall and features a pattern reminiscent of mid-century-era star bursts. The subtle blue-on-blue colour means this piece will be at home in just about any room, no matter the décor — via Cool Hunting
May the fourth be with you everyone! As all the nerds know, today is Star Wars Day, so I wanted to celebrate with this super-cute-squishy little Wampa plush. I knew right away that I wanted to make a plush when I saw Star Wars day coming around, and while we’ve seen the classic characters in plush form all the time, I thought a stumpy little chibi Wampa with a bloody little arm was too good to pass up! The arm is even detachable for use in your own lightsabre battles. I made him with some long-pile minky that I had lying around that I thought suit him wonderfully; with just a scrap of red flannel and a sew-in snap, he came together perfectly — via Choly Knight
It’s finished and it’s fast… so fast it’s the worlds fastest as approved by Guinness World Records. This 600cc monster is the work of hours of shed time working out how to squeeze a sports bike and so wheels into a dodgem shell without making a death trap, but surprisingly in a straight line it’s actually quite a solid ride, even when reaching three figure speeds — via Youtube
Clear, well-lit photos of your projects are among the best ways to share your work with others. Few techniques highlight your project as well as an all white light box with soft, even, shadow-free lighting. Not only is the white background distraction free, it will also serve to bounce your light source onto your object from nearly all angles.
This is an effective, inexpensive, and easy way to build a light box for project and product photography. Plus, you can quickly break it down for flat storage, and set it back up in seconds! — via Adafruit Learning System
Transporting delicate electronic or photographic equipment is easy to do. Just embed it in squishy polyurethane foam inside a rigid case. The problem is achieving this without spending too much money — via Make:
In this video, Johnny Brooke builds a mid-century modern slatted bench modelled after the iconic Nelson Platform Bench, designed by George Nelson for Herman Miller. This is a timeless mid-century modern design that makes for a fairly simple yet rewarding woodworking project. The bench can be built from easily attainable materials, including a handful of 1×2 and 1×3 boards from any home centre — via Youtube
Adam Savage visits Weta Workshop to get up close with some of the practical props the effects studio made for the upcoming film Ghost in the Shell. Weta Workshop’s Richard Taylor shows Adam the mechanical geisha masks and animatronic puppets his team created, and how Weta Workshop used new fabrication and design technologies to make these props possible — via Youtube
Grey Pod + Mini Me, Funko Pop Husky Custom and White Pod + Mini Me originally uploaded by Red Wolf
On a visit to effects studio Weta Workshop, Adam Savage meets and chats with artists who bring their own obsessions and passion projects to work. Sculptor Johnny Fraser-Allen, who is working on miniatures for Jim Henson’s Labyrinth board game, shares with Adam his own intricate maze miniature, which will end up being the size of an entire room — via Youtube
Ancient Squid originally uploaded by Hiné Mizushima
It feels good to do another plush again! I liked the look of the Wampa Plush from a while back so much that I thought I would make another with a similar shape — Cthulhu seemed like a nice fit. I just love how I’ve made a big scary elder god into a pudgy little thing. He comes complete with face tentacles and wings on the back as well — via Choly Knight
Rainbow Coasters originally uploaded by Red Wolf
From feltplanet
Cute, bright and funny guy, shiny as summer sun. Needle felted out of 100% New Zealand wool coloured in Italy and Australian wool coloured in Germany. Wings are made using frame. Size: 15cm up to head — via via Etsy
This is one of the best puzzles from Fleb’s collection — via Youtube
Making a rope from lime bast, the way it’s been done for over a thousand years in Norway.
Ropemaker Ingunn Undrum and boatbuilding apprentice Dennis Bayer head out to harvest the bark of lime trees (linden tree), in the spring when the sap is rising.
The paper thin layers of bast are glued together, and need to soak for a long time in the sea to separate. The water in the Hardanger fjord is cold even during summer, so the bark is soaking until fall, for 3-4 months.
Ropemaker Sarah Sjøgreen lays the bast rope, and makes a traditional carrying rope with three strands, for transporting the cut grass during hay making season. The bast is naturally water proof, and rots very slowly compared to other rope materials. This explains why it has been found intact in viking excavations dating back to the 800s.
The video was recorded by Silje Ensby at Hardanger Maritime Centre, a centre for historic ship preservation, located in Hardanger, Norway — via Vimeo
Lynn Johnston demonstrates making her mother’s Christmas PomPom Bow. All you need is polypropylene ribbon and scissors — via Youtube
Unique looking fairy tale felt cat cave made from soft spring green colours with darker green and yellow — via Etsy
In this video Chris makes a custom winding key for the clock, as well as giving the mechanism its final polish and assembly — via Youtube
— via Youtube
This instructable documents makendo’s efforts to reimagine a 3D periodic table of the elements, using modern making methods. It’s based on the structure of a chiral nanotube, and is made from a 3D printed lattice, laser cut acrylic, a lazy susan bearing, 118 sample vials and a cylindrical lamp — via Instructables
This pattern features an adorable curly tentacled octopus. It works up in about 2 or 4 hours and stands 8-9 inches tall, including tentacles. It only uses one ball of Lily Sugar ‘n Cream cotton yarn and a G hook — via Ravelry
The stopwork is a mechanism designed to protect the clock from overwinding. This particular design also has the added benefit that it can be used to restrict the clock operation to the section of the mainspring with the most constant torque — via Youtube
Over four years later, Tested checks in on Adam’s Fifth Element Zorg ZF-1 replica project, which he has finally finished. Adam explains the long journey to completing this replica, detailing every step of this obsession — via Youtube
