If you like working with foam you can easily carve up a large block of foam with a carving knife but that isn’t very accurate and will make a huge mess. The cuts won’t be very smooth and it will take a long time to make something look good. The solution is a hot wire technique, a hot wire will cut through the foam like butter allowing the user
If you want to make your next robot be able to use hands like a human the Open Hand project would give you a head start in this direction. Building a cheap model of the complex human hand is no small task but if this campaign is successful I think we will be heading in the right direction. Via: Make “The Dextrus hand works much like a human hand.
Adding some movement to your next Halloween project doesn’t need to be complicated. Have a look at the Graveyard Creep Prop that Eerie Acres Cemetery put together. It is a simple motor that moves a pivoting shaft back and forth as it rotates. The effect is not complex but for a prop that will be seen for a few seconds by your guests it is sure to look great
 One of the scariest effects for Halloween is the zipper effect, these effects are a bit creepy so you might want to skip them if this is something that freaks you out. This effect is where you can see a zipper partially unzipped so that when the makeup is completed it looks like your skin is being zipped open! You can see some picture examples and a few
The guys from Amateur Logic head down to Huntsville Hamfest. Looks like an interesting show, quite the line up when the doors opened.
The prize this week is an 6V 0.6W Solar Cell. This contest will run for one week (September 28 – October 4, 2013). Ending time is based on central standard time. To enter, identify the item above and what it can be used for. Please note the image above is a side view of the thing. Please do not give the answer in the comments. Send an email to
Funny how they look at the circuitry from the 60s and call it old fashioned. Interesting how we work with these little pieces of magic every day without having to know the complexity that goes into creating them. Other than automation I don’t think much has changed over the years. I wonder if someone sent them a letter at the address shown at 19:08 if they would get anything
