MAKE » Laura Cochrane

Fender Jazzmaster-Style Guitar, Built from Scratch

Laura Cochrane — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:40:24 +0000

This gorgeous homemade electric guitar, modeled after the Fender Jazzmaster, was made from a 2" slab of alder wood. From there, the maker planed, jigsawed, wired, sanded, sealed, primed, lacquered, buffed, and copper shielded their way to the finished pale green guitar, which is quite handsome. After going through the whole painstaking process, the maker comments at the end: "Whew.... I kind of want to build another.... Am I a sadist?"

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How-To: A Working Paper Wrench

Laura Cochrane — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:27:13 +0000

At Maker Faire Bay Area this year, Jay from MakerBlock found himself needing to tighten some wingnuts, but he didn't have a wrench. Rather than asking around, he hacked together a solution on his own. It's super simple: just one piece of paper. Roll it up into a tight tube and fold it in half. To use, place the paper tube around the wingnut, squeeze, and turn.

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Fantastic Cthulhu Mask

Laura Cochrane — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:00:14 +0000

Quirky Montreal artist and fabricator Ian Langohr's latest creation is this fantastic Cthulhu mask. Fun fact: Ian finds inspiration in (not surprisingly) horror and fantasy novels and films. But he also enjoys checking out abandoned Montreal factories and watching nature documentaries, like Planet Earth.

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DIY Watering Can From a Plastic Milk Jug

Laura Cochrane — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 17:23:25 +0000

This super simple hack of an old milk jug is perfect for a new gardener that hasn't gone out and bought a $20 watering can yet. Just upcycle your old plastic milk jug by heating up a needle and poking holes in the lid so water can flow through. I love it! This tutorial comes from Astra of A Journey to a Dream.

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Beginner Electronics Project: The TapeTricity Card

Laura Cochrane — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 22:40:14 +0000

The TapeTricity Card is a great first electronics project for kids. It's quick, cheap, easy, and fun to make. Not only does it teach how to make a simple circuit, but it engages the maker's creativity. You can make one for about 25 cents in materials.

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Wrap the Saturn V Moon Rocket in a Crowdsourced Quilt

Laura Cochrane — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 20:15:50 +0000

The Dream Rocket Project project brings the "A" to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) and celebrates the Saturn V — a crowning achievement of human ingenuity — by wrapping it in a massive crowdsourced quilt made by people from around the world. The project needs funding to help cover design and engineering costs, and you can help by contributing to their Kickstarter campaign.

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Inspiration: Laser-Cut Leather

Laura Cochrane — Wed, 29 May 2013 23:51:54 +0000

Leather lends itself to the intricate design possibilities of a laser cutter, because it is pliable enough to wear on the body, but sturdy enough to hold its shape, even with large cutouts. I've collected a few of my favorite examples of laser-cut leather here, to serve as inspiration.

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Making Maker Scholarships

Laura Cochrane — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:43:12 +0000

At Maker Faire Bay Area 2013, Luke and Adam Iseman spoke about how to make your own micro-scholarship for the students at your alma mater high school, which encourages new makers and honors your favorite teachers. You don't need a lot of money to make a big difference.

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ArcAttack’s Steve Ward Demos the Handheld Tesla Coil

Laura Cochrane — Sun, 19 May 2013 21:57:12 +0000

Today at Maker Faire, ArcAttack's Steve Ward showed me why he comes to Maker Faire: to make lightning!

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Crochet Jam – Weaving Community Through Crochet at Maker Faire Bay Area

Laura Cochrane — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:53:10 +0000

Yesterday at Maker Faire Bay Area in the Textile Talk Lounge, artist Ramekon O’Arwisters gave a compelling talk on his social and artistic project, called Crochet Jam. Ramekon goes out into the community and teaches people how to crochet, and then lets them loose to work on a collaborative tapestry. […]

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