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July 31, 2006

HOW TO - Make a geodesic dome

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Our pal Gavin Harper cooked up this great how-to on making a geodesic dome...
In this article, we are going to be looking at a simple lightweight bamboo geodesic dome structure that you can erect in your garden as a temporary shelter for leisure use. This structure is so lightweight, that you could even safely give it to your kids to put up in an hour.

Geodesic Domes are great futuristic looking structures that enclose a large amount of space for minimal materials. At the Centre for Alternative Technology www.cat.org.uk I have just finished my last module of an MSc. Architecture: Advanced Environmental & Energy Studies. www.cat.org.uk/msc. Our team, Joe Lee, Ian Dalgliesh and myself Gavin Harper had to make a kit of parts for another group to assemble our timber frame structure. We were investigating structures and for our design project decided to build a Geodesic Dome.

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Cement Topped Workbench

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Another workbench mod... this time with concrete!

My girlfriend and I decided to take your workbench and modify it some for our purposes. I thought you might be interested in seeing your handiwork being inspirational!

The first change was doing away with the top sheet over hang your design has. The second change was adding a second support beam for the shelf. We also added some cross beams to stabilize the top a bit more.

After we got the basic frame together we poured some self-leveling underlayment (concrete) on top for fun. Since we planned on getting this thing really wet with our aquarium adventures it sounded like a good idea. I don't think we could put down enough sealant to keep the plywood from warping or rotting.

We then spray painted the frame Home Depot Orange and gray (to match the concrete). There's pictures and such on my blog, here are the relevant links: Part 1 and Part 2.

Richard Feynman Video

When Richard Feynman was in school he would daydream a lot. I remember a story he told in his autobiography about being in a class in school looking at water running from a faucet and thinking about the curve that water makes as the stream gets thinner. Because he was totally obsessed with math and the natural world, he figured out the equation that would describe that curve.

Feynman also had a lock-picking habit. If someone he knew couldn't open a safe, he'd go lock himself in the room with the safe and crack it in a few minutes and then sit there reading the paper for an hour so that people wouldn't know how easy it was.

I've read transcripts of these interviews, but it's really great to see them! I think every maker can relate to trying to put two sticks together to reach a banana! [via]

MAKE 07 - Shipping soon, subscribe yet?

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MAKE 07 hit the printing press today (Backyard biology - including three DNA-based experiments. Other projects include putting a video camera in a model rocket, an easy-to-make Stirling engine, and a home mushroom growing lab) and it will be shipping in the next couple weeks --- so MAKEZine.com/blog readers, we have a special code if you're not a subscriber yet - get MAKE for one year for $29.95 (USA) + free digital edition with this code CMAKE - Link.

::In PBS-style pledge voice:: If you like the dozens of posts here on MAKE each day, the forums, video tutorials, photo pools, projects, how-tos & everything else - subscribe and keep us going...besides, it's cheaper than the newsstand.

Display fun

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Irregular Shed writes - "One Epson DMD-206 display - the ones normally used on tills in supermarkets - hacked to be connected to a PC via its serial port, and hooked up to an IBM Thinkpad running Xubuntu Linux (Ubuntu with Xfce - because this is an old laptop). Why? Because I can =) " - Link.

TV Remote control decoder kit

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Looks like if you're a member of the ARRL you can order this kit, I'll see what I can dig up... - "The ARRL Amateur Radio Education and Technology Program has cooked up a packaged project that detects and decodes the infrared messages from a TV remote. You probably have a number of them around the house. In fact, remote controls have become so important that when they are misplaced there is a sense of panic." - Link.

Bleep Labs photos

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Bleep labs added some "making of" photos to the MAKE pool of anthropomorphic synthesizer monsters - the Thingamagoop. - Link.

BadApple - Sync any MP3 with iTunes...

Use iTunes to sync your MP3s with non-iPods - "BadApple is a free plug-in for iTunes which allows you to sync your music library to any MP3 player (not just an iPod). After downloading and installing the software, you will have a "Sync to MP3 player" link you can click on from within iTunes. This will sync all tracks to a MP3 player. BadApple will work with a wide range of MP3 players such as the Creative Nomad, Dell DJ, Oakley Thump, Archos and more. Any unit that mounts as a USB mass storage device should work well with BadApple. You can even sync to a network drive. " - Link. I'll try it out later - or if a Maker out there wants to check it out and post any feedback in the comments, that would be cool too.

Pictured here, my non-iPod shuffle clone that can now sync with iTunes.

HOW TO - Make a street art sticker (video)

Jay in London over at the Wooster collective has a video tutorial on making street art stickers - Link.

Mini MAME arcade consoles

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Here's are some build photos of MAKE Flickr photo pool member Mushmoth26's Mini Galaga arcade - Link.

Rollerblades with tank treads

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They don't seem fast, but could be a good (re)make - Popular Mechanics 1936 - Link.

HOW TO - Make a precision hot glue gun

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Dan writes - "I've been experimenting with making a hot glue gun more suited to intricate and precision modelmaking & prototyping jobs - smaller diameter nozzle, held like a pen rather than a gun, etc. It's still work in progress, but I've put together an Instructable about the project so far." - Link.

18 foot tall - tall bike

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Terry Goertzen's 18 foot tall - tall bicycle - "The origins of the feat were innocent enough. Terry's wife SuAnn had given him a welding set for Christmas and soon he was building bikes, including a multi-layered one. On a whim, he checked the world's record for tallest bicycle. When he realized he was already close to the 4.3 metre record, he decided to beat it." [via] - Link & winning record. Thanks Cliff!

iPod sport teardown

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Synthesis Studios writes - "We're pulling apart the Nike+iPod receiver so we can figure out what's going on inside -- we want to use the receiver for other purposes..." - Link.

Photoshoping aerial photographs

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Michael A. Covington has some good tips that go right along with our weekend project! - "Photoshop techniques to get a dramatic improvement in the quality of pictures taken through an airplane window, or from a balloon or model rocket, or what have you. " - Link.

Soap mouse

Ned writes - "A novel idea for making a standard optical mouse operate in mid-air. Make sure you check out the video for a demonstration and instructions for making your own." - Link.

Hover creeper

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Know those wheeled slabs in garages that you push around while on your back to fix your car? Check out this floating 40 psi version that can lift over 300lbs and glide right over all the cracks and debris. If you're working on a car, you likely have an air compressor - so this is a pretty neat idea. I'm interested in getting a portable compressor and using this as a hoverboard - [via] - Link.

HOW TO - Dial out using an ATA and SkypeOut

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Kurced @ Oldskoolphreak has a how-to I'm going to if I can get working with Asterisk - "As most of you know SkypeOut is free until the end of 2006, and using headsets is all nice and fun, but I know I'd rather use a real phone. Cordless or otherwise, here's a way to use your ATA to dial out for the time being." [via] - Link.

Pictured here, Skype payphone...

Commodore64 Hardball bracelets

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Joe Beuckman's Commodore64 beadwork - "A series of square-stitch bracelets based on the audience graphics from the Commodore64 game Hardball" [via] - Link.

Portable sound units

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Here's another one from Steve, portable sound units (and links on how to build your own) - "The AAA Portable Sound Units are small sound-systems triggered by a motion detector. They playback on-the-street interviews with the public about their opinions on outdoor advertising. Installed in the field, the units are designed to run on battery packs and conserve power by turning on only when pedestrians pass by them." - Link.