$

9.99

MAKERBOT:
BUILD YOUR OWN
3D PRINTER
PAGE 58

2011

GADGETS TOOLS WORKSPACES AND MORE!

THE CONVINCER

ADAM SAVAGE’S
NEW WORKSHOP

6 ULTIMATE
MAKER TOOLS

TOP MAKERS
SHOW THEIR SHOPS

99 & GADGETS
COOL TOOLS

WORKBENCHES
YOU CAN BUILD

10 BEST DIY
FABBING TOOLS

CREATE YOUR OWN

HACKERSPACE

makezine.com
 IT’S TIME TO GET YOUR MOD ON
NEW EPISODES EVERY OTHER MONDAY

We are proud to present The Ben Heck Show. The all-new online-TV-series created for (and by) electronics enthusiasts, and sponsored
exclusively by element14. Join Ben and friends for bi-weekly episodes as they modify and build all kinds of community-suggested gadgets.
Got an idea for a mod? Then share it with Ben. Or, if you’re ready to build, we’re ready with the parts list to make it happen. Either way, be
sure to tune-in at element14.com/TBHS

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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10/13/10 7:27
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 Welcome
A Workshop
That Works
for You

M
AKE is a quarterly magazine for
do-it-yourself enthusiasts of all
kinds. Every issue is packed with
how-to articles ranging from kid-friendly
crafts to cutting-edge robotics. We’ve cov-
ered microcontrollers, cigar box guitars,
Roomba hacks, rocket-launched video
cameras, potato cannons, stop-motion
movies, wind-powered generators, laser
light shows, wooden puzzle boxes, remote
control vehicles, home automation, and
much more.
If you’re new to MAKE, our website,
makezine.com, will give you an idea of the
other kinds of projects we offer. You can
even share your own DIY projects at our
online library, makeprojects.com.
Recently, we surveyed our readers to
find out what else they wanted to see in
Our goal is to give you
MAKE. In addition to more projects that everything you need to
teach basic skills such as electronics,
woodworking, and alternative energy, over
know to design, build,
90% told us tools and workshop skills and stock a workshop
were high on their wish list. That makes
sense: no matter what you make, you need
that works for you.
a dedicated space and the tools to make it.
  The survey confirmed many of our
beliefs about our readers, but there were kinds of tools you need to accomplish
surprises sprinkled in. Almost everyone almost any task you can think of, and in-
we surveyed told us they already own a troduce you to the exciting world of home
soldering iron, a cordless drill, and a high- 3D fabrication. We’ll also take you on a
speed rotary tool. And while fewer than tour through some of our favorite makers’
5% have a computer-controlled milling workshops, including an exclusive visit to
machine or a 3D printer, most readers MythBuster Adam Savage’s brand new
wish they had these high-tech fabrication workshop/museum, which he completed
tools in their shops (count me among just days before this issue went to press.
them). We hope you find this issue useful and
We asked readers what they made in inspiring. We also hope you’ll tell us about
their workshops. We were surprised to your own workshop (even if it exists only
Adam Savage photograph by Cody Pickens

see that 68% said they made a rocket and
47% made a robot, but only 11% made a
go-kart and 7% made a kegerator (hope-
fully not at the same time).
  The survey was of great value to us
in planning this special issue of MAKE,
devoted entirely to workshops and tools.
Our goal is to give you everything you
need to know to design, build, and stock
a workshop that works for you.
We’ll show you how to construct work-
benches and workhorses, describe what
in your mind at this time) and what you’ve
made (or want to make) by taking our
latest reader survey at makezine.com/
go/survey. (And if you’re one of the first
10 to respond, we’ll send you a Maker’s
Notebook so you can make plans for your
upcoming projects.)
 
Happy making!
ON THE COVER: Adam Savage gives
  us an exclusive first look at his
Mark Frauenfelder new personal workshop/museum.
Editor-in-Chief Photograph by Cody Pickens.

Make: 1

p001_SIP_Welcome_F1.indd 1 10/11/10 2:14:28 PM

 “Man is a tool-using animal.
Nowhere do you find him without ™ founder & gm, maker media
tools: without tools he is nothing, Dale Dougherty
with tools he is all.” dale@oreilly.com
—Thomas Carlyle

EDITORIAL PUBLISHING

Editor-in-Chief Creative Director MAKEr media division Los Angeles &

Mark Frauenfelder Daniel Carter publisher southwest Sales
markf@oreilly.com dcarter@oreilly.com Fran Reilly Jeff Griffith
fran@oreilly.com Joe Hustek
Managing Editor Designer
Sales Development Manager 626-229-9955
Keith Hammond Katie Wilson
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PRODUCTION designer katie@oreilly.com George Clark
senior Editor Gerry Arrington
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Photo editors Selina Yee
goli@oreilly.com
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PROJECTS EDITOR Kathryn Roach selina@oreilly.com
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pspinrad@makezine.com Sales Associate
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STAFF editor Bruce Stewart Sheena Stevens
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EDITOR AT LARGE Laura Cochrane Circulation Manager
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online e-commerce eVENTS

director of digital media editor-in-chief Associate Publisher & GM, director, Maker Faire,
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shawn@oreilly.com gareth@makezine.com Dan Woods Sherry Huss
dan@oreilly.com 707-827-7074
director of technology SENIOR Editor
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stefan@oreilly.com pt@makezine.com & operations
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web developer ASSOCIATE EDITOR Coordinator
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product development
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MAKE Technical Advisory Board PublisheD by CUSTOMER SERVICE

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All rights reserved. in U.S. and Canada
CONTRIBUTING writers Reproduction without 818-487-2037,
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Please Note: Technology, the laws, and limitations imposed by manufac-
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turers and content owners are constantly changing. Thus, some of the
John Baichtal, Chris Connors, Collin Cunningham, projects described may not work, may be inconsistent with current laws
Adam Flaherty, Kip Kedersha, Matt Mets, John Edgar Park, or user agreements, or may damage or adversely affect some equipment.
Your safety is your own responsibility, including proper use of equip-
Sean Michael Ragan, Marc de Vinck ment and safety gear, and determining whether you have adequate skill
and experience. Power tools, electricity, and other resources used for
interns
these projects are dangerous, unless used properly and with adequate
Eric Chu (engr.), Brian Melani (engr.), Tyler Moskowite (engr.), precautions, including safety gear. Some illustrative photos do not depict
Nick Raymond (engr.), Ed Troxell (photo) safety precautions or equipment, in order to show the project steps
more clearly. These projects are not intended for use by children.
Use of the instructions and suggestions in MAKE is at your own risk.
O’Reilly Media, Inc., disclaims all responsibility for any resulting dam-
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activities comply with applicable laws, including copyright.

MAKE SPECIAL ISSUE: Ultimate Workshop & Tool Guide 2011 is a supplement to MAKE magazine. MAKE (ISSN 1556-2336) is published quarterly by O’Reilly Media, Inc. in the months
of January, April, July, and October. O’Reilly Media is located at 1005 Gravenstein Hwy. North, Sebastopol, CA 95472, (707) 827-7000. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Send all subscription requests to
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Canada Postmaster: Send address changes to: O’Reilly Media, PO Box 456, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6V2

2 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p002_SIP_Masthead_F1.indd 2 10/12/10 3:07:03 PM

Jameco_Make_P7_fullpage 9/2/10 1:49 PM Page 1

What is the
missing component?

Electronics instructor Ollie Circuits planned to show his class of freshman electrical engineering
students how to use a super capacitor as a memory back-up capacitor, but first he wanted to show
how the students could make their own super capacitor and demonstrate its charge/discharge
cycles with the simple circuit above. Most of the components were already on his workbench, the
homemade super capacitor would be made from several layers of lemon juice-soaked paper towels
interleaved between several layers of a mystery material to form a multi-layer stack.The stacked
layers would then be sandwiched between the two copper-clad PC boards and held together with
a rubber band. Ollie rushed to a nearby pet shop. What did he buy?
Go to www.Jameco.com/unknown7 to see if you are correct and while you are there, sign-up
for our free full-color catalog.

1-800-831-4242 | www.Jameco.com

p005_SIP_MkrSpace_F1.indd 3 10/13/10 2:51:05 PM

 ™ 2011

14: Adam Savage’s New Man Cave 64: The Maker’s Ultimate Tools
Exclusive: The MythBusters host shows off his new personal workshop/ In a perfect world, these six high-tech tools would be yours. By Saul Griffith
museum, and talks about the things he makes and the tales they tell.
By Adam Savage 66: The Ultimate Tool Buying Guide
A complete list of tools you need to make almost anything. By Saul Griffith
18: Mister Jalopy’s Garage
Like a portal into the past and the future, it’s stuffed with vintage tools, 68: Your Electronics Workbench
car parts, a record album digitizing station, and the Bandit. What you need to get started in hobby electronics. By Charles Platt
By Mark Frauenfelder
71: 8 Non-Tools Every Workshop Needs
20: The Rocketman’s Garage You’ll never want to leave your maker cave. By William Gurstelle
Ky Michaelson never met a vehicle he didn’t think would go better
with a rocket engine bolted to its backside. 2011 Tool Guide
By Gareth Branwyn 72: Gadgets & Multitools
Blades, specialty drivers, and do-it-all pocket tools for the maker.
22: The Barrage Garage
Building the ultimate multi-purpose maker’s workshop from scratch, and 76: CNC & 3D Fabrication
outfitting it with tools and materials to tackle all kinds of projects. Entry-level and DIY tools for computerized cutting, milling, and 3D printing.
By William Gurstelle
82: Electronics & Robotics
34: Outrageous Fortune Hot irons, meters, gadgets, robot kits.
The awesome machine shop at
Intellectual Ventures Lab. 88: Workspaces
By Keith Hammond Clever caddies, chargers, and more.

35: The Safe Workshop 90: Metalwork & Machining

Rules to make by. Dremels, mini lathe, vise, and pliers
By William Gurstelle with more cowbell.

36: Show Us Your Shops

ULTIMATE TOOL 94: Woodworking
MAKE readers share their cool
workshops on Make: Online.
By Gareth Branwyn WoRKSHoPS BoX & Construction
Rout, saw, sand, drill, and demolish.

38: Workhorses
Use a simple mortise-and-tenon
joint to make these fine-looking
DiY 1: Welcome
Our goal is to give you everything you
need to know to design, build, and
shop horses that’ll last a lifetime. stock a workshop that works for you.
By Len Cullum By Mark Frauenfelder

44: Mister Jalopy’s 5: Raise a Makerspace,

Hide-Away Workbench Raise a Maker
Build a stowable mini workshop Kids need a place to make things at
inspired by vintage DIY magazines. school. Here’s a DIY building you can
By Mister Jalopy raise to make it happen.
By Dale Dougherty
46: Wilderness Workshop
Build your own inexpensive, sturdy work tables, shelving, and wood rack.
By Charles Platt 6: How to Create a Hackerspace
Makers are joining together in shared workshops to access cool high-tech
50: Primer: Soldering and Desoldering tools, collaborate, and learn new skills. They’re called hackerspaces.
In just a few minutes you’ll be ready to make and repair electronics. Step- Here’s how to set one up.
by-step instructions for making (and unmaking) the perfect solder joint. By Mitch Altman
By Joe Grand
12: The Maker’s Bill of Rights
54: Your Own CNC for Less Than $800 If you can’t open it, you don’t own it. An Owner’s Manifesto for those who like
Make your own computer-controlled router and save big. An overview from to hack, repair, or just know what makes their technology tick.
the co-author of Build Your Own CNC Machine. By Mister Jalopy
By James Floyd Kelly

58: Build Your First 3D Printer

Assemble a MakerBot using this popular kit and start printing your own
parts and prototypes.
By Marc de Vinck

4 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p004_MAKE_SIP_TOC_F1.indd 4 10/11/10 2:29:35 PM

 Raise a
Makerspace,
Raise
a Maker
By Dale Dougherty
H
ow do we give young people more
opportunities to become makers
and learn practical skills they can
apply to their own creative projects?
The question comes up for me after
each Maker Faire, when I see how young
people are inspired by other makers.
I know they leave and want to start making
things. Could schools offer more opportu-
nities for making things? Could we provide
potential makers a physical space to meet
— a “makerspace” that can be organized
with tools and supplies, so they can work
on projects?
At World Maker Faire in New York City,
I saw a solution — a simple building called
Shelter 2.0 (shelter20.com), designed by
Robert Bridges to provide housing in areas
hit by disaster. It’s a digitally fabricated
shelter, between a house and a tent, that
can be put up (and taken down) with
simple tools in a matter of hours, even by
young makers themselves.
Can we find motivated parents and local
makers to create a space and develop
programs for local kids, in complete
DIY fashion? Imagine a barn-raising of a
makerspace in a local community. Nothing
could be more in the spirit of making than
young makers building their own space.
Developed by Bridges with Bill Young
of ShopBot, the standard modular maker-
space is 10'×16' with a barrel-shaped
roof covered by canvas or corrugated tin.
The plans are available under a Creative
Commons license, and as a Google
SketchUp model, so you can modify the
design and find a local ShopBot user to
create the shelter yourself.
Or, we can provide the standard
components as a package that ships in a
4'×8' crate. (We’re still exploring different
options for manufacturing and shipping.)
All the instructions for building a maker-
space will be online, along with videos
that show you how.
p005_SIP_MkrSpace_F1.indd 5
Now, you don’t have to build this Create a makerspace
particular building. The important thing is
to find a DIY way to create a makerspace
in your community. To
that young makers can enjoy working and get more information
playing in. A space can inspire us to see
making as something that takes place and to get involved, go
at school, but isn’t school. It should be to makerspace.com.
placed near the playground because we
want our young makers to have fun and
play, while making things.
We can begin a process of open collab-
oration to define the materials, tools, and
other supplies that are needed, and to
identify programs and projects that work
well for young makers. We can help iden-
tify mentors locally and online who can
offer safety training, teach about tool use,
and provide specialized expertise.
In addition, we can develop awards
for participation and achievement to
recognize the accomplishments of young
makers. Plus, Mini Maker Faires can be
used as local fundraisers to provide sup-
port for makerspaces and also provide
an opportunity for young makers to
demonstrate their projects.
Our goal is to build a network of maker-
spaces around the country (if not the
world) and connect them online through
makerspace.com.
Dale Dougherty is the founder and general
manager of Maker Media.
Make: 5
10/11/10 12:02:35 PM

How to Create
a Hackerspace
Join with other makers in a shared
workshop to access high-tech tools
and learn new skills. By Mitch Altman
6 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p006-11_SIP_Hackerspace_F1.indd 6
A
A s I write this, I’m on
a workshop tour of
Midwestern U.S. hacker-
spaces, teaching people
of all ages how to solder
and make cool things
with electronics.
The tour is an outgrowth of Noisebridge,
a hackerspace I that co-founded in San
Francisco three years ago. On the tour with
me is Jimmie Rodgers, co-founder of the
Artisan’s Asylum hackerspace in Boston,
and Matt Mets, a blogger for Make: Online
and member of Hack Pittsburgh.
On our travels, we’ve asked lots of
hackerspace members how they got their
spaces going, so that we could share their
experiences with you.
Three years ago there were only about
50 hackerspaces; now there are hundreds
10/11/10 6:51:09 AM
 B C

D E

forming all over the world, and some are
even calling themselves “makerspaces.”
Wired’s GeekDad blog calls it “an interna-
tional movement to bring technologists
and their projects to the same physical
spaces.” And you can be a part of it.
What’s a Hackerspace and
Photography by Mitch Altman (A, C, D) and Matt Mets (B, E)
and other resources, where you can learn,
teach, and help each other work on the
projects you love.
That’s basically what a hackerspace is.
If you can’t find one around the corner, it’s
time to make one! Here’s how.
1. Get the bug and spread it.
COME TOGETHER: Fig. A: “Kids of
all ages” at a soldering workshop at
Pumping Station One hackerspace in
Chicago. Fig. B: The machine shop at
Pumping Station One. Fig. C: Some
cool tools at A2 MechShop in Ann Arbor,
Mich. Fig. D: Soldering workshop
at All Hands Active in Ann Arbor.
Fig. E: Brainstorming new ideas at

AS220 in Providence, R.I.

Why Do I Need One?
If you’re reading this magazine, you
already have at least one amazing DIY
project in mind. But to make it real, you
might need to use a way-cool tool that you
don’t have (or have a clue how to use), say,
a computer-controlled mill, a laser cutter,
or an industrial sewing machine.
Or maybe you want to learn to solder,
or build musical instruments. Maybe you
don’t have enough room in your apart-
ment to put up that space probe balloon.
Or maybe your project could be more
awesome if you could get together with
other cool-minded makers, hackers, and
nerds in a friendly space with shared tools
Chris Anderson of Hive13 hackerspace
in Cincinnati got the bug at a monthly
technology-geek meeting called 2600.
“Attending my first 2600 meeting in
Cincinnati washed away all my frustrations
about being a lonely geeky guy,” Anderson
says. Then he realized: “Starting a hacker-
space in Cinci could get me my 2600 fix
whenever I want it.” He got excited after
reading the Hackerspace Design Patterns
online (see Resources on page 11), and
told everyone at the next meeting.
“I became the guy who wouldn’t shut up
about hackerspaces,” continues Anderson.
“I posted about it on all the local blogs,
talked about it at parties, talked to all the

Make: 7

p006-11_SIP_Hackerspace_F1.indd 7 10/11/10 6:54:08 AM

 1980s: 2600 Early 2000s: Many large, diverse com- Noisebridge in 2008 to present:
and Phrack create hackerspaces form munities of people San Francisco Successful U.S.
community for in Germany when who make just about (noisebridge.net). and European
hackers through Chaos Computer Club anything. Subsequent hackerspaces, net-
their publications. (CCC) starts actively Maker Faires and December 2007: working through
The New supporting them. A hacker conferences Hackerspace Design hackerspaces.org,
1990s: Early U.S. few appear in other worldwide reinforce Patterns presented show the world that
Wave of hackerspaces form, countries. community. at the 24th Chaos hackerspaces are
Hacker- including New Hack Communications awesome and they
spaces City in Boston and Mid-2000s: August 2007: Congress (24C3) by work, spurring many
San Francisco, the Hackerspaces such as Hackers on a Plane three hackers from to start their own
A timeline of Walnut Factory in C-Base and Metalab trip to Chaos Camp the CCC Cologne spaces all over the
shared spaces for Philadelphia, Hacker actively help other inspires participants hackerspace. Their world.
project makers: Halfway House in spaces get going, to start hackerspaces intent is to help start
Brooklyn, N.Y., and and support diverse, in their hometowns: hackerspaces world- Present: Hundreds
both L0pht and open hackerspaces HacDC in Washington, wide (see Resources). of hackerspaces
the Hasty Pastry in worldwide. D.C. (hacdc.org), NYC and makerspaces
Boston. Primarily col- Resistor in New York July 2008: all over the world
lectives of software 2005–2006: City (nycresistor. Hackerspaces.org is are now listed at
hackers, they’re not MAKE magazine com), The Hacktory launched, in time for hackerspaces.org.
open to the general starts publishing, in Philadelphia (the- The Last HOPE
public. bringing together hacktory.org), and conference.

maker types and weird artist types I could
find, and through all this, met others who
would become founders of Hive13.”
Anderson’s story is typical. Hackerspace
founders get the bug, and then spread it by
telling everyone they know to tell everyone
they know, utilizing local organizations, the
internet, posters on lamp poles — whatever
does the job.
2. Organize!
Hackerspaces run the gamut from anarchy
to structured democracies to benevolent
dictatorships. When you create one,
you’re creating a culture that you want
to be part of, which will attract others
who fit in. Not all groups are for everyone;
this is fine.
The first thing the founders of Noise-
bridge did, even before we had the
name, was create a Google group so that
anyone could communicate about getting
involved. Within weeks we’d registered
our chosen name online; started our
website, email list, and IRC channel; and
begun meeting every Tuesday night at a
local café. As excitement grew, so did our
numbers, and we soon moved our weekly
meetings to people’s apartments.
Deech Mestel, president of Arch Reactor
in St. Louis, Mo., told me of a similar pro-
cess. “We grew out of our pizza parlor, and
started meeting in an empty apartment
owned by one of our members. It’s where
we threw our first open house party that
attracted lots of new members. It’s also
where we wrote our bylaws.”
3. Incorporate (recommended).
Though some are informal collectives,
most hackerspaces form some type of
corporation. This gives the group a legal
entity to sign contracts, and also limits
individuals’ personal legal liability. Some
groups form for-profit corporations, others
form nonprofits.
Bre Pettis, who started NYC Resistor,
went with an LLC (limited liability corpora-
tion). “It was just way easier,” he recalls.
“We went online, filled out a form, and we
had our corporation.”
At Noisebridge we pooled our money
and paid $2,000 to a lawyer who took
us through the entire process with the
IRS, becoming a tax-exempt nonprofit
corporation, called a 501(c)(3). Artisan’s
Asylum is taking a similar approach.
(Noisebridge and other hackerspaces
have their 501(c)(3) documentation on
their websites.)
Arch Reactor plans to become a “social
and recreation club” nonprofit corporation,
called a 501(c)(7). Sounds fun!
4. Make the rules you want to live with.
Some hackerspaces have a highly refined
set of rules, others are ad hoc. Noise-
bridge has only one rule — Bill and Ted’s
“Be excellent to each other” — from which
everything else follows.
Cowtown Computer Congress Kansas
City (CCCKC) has 10 rules, starting with
rule 0 and ending with rule 9: “Turn off the
lights when you leave.”
When choosing your rules, keep in mind
one of the unofficial Design Patterns,
discussed at hackerspaces around the
world: “Don’t solve problems that haven’t
happened.”
What about the inevitable misunder-
standings that arise in any group? “We
haven’t had a situation yet where someone
hasn’t stepped up to talk things through,”
says Anderson at Hive13. This is how most
hackerspaces deal with conflict. Though
not always easy, it’s important to let
people know if you’re having a problem
with them.
5. Find your space.
You’ve got the hackers, now get the space.
Hackerspace organizers have found a few
strategies to rent spaces and build them
out for not a lot of money.
Typically members donate the labor, and
in a down real estate market, landlords are
willing to deal, especially if you’re willing to
make improvements to the space.
Jeff Sturges of OmniCorpDetroit (OCD)
says, “Detroit has a lot of really creative
people who are un- or underemployed.
Because of this, our members have lots
of time to donate their skills to help get
our space together. We can’t get as much
money together as spaces in other cities,
but we got our huge warehouse for really
cheap.”
In smaller cities, it may be helpful to
team up with existing groups. Nathan
Heald of Indiana’s Bloominglabs says,
“Bloomington is a small university city,
so there are not as many people to draw
from. But after we put out the word, we
found an organization that has arts and

8 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p006-11_SIP_Hackerspace_F2.indd 8 10/13/10 10:55:30 AM


crafts programs. They had extra space in
their building, and since there was synergy
with our group, they gave us a really good
deal on rent.”
For the All Hands Active hackerspace
in Ann Arbor, Mich., the connection was
gamers. “A few gamers in our group con-
nected us with a network gaming store
in town who gave us a corner of their
Photography by Matt Mets (F, H) and Mitch Altman (G)
store for free,” says Bilal Ghalib. “We
only pay a minimal amount for utilities
each month.”
Chris Cprek of LVL1 in Louisville, Ky.,
recommends finding as many spaces to
choose from as possible, so you know
you’re making the right decision. “We
put out a big call for all of our members
to contact anyone they knew who could
help us find a space. … We had a vote, for
people to rank all the spaces we found
according to personal preference. Then
a go/no-go vote to be sure everyone was
onboard with this space.”
p006-11_SIP_Hackerspace_F1.indd 9
G
F H
6. Fix it up. MAKE AND CRAFT: Fig. F: The crafting
You’ll probably want to update the space area at i3 Detroit in Ferndale, Mich.
Fig. G: The popular weekly soldering
to accommodate your work areas. Sturges
workshop at Noisebridge in San Francisco.
says OCD knew they had a good landlord Fig. H: Weekly open Craft Night at NYC
when, “He told us that we could make Resistor in Brooklyn, N.Y.
improvements on the space and deduct
all materials expenses from our rent.” The
landlord also gave them an entire extra
floor in the building because he liked what
they were doing, and knew he had a good
tenant.
Steve Hamer of QC Co-Lab, in the Quad
Cities of Illinois and Iowa, teaches at a
technical college that no longer needed
a large section of one of their buildings.
“Besides the obvious advantage of having a
space for free,” says Hamer, “is the bonding
experience of everyone working together
to build out the space — ripping up the
ugly carpeting, polishing the cement floors
that revealed, removing unneeded walls,
setting up work areas, chill areas, and
a kitchen.”
Make: 9
10/11/10 6:56:50 AM

7. Fund it.
On top of rent, your space might have
other operating expenses, such as utilities,
internet, and insurance.
Most hackerspaces fund their operations
through membership dues and donations.
If you go this route you’ll need to pick a
dues structure that takes in a bit more
each year than you spend, ideally with
some buffer in the bank — “at least three
months of rent” in your bank account at
all times, recommends the Hackerspace
Design Patterns.
Some hackerspaces, such as Artisan’s
Asylum, or Pumping Station One in
Chicago, make a large percentage of
their income by charging for classes and
workshops, or by selling T-shirts or kits.
At Metalab in Vienna, Austria, it’s
beverages. “We make about a third of
our income selling Club-Mate,” says Paul
“Enki” Böhm. (It’s a popular yerba maté
energy drink among hackers in Europe.)
NYC Resistor has been known to have
10 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p006-11_SIP_Hackerspace_F2.indd 10
very popular rent parties on months when
they were short.
At Bloominglabs, Heald and another
member took a leap of faith and funded
their first month’s rent out of pocket,
since, he says, “We didn’t have enough
members to pay for it all, but knew that
once we got our space we would soon
have enough members.” And they now do.
When it was time for Noisebridge to
rent its first space, five of us took a similar
leap, signing the lease and paying the rent
for our first space. We then put out a call
for donations to cover it all. We received
$12,000 in 24 hours.
8. Get your tools.
While you’re collecting the normal tools
you’d expect at a hackerspace — solder-
ing irons, drills, mills, saws, and so on (see
pages 64–67 for the ultimate workshop
tool guide) don’t forget to look for the bare
necessities, too: tables and chairs, AC
power strips, lots of shelving for people
I
to store their projects, and appliances to
make up a kitchen — a great place for
doing a project as well as sustenance!
Surprising to people unfamiliar with
hackerspaces is finding that MakerBot
3D printers (see page 58) are practically
ubiquitous. And, given the multi-thousand-
dollar price tag, so are the laser cutters
you see at so many spaces. (But they’re
too cool not to have!) Photography by Matt Mets (I) and Mitch Altman (J)
And there’s Roomba, a robot vacuum
cleaner. Roombas are fun to hack (and
some spaces actually use them to vacuum).
Some spaces, such as Artisan’s Asylum,
have incredibly nice machine shops,
complete with industrial milling machines,
lathes, grinders, and much more. I3 Detroit
has a space suitable for welding and for
making machines that shoot out fire.
Tools are typically donated or loaned
by members, or purchased outright from
member dues. According to Cprek from
LVL1, “When we first rented our space, we
had nothing. So we put out the word, and
10/13/10 10:53:34 AM

J Hackerspaces offer a unique opportunity
BY THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE:
Fig. I: From roboteers to artists and
crafters, people make all sorts of things
at Hack Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Fig. J: The 10 rules that govern Cowtown
Computer Congress Kansas City (Mo.).
saw what we got donated. We’re still pretty
new, but we already have most of what we
want. We’ll give a little more time to see
before using some of our funds to buy a
projector and MIG welder.”
Jonathan Guberman, who helped start
Site 3 Co-Laboratory in Toronto, says,
“Right off the bat we tried to get nice equip-
ment, such as our laser cutter (60-watt!),
metal lathe, and industrial sewing machine.
This will attract new members, and gets us
going and keeps us going.”
While everything at Noisebridge is
donated, with no strings attached, many
spaces, including Arch Reactor and Hive13,
have some of their nicest equipment on
loan from their members.
9. Get insurance (recommended).
Insurance is easy enough to get, and it’s a
good idea for protecting your group from
liability. At Noisebridge we contacted a
broker, told them exactly what we were up
to, and they came back with a few compa-
p006-11_SIP_Hackerspace_F2.indd 11
nies that would sell us liability insurance.
(We chose one that didn’t have a reputation
for refusing to pay out claims.)
We also got D&O insurance, which
covers our directors and officers in case
anyone sues them personally. All this costs
us about $2,000 per year.
10. Teach skills.
“I love teaching!” says Site 3’s Guberman.
“It is very empowering for people to teach
them subjects they think they can’t do.
People think, when they see a project
I make, that I’m some kind of genius.
I’m not — anyone can do this. And I want
to show them. Facilitating collaboration
is what hackerspaces are all about. We
can teach people that they can do what-
ever it is that they are interested in.”
Teaching also helps the hackerspace
itself, says Anderson at Hive13. “To avoid
mishaps, we have a qualification process,
where people need to be taught how to
use each piece of equipment before they
can use it.” Noisebridge and other spaces
have similar training.
to build confidence, to make teachers out of
every learner and vice versa, with instruction
on almost any topic: mechanics, chemistry,
biology, photography, machining, painting,
comics, games, astrophysics, video …
you’re limited only by your imagination
(which is limitless).
As public schools are eliminating classes
in art, science, music, technology, and other
important fields, hackerspaces are creating
educational environments to fill the void.
TechShops and More
Coincident with the hackerspace move-
ment is the rise of co-working spaces,
tool libraries, start-up incubators, and
TechShops. All of these are helping
self-employed people to work in a
community of like-minded people,
rather than at home alone.
TechShop (techshop.ws) is a for-profit,
high-end version of a hackerspace that
provides high-tech tools and classes. Their
shops are packed with expensive equip-
ment like CNC mills and plasma cutters
that they make very affordable and acces-
sible to the general public. CEO Mark Hatch
says they’re able to do it because of “the
precipitous drop in the cost of new machine
tools — some of which are 90% cheaper
now than they were ten years ago.”
For the price of a monthly membership,
any aspiring inventor, hacker, maker, or
Find a Hackerspace
Near You
There are too many makerspaces and
hackerspaces to list in this space – more
than 500 worldwide, including 200-plus in
the United States and Canada. To find one
near you, check out hackerspaces.org/
wiki/List_of_Hacker_Spaces, a compre-
hensive, user-maintained list.
Click on your state to get a list of spac-
es there; click on your country and get not
only a list of active and planned spaces,
but also events and people in that country
interested in helping start a hackerspace.
entrepreneur can use TechShop’s sophis-
ticated tools to bring their ideas to reality
using the materials of their choice. With
locations in Portland, Ore., Raleigh, N.C.,
and Menlo Park, Calif., they have plans to
open more, including San Francisco, San
Jose, and a 15,000 square-foot TechShop
in the Detroit area that they hope will spur
innovation to help the local economy.
Hackerspaces Forever!
This is a great time to be a geek! The
internet is full of resources, technology
is cheap, MAKE magazine is showing us
how to make anything and everything,
our current economic down-times are
giving many of us more time to explore
our creativity, and there are more hacker
conferences and Maker Faires.
We don’t know where this new hacker-
space movement is heading, but we’re
creating it with every person who joins in
every day. Together we’re creating a com-
munity that can benefit each of us, and
everyone, far into the future.
Resources
Hackerspace Design Patterns is a very
useful compilation of what has worked, and
hasn’t, for hackerspaces over many years.
Topics include sustainability, community,
meetings, and conflict resolution.
hackerspaces.org/wiki/Design_Patterns
Hackerspaces.org is a great general
resource, with the best directory of
hackerspaces worldwide, as well as a 24/7
email list and monthly call-ins for people
to ask questions and share experiences.
Mitch Altman travels the world turning off TVs,
helping hackerspaces, and teaching people to
solder and make cool things. He is currently
writing a book for beginners on how to make
cool things with microcontrollers.
Make: 11
10/13/10 6:12:05 AM
 Mister Jalopy’s “Owner’s Manifesto” from MAKE Volume 04

Illustration by James Provost

12 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p012_SIP_MkrsBillRts_F1.indd 12 10/11/10 12:07:23 PM

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p013_SIP_AD_Alibre.indd 13 10/13/10 3:04:20 PM

 1. Hand-built 8"×10" vacuum former. I built it
from a shop-vac motor and some kiln wire from a
ceramics supplier. 2. Craftsman bandsaw. I traded
a gold pocketwatch and a stuffed iguana for this.
Noisy but excellent. 3. Handmade toolbox. To
impress my peers and superiors at ILM, I stayed
up one night and built this toolbox and a twin. It
has wheels and a locking scissor-lift so I can use
it at my desk without bending over. No tool need
be moved out of the way to get to any other — a
quality I call “first-order retrievability.” 4. A 16"
disc sander/grinder. A recent Craigslist purchase.
I have to install 3-phase/220V power to run it.
5. Pressure vacuum chamber, for moldmaking.
1 2
My New
Possibility
Engine
Adam Savage talks about the things
he makes, and the stories they tell,
at his new home workshop/museum
in San Francisco.
Photograph by Cody Pickens
14 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p014-16_SIP_Adam_Savage_F2.indd 14
Built from an old pressure cooker purchased
at a flea market. Pressure helps eliminate tiny
bubbles when casting in molds. 6. Grinder/sander.
7. Warhead. A prop from The Abyss, one of my
favorite movies. 8. Old dentist’s drill. 9. Drill press
(one of two). 10. Very large toolbox. 11. Maggie,
the youngest of my two rescue dogs from Pets
Unlimited in San Francisco. 12. Sortimo rack
system. Holds every piece of hardware any shop
will ever need. The trays have modular containers
inside. I love this thing. 13. My hand-built R2 unit.
Constructed by me over 6 years. It’s perfectly
accurate, all aluminum, fully remote control, and
has an iPod running its high-fidelity sound system.
4
5
10/11/10 7:07:43 AM
 I ’ve spent most of my adult life having regular
access to a workshop of some kind. My first
really private workspace was in Brooklyn, N.Y.
After moving from there to the mattress factory
in Hunter’s Point, San Francisco, to my parent’s
basement, to my own garages, closets, and cars,
I’ve finally moved into my ideal man cave, as you
see here.
I frequently call my shop spaces “possibility
engines” (I just as frequently worry that that’s
a pretentious thing to call my shop spaces), and
I’ve always required a certain amount of visual
cacophony in these places where I seek inspira-
tion. I like noise (some might call it mess, but
9 10
11
7
p014-16_SIP_Adam_Savage_F2.indd 15
don’t believe them). I need, in some ways, to be
overwhelmed by the space where I make.
By the same token, I have a deeply personal
relationship with everything in that space, such
that at my worst, I’m a high-functioning hoarder,
and at my best, I’m the curator of the most
awesome museum of my own brain.
The museum I oversee is, at its core, a sim-
ple conduit for the stories that objects tell.
Sometimes fictional objects tell true stories.
Eventually, every object describes a narrative in
its wear and decay, and my fascination with that
narrative is what has always made me a maker.
I want and need the objects around me to talk. »
12
13
Make: 15
10/11/10 7:12:24 AM
 When I can’t find objects that talk the way I want, I’ve made
them, and when I didn’t know how to make them, I’ve taught
myself how. I have done this since I was 5 or 6.
Many of the most transcendent, and most frustrating,
moments in my life have been while making things. I’ve left far
more projects by the wayside unfinished than I’ve completed.
At least 30 sit on shelves in various storage spaces, and I have
eager plans for each of them, most of which will go unfulfilled.
But I won’t.
With the limited time I have to devote to personal projects,
and with the long experience I’ve had in making, I now do most
of my tool setup, construction-problem solving, and building in
my head. I spend weeks throwing out bad ideas, and honing good
ones, so that when I finally do get into my shop, I’m ready, and
the work goes quickly.
That’s the plan, anyway. At least half the time my fine ideas
A B
C A My MICROLUX mini-mill I plan to purchase a full-sized coun-
16 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p014-16_SIP_Adam_Savage_F2.indd 16
get bogged down by the reality that making things is an endless
exercise in things not going as you planned. Which really is the
point, isn’t it?
I don’t make things in order to have finished objects. I have
finished objects as a by-product of my need to always be making.
I love these objects. I enjoy the conversation we have together.
I like the problem solving, the broken blades, and the Band-Aids.
They’ve made me who I am.
More photos: makezine.com/2010/workshop
Adam Savage is a lifelong maker, having worked in theater, fine art
sculpture, machine art, robotics, animation, commercials, and films like
A.I., Space Cowboys, the Star Wars prequels, and the Matrix sequels. He’s
taught advanced modelmaking, and has a modelmaking textbook kicking
around in his head. For the last eight years he’s hosted MythBusters. He’s
the father of 11-year-old twins, and collects and makes movie props and
other impossible objects in his spare time.
terpart to this little baby, but it has served me well. I gunsmithed most
of my Blade Runner gun on this thing using carbide bits. My previous
shop was 110 square feet (my new shop is over 2,000 — yay!), so size
was a key issue. This is a powerful beast despite its size. I bought and
installed an aftermarket DRO (a digital readout of exact position and
movement) that makes using it much easier.
B My shop “tool chair” was a present from artist Chico
MacMurtrie (amorphicrobotworks.org). I used to work as Chico’s
assistant; he built this during a time when he had a medical condition
that didn’t allow him to sit very comfortably.
C My lightsaber collection Front and center is what
you’d call a Luke ESB saber, constructed by me (not very accurately,
I’m sorry to say) from sketches I made when I visited an ILM museum
exhibit (before I worked at ILM). I pick these up from time to time.
I love having a lot of anything; the fact that they’re lightsabers makes
this one of the most awesome collections ever.
10/11/10 7:26:25 AM
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machine paid for
itself in 3 months
making products like these.”
-Ken Garcia, PlasmaCAM® machine owner

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p017_SIP_AD_PlasmaCam.indd 17 10/13/10 4:10:49 PM

 Mister
Jalopy’s
Garage
Photograph by Carla Sinclair
1
L ocated on a quiet street flanked by gigantic
shade trees in Burbank, Calif., Mister Jalopy’s
garage is like a portal into the past and the future
at the same time. It’s fully stuffed from floor to
ceiling with vintage tools, car parts, and movie
memorabilia he picks up at garage sales.
“I would fill my dream garage with ice cream
trucks, carnival rides, Helms Bakery trucks,
funeral flower cars, Mercedes-Benz ambulance
conversions by Binz, Unimogs, doodlebugs,
flathead four-powered log splitters, Cadillac
El Caminos, passenger buses from India, Air-
streams, Model T fruit trucks, farm equipment,
hit-and-miss engines, Spartans, aluminum-
18 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p018-19_SIP_Mr_Jalopy_F2.indd 18
3
6
bodied mail trucks, dragsters, utility trucks with
cherry picker baskets, Aeroflots, diamond-plate
F-350s with welders on the back, teardrop
trailers, well diggers, and, most favorably, book-
mobiles. I would collect houses and skyscrapers,
but that would take up too much space,” Mister
Jalopy notes. Owner of a used bicycle shop called
Coco’s Variety, Mister Jalopy confesses to owning
eight cars, including a 1965 Ford Country Squire
Wagon with a whimsical paint job by his friend,
a retired Disney sign painter. Read the chronicles
of his garage life on his blog, dinosaursandrobots.
com.
—Mark Frauenfelder
10/11/10 7:28:46 AM
 4
10
1. Having restored and hot-rod pinstriped an
O’Keefe & Merritt stove, Mister Jalopy won’t
dare start this rare mint-green range until the
average daily temperature drops below 85.
2. Good garage policy: WWTBD? (What Would The
Bandit Do?) 3. Automobile water bags and Model
A headlights from a time when crossing the
desert by automobile was a risky proposition.
4. The “Outlaw Motorcycle Club” Levi’s cutoff
jacket from the 1960s was a garage sale find.
5. The heartbeat of any good garage, the
ever-present, never-large-enough, Snap-on
rollaway tool chest that has every imaginable
tool except the wrench you need at midnight.
p018-19_SIP_Mr_Jalopy_F2.indd 19
6. Your father’s father rode in that kiddie ride.
Mister Jalopy is trying to figure out where to
mount an engine. 7. That beautiful art deco
Farnsworth radio cabinet hides a complete
Macintosh record album digitizing workstation
(see MAKE, Volume 04, page 54). 8. The Captain
Fantastic pinball machine was rescued from the
trash and “almost works!” 9. Garage sale Oriental
rugs really tie the room together, and oil spills
just add character. 10. Purchased for some
future race car project, those spindle-mount
magnesium racing wheels were from Barney
Navarro’s 1969 Indy 500 entry.
Make: 19
10/11/10 7:29:19 AM
 K y Michaelson, aka The Rocketman, hails
from an illustrious line of makers. On his
family tree can be found inventors of the motor-
cycle transmission and clutch, the rotary lawn-
mower blade, the flip-top aspirin box, and the
oxygen mask as used in commercial aviation.
As a child dealing with dyslexia, Michaelson
struggled in school, but discovered a natural
affinity for building things. One day in math class
his teacher discovered that he’d hollowed out
his textbook and built a crystal set inside (the
earpiece wire was concealed through his shirt
sleeve). She was awestruck by his ingenuity (in
addition to being pissed at him for destroying
1 3
The
Rocketman’s
Garage
Photograph by Chad Holder
20 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p020-21_SIP_Rocketman_F1.indd 20
his book), and it was this ability to dazzle with
his creations that sent him on a lifelong quest to
build more impressive machines.
Michaelson is forever hungry for power and
speed. In his Gyro Gearloose world, he’s never met
a moving vehicle he didn’t think would go better
with a big-ass rocket engine bolted to its back-
side. And, at this point, there aren’t too many
things he hasn’t “rocketized,” from motorcycles
and go-karts to tricycles and kiddie scooters.
And then there are the rocket-powered toilets and
barstools. See more of Rocketman’s crazed
creations at the-rocketman.com.
—Gareth Branwyn
10/11/10 7:31:31 AM
 1. Replica of an early Michaelson motorcycle,
originally built by Michaelson’s great uncles of
Michaelson Motor Company. 2. Rocket-powered
go-kart. His kart holds the world record of 252
mph. 3. The payload section of Michaelson’s Civil-
ian Space Exploration Team’s GoFast rocket, which,
on May 17, 2004, became the first amateur rocket
in space. 4. Dubbed the “SS Flusher,” this rocket-
powered toilet came about when somebody over-
heard Michaelson saying that a commode was one
of the few things he hadn’t made into a rocket.
The bowl donor worked for the prison system and
donated it on the q.t. 5. This hybrid (N20/plastic)
rocket trike was built for Michaelson’s son, Buddy
7
p020-21_SIP_Rocketman_F1.indd 21
(age 10). Not surprisingly, “Rocketman” is his
middle name. No, really. Legally. 6. An H202
rocketpack. Michaelson’s building a new one
with bigger rocket fuel tanks so it’ll fly longer.
7. An original 1912 Michaelson motor that the
Rocketman found at a flea market in Davenport,
Iowa. He’d been in search of one for 30 years.
8. A rocket-powered bicycle Michaelson built
using a Mongoose frame. 9. A twin-engine drag
bike, built on a BSA frame. 10. A steering “engine
bell” off an Apollo rocket. Michaelson has over
275 space artifacts in his home in the Minneapolis
suburbs.
10
Make: 21
10/11/10 7:31:57 AM
 Building The ultimate, multipurpose
the maker’s workshop, built
Barrage from the ground up.
Garage By William Gurstelle

As a city dweller, I’ve often looked

with envy at the spacious outbuild-
THE ings of my rural friends and relatives.
BARRAGE
GARAGE Horse barns, potting sheds, root cel-
lars, equipment garages — plentiful,
enclosed, and private space is the one thing that
makes me envy those who live beyond the end of
the bus line. I think often about what I could make
if I had a room of my own: a purpose-built, well-
equipped space in which to create.
Apparently I’m not alone in these a versatile, flexible space capable of
thoughts. Homebuilders commonly offer handling nearly any project I could think
two-, three-, and even four-car garages of — from building a cedar-strip canoe to
for new homes. But all that space isn’t compounding fuel and oxidizer for a rocket
needed simply to shelter the family Chevy. engine, from soldering a Minty Boost to
It’s needed to keep pace with the explo- developing a model ornithopter.
sion in DIY projects and their concomitant This series of articles details the
material and tool requirements. creation of a modestly sized yet state-of-
Randy Nelson, president of Swisstrax, the-art maker’s workshop, which I named
a manufacturer of workshop and garage the Barrage Garage.
floor products, says that garages are quick- This installment covers the design and
ly evolving into more than simply places construction of my Barrage Garage, and
where people keep their cars. Installation the considerations behind its doors and
of the company’s special-purpose floor tile windows, floor coverings, and other infra-
in garages and workshops is booming. structure. The parts that follow describe
“[Spaces for making things] have just the equipment inside it, such as work-
about doubled in the last ten years,” says benches, machine tools, hand tools, and
Nelson. “People aren’t just stuffing junk my own space-saving tool storage system.
in their garages any more. It’s become the
male domain, the place where they can do
their work and have their tools.”
There are scores of books providing
advice on setting up a wood shop or metal
shop, and many others that describe
setting up specialty areas such as a paint
shop, a photography studio, or a chemistry
laboratory.
But what I wanted was not a single-
purpose workspace. I was seeking the
ultimate, multipurpose maker’s workshop:

22 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p022-33_SIP_Barr_Garage_F2.indd 22 10/12/10 3:22:20 PM

 Workshop
Design
Criteria
» The first step was to determine
which features were the most
important and practical.
Photography by William Gurstelle
p022-33_SIP_Barr_Garage_F2.indd 23
Egress A 9-foot-wide, automatic, well-
insulated door outfitted with required
CUSTOM CAVE: The obvious advantage
of building a workshop from scratch
is the luxury of spec’ing it perfectly to
safety equipment was essential. The huge
your needs.
door makes bringing materials in and out
of the workspace a snap.
Fenestration Natural light and a view
to the outside were high on my list of
priorities. Therefore, the design called for
four east-facing sliding windows having
a total glass area of 24 square feet.
Organization I devised a plan for a
combination of stackable modular
cabinets, which, along with a slotted wall
storage system, maximize the efficiency
and versatility of my space.
Surfaces I wanted more functionality and
style than a concrete floor could afford.
I selected a special-purpose tile floor for
workshops and garages that makes walk-
ing and standing more comfortable.
Power I needed 240 volts to run the
heater and welder, and 120-volt recep-
tacles placed at frequent intervals along
all walls on two separate 20-amp, GFI-
protected circuits. This ensures a plentiful,
safe supply of electrical power to all tools.
Make: 23
10/12/10 3:22:48 PM
 Building
the Barrage
Garage
» My first task was to site the structure.
Where should the workshop go?
Initially I considered placing the shop in
my basement. Possible, but this would
involve far too many compromises. The
basement is a low-ceilinged space with
marginal access via a narrow stairway. The
thought of carrying tools and materials up
and down, turning corners, and so forth
quickly dissuaded me.
Instead I turned to the nearly forgot-
ten space along the alley in back of my
home. Separated from the rest of my yard
by a chain-link fence, it was covered with
25-year-old lilac bushes. I loved those
fragrant, beautiful spring blossoms, but
the space those lilacs grew upon was
workshop-perfect: it had room, privacy,
and access. So, goodbye lilacs.
City ordinances allowed me a maximum
of 240 square feet for the shop. With the
city building permit obtained, it was time
to push some dirt.
Pushing Dirt
It all starts with a level floor. Every work-
shop, atelier, pole barn, or garage must
have a level floor if great things are to be
24 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p022-33_SIP_Barr_Garage_F1.indd 24
made in it. It has always been this way.
Four thousand years ago, in the reign
of the great Egyptian pyramid builders,
construction techniques were rudimen-
tary. Imhotep, legendary architect of the
pharaohs, had only knotted measuring
ropes stretched taut between stakes,
plumb bobs, and sighting sticks.
But Imhotep gave the pharaohs the
tools to build monuments capable of
withstanding 50 centuries of desert
sandstorms. He did that by starting with a
perfectly level floor. It’s believed that the
Egyptians leveled the area under a pyra-
mid by cutting a shallow grid of trenches
into the bedrock, then filling them with
water. Knowing that the height of water
within connected trenches would be at
exactly the same level, the workers hacked
out the intervening islands of stone and
sand with hoes and stone drills.
The Barrage Garage has a flat floor as
well, but my excavators used a 75-horse-
power backhoe and modern surveying
tools including transits and lasers. My
end result is pretty much the same as
Imhotep’s: a perfectly level slab placed in
exactly the right spot.
Concrete Ideas
After excavation, the concrete work began.
Concrete is composed of Portland cement,
gravel, sand, and water. When freshly
poured, concrete is wet and plastic. But
within hours it begins to solidify, ultimately
becoming as hard as rock.
Most people call that process “drying,”
but the concrete crew foreman on my job
told me that’s not really the best choice of
words. Concrete does not simply solidify
because excess water has evaporated from
the slurry. Instead, the water reacts with
the cement in a chemical process known
as hydration. The cement absorbs the
water, causing it to harden and bond the
sand and pebbles together, creating the
stone-hard material we know as concrete.
Framing the Concept
Prior to the mid-19th century, building
was an art that took many years of
apprenticeship to learn. There were few,
if any, building codes. Quality of work was
based largely on the personal integrity
and craftsmanship of each builder.
For 2,000 years, the most common
technique for building with wood was the
method called timber framing. Buildings of
that era still exist; typically they are barns
and homes with huge wooden beams
supporting large open spaces.
In the mid-19th century, building tech-
niques changed. Cheap, factory-produced
nails and standardized, “dimensional”
lumber from sawmills allowed for a faster,
more versatile method of construction
called balloon framing.
Invented by Augustine Taylor of Chicago,
balloon framing revolutionized building
construction. It utilized long, vertical fram-
ing members called studs that ran from sill
to eave, with intermediate floor structures
nailed to them. What used to take a crew
of experienced timber framers months
to join and raise, could be constructed
in a fraction of the time by a competent
carpenter and a few helpers.
Over time, balloon framing evolved into
the current technique known as platform
framing. The Barrage Garage, like most
modern buildings, is built by nailing together
standard dimensional lumber — 2×4 trusses
holding the roof and 2×6 studs forming the
10/11/10 7:43:19 AM
 walls — at code-defined intervals. Then,
plywood sheathing is attached to the lumber
frame, and the basic structure is complete.

A Solid Floor
The first order of business after the work-
shop shell was complete was to install
the floor. There are three general options:
coatings, mats, and tile. Each has its own
advantages and disadvantages.
Most common and least expensive are
coatings. There are several types of coat-
ing available for concrete floors, including
epoxy, polyurethane, and latex.
Epoxy paint is probably the most widely
applied form of floor coating. Epoxy forms
a hard, durable surface and bonds solidly
to a correctly prepared surface. Because
floor coating provides no cushioning, it can
be hard on feet and legs. Also, it doesn’t
last forever: expect to recoat the floor
every five years or so.
Polyurethane coatings are also very
durable, and they resist chemical spills
better than epoxy. But urethanes do not
bond directly to concrete, so an epoxy
primer coat is required.
Latex garage paint is widely available
and inexpensive. It goes on easily and
doesn’t require the prep work associated
with epoxies and urethanes. However, it’s
less durable.
PVC floor protection mats are another
option. They protect the porous concrete
floor from staining or corrosive chemicals
such as oil, paint, or acid. Mats are typically
simple to install, requiring only scissors.
Importantly, they add a cushioning layer
above the hard concrete.
Special-purpose vinyl tile is the premier
flooring option for workshops and garages,
and that’s what I installed in the Barrage
Garage. These floor tiles, from Swisstrax
(swisstrax.com), snapped together firmly
and were installed without special tools.
Tile handles heavy loads and high traffic.
It resists damage caused by chemicals,
and it’s far more comfortable to stand on
than concrete. But best of all is tile’s ability
to transform a humdrum workshop into
a great-looking space.

SCRATCH BUILT: A perfectly level slab

is an imperative start. I used platform
framing for the structure, and durable,
cushioned vinyl tile for the flooring.

Make: 25

p022-33_SIP_Barr_Garage_F1.indd 25 10/11/10 7:45:18 AM

 Choose Outfitting the all-purpose
Your Tools maker’s workshop with the tools
to tackle most any project.
By William Gurstelle
S o far, I’ve detailed the construction of my all-purpose maker-style
workshop, which I’ve nicknamed the Barrage Garage. It’s turned out
beautifully, and as anticipated, it’s the envy of my maker friends.
Small? Sure, it’s a mere 20 feet by 14
feet, but it has all the space required to
do serious creating. It’s loaded with
features, including a way-cool vinyl tile
floor, a high-tech wall storage system,
fluorescent lighting, 240-volt power, and
lots of electrical outlets.
After the infrastructure was completed,
it was time to outfit the Barrage Garage.
Choosing tools and supplies is a subjective
26 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p022-33_SIP_Barr_Garage_F1.indd 26
question to be sure, and one that a dozen
Photography by William Gurstelle
people would answer a dozen different
ways. My goal was to make the Barrage
Garage into the Platte River of workshops:
a mile wide and three feet deep. Like the
Platte, my workshop covers a lot of dif-
ferent areas but is not particularly deep
in any single genre. Flexible as a yoga
instructor, it provides an environment
in which I can attempt projects in wood,
10/11/10 7:46:26 AM
 metal, chemistry, home repair, electricity,
even the odd bit of pyrotechnics (see
MAKE Volume 13, page 54).
If you’re a maker with dreams of
metalworking, woodworking, building
electronics projects, customizing your
rod, or simply keeping your house up
and running, read on. In this installment,
we’ll examine the must-have tools and
equipment that make the Barrage Garage
such a maker-enabling space.
The Workbench
Building a workbench was my first con-
sideration, for it’s literally the foundation
on which all subsequent work will be built.
I considered the design carefully, evaluat-
ing possibilities ranging from a complex
Scandinavian design with a beechwood
frame mounted on self-leveling hydraulic
cylinders, to an interior door nailed to
two sawhorses. I chose something in the
middle — a solid, heavy, counterbraced
construction made from 2×6 fir lumber.
The work surface is two-thirds wood and
one-third granite. From a local countertop
maker I was able to inexpensively obtain
a beautiful 2'×2' piece of polished granite
left over from a bigger job. The ultraflat,
smooth granite is perfect for doing fine
p022-33_SIP_Barr_Garage_F1.indd 27
work or electrical projects. The plywood- FUN STARTS HERE: With your workshop
covered 2×6s are great for everything else. structure built, the next step is choosing
the tools and workbench setup best
I finished the workbench by outfitting it
suited to your projects. I chose a sturdy,
with a wood vise with bench dogs (wooden counterbraced fir bench and a wide array
inserts mounted opposite the vise to hold of basic tools.
oversized work pieces), a portable machin-
ist’s vise, and a pullout shelf.
The typical advice from experts to
novices is to buy the best quality tools you
can afford. And I believe it’s good advice.
Cheap screwdrivers, for example, can be
a big mistake; the soft metal edges of infe-
rior blades can bend or even break under
stress, and the plastic handles chip when
dropped. For any tool you use frequently,
it makes sense to go with quality.
On the other hand, when you’ve got a
one-off job, and you’re not sure if you’ll
ever have another application for piston-
ring pliers or a gantry crane, then buying
an inexpensive tool may make sense.
Besides raw materials and tools,
I stocked up on general supplies: duct
tape, electrical tape, transparent tape,
powdered graphite, rope or cord, twine,
light oil, white glue, super glue, quick-set
epoxy, extended-set epoxy, sandpaper,
heat-shrink tubing, zip ties, pencils, ink
markers, rags, wipes, and towels. Now,
on to the tools.
Make: 27
10/11/10 7:48:09 AM

The
Tools
» If you’ve got opinions on what
is an absolute necessity for the
well-equipped maker’s shop, let us
know. Post your recommendations
at makezine.com/tnt.
28 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p022-33_SIP_Barr_Garage_F3.indd 28
Basic Tools
A. Electric drill, cordless or corded
A drill with a variety of screwdriver tips
and drill bits may well be your most
frequently used power tool. In the Barrage
Garage, where I have power outlets
everywhere, I appreciate the lightness and
torque of a corded drill. But many people
appreciate the flexibility of a cordless
model. The higher the top voltage (e.g.,
14.4 or 18 volts) of a cordless drill, the
greater its torque and the more it weighs.
B. Files and brushes Flat and round
bastard files and a wire brush. (A bastard
file refers to one with an intermediate
tooth size.)
C. Cutters You’ll want diagonal cutters, a
utility knife, tinsnips, a wire cutter/crimper/
stripper, and a good pair of scissors. You’ll
find a self-healing cutting mat to be a great
help; buy one at any fabric store.
D. Mixing and volume-measuring
equipment Sturdy plastic bowls in differ-
ent sizes, disposable spoons, measuring
cups, and measuring spoons.
E. Hacksaw For those occasions that
require cutting through something harder
than wood.
F. Handsaw Most often, you’ll likely be
cutting dimensional lumber (2×4s, 2×6s,
etc.) to size, so choose a saw with cross-
cut teeth instead of ripping teeth.
G. Linear measuring gear Tape measure,
protractor, and combination square.
H. Socket and wrench set If you work on
things mechanical, you’ll appreciate the
quality of a good socket set. Spend the
money and get English and metric sock-
ets, as well as Allen wrenches (hex keys).
I. Pliers come in a variety of shapes.
At a minimum, you should have standard,
needlenose, and vise-grips.
J. Hammers Start with a claw hammer for
nailing and a rubber mallet for knocking
things apart.
K. Digital multimeter If you do any
electronics work, a volt-ohm meter with
several types of probes and clips will be
indispensable.
L. Screwdrivers Choose an assortment
of high-quality Phillips and flat-headed
(and possibly Torx) screwdrivers in a
variety of sizes.
M. Scale A triple beam balance or
electronic scale is a necessity for
chemistry projects and mixing stuff.
Power Tools
N. Belt sander
O. Drill press I simply can’t live
without my drill press, because it
provides far more accuracy than a hand
drill ever could.
P. Cut-off saw
Q. Grinder
Beyond these basics, there are hundreds,
if not thousands, of tools available, all of
which may be useful depending on the
project. In regard to stationary power
tools, it’s a tough call. Because they’re
expensive and require a lot of shop real
estate, it really depends on what you’re
going to do most. I use my table saw all
the time. But I know people who consider
a band saw an absolute necessity and
others who say a scroll saw is their number
one power saw priority.
Special Tools
Soldering iron Choose a variable-
temperature model with changeable tips.
Magnifying lens You’ll find a swing-
arm magnifier with a light a very helpful
addition to your shop. It mounts directly
to your workbench and swings out of the
way when not in use. It’s great for every-
thing from threading needles to examining
surface finishes.
Safety equipment Safety glasses,
hearing protection, a fire extinguisher,
goggles, a dust mask, and gloves are very
important.
All safety glasses, even inexpensive ones,
must conform to government regulations,
so they all provide adequate protection.
However, more expensive ones are more
comfortable and look better, making
you more inclined to always use them.
(See “The Safe Workshop,” page 35.)
10/13/10 6:18:48 AM
 A D

E
B

M
C
J

H
L F

I G

Basic Tools

Power Tools

Safety Equipment General Supplies

Make: 29

p022-33_SIP_Barr_Garage_F1.indd 29 10/11/10 7:51:08 AM

 OK, once you’ve got all this stuff, where
are you going to store it? I use a combina-
tion of bins hung on StoreWall (storewall.
com) panels, and my own contrivance that
I call the Tool-Zine. It’s easy to build and
provides an incredible amount of storage
in a small area.
The Tool-Zine is like a magazine for
tools; you store your tools on “pages” and
simply turn to the correct page when you
ets that are firmly affixed to wall studs,
reminiscent of the way the pages in this
magazine are bound to the spine.
MATERIALS
» 1" Schedule 40 PVC pipes (4) 5' long
» 1" PVC pipe end caps (4)
» 1" wood laths, 4' long (4)
» 2" pegboard in 2'×4' sections (4)
Other pegboard thicknesses might work,

The need a particular tool. You’ll be amazed

at the convenience and organization it
but you’ll have to adjust the slot width.
» 2×6 lumber about 8' long

Tool-Zine
brings to your shop. » ¼" machine screws, 1½" long (20)
A 4-page Tool-Zine provides the equiva- with nuts and washers
lent of 64ft2 of wall space in a space slightly » #8 machine screws, 1½" long (20)
larger than 8ft2. That’s a highly leveraged with nuts and washers
storage solution! » Wall anchors or wood screws
Conceptually, the Tool-Zine is straight-
forward. It consists of four 1" PVC pipes
slotted lengthwise. A 2'×4' piece of 2"
pegboard is inserted into each slot and
fastened with machine screws. Next, wood
lath is bolted to both sides of the pegboard
to make it rigid. This entire assembly
makes a single page of the Tool-Zine.
Four pages are assembled and then
mounted vertically on wooden brack-

30 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p022-33_SIP_Barr_Garage_F1.indd 30 10/11/10 7:53:10 AM

 Make Your Tool-Zine
The diagram shown here has all the
information you need to build the
Tool-Zine. Here are a few pointers to
make the task easier.
1. The most difficult part is making the
long slot in the PVC pipe. To fit the peg-
board, it must be straight, with a constant
width. You will likely need a table saw to
do this successfully. I bolted the PVC
to a 2×2 piece of dimensional lumber so
I could use the saw’s rip fence to keep
the cut as straight as possible.
2. Set the saw blade height on your
table saw so that it’s just high enough to
cut through the bottom of the PVC, but
doesn’t cut into the bolts used to attach
the PVC to the 2×2 guide piece.
Illustrations by Tim Lillis
3. Depending on the kerf width of your
saw’s blade, it may be difficult to slide the
pegboard into the slot. If so, use a rubber
mallet to pound it in.
p022-33_SIP_Barr_Garage_F1.indd 31
4. Be sure to anchor the top bracket firmly COMPACT YOUR COLLECTION:
into the wall studs. Easily flip through your tools with
this customizable organizer made
of pegboard and PVC.
5. I chose to build a platform to support
the lower bracket. The platform rests on
the concrete floor and is attached with
a concrete anchor. As an alternative, the
bottom bracket could be wall-mounted
like the top bracket. It you do this, make
sure the brackets are securely mounted
to structural members that can handle the
weight of your tools.
6. The Tool-Zine is customizable. You can
easily add additional pages or increase
the distance between pages by extending
the size of the brackets. However, if you
do, be sure the brackets are adequately
anchored to the wall studs.
Make: 31
10/11/10 7:53:42 AM
 Stock
Your
Shop
I n my Barrage Garage workshop, I keep frequently used materials on hand
at all times. Stocking a well-considered selection of materials is important
when I need to make a simple model or a fast prototype to bring an idea to
life, or at least prove to myself that it’s worth further exploration.
Choosing materials is an important part
of any project. But tradeoffs abound and it
can be tricky to decide which raw material
is right for the job. One material may be
strong, but difficult to machine. Another
may be great for use indoors but lose its
integrity when placed in the elements.
Over time, I’ve developed an inventory of
basic raw materials that enable me to start,
and sometimes even complete, a great
variety of projects without the need to visit
a lumberyard or wait for the UPS truck.
Dimensional Lumber
Dimensional lumber is the wood commonly
sold in lumberyards. It’s sized according to
standardized widths and depths that are
nominally described in whole numbers,
but its actual size is ¼" or ½" less than
described. For example, a 1×2 board is
actually ¾"×1½".
Dimensional lumber comes from soft-
woods like fir and pine. Cut into 2×4s, it’s
commonly used for building the frame or
supporting structure of a project. Shelves
and smaller objects are frequently made
from 1"-thick (nominal) boards of various
widths and lengths.
It’s inexpensive and versatile, so keep
ample supplies on hand for spur-of-the-
moment projects. I like to stock:
1×2×8' (4)
1×4×8' (4)
2×4×8' (4)
Engineered Wood
Engineered wood products are manufac-
tured from wood components and adhesive.
Strong and light, they’re just the thing
32 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p022-33_SIP_Barr_Garage_F1.indd 32
Be ready with a basic inventory
of the stuff dreams are made of.
By William Gurstelle
for covering walls and roofs, and they’re
useful for projects of all types. Engineered
woods include the old standby, plywood,
as well as particleboard and medium-
density fiberboard (MDF).
MDF and particleboard are manufac-
tured from wood pulp and glue pressed
into sheets. They’re easy to cut and
sand, a plus for the inexperienced maker.
They’re cheaper than plywood, and not as
prone to warping.
Plywood, on the other hand, is propor-
tionally lighter and stronger than MDF
and particleboard. It holds fasteners more
securely, and has far better moisture
resistance. Plywood comes in a variety
of thicknesses; 2" and 3" are the most
commonly used.
Engineered wood comes in 4'×8' sheets
that can take up a lot of storage space.
If that’s a problem, cut the sheets in half.
Stock:
3" plywood, B or C grade, 4'×4' sheets
(2) or a 4'×8' sheet if you have room
Dowels
When dimensional lumber is too big,
dowels (cylindrical rods made from solid
wood) are utilitarian wonders. They’re
great for aligning, fastening, and support-
ing project parts. Stock:
¼" dowel, 3' lengths (4)
2" dowel, 3' lengths (4)
½" dowel, 3' lengths (2)
Hardware Cloth and
Expanded Metal
Hardware cloth is wonderfully useful stuff.
It’s a sheet of stiff, galvanized steel wire
welded into a regular square mesh. Flex-
ible and strong, it’s perfect for screening
off large areas inexpensively.
Expanded metal is a rigid, open mesh
made from sheet metal that has been slit
and expanded. It is much stronger and
more rigid than hardware cloth.
You can use these materials for animal-
proofing, providing support for materials
such as plaster or concrete, making
guards for dangerous areas, and more.
Expanded metal is strong enough to be
walked upon. Stock:
Hardware cloth, ¼" mesh, 2'×4' sheet (1)
Expanded metal, 2'×4'’ sheet (1)
Angle Iron aka
Structural Steel
Structural steel or iron, like dimensional
lumber, is most often used to build a
frame or superstructure. The many types
of structural steel are described by the
shapes they make when looking at them
on-end — angles, channels, bars, I-beams,
and more. Angle iron is the king. It’s rela-
tively inexpensive, extremely strong, and
can be attached to other pieces of iron by
fasteners or by welding.
I keep several 8' pieces of galvanized
14-gauge slotted angle iron on hand.
Although its galvanized surface makes it
nearly unweldable, it’s still wonderfully
versatile. The slots allow pieces to be cut
and joined easily using 2" bolts and nuts.
Channels and I-beams are useful in situa-
tions requiring greater stiffness, although
they’re heavier and cost more per linear
foot. Stock:
Slotted steel angle, 1¼"×1¼"×8' (2)
10/11/10 7:54:20 AM
 Brass Sheet Music Wire MATERIAL WORLD: Having a well-
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Beloved by makers for its ability to be bent stocked selection of basic materials
makes it possible to build (and
Stronger than copper alone, brass sheet and then retain its shape, this tough and
photograph) on the fly.
is a great prototyping material that can be springy wire is especially useful in making
machined, bent, or cut to close tolerances. mechanisms and models. Be forewarned,
It’s easily worked with common hand it’s really tough stuff, requiring a special Hex-head cap screws (6 each):
tools and can be joined by soldering or by cutter (or a high-speed rotary tool like a ¼-20×1½"
mechanical fasteners. Stock: Dremel). Stock: ¼-20×2"
Brass sheet, .032"×6"×12" (1) Music wire, .056" OD, 3' lengths (2) 2-16×1"
Brass sheet, .016"×6"×12" (1) 2-16×1½"
Fasteners 2-16×2"
Plastic Pipe and Nearly all projects involve joining parts 2-16×2½"
Pipe Fittings together, commonly by using mechanical
Because of its low cost, strength, and easy fasteners such as bolts, screws, and nails. Nuts (24 each):
workability, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is Going to the hardware store for every nut 4-40
among the most common plastics in use. and bolt consumes time and fuel, so keep 6-32
PVC pipe comes in many sizes and shapes, a reasonable selection of fasteners on 8-32
with many types of connectors (called hand. Stock: 10-24
fittings). It’s useful for making furniture Round-head or pan-head machine ¼-20
frames, medium-duty support structures, screws (12 each): 2-16
and plumbing for liquids or air. Stock: 4-40×¼"
PVC pipe, 1" diameter, 8' lengths (2) 4-40×½" Nails (1 box each): 2d and 8d
with 1" elbows (4), tees (4) and 6-32×2"
caps (4) 6-32×¾"
PVC pipe, 2" diameter, 8' lengths (2) 8-32×½”
with 2" elbows (4), tees (4) and 8-32×1"
caps (4) 10-24×½"
10-24×1"
¼-20×¾"
¼-20×1"

Make: 33

p022-33_SIP_Barr_Garage_F1.indd 33 10/11/10 7:55:30 AM

 4

1
5

Outrageous 6

Fortune
Make a billion dollars
and your shop could
look like this too.
Photography by John Keatley

Nathan Myrhvold’s Intellectual

Ventures Laboratory boasts state-
of-the-art workshops for electron-
ics, photonics, and culinary arts,
courtesy of his Microsoft fortune.
But it’s their machine shop that
really makes us hungry. 1. Romi
20" CNC lathe. 2. Haas VF-5 5-axis
CNC mill. 3. Pair of Traks: Trak K3
knee mill (2-axis) and Trak DPM
bed mill (3-axis). 4. Gorbel 500lb
overhead bridge crane. 5. and 6.
Haas VM-3 4-axis mold-maker’s
mill. See more of IVL’s workshops
at makezine.com/go/ivl.

34 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p034_SIP_IntlVntrs_F1.indd 34 10/11/10 12:16:37 PM

 The Rules to
Y our workshop should be a welcoming
and friendly place. The key lies in
creating a safe and secure environment.

Safe make by.

Before embarking on a new project, it’s
a good idea to take a close look at the

Workshop
Wait 12 hours between sketching the
plans and starting the construction
process. The times people get hurt are
usually when they’re excited and in
a hurry. Slow down, and work deliberately.
working conditions in your shop.
By William Gurstelle If your project area gives you a vaguely
nervous feeling, now’s the time to bring
things up to date. Don’t delay: inspect,
review, and evaluate your space and make
whatever changes seem necessary to keep
you out of trouble.
Don’t know where to start? Here are
some ideas from the members of MAKE’s
Technical Advisory Board to get you
started. Have at it!
The high-decibel noise generated by
power tools such as table saws and
circular saws can damage your hearing.
Protect your ears by using full-sized, Wear a particle mask
earmuff-style protectors. when appropriate to avoid breathing dust
and other particulate pollutants common
in workshops. Sawdust from treated wood
and some plastics have known health risks.

Secure Always use

your work Obtain clamps,
when using hand not your hands,
a pair of Aim
or power tools. to hold a work
well-fitting, away from
cool polycarb yourself. piece on a drill
goggles, When cutting with press table. If the
Avoid using leather work a utility knife, tool binds, the
a table saw gloves, and position yourself work will spin
when you can. a protective so that when you dangerously.
Statistically, it’s lab coat. slip, the blade
easily the most Make them doesn’t land in
dangerous piece attractive and your flesh. Always keep a
of equipment in stylish so that first aid kit
the shop. wearing safety in your workshop,
equipment is fun. and always know
Pull back where it is. First
long hair. aid kits can be
Don’t touch purchased ready-
a bare wire, made, or you can
or cut any put one together
wire, until yourself. Essential
you’re sure where
items include
the other end
bandages, pads,
goes. When in
gauze, scissors,
doubt, measure
tweezers, and tape.
the potential.
This will save you
Photography by Jason Madara

from a possible
heart-stopping
electrical shock.

If you work with heavy things — Install a smoke detector in your

say, timbers or angle iron — or are prone shop and place a fire extinguisher in an
to dropping tools, steel-toed safety easy-to-reach spot. Make sure the
shoes are a great investment extinguisher is rated for all types of fires.
in long-term foot appearance.

Make: 35

p035_SIP_SafeWorkshop_F1.indd 35 10/11/10 7:59:42 AM

 Show MAKE readers show off their
Us workspaces at Make: Online.
Your By Gareth Branwyn

Shop

O n our website Make: Online (makezine.com) we frequently get photo

submissions of our readers’ workspaces. Like parents beaming over
newborn baby pics, makers love pointing out the aspects of their setup
they’re proudest of, and the features they find most useful. Here’s a selection
of shops we’ve featured on the site — and we’d love to see yours, too.
Send photos to workshop@makezine.com.
A Robotronic
R. Mark Adams is a computational biologist
in Potomac, Md., and a member of HacDC
(hacdc.org). He has two young daughters and
enjoys sharing his passion for technology and
science with them, plus building robots and
other DIY projects in this gorgeous shop he’s
built. makezine.com/go/adamsshop

B mini bench
Mark also did a how-to on MAKE about
building a portable, electronics-friendly
workbench: makezine.com/go/adamsbench

C Man Cave
Craig Crutchfield’s garage workshop is “a man
cave, a sanctuary, a workspace,” he writes.
“It’s a laboratory for making camera gear and
Frankenstein cameras. I make all my home’s
repairs out here, and do some remedial wood-
working. It’s my art studio, a place to store
inspiration when I can get my hands on it. It’s
a great place to think and create. A refuge.”
makezine.com/go/crutchfield
A
D Tight Squeeze
With little room in his home to do electronics B
projects, Adam Wolf was feeling squeezed.
But being the enterprising sort, he decided
to just set up shop in an available closet!
makezine.com/go/wolf

E Mac Daddy
John Baichtal of MAKE writes of Grant
Hutchinson’s shop: “I’m a big fan of work-
shops, the messier the better, and this one
definitely fits the bill. I especially love the
old-school Macs that Grant has turned into
servers. The super old ones are an 8500 and
9600 working as web servers, while a relatively
modern G4/450 dualie serves as a file server.
But these old-school devices can’t compare
to Grant’s pride and joy, his Apple Newton
server!” makezine.com/go/hutchinson

36 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p036-37_SIP_ShowShops_F1.indd 36 10/11/10 8:00:56 AM

 C D

E F

G F Hong Kong Views

Well-known robot and toy designer Mark
Tilden (father of BEAM robotics and the
WowWee Robosapien line) has a commanding
view from his home shop. He writes: “After
having spent most of my lab-life staring at
basement walls or security bars, I recently
sorted myself a home lab 600 feet high,
overlooking Kowloon Park and the Hong Kong
skyline.” makezine.com/go/tilden

G None Shall Pass

David Glicksman of Los Angeles was
inspired by posts on MAKE and Boing Boing
(boingboing.net) to create a very special, and
especially geeky, security lock for his garage
shop. “This is a great example of the kind of
fun, inspiring projects that come out of these
online communities. I combined Chris Schaie’s
beautiful mechanical iris, Steve Hoefer’s
secret-knock-detecting Arduino code, and an
engraving made with my scratch-built CNC
router to make the entrance to my garage/
lab.” See the video at makezine.com/go/
glicksman.

See more maker workshops at:

blog.makezine.com/archive/workshop

Make: 37

p036-37_SIP_ShowShops_F1.indd 37 10/11/10 8:04:51 AM

 Workhorses Use a simple mortise-and-tenon
joint to make these fine-looking
shop horses that’ll last a lifetime.
By Len Cullum

Based on the trestles of a Japanese woodworking bench,

these sawhorses are a good beginning joinery project.
They’re constructed using the mortise and tenon, the funda-
Photography and illustration by Len Cullum

mental joint in woodworking. The tenon (end projection) of one

piece fits into the mortise (hole) in another piece, as in Figure A.
This project uses the drawbore style of mortise and tenon,
which is secured by a wooden pin that draws it tight and makes
it look great.

38 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p038-43_SIP_Workhorses_F1.indd 38 10/11/10 10:25:13 AM


The Mortise and Tenon Joint
Tenon
Edge cheek
What makes a drawbore different from
a regular pegged tenon is the offset pin
holes. Instead of the pin passing straight
through the joint to hold it together, the
hole in the tenon is bored slightly closer to
the shoulder. This offset causes the tenon
to be drawn deeper into the mortise when
the wooden pin is driven through.
Watching a joint that you made pull itself
together like that is a very cool thing. And
when you feel how strong it is with no glue
or metal fasteners, it opens doors in your
head. You realize that joinery isn't just the
realm of mountain-dwelling woodworking
mystics, but an accessible approach to
working with wood.
The joint may look intimidating, but if
you take your time and use sharp tools,
you’ll be surprised at how easy it is. And
while the drawbore style is a little more
complicated, when cut carefully it’s fairly
forgiving of loose fits, a bonus for the
beginner.
If you’re comfortable around woodwork-
ing tools, these horses should present
a light challenge, then last a lifetime.
Because of their myriad uses in the work-
shop, to call them sawhorses would sell
them short. I prefer workhorses.
p038-43_SIP_Workhorses_F1.indd 39
Materials
Lumber: 4"×4"×8' (2), 4"×6"×8' (1),
2"×4"×8' (1), and (optional) 1"×4"×8'
clear cedar or pine (2)
Wood dowels, ½"×3' (2) to make 12
lengths of 4"–4½"
Double-sided tape (optional)
Cheek Wood finish (optional)
TOOLS
Shoulder Table saw (recommended) or other saw
Drill press (recommended) or drill
Handsaw I recommend a Japanese
ryoba saw.
Combination square, knife, hammer
Drill bits: 1" Forstner bit, ½" Forstner bit,
½" wood bit or brad point bit
Wood chisel, 1" Make sure it’s sharp.
Sandpaper or hand plane
Mortise
A B
Lumber TIP: Home-center lumber can be
Choosing the right lumber can make the pretty wet. If your pieces feel damp
project much easier. Look for pieces that and especially heavy you might want
are straight and have the fewest knots. to let them dry for a few weeks before
Sight down the length of each one to starting; otherwise, as the wood dries
check for bending or twists (Figure B). and shrinks, your joints will become
I chose fir for a couple of reasons. It’s loose.
heavy, stiff, and fairly easy to work, and
since it’s basic construction lumber, it’s
available most anywhere. You can also use
pine or cedar or pretty much any wood
you like, but do not use treated lumber.
The total cost for the fir was $25.
Sizing
The proper sizing for horses is largely
about preference and use. I use 2 sizes in
my shop: higher ones for standing work
(sawing, planing) and lower ones for sitting
work (heavy joinery).
The finished height is determined by
measuring from the ground to the bottom
of your closed fist. Subtracting 4" from
that result will give you the finished length
for your legs including the tenons. We’ll
call that measurement H.
Make: 39
10/11/10 10:26:04 AM

E F
Milling
To start, lay out and cut all your pieces to
length (Figure C). While there isn’t a lot of
waste, there’s enough to allow you to move
the parts around to avoid larger knots and
other flaws. The cut list:
From each 4×4 cut:
»»1 @ 36" beam, final dimensions
3¼"×3¼"×36"
»»2 @ (H) legs, final dims 3"×3"×H
From the 4×6 cut:
»»4 @ 21" feet, final dims 3¼"×5"×21"
From the 2×4 cut:
»»2 @ 28½" stretchers, final dims
12"×3"×28½"
There are several ways to dimension the
parts, from handsaws to band saws. My
tool of choice is the table saw. Since most
table saws don’t have the capacity to make
these cuts in a single pass, I’ll do it in two.
Starting with the legs, set the saw fence
to 3" and raise the blade to just past half
of the 4×4 wood’s thickness, in this case
about 1¾" high. Putting the best face
against the fence, push the piece through
(Figure E). Once you’ve made that cut, flip
the piece end to end, and with the same
face against the fence, make the second
40 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p038-43_SIP_Workhorses_F1.indd 40
C D
G
pass. You should be left with 2"-thick scrap.
Next, rotate the piece 90° and repeat
the process, removing the second face
(Figure F). Repeat this process with all of
the parts, finishing all like parts at once.
Layout
The accuracy of the layout is important,
so take your time. Mark all like parts at the
same time and check that they all match
before making any cuts.
I generally measure joints from the
center out. After measuring in from both
sides to find center, I strike a line and work
outward from it. You don’t have to follow
this method, but it works well for me.
I also use the blade of my square to
transfer lines. Once I have one measure-
ment marked, I then transfer that same
line to the matching or corresponding
pieces. It speeds things along and helps
keep everything consistent.
Tenons
To lay out the leg tenons, start by marking
the shoulders (see Figure A, previous page).
Measure in 2½" in from each end and strike
a line around all 4 sides. For the cheek line,
measure ½" to either side of center and
strike a line all the way around the end
TIP: If you’re using a hand-
saw, the easiest way to get
a good straight cut is as
follows. Using a square, mark
cut lines around all 4 sides.
Make a diagonal cut about a
quarter of the way through,
roll the piece 90°, and cut
again (Figure D). Continue
rolling and cutting until
you’ve cut through.
(Figure G). Transfer these lines to the ends
of all 4 legs (remember to orient each leg’s
2 tenons 90° to each other).
The layout for the stretchers is the
same, only you should be 3¼" in from
the ends, and these tenons are aligned
with each other.
To cut the tenons, I like to use a saw
called a ryoba nokogiri (“double-edged
saw”). The ryoba is a Japanese general-
use carpentry saw with two sets of teeth:
big teeth for ripping (cutting with the
grain), and small teeth for crosscutting
(across the grain). Unlike most western
saws, which cut on the push stroke,
Japanese saws cut on the pull stroke.
Using the crosscut side of the saw, cut
along the shoulder line, being sure to stop
when you reach the cheek line. To help
keep the cut straight, you can hold another
piece of wood along the line as a guide
(Figure H).
Flip the saw to its rip side, and cut along
the cheek line. When you have a diagonal
cut from the shoulder to the center of the
thickness, roll the piece over and finish the
cut from the other side (Figure I).
Once all the cheeks are cut, lay out
and cut the edge cheeks. Measuring out
1¼" from center, strike your lines and cut
10/11/10 10:27:33 AM
 H I
K L
(Figure J). Clean up any high spots with a
sharp chisel.
The last step is to put a small chamfer or
bevel on the end of the tenon (Figure K).
This can be done with a knife, chisel, or
sandpaper, and it will help ease assembly.
Mortises
Again, working out from center, mark all
your lines (Figure L). When laying out the
mortises in the legs, be sure to mark them
on both sides of the legs because the
tenon passes all the way through.
The first step in the mortising is to
remove the waste using a drill. While a
hand drill will work, a drill press is recom-
mended. A drill press will give you reliably
straight holes with sides that can be used
for reference as you chisel out the waste.
Feet and beam mortises: Using a 1"
Forstner bit, drill out the mortises to a
depth of 23"; these are blind mortises (or
stop mortises), which don’t go all the way
through. To keep the sides straight, first
drill holes at either end, and then connect
them by drilling a hole in the center. Use a
sharp, 1" chisel to clean up the sides and
square the corners (Figure M).
Stretcher mortises: Because the
stretcher is a through mortise, you’ll want
p038-43_SIP_Workhorses_F1.indd 41
I J
M N
to work from both sides. Only drill halfway
through from one side before rolling the
piece over and drilling the rest of the way
from the other. This will keep the drill bit
from blowing out the exit side, making a
splintery mess of things. After drilling, use
the same procedure for chiseling, working
from both sides to keep both faces intact
(Figure N).
Pin Holes (Drawbores)
Lay out the holes for the pins through
the mortises (but not the tenons yet).
For the feet and beams these should be
centered 1½" from the mortised edge. For
the stretchers they should be on center.
Use a ½" bit to drill all the mortise pin
holes. Again, using a drill press is highly
recommended. Drill slowly to minimize
splintering on the exit.
NOTE: I’m using dowels for this project,
but if you want to take it further, you
can square the holes with a chisel and
make square pins instead.
It’s time to fit the joints. Since each will
have a slightly different fit, be sure to
mark each one for its corresponding part.
I usually mark letters on the tenons and on
Make: 41
10/11/10 10:28:39 AM

the edge of the mortise in places that will
be covered once they’re assembled.
The pieces should slip together with
no more than a few raps of a hammer. If
it’s a lot tighter than that, carefully pull it
apart and inspect the tenon. You should be
able to see compressions or shiny spots
that will tell you where it’s too tight. Use a
chisel to make adjustments. And remem-
ber, a slightly loose joint will be better than
an overly tight one on this project.
Once you’ve fit all the joints, assemble
the horses.
Using a sharp pencil, trace the edges of
the pin holes onto the tenons. It’s impor-
tant that you get the edges of the hole,
so mark them carefully. Disassemble the
horses. Next, measuring from the edge of
the circle you’ve drawn on the tenon, mark
a line 5" closer to the shoulder. This line is
the edge of the tenon’s pin hole; because
it’s offset from the mortise’s pin hole, it
will draw the joint tight. You can now drill
through the tenon (Figure O).
Shaping
First, relieve the bottoms of the feet (make
them concave). This will make them more
stable on uneven surfaces. Clamp a pair
of feet together with bottoms facing each
42 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p038-43_SIP_Workhorses_F1.indd 42
O P
Q R
other, and mark a line 4" in from each end.
Using a drill press and 1" Forstner bit, drill a
line of half-depth, overlapping holes where
the bottoms meet, from one line to the
other (Figure P). Flip and repeat from the
other side, then clean up with a chisel just
like with the mortises, only this time, leave
the ends round.
For the foot slope, mark a diagonal from
each end to the top, starting 2" from the
bottom, and ending at a point 1¾" from
center, and cut (Figure Q).
To finish the ends of the beams, cut a
diagonal ¼" from the top edge to a point
1½" in from the end (Figure R).
To make the pins, cut the ½" dowel into
twelve 4" lengths. Using a knife, taper the
last ½" or so (Figure S).
Now clean up all the parts (Figure T).
Sand or plane all the pieces, being careful
of the areas around the joints (too much
will change the fit).
Assembly
Starting with the stretchers, slip the tenons
through the legs and carefully drive the
pins through with a hammer (Figure U). You
should see the joint tighten itself as the pin
goes through. Drive the pin until it sticks
out both sides equally (Figure V).
S
Next add the beam (Figure W), and lastly
the feet (Figure X).
You can cut the pins off flush, but I like
to leave them a little proud. The easiest
way to do this is to drill a hole in a scrap of
wood about 1" thick, slip it over the pin,
and saw against it (Figure Y).
The Finish Line
The horses are now ready for the finish of
your choice. I use Danish oil, but shellac,
polyurethane, or varnish will do.
Once dry, the last step is to attach
the optional sacrificial pieces to the top
(Figure Z). Because I work with a lot of
softer woods, I use clear cedar for this.
That way, not only are the horses pro-
tected from errant saw cuts and the like,
but the workpieces I place on them are
protected from the horses’ harder fir. As
before, you can use any wood you like, or
none at all.
To make these tops easy to replace and
free of metal fasteners, I use double-stick
tape.
Len Cullum (shokunin-do.com) is a woodworker
in the Japanese style in Seattle. He often day-
dreams of a robot that would sharpen his chisels.
Are you listening, makers?
10/11/10 10:29:25 AM
 T U V

W X

Y Z

The Test
The mark of any good shop furniture is not only its strength
but also its versatility — its ability to adapt to the odd second-
ary uses you come up with.
I could test the workhorses’ strength by stacking them with
beams and chopping more mortises, but after two days spent
building them, I’d rather test out their versatility. So with the
help of some scrap lumber and a frosty beverage, they are
transformed from workhorses to … relaxhorses.

Make: 43

p038-43_SIP_Workhorses_F1.indd 43 10/11/10 10:30:45 AM

 Mister Build a stowable mini
Jalopy’s workshop for modest tasks
and soon you’ll be building
Hide-Away your dreams. By Mister Jalopy
Workbench

As sensible people slumber, the

palpable thrill of junk acquisition
wakes me at 6:30 a.m. every
weekend. Sleeping on Saturday mornings
is for those who have not fallen prey to the
temptress of garage sales. There are such
unbelievable riches buried in suburban
cul-de-sacs that I sometimes wonder if I’ll
find the Hope Diamond in a junk drawer
amongst the S&H Green Stamps, unsticky
tape, and keys without locks.
When arriving at an estate sale, I forgo
the house and go directly to the under-
lit, spider-webbed garage. Time is frozen
under a layer of dust, and you can get a
feel for the makers who preceded you with
their tube radios, home weather stations,
and oddball tricks.
At their best, garage workshops are
chock-full of raw materials like baby food
jars filled with cup hooks, cigar boxes of
lamp parts, reclaimed kitchen cabinets Make It Personal. Can it be improved upon? Think how pinstriping would dress it up!
full of solidified cans of Plastic Wood, and Or a deep-sea diver fighting a giant lobster painted on the side. Or the correct answers
from last week’s crossword written on the inside lid. Make it as personal as your diary.
neatly coiled power cords cut from broken
appliances. In the postwar, cardigan-wear-
ing and pipe-smoking handyman heyday,
considerable creativity, planning, and Affordability is a great technological Start with your workshop and then build
reuse trumped money when working on advance in itself and empowers those who the rest of the world around you.
the project that would never end — build- previously could not afford a hammer,
ing the ideal workshop. calculator, or computer, but there are References
Based on my extensive field research, it losses when replacing instead of fixing. »»“Closet Door Workshop,” Science and
seems home workshops assembled today Besides the chain of raw materials needed, Mechanics, December 1952
are but a whisper of what they used to be. energy required, distribution transport, »»“Better Ways to Build Workbenches,”
Illustrations by Tom Giesler/tomgiesler.com

Of course, the workshops have changed
along with the world. The external forces
of Depression-era poverty and wartime
rationing shaped a generation’s view of
what was worth fixing, saving, and reusing.
At some point, the cost of buying a
new hammer dropped below the cost of
replacing a broken hammer handle, and
everybody was able to afford a hammer.
Then came the economical pocket calcula-
tor, and now a $200 hand-crank-powered
computer is right around the corner.
and end disposal, life is just less rich when Amateur Craftsman’s Cyclopedia of
everything you own is only five years old. Things to Make, 1937
My shop grew from a single Crafts-
man workbench that I couldn’t access
until I pulled the car out of the garage. A
workbench can be as unattainable a luxury
to a citizen of Manhattan as a computer
is to a resident of Zambia. Inspired by the
handyman magazines of the past, Mister
Jalopy’s Hide-Away Workbench is a mod-
Mister Jalopy breaks the unbroken, repairs the
est workshop that can be tucked away irreparable, and explores the mechanical world
until project time. at hooptyrides.com.

44 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p044-45_SIP_HideAwayWorkbench_F1.indd 44 10/11/10 10:34:55 AM

 Power strip

Baby food jar

Plywood lid

Lamp

Silverware
divider

Dresser
drawer

Piano
hinge

Pipe
(table leg)

Caster

Pipe
(table leg)
Mister Jalopy’s
hide-away workbench
is a modest workshop
that can be tucked away
until project time.

Make: 45

p044-45_SIP_HideAwayWorkbench_F1.indd 45 10/11/10 10:35:19 AM

 Wilderness Build your own inexpensive yet
Workshop sturdy worktables and shelving.
By Charles Platt

Recently I had a problem and an opportunity. The opportunity was to

move my little prototype fabrication business from an industrial park
Photography and renderings by Charles Platt

in Southern California to a beautiful wilderness retreat in Northern Arizona.

The problem was that I didn’t have much time or money. Could I establish
an entire workshop within a couple of months, starting from bare earth and
finishing with all the tools and benches in place?

46 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p046-49_SIP_WldWrkshp_F1.indd 46 10/11/10 10:42:15 AM


And after I paid the construction costs,
could I install the fixtures for less than
$1,000? (I already owned all the tools.)
In some ways this challenge was a bless-
ing in disguise. If you have to be fast, you
can’t be fancy, and if you have to be cheap,
you can’t be self-indulgent. This would
not be one of those jobs that drag on for
months because the details become an
obsession in themselves.
I specified a work area of 19'×24' to allow
ample space for lifting, rotating, and cut-
ting 4'×8' sheets of plastic and plywood. To
minimize heat loss, increase security, and
maximize wall space, I decided not to have
any windows, but I did include a massive
sectional roll-up garage door. The climate
where I live is so benign during most of
the year, you can work comfortably with
a door wide open. And during the winter,
a sectioned door on tracks can be quite
well-insulated.
After establishing the basics, I stepped
back and let the contractors get to work.
There was no way I could do the construc-
tion myself in the time available.
Free-Standing Benches
In less than a month I had a bare box
standing on a concrete slab. It was insu-
p046-49_SIP_WldWrkshp_F1.indd 47
A B
Fig. A: The tabletop is a 4'×4' sheet of ¾" plywood, braced and edged with 2×4s. The
table legs are 4×4s. Fig. B: Two tables a couple of inches apart allow long cuts across big
sheets of plywood or plastic, by running the saw through the gap between the tables. The
extended table edge allows quick, easy clamping. Fig. C: The simplest, cheapest, quickest,
hang-on-the-wall, non-sagging shelf design.
lated, drywalled, and painted. Now for the but much more accurate and much less
interesting part: I wanted to avoid all the aggravating.
frustrations and errors associated with the With my helper Shawn Hollister, I built
workshops I had used previously over the the tables lower than a typical workbench,
years. so that we’d be able to reach across them
The big central work area allowed me to or climb up onto them when making long
place 2 free-standing benches of a design cuts. We gave them protruding lips so that
that I had always wanted but had never I could apply clamps easily, and made
seen. They would be stocky tables, each 4' them heavy to minimize vibration (Figures
square. Placing them centrally would allow A and B).
me to walk around them while building
heavy items such as furniture, and a 2" gap Plastic Bins for Tool Storage
between them would facilitate saw cuts. For tool storage, I’m unenthusiastic about
I stopped using a table saw a few years the usual options. Tools hanging on peg-
ago when one of them kicked a piece of board pick up dust and dirt, and when you
plastic at me that almost shattered my buy an extra tool, you have to move the
arm. Since I don’t have enough money or others around to make room. As for tool
space for the kind of vertical panel saw you chests, they’re expensive, and you have
see at Home Depot or Lowe’s, I like to lay to walk to and fro every time you want
the wood flat and use either a handsaw or something.
a handheld circular saw, which I run along My preferred method is so cheap, it’s
a clamped straightedge. My plan was to almost embarrassing: plastic tubs from
align these cuts with the gap between the the local big-box store. I group tools in
tables. This would be like using sawhorses, tubs by function, so that when I want, say,
Make: 47
10/11/10 10:42:46 AM

48"
27"
a metal file, I pull down the tub containing
all the various shaping tools and put it on
my worktable. Now I have a full range of
options within arm’s reach. As for small
items such as screwdriver bits and hole
saws, I put them in small boxes inside
the tubs. At the end of a job, everything is
returned to the tubs and stays clean and
neat, with the lids snapped on tight.
Shelves That Don’t Sag
Where to put the plastic tubs? On shelves,
of course, above the side benches where
I have a drill press, compound miter saw,
band saw, and belt sander, the four tools
I consider indispensable for the kind of
work I do. But how should the shelves be
built? Quickly and cheaply!
Since I don’t like the look of sagging
wooden shelves, I chose steel shelves of
the type sold for warehouses. A standard
length is 4', so you don’t need many
uprights to support them, but they still
take heavy loads without bending. You can
bolt them to wooden uprights instead of
the ugly perforated vertical bars that are
normally used.
I chose melamine-coated particleboard
for the end pieces, because it’s available
in exactly the same 11¼" width as the
48 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p046-49_SIP_WldWrkshp_F2.indd 48
Drywall Steel shelf
Retaining nail
Wood screw
Washer
2×4 rail
D E Stud inside wall
57"
F G H
Fig. D: Front view of the shelf assembly, with the front edge of the shelf cut away to show
relevant features. The inset shows consequences if bolts aren’t tightened sufficiently: the
bolt can chew right through the wooden upright. Fig. E: Cross section showing how the shelf
is attached to the wall. Figs. F–H: A wood rack was made from pine 2×4s with 2½" wheels
attached. Galvanized wire separators are secured with screws and washers.
shelves, and it’s prefinished, requiring no Tighten the bolts to the max, to take
painting. I cut the melamine board into advantage of the friction between the end
sections, drilled them to fit the holes in of the shelf and the upright. Friction is
the ends of the shelves, and bolted them proportional to the force perpendicular to
on. Then I cut 2×4s into rails 47" long the surface, and it supports a load more
and screwed them into the wooden studs effectively than just the shaft of a bolt in
behind the drywall in my conventional a hole drilled through wood.
framed construction. We hung the shelves
on the rails, adding a couple of nails to pre- A Wood Rack on Wheels
vent the shelves from falling off (Figures Another problem was how to store materi-
C–E). That was that. als efficiently. I have to stock wood and
The horizontal rails must be a full 47" plastic in bulk, because the nearest retail
so that the load carried by the shelves is sources are 50 miles away. I dislike stack-
spread across the entire wooden support. ing sheets against the wall where I can’t
Any unsupported metal section will tend pull anything out easily, so my answer was
to bend. a wood rack on wheels (Figures F–H). I’ve
never seen this elsewhere, but it seems an
NOTE: Since melamine board is obvious idea to me. When you don’t need
made from compressed wood chips, it, you roll it out of the way, into a corner.
it can come apart, so you should use I used heavy galvanized wire to make
pine boards for uprights if you intend dividers in the rack, so that I would lose as
to load your shelves very heavily. Or little horizontal space as possible, and I put
place an additional 47" rail beneath a flat top on it, where I could stack small
each shelf. pieces of scrap, with even smaller pieces in
10/13/10 6:27:55 AM

some more plastic tubs.
As for seldom-used, bulky tools such
as bolt cutters and reciprocating saws,
I stashed them all in plastic toolboxes that
I placed under the benches against the
wall. The boxes aren’t strictly necessary;
you can just scatter your tools on shelves.
But I wanted to keep them clean and
categorized. In a shared workshop, when
all storage is labeled, you’re less likely to
misplace things (and less likely to argue
with each other when you can’t find
something).
1.3 Kilowatts of Illumination
The last consideration was in some ways
the most fundamental: lighting. If you
can’t see what you’re doing, you can’t
do good work. I splurged about half of
my $1,000 fixtures budget on some GE
Ecolux 54-watt high-intensity daylight-
spectrum fluorescents, and suspended
them from cables stretched from wall to
wall below the track of the garage door
p046-49_SIP_WldWrkshp_F1.indd 49
I in the future, or additional work areas.
J K
(Figure I). When all 24 tubes are glowing
they draw almost 1.3kW, and so to reduce
energy consumption I installed a separate
pull-switch on each fixture, with a chain
dangling, so that I can obtain light only
where I need it.
During daytime, we don’t need the lights
at all. We open the huge door and feel as if
we’re working outside, which is an absolute
delight compared with the basement work-
shops I’ve used over the years. It’s also a
lot more pleasant than the industrial park
that was my previous environment. When
the breeze wafts in and I can look across
30 miles of national forest to a distant
mountain, it definitely alleviates the tedium
of cutting and shaping components. Bees
from a nearby nest sometimes invade the
space, but to discourage them we simply
sprinkle some xylene on a rag and leave it
lying around. They dislike the smell of this
industrial solvent even more than I do.
My workshop isn’t going to be featured
in Architectural Digest. It was obviously
Figs. I–K: With the big door open, it feels
as if you’re working outside, and eastern
exposure gives a nice view of the full
moon rising at sunset. The exterior of
the building is covered in Hardie fiber
cement siding, which is fire resistant,
stable, and durable. The floor is a con-
crete slab finished with two coats of
epoxy paint. Ample floor space will allow
the accumulation of miscellaneous junk
outfitted on a budget. But I couldn’t be
happier with its functionality. Tools are
easily accessible and don’t get lost, the
space is uncluttered and easy to clean, the
lighting reveals every little detail, and as a
result, the work flow is fast and accurate.
Most important, the pleasure of working
in an outdoor ambience is very special
indeed.
It certainly justifies the hassle of moving
everything from California.
Charles Platt is the author of Make: Electronics,
an introductory guide for all ages. He is a contrib-
uting editor to MAKE, and he designs and builds
medical equipment prototypes.
Make: 49
10/11/10 10:44:09 AM
 Soldering Step-by-step instructions
and for making (and unmaking)
the perfect solder joint.
Desoldering By Joe Grand

The two key parts of soldering are good heat distribution and
cleanliness of the soldering surface and component. With practice,
you’ll become comfortable and experienced with the process.
In this primer, I’ll explain how to solder a component onto a printed
circuit board (PCB). I’ll also provide desoldering tips and show you how to
remove a surface-mount component from a printed circuit board using a
Photography by Joe Grand

Chip Quik kit. And I’ll show you how to remove a component by removing the
solder in a way that won’t damage the components or the circuit board.

Reprinted with permission from Hardware Hacking, copyright 2004, Syngress Publishing, ISBN: 1-932266-83-6, pp. 34–40.

50 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p050-53_SIP_SolderPrimer_F1.indd 50 10/11/10 10:46:01 AM

 overview tools AND tips

Tools of the Trade The Chip Quik SMD Removal Kit

Soldering iron You could pay
as little as $10 or as much as
$1,000 for a soldering iron.
I recommend a fine-tip, 700°F,
50W soldering stick iron.
A good general-purpose iron
for hardware hacking is the
Weller W60P Controlled-Output
Soldering Iron, which sells
for under $70.
Solder Should be thin gauge
(0.032" or 0.025" diameter)
60/40 rosin core.
Desoldering tool (aka solder
sucker) A manual vacuum
device that pulls up hot solder,
useful for removing compo-
nents from circuit boards. I like
the one RadioShack sells (#64-
2098, $10).
IC extraction tool Helps
lift integrated circuits from
the board during removal/
desoldering.
Chip Quik SMD Removal Kit
Allows you to remove surface
mount components quickly and
easily. Chipquik.com offers the
kit for $16.
Sandpaper A very fine-grit
sandpaper is useful for remov-
ing oxidation from component
and circuit board surfaces.
Desoldering braid Woven
metal material used to wick
up melted solder.
Small, flat-tip screwdriver
Comes in handy for removing
some types of components.
Needlenose pliers, wire cutters,
and vise These common tools
will make your job easier.
The Chip Quik SMD Removal
Kit allows you to quickly
and easily remove surface-
mount components such
as PLCC, SOIC, TSOP, QFP,
and discrete packages. The
main component of the kit
is a low-melting-temperature
solder (requiring less than
300°F) that reduces the
overall melting temperature
of the solder on the SMD
pads. Essentially, this enables
you to just lift the part right
off the PCB.
Includes
»» Alcohol pads for
cleaning the circuit board
after device removal
»» A special low-melting-
temperature alloy
»» Standard no-clean flux
»» Application syringe

Desoldering Tips BEFORE YOU START

For standard through-hole components
»» First grasp the component with a pair of needlenose pliers. Resistor
Heat the pad beneath the lead you intend to extract and pull
gently. The lead should come out. Repeat for the other lead.
»» If solder fills in behind the lead as you extract it, use a spring-
inspect
loaded solder sucker to remove the excess solder.
circled
areas
For through-hole ICs or multi-pin parts
»» Use a solder sucker or desoldering braid to remove excess
from the hole before attempting to extract the part.
»» You can use a small, flat-tip screwdriver or IC extraction tool Printed
to help loosen the device from the holes. circuit
»» Be careful to not overheat components, since they can become board
damaged and may fail during operation.

Joe Grand is the president of Grand Idea Studio, Inc. (joe@grandideastudio.com), a product-development and intellectual-property licensing firm. He
specializes in embedded system design, computer security research, and inventing new concepts and technologies. He is also a host on The Discovery
Channel’s Prototype This.

Make: 51

p050-53_SIP_SolderPrimer_F1.indd 51 10/11/10 10:46:30 AM

 Soldering SOLDERING A RESISTOR TO A CIRCUIT BOARD

BEFORE YOU START ! DANGER: It’s important to consider safety

Inspect the leads or pins for oxidation. If the metal
surface is dull, sand with fine sandpaper until shiny.
In addition, use the sandpaper to clean the oxidation
and excess solder from the soldering iron tip to ensure
maximum heat transfer.
This simple example shows the step-by-step process
to solder a through-hole component to a printed circuit
board (PCB). I used a piece of prototype PCB and
a single resistor.
precautions. Improper handling of the soldering iron
can lead to burns or other physical injuries. Wear safety
goggles and other protective clothing when working
with solder tools. With temperatures hovering around
700°F, the tip of the soldering iron, molten solder, and
flux can quickly sear through clothing and skin. Keep
all soldering equipment away from flammable materials
and objects. Be sure to turn off the iron when it’s not
in use and store it properly in its stand.

1 2 3

4 5 6

1. Bend and insert the component leads
into the desired holes on the PCB. Flip
the board to the other side. Slightly bend
the lead you’ll be soldering to prevent
the component from falling out when the
board is turned upside down.
2. To begin the actual soldering process,
allow the tip of your iron to contact both
the component lead and the pad on the
circuit board for about 1 second before
feeding solder to the connection. This will
allow the surface to become hot enough
for solder to flow smoothly.
3. Next, apply solder sparingly and hold
the iron in place until solder has evenly
coated the surface. Ensure that the solder
flows all around the 2 pieces (component
lead and PCB pad) that you’re fastening
together.
Don’t put solder directly onto the hot 5. Once the solder joint is in place, snip
iron tip before it has made contact with the lead to the desired length. Usually,
the lead or pad; doing so can cause a cold- you’ll simply cut the remaining portion
solder joint (a common mistake that can of the lead that isn’t part of the actual
prevent your hack from working properly). solder joint. This prevents any risk of short
Soldering is a function of heat, and if the circuits between leftover component leads
pieces aren’t heated uniformly, solder on the board.
may not spread as desired. A cold-solder
joint will loosen over time and can build 6. Here’s a completed soldering example.
up corrosion.
4. When it appears that the solder has
flowed properly, remove the iron from the
area and wait a few seconds for the solder
to cool and harden. Do not attempt to
move the component during this time.
The solder joint should appear smooth
and shiny, resembling the image above.
If your solder joint has a dull finish, reheat
the connection and add more solder.

52 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

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 deSoldering SMD Removal with Chip Quik

Please read through this example completely before

BEFORE YOU START
Use a rubbing alcohol pad to remove any residue from
the solder pads. Verify that the solder pads are clean
and free of cuts or solder jumps before proceeding.
Desoldering, or removing a soldered component from a
circuit board, is typically trickier than soldering because
you can easily damage the device, the circuit board, or
surrounding components. For surface mount devices
(SMDs) with more than a few pins, the easiest method
to remove the part is the Chip Quik SMD Removal Kit,
as shown in the following step-by-step example.
attempting SMD removal on an actual device. When removing
the device, be careful not to scratch or damage any of the
surrounding components or pull up any PCB traces.
Three Primary Functions of Flux
» Cleans metal surfaces to assist the flow of filler metals (solder)
over base metals (device pins).
» Assists with heat transfer from heat source (soldering iron)
to metal surface (device pins).
» Helps in the removal of surface metal oxides (created by
oxygen in the air when the metal reaches high temperatures).

1 2 3

4 5 6

1. The first step is to assemble the syringe,
which contains the no-clean flux. Simply
insert the plunger into the syringe and
push down to dispense the compound.
The flux should be applied evenly across all
the pins on the package you’ll be remov-
ing. (Flux is a chemical compound used
to assist in the soldering or removal of
electronic components or other metals.)
2. Once the flux is evenly spread over the
pins of the target device, the next step is
to apply the special Chip Quik alloy to
the device. This step is just like soldering:
apply heat to the pins of the device and
the alloy at the same time. The alloy has
a melting point of approximately 300°F,
which is quite low. You shouldn’t have to
heat the alloy with the soldering iron for
very long before it begins to melt. The
molten alloy should flow around and under
the device pins. Starting at one end of the
device, simply heat and apply the alloy.
Repeat for the other side(s) of the device.
3. Flux will help ensure a nice flow of the
alloy onto the device pins. Make sure
the alloy has come in contact with every
single pin by gently moving the soldering
iron around the edges of the device. Avoid
touching nearby components on the PCB
with the soldering iron.
4. Now that the alloy has been properly
applied to all pins of the device, it’s time to
remove the device from the board. After
making sure that the alloy is still molten by
reheating all of it with the soldering iron,
gently slide the component off the board.
You can use a small, jeweler’s flat-tip
screwdriver to help with the task. If the
device is stuck, reheat the alloy and wiggle
the part back and forth to help the alloy
flow underneath the pads of the device
and loosen the connections.
5. The final step in the desoldering process
is to clean the circuit board. This step
is important because it will remove any
impurities left behind from the Chip Quik
kit and get you ready for the next step.
First, use the soldering iron to remove
any stray alloy left on the device pads or
anywhere else on the circuit board. Next,
apply a thin, even layer of flux to all of the
pads that the device was just soldered
to. Use the included alcohol swab or a
flux-remover spray to remove the flux and
clean the area.
6. The desoldering process is now com-
plete. The surface-mount device has been
removed and the circuit board cleaned.

Make: 53

p050-53_SIP_SolderPrimer_F1.indd 53 10/11/10 10:48:11 AM

 A

Your Own Make it yourself and save big.

CNC for An overview from the co-author
of Build Your Own CNC Machine.
Less Than By James Floyd Kelly
$800

I never expected to have a working CNC
machine in my workshop, but there it is.
What makes it even better is that I didn’t have to
spend a small fortune on it … and neither will you.
While small desktop CNC machines can
be found between $2,000 and $5,000,
and workbench-sized machines are cost-
ing $7,000 and up, I’m happy to tell you
that for less than $800 you can have a
2'×4' CNC machine of your own.
Photography by James Floyd Kelly

Of course, this being MAKE, you’ve prob-

ably already guessed that it’s a DIY project,
but before you start getting nervous about
whether you have the skills and tools to do
this, let me add that phrase all us DIYers
love to hear: if I could build this machine,
you can build this machine.

54 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p054-57_SIP_$800CNC_F1.indd 54 10/11/10 11:05:11 AM


A
Machine Overview
You can see the final CNC machine in
Figure A. Its frame is built from medium-
density fiberboard (MDF) — sturdy and
strong, affordable, easy to cut, and best
of all, no welding required. The entire
machine can be built from just two 4'×8'
Illustration by James Provost
sheets of MDF. Its parts are connected by
a combination of bolts and cross dowels,
providing the machine with a tough and
reliable frame.
Believe it or not, many of these ma-
chines have been built with nothing more
than a miter box, saw, portable drill/screw-
driver, and a tap (check out the videos at
p054-57_SIP_$800CNC_F1.indd 55
A
E
D B
C D
buildyourcnc.com for proof), but having
a drill press, table saw, and a few other
basic workshop tools will make your build
go a little faster and smoother. Ultimately,
though, a DIYer can easily build this ma-
chine with a bit of patience and the most
basic of tools.
The machine uses threaded rod for lead
screws (Figure C). Three stepper motors
each mate to a lead screw to control the
forward/backward (x-axis), left-to-right
(y-axis), and up-and-down (z-axis) move-
ments of the machine’s router. A full-sized
router or smaller laminate router (also
called a hand router) can be attached to the
A X-Y-Z stepper motors
B Router
C Power supply
D Breakout board
E Stepper motor drivers
C
CNC machine (Figure D) and to the nozzle
of a dust collection system (and CNC ma-
chines create a lot of dust).
The three stepper motors are controlled
via a small collection of electronics: three
stepper motor drivers, a power supply,
and a breakout board (Figure E, following
page). The breakout board connects to
your PC, which runs the control software.
We use the free version of ArtSoft Mach3
(machsupport.com) but any CNC control
software can be used.
How well does it work? That depends on
what you do with it. Patrick Hood-Daniel,
my co-author and designer of this machine,
Make: 55
10/11/10 11:05:59 AM

Fig. E: The $800 CNC’s stepper motors
are controlled via three stepper motor
drivers, a power supply, and a breakout
board. Fig. F: Engraving is a great CNC
task for beginners. Fig. G: The machine's
tabletop serves as the x-axis. Fig. H: The
bearing and rail assemblies, aka BRAs,
are made from ordinary aluminum angle
and skate bearings.
56 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p054-57_SIP_$800CNC_F3.indd 56
E F
G H
uses his DIY CNC machines to cut and drill
the parts required to build more DIY CNC
machines — how’s that for trusting in your
own design?
I’m just getting started using mine, and
engraving is something a novice (like me)
can get immediate satisfaction from. The
results are sharp and clear (Figure F).
Building the Machine
If you’re wondering whether building this
machine is really within your skill range, let
me assure you that if you’re comfortable
cutting wood with a table saw or handheld
circular saw, if you can change and use
bits with a drill press or handheld drill,
and if you can use a ruler, you can do this.
(If you’re a master DIYer with tools galore,
you won’t have any trouble building this
machine.)
This project is great for shop classes,
after-school programs, and Boy/Girl Scout
troops, but it’s also the perfect parent-
child project. I don’t have many opportuni-
ties to work with my dad these days, but
I really enjoyed working with him as we
built two (!) of these CNC machines
together. Having someone else to double-
check measurements and hold pieces as
you drill or bolt them down is invaluable,
but it’s also nice to have someone else
around to troubleshoot a problem as well
as share the success when the machine
runs for the first time.
Our goal for writing the book was to pro-
vide a good walk-through of the process,
with plenty of pictures, from start to finish.
After a handful of chapters that explain
CNC, the basics of joining MDF pieces,
and building the unique parts that give the
CNC machine the ability to move smooth-
ly, you’ll get straight to the electronics and
building the CNC machine frame.
Your first task will be to cut, drill, and
assemble the machine’s tabletop that
also serves as the x-axis (Figure G).
Completing the tabletop will not only
give you a place to attach the remaining
components of the machine, but you’ll
also become quickly familiar with the
handful of standard tasks required for
the project (counterboring, using cross
dowels to connect parts, cutting lead
screws, and so on).
As you build your machine, you’ll cut and
drill some special pieces called bearing
and rail assemblies, or BRAs (Figure H).
Made from skate bearings and ordinary
aluminum angle, these allow your CNC
machine to move smoothly and accurately
10/13/10 12:28:16 PM

on all three axes by riding on another
piece of angled aluminum rail. Patrick’s
method for building and using the BRAs is
extremely simple as well as reliable.
Building chapters are short, so you’ll
always have a good starting and stopping
point. You’ll begin with the x-axis, add on
the parts needed for the y-axis (Figure I)
and finish up with the z-axis (Figure J).
While building the CNC machine frame,
you’ll also be given instructions for wiring
up the electronics. We tell you exactly what
motors, drivers, and power supply to buy
— you can easily substitute parts but you’ll
need to read the documentation carefully
to match it up to our wiring instructions.
Basic soldering skills are helpful, but not
required; you can easily skip the soldering
by using wire nuts to connect wires.
When you’re done, you’ll bolt the stepper
motors onto their respective axes (Figure
K) and connect them to the lead screws.
Next, you’ll mount your router to the
router plate, follow our instructions
p054-57_SIP_$800CNC_F3.indd 57
I J
Fig. I: The x-axis with y-axis parts added.
Fig. J: Finishing up with the z-axis. Fig. K:
Finally, you bolt the stepper motors onto
their respective axes and connect them
to the lead screws.
for installing and configuring the Mach3 push its capabilities further. You’ll find,
software, and then put your new CNC as I have, that after building your CNC
machine through a few tests to verify machine, the real work is just beginning.
movement along the three axes.
I’ve documented the entire process
Have Fun with my co-author, Patrick Hood-Daniel,
Building my own CNC machine was just in our book, Build Your Own CNC Machine,
as enjoyable as using it. During assembly, from Apress.
I learned new woodworking techniques,
became more proficient with a table saw,
and learned to love the Forstner bit (which
I highly recommend for counterbores and
drilling holes in general).
I’ve also started to dig deeper into the
use of CAD software for designing, and
CAM software for converting my designs
into G-code, the instructions that Mach3
uses to control the motors and direct
the router.
The most surprising thing I’ve learned
after completing this project, however, is
James Floyd Kelly (byocnc@gmail.com) is a free-
that I am the real limit to my CNC machine
lance writer in Atlanta. He is the editor-in-chief
— the machine is just waiting for me to of the Lego Mindstorms NXT blog, The NXT Step
learn new techniques and methods to (thenxtstep.com).
Make: 57
10/13/10 12:28:56 PM
 Build Your Make a MakerBot with this
First 3D popular kit and start printing
Printer your own parts and prototypes.
By Marc de Vinck

I’ve been tinkering with CNC (computer numerical

control) machines for about 10 years, but I never
owned a 3D printer until I purchased MakerBot Industries’
CupCake CNC.
3D printers shape the material additively rather than
Photography by Marc de Vinck

subtractively, so they can make intricate shapes with holes

and other features that are impossible to fabricate via CNC
milling. I had to have one, even though my wife questioned
whether I really needed another machine in my studio!

58 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p058-63_SIP_CupcakeCNC_F2.indd 58 10/13/10 11:11:37 AM

 MATERIALS AND TOOLS
CupCake CNC Ultimate Kit from makerbot.
com, $899. Includes all parts for a 3D
printer with the new MK5 Plastruder and
automated build platform, plus a power
supply, cables, 6lbs of ABS plastic, an
SD card to store print designs, and all
wrenches and bits needed for assembly.
MakerBot also sells a Starter Kit
($649) with just the printer parts
(including the non-automated platform
and MK4 Plastruder shown in this
article; MK5 upgrade extra) and 1lb
of plastic. To build a CupCake from
A B scratch, get the open-source CAD files,
parts list, firmware, and test software at
wiki.makerbot.com/cupcake.
Also consider MakerBot’s brand new
Thing-O-Matic. It’s bigger and prints
more accurately (see page 76).
Wire cutters, pliers, and hobby knife
Soldering iron and solder
Hot glue and glue gun, or epoxy
Multimeter
Drill
Paper towel
Cyanoacrylate glue aka super or crazy glue
Computer with internet connection

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Read instructions

for your kit batch (mine was batch 8) at
wiki.makerbot.com/cupcake, especially
the “Don’t Do That!” page; it may save
C D you some misery later.

Inside the CupCake, the “Plastruder” and selected to the proper voltage. Plug Fig. A: Stepper board testing.
print head scans the flat X-Y plane and one of its 4-pin connectors into a stepper Fig. B: Solder the endstop boards.
Fig. C: Attach the front and back panels.
deposits molten plastic, building the board, and plug the same stepper board’s
Fig. D: Nut and bearing sandwiches
object up layer-by-layer as it moves up ribbon cable into one of the 3 headers on on the Z rods.
the Z plane. The Plastruder takes 3mm- the motherboard (Figure A).
diameter filament and extrudes it at a Plug in the power supply and turn on
top rate of 16mm/second and a max the power switch on the motherboard.
temperature of 260°C (500°F); MakerBot You should see a green light on both the 3. Build the enclosure.
Industries describes it as “a souped-up, motherboard and the stepper board. Before assembling the enclosure, you
robotic hot glue gun.” might want to paint or finish its laser-
The CupCake CNC is open source, not 2. Assemble and test the cut plywood parts, but this is optional.
patented, so anyone can build one (or endstop boards (optional). I chose a butcher-block finish of mineral
improve upon it) using their own materials. Newer CupCakes don’t use endstops, and oil and wax.
But, like most CupCake owners, I built Thing-O-Matics use a different kind, so The main panels screw together with
mine from a MakerBot kit. It was easy. skip this step if you have a different kit. M3 nuts and bolts. First, screw 4 bearing
To assemble the 6 optical endstop brackets onto the underside of the middle
1. Test the stepper boards. boards, just solder 3 resistors, an LED, panel, one in each corner. Then attach the
Attach a plastic connector to both ends and a connector to each (Figure B). It’s front and back panels to the middle panel,
of each ribbon cable, with the brown easy. Four of the boards (for the X- and making sure the laser etching on the back
index wire on the side of the connector Z-axes) use RJ45 connectors, and 2 use panel faces inward, so that you can read it
marked with an arrow. Use pliers to snap 3-pin connectors. when you look into the machine (Figure C).
each connector closed. Rinse and repeat Screw the optical switch onto the PCB, Add the left, right, top, and bottom panels
to make 3 cables, then plug one into each making sure it faces the right direction. the same way.
stepper board. I used a couple of small screwdrivers to To remove stray metal bits from the
The power supply has a 24-pin connector, keep it aligned, then I bent the leads. threads of the 4 Z-stage rods, wrap one
also called a 20+4. Snap the 4-pin section Then plug each endstop into the stepper end of each in tape, chuck it gently into
off along the seam and plug the resulting board you connected, and power it up for an electric drill, add a little oil, and use
20-pin connector onto the motherboard testing. When you insert a piece of paper a paper towel to clean out all the debris
It only fits one way. in front of the opto switch, the board’s while turning the rod slowly.
Make sure the power supply is unplugged green light should come on. At one end of each threaded rod,

Make: 59

p058-63_SIP_CupcakeCNC_F2.indd 59 10/13/10 11:12:13 AM

 E F G
F

H I J

Fig. E: Fit the Z rods into the enclosure
with their bearings snug. Fig. F: The
power plate bolted to the rear of the
enclosure. Fig. G: Mount the X motor
and driver pulley to the middle panel.
Fig. H: Fit a bearing into the Z tensioning
pulley. Fig. I: The Z belt adjusted tight
around the Z rods and Z motor pulley.
Fig. J: Getting a second opinion on
leveling the Z stage nuts.
sandwich a 608 bearing between two
8mm nuts, tightening them together with
2 wrenches. Add another 8mm nut onto
the opposite end of the rod and screw it
down a few inches to stay out of the way;
this nut will hold the Z stage. Then add
another bearing sandwich at the same
end, but don’t tighten it yet (Figure D,
previous page).
Run the un-tightened ends of the Z rods
up through the 4 holes in the enclosure’s
top panel and fit the other ends into the
middle panel bearing brackets. Adjust the
upper bearings so they sit flush with or
below the top (Figure E). This is important,
so double- and triple-check it.
Screw the bearing brackets over the
Z rod tops, making sure they have no play
or friction. Use one screw on each cover,
and only add the rest after you’ve found
the cover’s perfect position.
Screw-mount the power supply and
fan where indicated on the inside of the
Power Plate panel. (I had to enlarge the
opening with an X-Acto knife.) Use M3
bolts to attach the panel to the rear of
the enclosure (Figure F), and feed the
cables through the opening on the lower
right side.
4. Add the X and Z
motors and pulleys.
Slip the aluminum driver pulley over the
X-axis motor shaft, flush with the end, then
tighten its setscrew. Mount the motor to
the enclosure’s middle panel with 4 short
M3 bolts (Figure G). Install the Z motor the
same way, but don’t tighten its pulley yet.
In my kit, the Z tensioning pulleys were
themselves 3D-printed! Use a hobby knife
to scrape any extra bits of plastic from their
holes. Then use a bolt and nut from the
“hardware burrito” to push a bearing into
each pulley. Screw the nut onto the bolt
about ¼" and press the bolt head firmly
until the bearing is fully seated (Figure H).
Add the pulleys to the tops of the
Z rods and install the tensioning pulleys
you assembled earlier on either side of
the motor. Then add the Z belt (the longest
one, 424 teeth) and adjust the tension
pulleys to make it tight (Figure I). Adjust
the Z pulley setscrews to align all of the
pulleys to the same height, so that the
belt sits centered in all of them.
Using a ruler or other reference, adjust
the free nuts on the 4 threaded rods until
they’re the same height, so that your
Z stage will sit exactly level. It’s always
good to get a second opinion (Figure J).

60 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p058-63_SIP_CupcakeCNC_F2.indd 60 10/13/10 11:13:37 AM

 L
K M
O P
5. Build the Y stage.
The build platform attaches to the Y stage
with 5 pairs of magnets. To make sure
they’re all oriented correctly, stack them
up and use something solid to push down
on the stack and seat each magnet in its
hole (Figure K). Flip the stack in between
filling the 2 panels, so they’ll attract each
other, not repel.
Fit the bearings into the left and right
side pieces of the Y stage, but don’t glue
them. Screw the Y-clamp pieces together
around the Y belt (the smallest one, 196
teeth), as described in the kit. Use M3 nuts
and bolts to assemble the Y stage, clamp,
and belt (Figure L).
6. Build the X stage.
Attach the 264-tooth X belt to the X rib
using the 2 X clamps. It’s a little long; to
take up slack, make a ¼" kink in the belt
between the clamps (Figure M).
Fit the flanged bearings into the X-left
and X-right pieces, but don’t glue them
yet. Use M3 nuts to screw the 2 pieces to
the X stage.
Mount the Y pulley to the X stage with
2 nuts in between as spacers and 1 nut
under the stage. Hand-tighten the nut
underneath to allow for adjustment later.
p058-63_SIP_CupcakeCNC_F2.indd 61
N
Q
Screw the driver pulley onto the end of Fig. K: Stack Y stage magnets to ensure
the Y motor shaft and attach the motor to uniform orientation. Fig. L: Assemble the
Y stage, clamp, and belt. Fig. M: Attach
the right side of the X stage with 8mm
the X belt to the X rib with a ¼" kink
M3 screws. to take up slack. Fig. N: Position the
Position the Y stage and belt on top Y stage atop the X stage. Fig. O: Run
of the X stage (Figure N), run the Y belt the Y rods through the Y stage and bolt
each end to the X stage. Fig. P: Slip the
around the pulleys and through the slots X rods through the X stage bearings.
under the Y stage, and adjust the pulleys Fig. Q: Attach the X belt and rib to the
so they’re even with the belt. underside of the X stage.
Attach an X cap piece to either end of
the X stage. Slide the Y rods (the shorter
pair of M8 rods) through the far holes in
the X stage and the Y stage bearings, and
into the holes where you attached the X
cap. Then add the other X cap and secure
the rods with nuts at each end (Figure O).
Slip the X rods (the longer M8 rods)
through the X stage bearings (Figure P).
Now fix all X and Y bearings in position with
dabs of hot glue, and they’ll be perfectly
aligned. Add the X rib and belt under the
X stage by screwing the rib into the middle
section (Figure Q).
7. Install the X, Y, and Z
stages.
Put the X/Y assembly inside the enclosure
and run the X belt around the X motor pul-
ley. Add the X driven pulley to the opposite
side of the CupCake’s base, positioned
Make: 61
10/13/10 11:14:19 AM
 R S
U V
Fig. R: Dabs of hot glue cushion the
X-rod ends against the wooden brackets.
Fig. S: Suspend the Z stage from nuts on
the Z rods. Fig. T: Assemble and glue the
“weird dinosaur” brackets. Fig. U: Glue
the skate wheel bearing into the acrylic
idler wheel. Fig. V: Wrap the soldered
Nichrome joints with the Kapton tape.
Fig. W: Insulate the thermistor leads with
Kapton. Fig. X: Coil Nichrome around the
heater barrel and insulate with Kapton.
Fig. Y: Wrap Kapton tape to secure the
thermistor against the heater barrel.
so that the belt is tight but not too tight.
(You’ll know.)
Insert the X rods through the sides of
the enclosure and through the X stage
bearings. Add a dab of hot glue to the rods’
ends to eliminate chattering (Figure R), and
screw the 4 end cap pieces over the rods.
For the Z stage, screw the 4 U-shaped
wooden brackets to the acrylic Z stage.
Suspend the stage from the nuts you
leveled on the Z rods inside the enclosure
(Figure S).
8. Build and test
the Plastruder.
The Plastruder isn’t hard to build, but
a short circuit can lead to disaster. So
62 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p058-63_SIP_CupcakeCNC_F2.indd 62
W X
double-check everything and follow the
official directions at wiki.makerbot.com.
Here’s an overview:
First, remove the protective plastic
from all the laser-etched acrylic pieces.
Use small screws to assemble the paired
“weird dinosaur” brackets (Figure T).
Temporarily raise the acrylic idler wheel
on a pair of washers and use a liberal
amount of crazy glue to secure the skate
wheel bearing in the center (Figure U).
Here’s a tip: draw radial lines on the idler
wheel so that you can see it turning when
the Plastruder is extruding.
Cut a length of Nichrome wire that gives
exactly 6Ω of resistance (about 12"),
measuring with your multimeter. Crimp
and solder each end of the Nichrome to
2 insulated wire leads and wrap them in
the supplied Kapton tape (Figure V).
Trim the thermistor’s leads to 1" and tin
them with solder. Solder 2 more insulated
wires to each leg of the thermistor, and
insulate with Kapton tape. Sandwich the
thermistor legs in more Kapton tape so
they won’t touch each other (Figure W).
Brush and wash the heater barrel parts
to make sure they’re all super clean.
Screw the threaded heater barrel into the
thermal barrier all the way, but not tight.
T
Y
Wrap Kapton tape around the bottom of
the barrel and add the brass nozzle.
With the middle of the Nichrome wire,
wrap a few layers around the barrel just
behind the nozzle, then coil the rest down
the barrel (Figure X). Enclose the entire
barrel and Nichrome coil in Kapton tape.
Position the thermistor against the nozzle,
close to the tip, and wrap more Kapton
tape all around (Figure Y).
Insulate the barrel once around with the
included thick ceramic tape, followed by
another layer of Kapton.
Unscrew the barrel bottom from the
thermal barrier. Line the hole of the
retaining washer with Kapton, slip it over
the barrel, and screw it all back together
(Figure Z).
For the Plastruder drive mechanism,
attach the pulley to the DC motor, gear side
out, then press-fit on the 606 bearing.
Following the instructions, stack the acrylic
pieces that hold the motor and idler wheel.
Check the alignment of the assembly with
the included steel rod, then screw the stack
and motor together tight (Figure AA).
Attach this drive assembly to the “dino-
saur” brackets, followed by the extruder
controller board. Then attach the heater
barrel with 16mm and 50mm M3 bolts,
10/13/10 11:15:12 AM
 Z AA
CC
washers, and nuts (Figure BB).
Connect the thermistor wires to the
extruder controller board locations marked
Thermistor, connect the leads from the
Nichrome heater wire to B+ and B–, the
red motor wire to 1A, and the black wire to
1B. Connect the extruder controller to the
motherboard with the Ethernet cable.
Download and install ReplicatorG from
replicat.org/download. This is the software
you’ll use on your computer to operate
the CupCake. From ReplicatorG, run the
Plastruder test procedure, as outlined in
the wiki. I placed the extruder on top of an
old CD spindle cover to catch the hot plas-
tic. It spat out a nice steady stream. Yeah!
9. Final assembly
and calibration.
Bolt the Plastruder assembly onto the
Z stage (Figure CC). Attach the mother-
board and stepper driver boards to the
right side of the enclosure, on the outside,
using plastic standoffs to keep the elec-
tronics away from the panel (Figure DD).
Plug the 4-pin connectors from the power
supply into the stepper and extruder
boards. Plug the stepper ribbon cables into
the motherboard and connect the stepper
motor wires to the stepper boards. Finally,
p058-63_SIP_CupcakeCNC_F2.indd 63
DD
plug the extruder controller cable into the
motherboard. You’ve made a 3D printer!
You can attach the endstops now too.
I attached mine, but didn’t connect them
to the controller until later. I figured they
were an additional thing that might go
wrong while I was getting started, and
I knew I’d be near the machine while it
ran. If I heard the crunching or rumbling
sound of the CupCake running beyond a
maximum dimension, I could easily jump
over and reset it.
Finally, use ReplicatorG on your com-
puter to run the CupCake calibration
sequence, as documented on the wiki.
Your CupCake is now ready to print.
Your First Print!
Printing objects on your CupCake is fairly
straightforward, but you might need a few
tries to get everything set up right. Be sure
to read the “How to Print” wiki page, which
is a great walk-through, and also refer to
the MakerBot Forum on the wiki.
With my first print, the plastic didn’t
stick to itself, so I increased the tempera-
ture about 15°C, which helped. For my
third print, I got ambitious and tried the
infamous Whistle by Zaggo (thingiverse.
com/thing:1046). I fired up the printer, and
BB
EE
Fig. Z: Reassemble the Plastruder
heater barrel with a retaining washer
over the thermal barrier. Fig. AA: Align
the acrylic stack holding the Plastruder
drive mechanism. Fig. BB: Mount the
Plastruder heater barrel, drive mecha-
nism, and controller to the acrylic stack.
Fig. CC: Mount the Plastruder assembly
to the Z stage. Fig. DD: Mount the
motherboard and stepper driver boards
to the right side of the enclosure.
Fig. EE: CupCake-printed plastic whistle
— it even has the pea inside.
in a few minutes I had a whistle — amazing!
The little loop didn’t come out quite right
and there were a few gaps, but it was only
my third print, and I was really happy with
the result (Figure EE).
My CupCake CNC was a lot of fun to
make, and it’s even more fun to use. Now
my only problem is figuring out what to
print next!
Marc de Vinck moonlights as an artist creating
interactive sculpture from his studio in the North-
east. He’s a member of the MAKE Advisory Board,
a contributing writer for MAKE, and the director
of product development for the Maker Shed.
Make: 63
10/13/10 11:16:16 AM
 TOOL
BOX
The Maker’s The tools we use — or wish
Ultimate we could get our hands on.
Tools By Saul Griffith

Illustrations by Nik Schulz
Here’s what would go into an extremely expensive ideal toolbox for someone who
wants to be able to make pretty much anything, from ultimate fighting robots to
hybrid go-karts, and even play around with microelectromechanical systems. You
can and will make do without these, but in a perfect world, where the streets are
paved with socket wrenches, these six tools would be in your basement.
For the complete list, turn to page 66. For an ultimate tools narrative, go to
makezine.com/03/ultimate.

CNC Mill, $50,000 3D Scanner, $30,000

haascnc.com
Now you’re machining. A 3-axis or 4-axis CNC mill is for real — it can make
almost any 3D part you can design. You really want a Haas or Fanuc mill,
but for the weekend builder there are cheaper, smaller options. Poor maker’s
alternative: CNC routers are affordable and can make big, satisfying things
that are 2D or 2.5D, and make them fast.
konicaminolta.com
These machines are still quite expensive, and
accuracy depends on how much you spend and
the size of the object you’re scanning. They’re
used a lot these days for restoration of antiquities
and sculptures as well as assisting in surgery.

64 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p064-67_SIP_UltTools_F1.indd 64 10/11/10 2:53:42 PM

 3D Printer, $25,000
zcorp.com
This makes surprisingly beautiful parts;
just don’t expect them to be robust. It’s
the fastest way to go from computer model
to physical part. My pick of the bunch is
Z Corp’s printer — it’s the cheapest and
fastest. Poor maker’s alternative: MakerBot
kits, RepRap, and other DIY 3D printers.
Plasma Cutter, $10,000
plasmacam.com
It’s more difficult to use than a laser cutter, but
has a big advantage: it cuts metal or anything
that conducts electricity. Think of it as a robotic
oxy torch. You can get a simple plasma torch for
$1K or be up and running with a CNC cutter for
about $10K. Make your own parts for that car
restoration project or build custom aluminum
chandeliers. Poor maker’s alternative: An oxy
torch and a very steady hand, or a high-quality
band saw and lots of patience.
Laser Cutter, $19,900
epiloglaser.com
CAD-driven high-powered lasers cut plastic,
paper, and wood in thicknesses up to about
2 inch with very high precision. For kicks,
you can write your name on toast or etch
your face on an eggplant. They’re also good
for cutting rubber stamps. Poor maker’s
alternative: Print the patterns with your
inkjet printer and cut them out with a scroll
saw. Not as accurate or as fast, but a work-
able workaround.

Water Jet,
$100,000
omax.com
This rich man’s plasma cutter cuts
through 8 inches of granite with a
barely subsonic jet of abrasive grit-
filled water. It has none of the material
restrictions of the laser cutter or the
plasma cutter (though it isn’t great for
wood). The water tank weighs a ton
(literally), so you’ll need to reinforce
your garage floor. Neat fact: Used
extensively for cutting up chicken
carcasses and chocolate bars (though
with water only — no abrasive grit).
Poor maker’s alternative: Rumor has
it you can do something similar with a
washing machine pump and a hypoder-
mic needle.

Make: 65

p064-67_SIP_UltTools_F1.indd 65 10/11/10 2:54:07 PM

 TOOL
BOX
The A complete list of tools you need
Ultimate to make almost anything.
Tool
Buying Guide

In the real world it takes a lifetime to collect the right set of tools, and everyone’s dream list is different. Consider this
the ultimate set of tools for a tinkerer to build almost anything in prototype form. If you’re aiming for craftsman quality,
or production quantity, you’ll look for highly specialized tools not listed here. This is a list for hackers.
For more advice and philosophy on buying tools, visit makezine.com/2010/workshop.

Tool Name McMaster # $ Budget $ Deluxe Tool Name McMaster # $ Budget $ Deluxe

Hand Tools Needlenose Pliers,

Small and Large
5451a12 2 35
Necessity Utility Knife 3814a11 1 10 Bull-Nose Pliers, Small and
Priority
2 35
35435a11 Large
Extremely useful Precision Knives 38995a71 1 10 5385a12
35515a12 Adjustable Wrenches 3 40
Surprisingly useful 5385a15
Infrequent but handy Claw Hammer 6484a21 10 50 Crowbar / Ripping Bar 5990a2 2 30
Can do without, better with Scissors 3879a5 3 50 Tube Cutter 2706a1 15 80
You didn’t know it was Ball Peen Hammer 6481a31 10 50 Glass Cutter 3867a16 2 25
so lovely
Diamond Sharpener 43545a53 6 45 Bolt / Chain Cutter 3771a15 50 150
Wire Brush 7187t3 2 10 3585a13
5986a1 Sheet Metal Snips 3908a11 10 40
Pry Bars 60025a65 1 10 3902a9
60025a66 Finishing Saw 4012a1 10 30
Folding Ladder 8141t14 75 1,000 4099a1
Coping Saw 4 10
Hand Truck 2660t3 40 600 6917a11
Blacksmith’s Hammer (Heavy) 6462a24 10 80 Hole Saw Kit 4008a71 25 120
Rubber Mallet 5917a8 10 40 Handsaw 4088a71 10 20
Miter Box 4201a38 15 45 Metric / Inch Tap and Die 2726a66 40 1,200
Hacksaw 4086a34 5 25 Deburring Taper 3018a4 5 80
Tight Spot Hacksaw 4060a16 2 5 4253a16
Deburring Tools 2 25
Hole Punch Tool 3461a22 40 150 4289a36

Center Punches and Chisel Set 3506a76 25 120 Drill Stops 8959a16 2 10

7290a24 Vise 5344a31 10 1,500

Metric and Imperial
5757a35 30 1,200 C-Clamps 5165a25 2 45
Ratchet / Socket Sets
5582a11 Quick-Grip Clamps / Spreaders 51755a7  15 50
Torque Wrench 85555a221 50 300 Jaw Puller 6293k12 50 180
5541a31 8176a12
Hex Key Sets, 5215a24 Files 2 100
2 80 8194a12
Imperial and Metric 7162a13
5215a12 Hydraulic Floor Jack 25 200
Torx Key Set 6959a85 2 40 Block & Tackle / Lifting Winch 50 500
52975a21 Screwdrivers, Slotted and
Mini-Hex Drivers 2 40 8551a31 1 90
7270a59 Phillips
5314a62 52985a21
Jeweler’s Screwdrivers 10 40
Combination Wrenches, 5304a73 52985a23
25 800
Metric and Inch 5314a25 Propane Burner 10 50
5772a53
Heat Gun 50 250
Vise-Grip Locking Pliers,
Long-Nose
7136a19 2 50 Power Tools
18V or 36V Cordless Drill 29835a88 25 300
Vise-Grips, Large 7136a15 5 60
Band Saw 4164a12 250 5,000
Vise-Grips, Med Curved 5172a17 5 45
Reciprocating Saw (Sawzall) 4011a81 120 250

66 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p064-67_SIP_UltTools_F1.indd 66 10/13/10 9:21:36 AM

 Tool Name McMaster # $ Budget $ Deluxe Tool Name McMaster # $ Budget $ Deluxe
Sliding Compound Miter Saw 3001a14 200 600 Toaster Oven,
40 60
Handheld Circular Saw 4033a31 30 450 Adjustable Time / Temp

Tilting Table Saw 27925a11 300 2,000 Microscope (See Safety / Measurement / Visualization)

Jigsaw 39995a21 20 450 Oscilloscope 500 5,000

Drill Press 2717a45 100 2,500 Micro Tweezer Sets 2 100

28115a77 Pick-and-Place Robot 3,000 30,000

31555a55 Variac Transformer 6994k17 200 850
31555a56
Drill Sets
31555a57
5 1,200 Fetish Tools
8802a11 Optics Bench 1,000 400,000
8802a12
Mask Writer 50,000 1,000,000
Plunge Router 36485a11 100 300
Mini-Jector Injection Molder 4,000 50,000
Manual Lathe 8941a61 500 5,000
Thermoformer 1,000 20,000
MIG Welder 7264a12 200 1,500
ESEM Electron Microscope 25,000 500,000
Stick Welder 7967a33 100 4,600
3D Scanner 5,000 100,000
Stroboscope 1177t92 25 250
Excimer Laser Cutter 100,000 1,000,000
Hot Plate, Adjustable 3118k32 50 800
PCR (Thermal Cycler) 100,000
Dremel Rotary Tool 4344a76 50 150
Micropipettes 20 2,000
Angle Grinder 4395a16 50 250
Spin Coater 500 25,000
Bench Grinder / Buffer 4583a92 75 300
High-Temperature Vacuum Oven 2,000 30,000
Belt Sander 4892a21 100 200
Chemistry Hoods and
Bench Disc / Belt Sander 4566a31 250 1,500 2,000 1,000,000
Glass Equipment
Disc Sander 4615a21 30 800 Ultrasonic Welder 5,000 25,000
Orbital Sander 39825a15 20 250 Tube Bender 1,000 40,000
Bridgeport Mill 500 15,000 Tanks for Anodizing, Etching 25 2,500
Hot Knife (Heisseschneider) 50 200 Kiln 500 5,000
Pipe Bender 2412a4 100 7,000 Anvil 250 1,000
Foam Cutter 4981a22 10 600 Crucible 20 2,500
Sheet Metal Nibbler 3623a14 125 1,200 Thin Film Evaporator /
5,000 100,000
Sewing Machine 25 2,500 Sputterer
Hot Glue Gun 7518a22 10 120 Sheet Metal Bender / Brake 30 7,000
Air Compressor 4364k3 200 2,500 Notcher 40 800
31195k11 Arbor Press 40 900
Spot Abrasive Blaster 50 500
3210k11
Vacuum Pump 100 1,000+ Safety, Measurement,
Oxy-Acetylene Torch 7754a12 250 1,500 and Visualization
Plasma Torch 600 3,000 Safety Goggles 2404t21 1 10

Computer-Controlled Tools Earmuffs 9205T6 2 30

CNC Router 800 5,000 Micrometer 2054a75 5 300

Large-Format Laser Printer 900 25,000 Caliper 8647a44 5 500

CNC Mill (3- or 4-axis) 2,500 120,000 1490t3

Head-Mounted Magnifier 5 120
1509t14
CNC Lathe 5,000 150,000
Feeler Gauges 2070a7 1 25
Laser Cutter (CO2) 12,000 50,000
2169a4
Plasma Cutter 3,000 20,000 Spirit Level 5 50
2169a1
Wire or Sink EDM (Electrical Tape Measure 19805a74 1 25
100,000 250,000
Discharge Machining)
Adjustable Stereomicroscope 10705t64 500 25,000
Water Jet Cutter 80,000 150,000
Hot Gloves 5 100
3D Printer (Z Corp, FDM, STL) 25,000 250,000
Work Gloves 1 40
Plotter / Cutter (Roland) 1,000 25,000
Welding Mask 15 100
Electronics Tools 2042a77
Soldering Iron 7722a1 11 250 Rules 6823a61 5 100
20265a36
Wire Stripper 2 80
Shop Vac 70215t26 60 200
Pliers Set 5323a49 10 120
Torpedo Laser Level 2032a7 40 200
Work Holder and Magnifier 5007a14 5 100
Combination Square, 4-piece 2007a8 20 100
Multimeter 75 250
2278a11
Temp-Control Solder Station 150 1,000 2278a14
Machinist’s Squares 10 550
Hot Air Tool for Point Reflow / 2278a17
30 500
Desoldering 2278a21
Bench Power Supply, Inspection Mirror, 2" 1017t17 6 30
150 500
Multi-Output

Make: 67

p064-67_SIP_UltTools_F1.indd 67 10/11/10 2:54:54 PM

 TOOL
BOX
Your What you need to get started
Electronics in hobby electronics.
Workbench By Charles Platt
The Basics
First, you’ll need a breadboard. You can
call it a “prototyping board,” but this is like
calling a battery a “power cell.” Search
RadioShack online for “breadboard” and
you’ll find more than a dozen products, all of
them for electronics hobbyists, and none of
them useful for doing anything with bread.
A breadboard is a plastic strip perforated
with holes 1/10" apart, which happens to be
the same spacing as the legs on old-style
silicon chips — the kind that were endemic
in computers before the era of surface-
mounted chips with legs so close together
only a robot could love them. Fortunately
for hobbyists, old-style chips are still in
plentiful supply and are simple to play with.
Your breadboard makes this easy. Behind
its holes are copper conductors, arrayed in
hidden rows and columns. When you push
the wires of components into the holes, the
wires engage with the conductors, and the
conductors link the components together,
with no solder required.
Figure A shows a basic breadboard. You
insert chips so that their legs straddle the
central groove, and you add other compo-
nents on either side. You’ll also want to buy
a matching printed circuit board (PCB) that
has the same pattern of copper connectors
as the breadboard.
First use the breadboard to make sure
everything works, then transpose the parts
to the PCB, pushing their wires through
from the top. You immortalize your circuit by
soldering the wires to the copper strips.
Soldering, of course, is the tricky part. As
always, it pays to get the right tool for the
job. I never used to believe this, because
I grew up in England, where “making do
with less” is somehow seen as a virtue.
When I finally bought a 15-watt pencil-
68 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p068-70_SIP_EltrncsWrkbnch_F2.indd 68
sized soldering iron with a very fine tip
(Figure C), I realized I had spent years pun-
ishing myself. You need that fine-tipped
soldering iron, and thin solder to go with it.
You also need a loupe, a little magnifier
(Figure D). A cheap plastic one is suffi-
cient. You’ll use it to make sure the solder
you apply to the PCB hasn’t run across
any of the narrow spaces separating adja-
cent copper strips, creating short circuits.
Short circuits are the #2 cause of
frustration when a project that worked
perfectly on a breadboard becomes totally
uncommunicative on a PCB. The #1 cause
of frustration (in my experience, anyway)
would be dry joints.
Any soldering guide will tell you to hold
two metal parts together while simultane-
ously applying solder and the tip of the
soldering iron. If you can manage this
far-fetched anatomical feat, you must
also watch the solder with supernatural
close-up vision. You want the solder to run
like a tiny stream that clings to the metal,
instead of forming beads that sit on top
of the metal. At that precise moment,
you remove the soldering iron. The solder
solidifies, and the joint is complete.
You get a dry joint if the solder isn’t quite
hot enough. Its crystalline structure lacks
integrity and crumbles under stress. If
you’ve joined two wires, it’s easy to test for
a dry joint: you can pull them apart easily.
On a PCB, it’s another matter. You can’t
test a chip by trying to pull it off the board,
because the good joints on most of its legs
will compensate for any bad joints.
You must use your loupe to check for the
bad joints. You may see a wire-end per-
fectly centered in a PCB hole, with solder
on the wire, solder around the hole, but no
solder actually connecting the two. This
gap of 1/100" is enough to stop everything
from working, but you’ll need a good desk
lamp and magnification to see it.
10/13/10 9:25:08 AM
 A. BREADBOARD: Used for prototyp-
ing the connections you’ll make on
your printed circuit board (PCB),
without the need for solder.

B. PROJECT BOX: This

aluminum storage box
has grooves inside that
accept a PCB.

C. SOLDERING IRON:
A 15-watt pencil-
sized iron with a
very fine tip. Get thin
solder to go with it.

D. LOUPE: Good
for checking sol- F. WIRE STRIPPER:
der connections A Kronus Automatic,
on the PCB. shown here, works
with supernatural
efficiency.

E. NEEDLENOSE
PLIERS: Various
sizes are essential.
Illustration by Damien Scogin

G. COMPONENTS: You’ll H. WIRE: You’ll

want a variety of resistors need both hookup
and capacitors, available at and stranded wire.
your local Shack or online.

Make: 69

p068-70_SIP_EltrncsWrkbnch_F1.indd 69 10/11/10 3:04:56 PM

 TOOL
BOX
A Few
Components
and Tools
Just as a kitchen should contain eggs
and orange juice, you’ll want a variety of
resistors and capacitors. Your neighbor-
hood Shack can sell you prepackaged
assortments, or you can shop online at
mouser.com or eBay.
After you buy the components, you’ll
need to sort and label them. Some may be
marked only with colored bands to indicate
their values. With a multimeter (a good one
costs maybe $50) you can test the values
instead of trying to remember the color-
coding system. For storage I like the kind of
little plastic boxes that craft stores sell to
store beads.
For your breadboard you’ll need hookup
wire. This is available in precut lengths,
with insulation already stripped to expose
Learn the Rules
Read a basic electronics guide, like my
Make: Electronics (makershed.com), to
learn the relationships between ohms (Ω),
amperes (A), volts (V), and watts (W), so
that you can do the numbers and avoid
burning out a resistor with excessive cur-
rent or an LED with too much voltage. And
follow the rules of troubleshooting:
» Look for dead zones. This is easy
on a breadboard, where you can include
extra LEDs to give a visual indication of
whether each section is dead or alive. You
can use piezo beepers for this purpose,
too. And, of course, you can clip the black
wire of your meter to the negative source
in your circuit, then touch the red probe
(carefully, without shorting anything out!)
to points of interest.
If you get an intermittent reading when
you flex the circuit board gently, almost
certainly you have a dry joint somewhere,
making and breaking contact. More than
once I’ve found that a circuit that works
70 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p068-70_SIP_EltrncsWrkbnch_F1.indd 70
Avoid being a mere slave
to instructions; learn how to
fix things if the project
doesn’t work.
the ends. You’ll also need stranded wire to
make flexible connections from the PCB to
panel-mounted components such as LEDs
or switches. To strip the ends of the wire,
nothing beats the Kronus Automatic Wire
Stripper, which looks like a monster but
works with supernatural efficiency, letting
you do the job with just one hand.
Needlenose pliers and side cutters of
various sizes are essential, with perhaps
tweezers, a miniature vise to hold your
work, alligator clips, and that wonderfully
mysterious stuff, heat-shrink tubing (you’ll
never use electrical tape again). To shrink
the heat-shrink tube, you’ll use a Black and
Decker heat gun.
If this sounds like a substantial invest-
ment, it isn’t. A basic workbench should
fine on a naked PCB stops working when
I mount it in a plastic box, because the
process of screwing the board into place
has flexed it just enough to break a
connection.
» Check for short circuits.
If there’s a short, current will prefer to
flow through it, and other parts of the
circuit will be deprived. They’ll show much
less voltage than they should.
Alternatively you can set your meter
to measure amperes and then connect
the meter between one side of your
power source and the input point on your
circuit. A zero reading on the meter may
mean that you just blew its internal fuse
because a short circuit tried to draw too
much current.
» Check for heat-damaged
components. This is harder, and it’s
better to avoid damaging the components
in the first place. If you use sockets for
entail no more than a $250 expenditure
for tools and parts. Electronics is a much
cheaper hobby than more venerable crafts
such as woodworking, and since all the
components are small, it consumes very
little space.
For completed projects you need, natu-
rally enough, project boxes. You can settle
for simple plastic containers with screw-on
lids, but I prefer something a little fancier.
Hammond Instruments makes a lovely
brushed aluminum box with a lid that slides
out to allow access. Grooves inside the box
accept a printed circuit board. My preferred
box has a pattern of conductors emulating
three breadboards put together. This is big
enough for ambitious projects involving
multiple chips.
your chips, solder the empty socket to the
PCB, then plug the chip in after everything
cools. When soldering delicate diodes
(including LEDs), apply an alligator clip
between the soldering iron and the compo-
nent. The clip absorbs the heat.
Tracing faults in circuits is truly an
annoying process. On the upside, when
you do manage to put together an array
of components that works properly, it
usually keeps on working cooperatively,
without change or complaint, for decades
— unlike automobiles, lawn mowers,
power tools, or, for that matter, people.
To me this is the irresistible aspect of
hobby electronics. You end up with some-
thing that’s more than the sum of its parts
— and the magic endures.
Charles Platt is a contributing editor of MAKE
and the author of Make: Electronics. He’s also
the author of science fiction novels, including
The Silicon Man.
10/11/10 3:05:23 PM
 8 Non-Tools You’ll never want to leave
Every your maker cave.
Workshop By William Gurstelle
Needs
2
Sure, your tools are important. But it’s the small,
personal items that make a generic workshop yours,
and keep you comfortable, happy, and on task.
1. Coveralls Nothing says “I’m
a maker” like heavy-duty, multi-
pocketed coveralls. Far more durable
than a smock or lab coat, coveralls
protect your clothes from the dust,
grease, and sparks of the workshop.
1 Buy them roomy enough to wear
clothes underneath (if you want).
Want extra street cred? For a few
dollars, your local embroidery store
will add your name or a logo on
the front. Carhartt Insulated Duck
Coveralls, $123 carhartt.com
7 tubes, but a wall-mounted dispenser
2. Electric wall clock Time flies
when you’re having fun, so it’s
important to have a large, depend-
able clock on the wall so you don’t
miss meals. Unless your workshop
is heated, battery-operated clocks
lose time in the winter, and it’s hard
to see the small dial of a desk clock
from across the room. A factory-
style, plug-in electric clock suits
every workshop. Geneva 14" Electric
Quartz Analog Commercial Wall
Clock, $25 hardwareandtools.com
4
3. Label maker Clearly labeled bins
of parts and supplies make your shop
neat, organized, and professional.
While there’s nothing wrong with
3 modern label printers, the old-school,
turn-and-click label makers that
emboss letters onto vinyl tape are
retro-cool and never need batteries.
Some even emboss steel or alumi-
8 num tape. Rhino 1011 Metal Tape
Embosser, $250 dymo.com
4. Fly swatter
Apparently, flies love the smell of
sawdust, iron filings, and whatever
resin or paint you just applied. You
can chase the pests with a rolled-up
William Gurstelle is a contributing editor of MAKE.
p071_SIP_8Non-Tools_F1_ga.indd 71
newspaper or a ball cap held by the
brim, but a well-engineered fly swat-
ter is far more effective. (The open
mesh of the swatting surface lets the
air pass through, doubling or tripling
the kill ratio.) Orvis Personalized
Leather Fly Swatter, $48 orvis.com
5. Wall-mounted hand cleaner
dispenser Waterless hand cleaners
like GoJo and Goop remove grease
and dirt without the need for running
water. Some come in squeezable
is easier to use, and you never have
to remember where you left the tube.
6. Coffee maker with insulated
carafe For many of us, a steady
supply of caffeine on-site is a boon
and a pleasure that enhances creat-
ing and building. A coffee maker
with an insulated carafe (instead
of a heated glass decanter) is more
energy efficient and prevents unsa-
vory coffee-scorch. A mug with a
covered top keeps bad stuff out.
7. First aid kit There are a lot of
sharp, hard, hot, and pointy things
in the workshop. Eventually, you’re
going to come into contact with
those things in unplanned ways.
Bandages, compresses, and wound
dressings are items of most benefit.
Red Cross 100 Year Anniversary First
Aid Kit, $45 redcrossstore.org
8. Wall calendar While not a neces-
sity, it’s a time-honored addition.
Traditionally, workshop calendars
tend toward the racy side but don’t
cross the line into the offensive. But
hey, it’s your workshop.
Make: 71
10/11/10 3:12:05 PM
 TOOL
BOX
Multitools
and
Gadgets
Li’l Guppie
Why the heck do I need another pocket
tool? I’ve already got a multitool with
pliers, knives, screwdrivers, and more.
Well, the reason is this: ever try to
loosen a bolt without an adjustable
wrench? It’s pretty hopeless; the non-
parallel jaws of pliers just don’t cut it.
The Li’l Guppie is the answer: it has an
adjustable wrench on it.
Thanks to its carabiner-like form,
I can hang it from my belt loop, ready
to be deployed on a stubborn bolt. It’s
got a fangy little blade that makes me
nervous (I wish it locked in place), but
turning the thumbscrew to open the
wrench reveals a Phillips screwdriver,
an extra-clever feature. A flathead
screwdriver is cast into the butt of the
tool, with a pretty serviceable bottle
opener built in too. $35 crkt.com
—John Edgar Park
72 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p072-75_SIP_Tlbx-GM_F1.indd 72
Leatherman Wave
I just got a Leatherman Wave multitool, and to say I’m in love is an
understatement. In the three days I’ve had it, it has left my side for no
more than 15 minutes at a time. In addition to the two outer blades
(serrated and normal) that can be deployed in seconds using only one
hand, there’s a diamond-coated file and a saw.
Inside, you find not only the standard pliers (which are beautiful all
by themselves) but also two bit drivers (large and small), a bottle
opener, a ruler, and more.
Remember those flimsy Swiss Army scissors that can barely cut
paper? The Wave’s scissors are far better; they have a real handle, not
to mention that you can tell just by their look that the Swiss Army
blades can’t compare.
No matter which tool you’re using on this amazing 17-function knife,
it feels great in your hand. As an added bonus, you can purchase a bit
kit, which is full of different-sized flat, Phillips, and Torx bits.
Within two hours of getting my Wave, I’d already used it to fix my
boot. Earlier today, I used it to help me build an iPod charger in an
Altoids tin, from Volume 07 of MAKE. $60 leatherman.com
—Adam Zeloof
Swiss+Tech UKCSB-1 Utili-Key
6-in-1 Key Ring Tool
With the Utili-Key on my keychain, I’m perfectly content dealing with
most situations where I’d usually opt for a pocketknife. It’s so small,
you’ll forget you have it with you. I’ve often forgotten about mine until
I’ve already passed through airport security. And at under $10, it’s
easy to replace. The key unfolds to a very serviceable combination
flat and serrated blade. It also comes with a bottle opener and various
screwdrivers, including a Phillips head. $11 swisstechtools.com
—Adam Flaherty
10/11/10 3:24:20 PM

Specialty Drivers
1 3
1. Eklind 7-Piece Torx Fold-
up Key Set Laptops, PDAs,
and a lot of other consumer
electronics devices use Torx
screws, so it’s smart to have a
set of Torx drivers in your tool-
box. I got this fold-up Torx key
set with seven different sizes
(T6, T7, T8, T10, T11, T12, T14)
because it’s easier to locate
in a drawer than several really
small Torx screwdrivers.
$10 eklindtool.net
—Dale Dougherty
2. Tri-Wing Screwdriver
If using this to get into my Wii
remote and Wii Nunchuck
controller (I used one for the
Make: television Roller Coaster
Flight Recorder project at
makezine.com/go/roller)
wasn’t already reason enough
to love this little security
driver, how about this: I used
it again today to open and
fix a corroded contact in a
battery-operated Thomas the
Tank Engine train! They’re
also good for getting into GBA
p072-75_SIP_Tlbx-GM_F1.indd 73
2 4
cartridges, the Nintendo DS,
Zune HD, and a few other
products. $4 play-asia.com
—JEP
3. SK 73676 21-Piece
Stubby Ratcheting
Screwdriver Set SK Hand
Tools, formerly known as
SuperKrome, makes a heck
of a tool. They mainly focus
on immortal socket sets,
but they also make a mean
ratcheting screwdriver. This
small-profile driver (known
as a stubby) ratchets like a
Swiss clock, fits all standard
attachments, and comes
with a bunch of bits, as well
as extenders to help you get
at hard-to-reach screws.
$20, online retailers
—John Baichtal
4. Boxer TP62 Security
Screwdriver Kit Once I got a
Boxer TP62 screwdriver kit,
I realized the world was held
together with tamperproof
screws and started carry-
“Multitools are for
people who can’t define
their jobs, and who
never stop tinkering.”
ing it with me everywhere.
Previously, if I came across
an obscure tamperproof
screw, I would grind an Allen
wrench until I could jam it in
or mickey-mouse some sort
of welding rod and Vise-Grip
contraption.
The Boxer TP62 is a stan-
dard removable-bit, ratchet-
ing screwdriver with not
only the expected standard
Phillips and flat bits, but also
57 high-security tamperproof
bits to open damn near every
machine meant to remain
unopened. From the sinister
Snake Eyes Spanner to the
three-blade Phillips, there are
bits for screws I didn’t even
realize were removable.
With the Boxer, you think,
“For now, you bastard screws
will remain impervious,
steadfastly guarding against
the random reordering of
tenant listings. But make
no mistake, should I desire,
I could have every damn one
of you removed in seconds.
—Bruce Sterling
clip out
5
And I would eat you like hot
peanuts.” $30 calcentron.com
—Mister Jalopy
5. Swiss+Tech Screwz-All
4-in-1 I originally got this as
an impulse purchase because
it was small and “cute.” Believe
me, it’s anything but cute
when it comes to working.
So far, this little gadget
has cracked open my car
battery on a hot day to check
the water level, opened and
repaired many computers
at the office, removed the
knee-eating ergonomic key-
board trays from under my
office desk, opened my iPod
to change the battery, and
helped repair my aging Nokia.
The micro-sized flat screw-
driver just fits the microscopic
Torx screws used to hold my
cellphone together. Best of all,
it stays on my keychain at all
times. I love this little thing!
$7 swisstechtools.com
—William Jehle
Make: 73
10/11/10 3:25:04 PM
 TOOL
BOX Knives & Multitools
1 4
3 7
1. Victorinox Swiss Army
Cybertool Victorinox was
making multitools when Tim
Leatherman’s great-grand-
parents were in diapers.
Their Cybertool line packs
the usual Swiss Army blades
like knives, saw, scissors, and
file, but it also adds ‘puter-
centric tools: DIP switch set-
ter, mini-hex driver with four
double-ended bits, a wrench,
even a light. $82–$139
swissarmy.com —JB
2. SOG PowerLock EOD
Multitool My new baby is a
SOG Specialty Knives B61-N.
It’s tough as nails, uses com-
pound leverage for stronger
pliers, and packs a Colonel
Kurtz-esque black oxide finish
that makes Leatherman tools
tremble. $120 sogknives.com
—JB
3. Gerber Artifact When
folding utility knives first
appeared, I enthusiastically
signed on. Now, instead of
resharpening my blade, I can
just replace it when it gets
dull. But these knives are usu-
ally big and clunky, enclosing
74 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
p072-75_SIP_Tlbx-GM_F4.indd 74
a blade-swapping mechanism
that’s flimsy or fussy.
Gerber’s solution? Shrink
the blade! Their Artifact
mounts a folding #11 hobby
blade. These are common,
cheap, and small enough
to be safely retained in a
compact folding frame by
a mechanism that doesn’t
requires tools.
Besides this cleverness, the
Artifact incorporates seven
other handy implements,
including some, like a pry bar,
rarely seen in multitools, all
in a package about the size
of a pack of gum — and only
slightly more expensive. $15
gerbergear.com
—Sean Michael Ragan
4. Colt Cobra II Tactical
Folding Knife Here’s an
interesting innovation: a
laser-cut serrated edge. It
provides the advantages of
traditional serrations (easier
cutting of fibers and ropes)
without their main disadvan-
tage, that they’re difficult to
sharpen. The serrated and
non-serrated portions of this
blade can be sharpened using
the same strokes. $20–$60
online retailers —SMR
5. Case Pocketknives
There’s one tool I carry all
day, every day: my W.R. Case
and Sons Peanut pocket-
knife. They’ve been around
since 1889, and are still
handcrafted in Bradford, Pa.
The ingredients list is refresh-
ingly familiar — surgical steel
blades, brass bolsters, bone
or wood handles — and the
knives have a satisfying heft
and always-sharp blades.
Case makes dozens of
styles, from tiny to titanic.
With mine I sharpen pencils,
slice salami, cut zip ties, and
open boxes. Yes, these are
beautiful pieces of American
workmanship, but first and
foremost they’re damn fine
tools. $35 and up wrcase.com
—Jeremy Jackson
6. KISS 5500 Folding Knife
The KISS (Keep It Super
Simple) from Columbia
River Knife & Tool has a
chisel-ground blade with an
angular, uncurved profile,
which makes it about as easy
5
to sharpen as possible. The
locking mechanism is effec-
tive, foolproof, and beautifully
minimal, being integrated into
the single bolster, which also
features a removable clip. The
PECK (Precision Engineered
Compact Knife) model 5520
is a later, lighter model with all
the same advantages, plus a
sheepsfoot blade that’s even
easier to sharpen because it
has only one sharp edge.
$40 crkt.com —SMR
7. Sebenza Integral Lock
Folding Knife I was sent
this amazing knife to review
for National Geographic
Adventure and I cherish it.
It’s gorgeous, Zen-like, very
simply constructed with
impeccable craftsmanship
and high-quality materials.
And it has a titanium body, so
it feels like air in your hand.
A friend once said to me:
“A good blade — it wants
to cut you.” I was bleeding
moments after taking it out of
the box (getting the feel of its
one-handed opening). $330
and up chrisreeve.com
—Gareth Branwyn
10/13/10 12:21:54 PM

Leatherman Juice CS4
(aka “Make: Can Open ’er”) This full-size multi-
tool is smaller and more lightweight than the
other “full-size” lines that Leatherman carries
(Skeletool, Surge, Wave, Crunch), while offering
a decent-size 2.6" knife blade, scissors that are
actually bigger than on the Wave, bottle/can open-
er, corkscrew, awl, and flat/Phillips drivers. This
is a great kitchen-drawer-and-tackle-box kind of
tool. $75 makershed.com Product Code MKOSCS4
Leatherman Squirt ES4
(aka “Make: Bomb Defuser”) An admirable
keychain multitool, this Squirt has wire cutters and
strippers (gauges 12–20) as the plier tool, with a
needlenose tip, plus built-in scissors. You wouldn’t
want it to be your only multitool, but it’s come in
handy more than once, and it’s a great tool for
the dressed-up geek or gearhead. (You can’t very
well wear a Wave on your belt with your wedding
’n’ funeral duds, but you can carry a Squirt in your
pocket or purse, or on a garter holster for you
Lady Derringer types.) The Maker Shed version
has “Make: Bomb Defuser” laser-etched on the
body. Also available in stealthy black “Make: Circuit
Breaker” version. $36 makershed.com
Product Code MKLTM2
Leatherman Squirt PS4
(aka “Make: Warranty Voider”) This Squirt has
the same toolset as the ES4, but with needlenose
pliers. Our version has “Make: Warranty Voider”
etched on the body. $36 makershed.com
Product Code MKLTM1 —GB
p072-75_SIP_Tlbx-GM_F4.indd 75
Peter Atwood Pocket Tools
Peter Atwood of Turners Falls, Mass. makes his living as a knife-
and toolmaker. He produces limited runs of unique items every
few days, which he then posts on his blog, Planet Pocket Tool. His
focus is small, wrench-like tools. However, Atwood creates a wide
variety of metal items like rulers, steel shot glasses, whistles, pry-
bars, ring tools, and so on. Recently I interviewed him via email:
JB: When working in your shop, what metalworking tool do you
find yourself turning to most often?
PA: My favorite tool is definitely my belt grinder. The 2×72 KMG
is a wonderful machine and it is the workhorse of the shop. I have
both vertical and horizontal units.
JB: What is the most difficult alloy to work with?
PA: They all have their quirks, but titanium is generally more
difficult to work than steel. I haven’t done any Damascus steel
work in a while but that’s another one that is very involved,
especially with the finishing.
JB: Titanium has a mystique about it in popular culture. Tell me
what it’s like to work with the stuff.
PA: The mystique that surrounds it is overblown IMO. It’s just
another material. Titanium cuts easily on a metal cutting band-
saw with a bi-metal blade. However, it’s a pain to grind because
the sparks and dust are very flammable even when using very
slow speeds. Milling is a mixed bag because it tends to be very
gummy. It’s funny stuff to work with but I do love it, not only for
its strength but because of the wonderful varied finishes that are
possible with it.
—John Baichtal
» TIP: Subscribe to Atwood’s blog RSS feed because his sales
are over in a matter of minutes! atwoodknives.blogspot.com
More of our interview: makezine.com/go/atwood
Make: 75
10/13/10 11:53:39 AM
 TOOL
BOX
CNC and 3D 3D Printers the DIY Way
Fabrication

Fab@Home
This DIY 3D printer uses a syringe-type
extruder that can deposit silicone, cement,
epoxy, even cake frosting. The new Model
2 also accommodates a plastic filament
extruder, making it very versatile. Kits $2,000 MakerBot Thing-O-Matic Kit
and up fabathome.org

MakerBot Industries kits are bringing 3D printing to a wide

CandyFab
Developed by Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories,
this tasty 3D printer uses heat sintering: a
jet of hot air welds pure sugar to create 3D
shapes in candy, layer by layer. They’re at
16dpi and improving. Price varies candyfab.org
and enthusiastic audience. Their brand-new Thing-O-Matic 3D
printer is a major upgrade of the popular CupCake CNC (see
page 58). It’s got a more robust plastic filament extruder,
better bearings and shafts, a much faster and more accurate
Z stage, and a new build platform that automatically ejects
each completed object and begins printing the next one.
The Thing-O-Matic prints 3D objects in ABS, PLA, and other
plastics, and it’s open source, so you can make your own from
this deluxe kit, or from scratch, and modify it to your heart’s
content. $1,225 makerbot.com —Keith Hammond

RepRap II Mendel
The open source RepRap 3D printer uses a
plastic filament extruder, the same technology
the MakerBots are based on. The twist is,
RepRap is self-replicating — it’s made of parts
that can be printed by RepRaps. You build it
yourself; many vendors sell parts or complete
kits. Kits $1,165 and up reprap.org
Thingiverse
I cannot overemphasize how cool I think
the blossoming world of Thingiverse is,
where folks share their 3D designs online
so others can download and print them
out. Once you have a 3D printer, what are
you going to print? Free thingiverse.com
—Windell Oskay

76 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

p076-81_SIP_Tlbx-CNC_F1.indd 76 10/11/10 3:57:02 PM

 Desktop and DIY CNC Cutters
Lumenlab micRo
When I decided to fast-track my entry into
DIY CNC, I chose the micRo, a tabletop CNC
robot kit (see MAKE Volume 21, page 68).
It’s small enough to be stowed under the
workbench when not in use, but stout enough
to cut aluminum and hard plastic. The optional
spindle kit worked well for me, and you could
easily mount a Dremel or other rotary tool if
you choose. $599 and up lumenlab.com
—Steve Lodefink

Epilog Zing 16
Laser Cutter
Small and reasonably priced, Epilog’s Zing series is a new breed of desktop laser
cutters. The Zing 16 is an amazing tool, just the thing for a hackerspace or tool
collective. The 40-watt CO2 laser system makes quick work of cutting through
wood and acrylic up to ¼" thick.
Create your design with a vector drawing program, send it to the Zing, and
you get a focused laser beam cutting a path through your material. (Some laser
cutting rules of thumb: Square edge notches make for flush fits. Right angles are
DIYLILCNC
Developed by two artist-teachers at School of
the Art Institute of Chicago, the open-source
DIYLILCNC router uses open-source EMC2
control software (see page 80). They recom-
mend pairing it with a $175 Linux PC to keep it
cheap. $700 diylilcnc.org

the norm. Too much power = charred edges.) Once you get the hang of it, you’ll
create precise parts to solve your problems. For me, these included solenoid
brackets for a train project, Arduino prototyping enclosures, and tiny geared
robots. With the Zing’s work area of 16"×12", I never needed more space. (My
biggest complaint is that the official drivers are Windows-only, but third-party
drivers exist for OS X and Linux.) $7,995 epiloglaser.com —John Edgar Park

vectors, fit vectors to raster

ShopBot Desktop
The ShopBot Desktop CNC router
measures just 28"×35", with a cutting
volume of 24"×18"×2". It’s perfect for
cutting or engraving small to medium-
sized parts in materials like wood,
plastic, and aluminum.
In ShopBot’s CAD/CAM software,
drawing parts is straightforward: you
can snap and trim lines, enter angle
and coordinate positions, import
images, and import 3D files in
formats such as STL. Entering
toolpaths is simple. The tab
editor places tabs around your
part to hold it while it’s being
cut out, and you can watch a 3D
simulator cut out your part.
Connect the Desktop to
your PC via USB, use the handy
zeroing switches to easily set up your
material, then load your toolpaths into
the ShopBot controller software and it
runs the bot, cutting out your part.
Desktop was made with the beginner
in mind, but it’s a high-quality machine
whose software and hardware really
work well together, for a much lower
price than competitors of this quality.
$4,995 and up shopbottools.com
—Eric Chu
HobbyCNC
Dave Rigotti sells CNC kits and components, like
the HobbyCNC Pro Driver Board reviewed on page
78, as well as reasonable plans ($22) for making
your own CNC Hobby Router with a cut area of
9"×24"×1" using a Dremel. $500 hobbycnc.com
Expandable CNC Kit
Patrick Hood-Daniel’s open-source Expandable
CNC Kit is a CNC router capable of making all
its custom parts out of MDF; everything else is
standard hardware. Version 1.3 is a 2'×4' CNC
machine, expandable to 4'×8'. The spindle is an
ordinary wood router; I use a Porter-Cable 892. On
his website, videos explain how to put it together;
fill out the form and he’ll email you the CAD and
CAM files. (See page 54 for a how-to overview.)
$800 (free plans) buildyourcnc.com —Tom Owad

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 TOOL
BOX CNC Controllers

These do-it-yourself kits

and entry-level tools are
bringing CNC fabrication
and 3D printing to the
home workshop. Stepperworld FET-3/Roadster
This affordable, complete 3-axis system includes
a powerful controller, NEMA 23 motors, power
supply, cables, power resistors — everything you
need to get started. $229 stepperworld.com

HobbyCNC Pro Driver Board

I’m a mechanical type of guy. So when I decided to refurbish a desktop
CNC milling machine, I was a little nervous about the electronics, espe-
cially since the existing electronics were falling apart. I could have tried
to build a stepper motor controller, but I didn’t want to spend all that
time and money on a refurbish, only to rely on my weakest skill at the
very end to see if it worked.
LiniStepper Controller
This open source controller/driver for stepper
motors features “ultra smooth old school linear
microstepping” combined with active current
regulation and an onboard PIC microcontroller.
It even has a “magic” stepless mode.
$90 makezine.com/go/linistep

Then I found HobbyCNC. You can get different levels and kits to fit
your needs. They’re easy to assemble for anyone with basic soldering
skills, and there’s plenty of support if you run into any issues. Mine went
together without any problems, and is currently “making chips.” With
a product like this, it’s only a matter of time before everyone has a CNC
mill or router in the workshop. $79 (3-axis), $99 (4-axis) hobbycnc.com
—Brian Graham

Printable Tool Clips

Spotted on Thingiverse: these neato

printable tool clips by elite Maker- Xylotex Drive Boxes
Botter Christian Arnø of Norway, Xylotex sells driver kits with 269oz stepper
motors, but also check out these boxes: all the kit
creator of the MakerBot Dremel
components mounted in a box with power cable,
mount and the printable MakerBot. cooling fan, 6-foot motor cables, and parallel port
thingiverse.com/thing:3482 extension cable, “all plug & play ready-to-go.”
—John Baichtal $410 (3-axis), $460 (4-axis) xylotex.com

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 CNC Mills and Routers » Learn more about CNC at cnczone.com

Sherline Mills
Lots of makers retrofit their beloved Sherline mills for
CNC use; you can even order yours with stepper motor
mounts factory-installed. Sherline provides only the
mounts and couplers; you provide your own stepper
motors, drivers, computer, and software. $880 and up
sherline.com/cncpgm.htm

Taig CNC
Micro Mill
A fast, high-resolution desktop
mill with 200oz steppers, it can
cut 1" slots in mild steel with
a single pass of a 1" end mill.
They dare you to try that on
other mills. $2,155 taigtools.com

MAXNC 10 Open Loop Mill

MAXNC sells affordable CNC mills, lathes, and routers
geared to machinists, but also to inventors and students.
Their hobbyist model MAXNC 5 holds your Dremel and
starts at $1,095; the beefier MAXNC 10 Open Loop has
70oz steppers, an upgradeable spindle motor, and an
optional rotary table for 4-axis work. $1,756 maxnc.com

CarveWright
Developed by NASA robotics engineers, this compact 3D CNC
woodworking machine can rip, crosscut, miter, joint, contour,
and rout, and it also works with some plastics and high-density
foams. You can sometimes find a reconditioned Sears Craftsman
CompuCarve (the same machine) for under $1,300.
$1,599 carvewright.com —Marc de Vinck

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 TOOL
BOX CAD/CAM Software on a Budget
1 2
Most CAD/CAM software is out of reach to
the typical hobbyist, costing thousands of dollars, but
there are a few inexpensive gems out there.
1. Lego CAD with LDraw
Quick, grab three 2×4 Lego
bricks. Place the second brick
on top of the first, offset by
two studs on the long axis.
Now, place the third brick
under the second brick, at a
right angle to the first. Huh?
This kind of tortured
description made me wonder
about making my own visual
Lego instructions. I Googled
my way to the free LDraw
suite of Lego CAD applications
and parts libraries, which are
staggeringly complete. Soon
after installation, I was using
the MLCad application for a
marathon 3D brick-building
session. It’s addictive to drag-
and-drop any Lego part ever
made from an endless tub of
virtual bricks.
Pass the step-inclusive
model file to the free LPub
program, and you’ll soon
be printing your own Lego
instruction manual and parts
80 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
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Alibre Design
3
Personal Edition
Most 3D parts begin life as 2D sketches
that are pushed and pulled into 3D
models on your computer screen.
Some programs use a “wire mesh”
frame to create objects (Blender,
Google SketchUp, Rhino), and some
use actual solid shapes (Alibre Design,
SolidWorks, Inventor, Pro/Engineer).
If you plan to actually make the things
you design, solid modeling CAD pro-
grams talk to fabrication machines (like
3D printers) the best. They’re made
for part design, unlike other programs.
4. EMC2 The Enhanced
Machine Controller (EMC2) And what really distinguishes them is
is free, Linux-based, open their ability to create assembly files,
source CNC software that will with parts that relate to each other just
operate your CNC tools and
as they relate in real life. Assemblies let
other robots. Free linuxcnc.org
list. Thanks to the bundled you see your final design and make sure
POV-Ray renderer, you can
5. G-Simple G-Simple is everything fits together perfectly, while
choose drawing styles, from
a simple CAM for 3-axis keeping the part files separate from
simple, flat graphics to shiny,
machining centers that does
ray-traced works of art. each other. One part can represent an
metric and English units,
Free ldraw.org off-the-shelf motor, another part can be
and the price is right.
—JEP
Free gsimple.eu exported for 3D printing, and another
2. Mach3 Artsoft’s Mach3 can be made into a drawing to send to
6. GCAM GCAM is a free,
CNC software turns your PC a laser cutter.
open source CAM package
into a 6-axis CNC controller. The only remotely affordable solid
for 3-axis CNC in English and
It allows direct import of DXF,
metric units. Use its simple modeler (not a student license) is Alibre
BMP, JPG, and HPGL files,
interface to make templates Design Personal Edition at just $99.
then it creates the G-code to
and holes, then export the
control your CNC machine.
corresponding G-code to your
It’s got all the stuff you need. The only
$159 (demo available) notable drawbacks to PE versus Alibre’s
CNC tool. Free gcam.js.cx
machsupport.com
Pro and Expert versions is that PE
7. CodeShark Mill Code- omits sheet metal modeling and some
3. MeshCAM MeshCAM lets
Shark Mill is a “hybrid” CNC
you create toolpaths from 3D
code editor with built-in DNC
advanced drawing creation tools (like
files in STL and DXF formats, section and detail views), and its import/
communications, full editing,
and will even generate 3D ob-
jects from flat image files like
an integrated CAD system, export file options are limited. But you
an on-the-fly feed and speed can still get up and running quickly
JPEGs. “No CNC experience is
calculator, even multiple-seat
required — you can be cutting
discounts for bigger shops. and export STL files, so unless you’re
parts in minutes.” Works with a power user you’ll never miss the fancy
$49 (demo available)
Mach3 and CutViewer.
$175 grzsoftware.com
softsquad.com —MDV stuff. $99 alibre.com
—Dustyn Roberts
10/13/10 1:20:51 PM
 CNC at Your Service

Need a 2D or 3D part made but you

don’t have the right tool? Just email a
CAD file to a digital fabrication service
and receive the part in your mailbox
in a few days. Think of them as “Santa
Claus machines.” Some of our favorite
makers told us their favorite maker-
oriented job shops:

The burgeoning business of printing objects

for those without 3D printers, for example
Shapeways (shapeways.com), is exciting. These
services also enable printing in media like metals
that aren’t yet easily accessible to the home 3D printer.
—Lenore Edman, Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories
Laser cutting is also available from similar online services —
like Pololu (customlasercutting.com) and Ponoko (ponoko.
com) — making it so that just anyone can start fabbing.
—Windell Oskay, Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories
If your gift plans call for something sturdier than wood or
acrylic, you may need a full-blown CNC machine shop.
Big Blue Saw (bigbluesaw.com) has an intuitive browser-
based CAD program where you can design your part, and
then choose your material (aluminum, steel, etc.) and thick-
ness. They’ll fire up their water-jet machines, and in no time
you’ll have that rolled steel stocking stuffer in your hands.
—John Edgar Park, Make: television
The idea of creating your own Lego kit, complete with box and
printed instructions, is almost too awesome to imagine, but
there it is: Lego Design by Me (designbyme.lego.com). While
it’s more expensive than buying bricks individually, there’s no
denying that a one-of-a-kind boxed set will warm the heart of
any Lego fan. Build your set in the free Lego Digital Designer
software, and then send the design to be packed by hand in
the factory with just a few button clicks. —JEP

LASER IT!
Cut it. Engrave it. Mark it.

Laser Engraving, Cutting and

Marking Systems from Epilog Laser
From creating and personalizing 3D models,
to engraving photos on keychains, to marking
high-tech gadgets, our laser systems create the
products you see here and more!

Laser Systems Starting at $7,995 1.888.437.4564

Visit epiloglaser.com/make.htm for more information and sales@epiloglaser.com
to receive your brochure kit with engraved and cut samples!

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 TOOL
BOX
Electronics
and
Robotics

Extech RC200
Tweezer Multimeter
The RC200 does everything you’d
expect from a multimeter — measures
voltage, resistance, capacitance, and
continuity, checks diodes, and switches
between manual and auto ranging
— using a stripped-down interface,
basically just an LCD with a couple of
buttons letting you toggle through the
modes. The RC200 measures voltages
up to 600V, capacitance from 6nF to
60mF, and resistance from 600Ω to
60MΩ. It does not measure inductance.
While the RC200’s ratings aren’t
likely to blow anyone away, it has one
outstanding feature: its tweezers.
These allow you to test components —
including tiny surface-mount hardware
— loose or directly on the PCB, making
the RC200 invaluable for tinkerers,
circuit benders, and hardware hackers. Edsyn Fuminator Fume Extractor
A convenient adjustment wheel opens
and closes the tweezers to accom- Ever come out of a long kit build with a splitting headache from the solder
modate different-sized components, fumes? Me too. A benchtop fume extractor was on my shopping list, and
or you can just squeeze them as you I had the chance to try out an Edsyn FXF14 “Fuminator,” a strange-looking
would any pair of tweezers. little unit with a hinged fan and spinning filter.
If you don’t need the tweezers, A fume extractor is a simple device, basically just a fan pulling air away
you can always swap them out for a from your working area, through a filter and out the back of the unit. Edsyn
module packing the usual test lead makes the FXF14 in the USA and claims that its special rotating filter works
ports, making for a very compact eight times better than a stationary filter. The pivoting head on the FXF14 is
standard multimeter — about 7"×1½" easily positioned close to your work, and two LEDs indicate front (green) and
in size, and weighing a meager 2.3oz. rear (yellow), since the air current produced by the thing can deceive your
$70 extech.com —John Baichtal skin. The fan is so quiet that sometimes I forget to turn it off.
It works great. I use it for electronics as well as jewelry (torch) soldering
in my small apartment workshop. I’m really happy with its small footprint,
and it looks fabulous, too (in white, black, and translucent blue, green, and
red). MAKE contributing editor Brian Jepson bought a similar model, the
FXF11, a few years ago and loves his. I usually feel guilty splurging on a fancy
new tool, but your lungs can easily justify the investment of an effective
(and attractive) benchtop fume extractor. $110 edsyn.com
—Becky Stern

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 MDC 7722FV
Panavise Jr. Pick-and-Place Machine
A pick-and-place machine places tiny
parts that you can’t even see onto a
If you’ve done any electronics work, you likely have
circuit board. It’s made in Japan, lovingly,
a third hand tool. In addition, you need one of these: by hand. It has two cameras to view and
a Panavise Jr. Universal Vise. You use it to securely hold analyze the chips before they’re placed.
and position your circuit board while the third hand It’s not cheap, but it’s better than trying
to hand-place almost-microscopic parts
holds the components (and you hold the solder and the yourself. In a few years, this will be a
iron). Don’t breathe lead without it! $28 digikey.com pretty common addition to your local
—Gareth Branwyn hackerspace and TechShop-like facili-
ties. Watch mine work at makezine.com/
go/pnp. $30,000 mdc-smt.co.jp
—Phillip Torrone

Automatically
Adjusting Wire
Stripper
I bought two of these from Micro-
Mark several years ago when they
were priced at $30; now they’re
$17. Even so, I would gladly pay
$30 again. The jaws automatically
adjust to remove insulation from
any size wire from #26 to #10
AWG. All you have to do is squeeze
the handles. With its integral wire cutter and terminal crimpers, this tool can
handle many light electrical jobs by itself, which makes it a great choice if you Magnifying
have limited space or weight capacity for tools. After my multimeter, it’s always 22W Work Lamp
the first tool I grab out of my toolbox when I’m doing electrical work. It’s a joy to Here’s a good gift idea: a long-reach
fluorescent magnifying work lamp. Not
use, both because it works so well and because the mechanics of the stripping
only does it light up the work area, but
head are interesting to watch. it has a super lens that magnifies all the
There’s an adjustment dial on one jaw that must sometimes be tweaked, as in tiny junk that’s being worked on. A 22-
the case of stripping especially delicate wire, but 95% of the time the automatic watt circular fluorescent bulb supplies
even, shadow-free light, and the lamp
wire strippers do their job perfectly and without complaint. Highly recommended. attaches anywhere it’s needed via a little
$17 makezine.com/go/wirestripper —Sean Michael Ragan vise-grip. $77 unicornelex.com —PT

Extech EX330
Multimeter
This excellent multimeter, on the high end
of the hobbyist spectrum, comes with features
you’d expect — voltage, amperage, resistance,
and capacitance measurement — but it has
some fun features too, like a frequency meter
and a temperature probe. It’s also good for
homeowners — the non-contact voltage
sensor tells you whether a wire is live or not.
$55 extech.com
—JB

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 TOOL
BOX Soldering Irons and Breadboard Supplies
Metcal PS2E Soldering Iron
One of my favorite tools, and one I use
almost every day, is my Metcal PS2E
soldering iron. It heats up in less than 10
seconds, maintains a steady temperature,
and it came with several different tips. It’s a
great investment for any electronics studio.
$100–$200 ebay.com —Marc de Vinck
Antex C/3U Miniature
Soldering Iron, 15-Watt
These are great for intricate work, heat up
in about 30 seconds, and they’re as nimble
as a ballpoint pen (resist urge to do 700°
spin/flip tricks). The slip-on tip installation
left me doubting the iron’s durability, but
after months of use, everything still stays
put nicely. And hey, it’s yellow! $28 minute-
man.com —Collin Cunningham
USB Soldering Iron
While visiting Pumping Station One in
Chicago, I noticed a curious device: a
soldering iron that plugged into a laptop.
It uses two USB ports to draw lots of power,
and it heated up quickly on my ThinkPad.
It’s light but pretty solid, and maintained
heat well while I soldered some wire leads
onto a potentiometer. It won’t replace
my trusty benchtop unit, but I could see
picking one up to keep in my backpack
when traveling with prototype hardware.
$24 getlofi.com/shop —Matt Mets
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CSI3005X5
Dual Output
Bench Power Supply
This cheap 30V 5A supply from Circuit
Specialists is pretty nice: a 10-turn pot to
adjust voltage, screw terminals for more
permanent installations, and a bonus
5V@1A output on the back. The current
limit adjustment is not as fine as I’d like,
so it isn’t good for testing LEDs (I use
the HY1803D for that). BTW: Circuit
Specialists gives a free multimeter, pliers,
or other swag with your first order.
$129 circuitspecialists.com
—Tim Slagle
Adafruit Adjustable
Breadboard Power
Supply
This is a very low-dropout adjustable
power supply. A good power supply
is essential to electronic projects, and
this one features improvements that
make it more useful for hobbyists. It’s
got guaranteed 1.25A output at 3V, 5V,
or Adjustable voltage settings.
$15 adafruit.com —PT
Deluxe Breadboard
Jumper Wires
Once you go breadboard jumper
wires, you’ll never go back. They
just pop into the breadboard and
you’re good to go. The set includes
75 flexible jumper wires that can
be used over and over again. Each
stranded jumper wire has a molded
barrel and a 2" stripped end.
$9 makershed.com Product Code
MKSEEED3 —PT
10/11/10 4:07:10 PM
 Microcontrollers and Robotics
OWI-535 Robotic
Arm Kit
With this award-winning kit, you
control the gripper, wrist, elbow,
base rotation, and motion, all from
the tethered remote. The robotic
arm has a vertical reach of 15",
horizontal reach of 12.6", lifting
capacity of 100g, a searchlight on
the gripper, and an audible indica-
tor on all five gearboxes to prevent
gear breakage during operation.
Who’ll be the first to hack this with
an Arduino? $50 makershed.com
Product Code MKEL13
Stingray Robot Kit
The Stingray robot is a good value. It uses a
multi-core (eight 32-bit processors) Parallax
Propeller MCU, a 64KB EEPROM, on-board
3.3V and 5V switching power supplies, 5V I/O
translators (to simplify interfacing to 5V sen-
sors and devices), integrated dual full-bridge
drivers, two-wheel differential drive with a
rear omnidirectional wheel, and other nifty
features. If I were looking to get a bot this
Christmas, this one would be high on my wish
list. $300 parallax.com —Gareth Branwyn
Lego Mindstorms
NXT 2.0 Kit
The ultimate building set for both kids and
parents. The basic set comes with a micro-
controller brick, three servos, a variety of
sensors, and all the axles, gears, and beams
you could ever need. This year’s set is updated
with a new color sensor and an even better
computer interface. $280 shop.lego.com
—JB
p082-85_SIP_Tlbx-ER_F2.indd 85
Parallax (Futaba) Continuous
Rotation Servo
Pair this servomotor with an Arduino to
learn how to control a servo, the start of
many a robotics project. This one can turn
a full 360° in either direction continuously!
$13 parallax.com —PT
Bare Bones Kit Rev. E
Want to get started with Arduino for $20?
Despite its name, the Bare-Bones Board is
a full-featured Arduino-compatible micro-
controller that does almost everything the
Arduino Duemilanove does, at 2/3 the size.
The latest revision includes analog noise-
reduction not found on official Arduino
boards, and includes the new ATmega 328P
chip. $20 makershed.com Product Code
MKMD3 —PT
Getting Started
with Arduino Kit
Bridging the gap between the “real world”
and your computer, this kit is your starting
point into physical computing — using a
microcontroller to sense the world and
control your gadgets. Includes all electronic
parts and our best-selling Getting Started
with Arduino book by Massimo Banzi. Join
the tens of thousands of engineers, artists,
and hobbyists who’ve discovered Arduino.
$70 makershed.com Product Code MSGSA
Make: 85
10/13/10 1:21:58 PM
 TOOL
BOX
10 Workshop
Companions
From the
Maker Shed

Deluxe
Make:
Electronics
Toolkit
Product Code
MKEE2

Welcome to the Maker Shed store, where you’ll

find kits, books, toys, tools, and other fun contraptions
for makers, selected by the staff of MAKE magazine.
Just type the product code into the search bar at
makershed.com to find each product.

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 54-Piece Bit Driver Kit
Product Code MKIF2
Includes a magnetized driver, a
60mm extension, a 130mm flexible
extension, and 54 bits.

26-Piece Bit Driver Kit

Product Code MKIF1
Includes a magnetized driver with
metal shaft and rubberized grip,
a 60mm extension, tweezers, and
26 different bits.

Helping Hands
Make: Electronics Components Packs 1 & 2 Product Code MKHH1
Perfect for soldering! The extra-
large 3.5" magnifying glass is awe-
some, and the heavy-duty base is
recessed for holding tiny parts.

Product Code MECP1 Product Code MECP2

The first companion pack to Make:
Electronics covers all of the experiments
from the first two sections of the book.
This pack continues where Compo-
nents Pack 1 left off and delves into
integrated circuits, digital electronics,
and soldering skills.
Mintronics Kit
Product Code MSTIN2
Mintronics Survival Pack: a
workshop in your pocket. 60+
components for prototyping
on the go.

ShapeLock Design Plastic MAKE: Electronics Book Pocket-Sized Digital Storage

Product Code MKSHL1
Create super-strong custom parts, prototypes,
molds, servo brackets, robot housings, sculptures,
science projects, and more. This space-age
plastic melts in a microwave or hot water, then
remains safely moldable by hand until locking
rigidly at room temperature. Simply reheat in
order to reshape as often as you like. Nontoxic,
lightweight, machinable, and paintable.
Product Code 9780596153748
Our hands-on electronics book
makes learning easy and fun.
Pick up basic electronics tips
and techniques with step-
by-step instructions, circuit
diagrams, full-color photos, and
engaging project explanations.
Oscilloscope
Product Code MKSEEED11
The DSO Nano is a pocket-sized
digital storage oscilloscope equipped
with 320×240 color display, SD card
capability, USB connection, and
chargeable batteries.

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 TOOL
BOX
Workspaces
Sugru Silicone Molding Magic
Sugru is a new silicone material designed
for hacking, repair, and modification. Open
a packet and mold the Sugru into shape. It
bonds to smooth metal, ceramic, plastic, and
more. It cures in about a day, creating a semi-
flexible part that will stand up to much abuse,
including temperatures from –76°F to 356°F.
It’s even UV-, water-, and oil-resistant.
I used it to fix the spout of our teapot. Not
many adhesives could survive the heat and
steam. Sugru worked perfectly, and lent a
stylish air. It’s great for many fixes, such as
ergonomic grips, handlebar mounts, magnet-
embedded tool hangers, laptop feet, and wire
insulation. Looking around the house, nearly
everything I see could use some improvement
with Sugru. $11 sugru.com
—John Edgar Park
Leaf Ties
What maker doesn’t love zip ties? They’re
useful for cable management, MacGyvering
things, and holding your robots together.
We’ve blogged these leafy ties by Lufdesign
before, but now they’re for sale and not just
a concept. $7/dozen lufdesign.com
—Becky Stern
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Energizer Energi To Go XP8000
If your electronic gadget doesn’t readily permit you to change batteries,
or you simply don’t want to bother with the hassle of a spare, check out
this great alternative. It’s an 8,000mAh rechargeable LiPo battery pack
roughly the size of a deck of cards that weighs about as much as your
smartphone.
One of the killer features of the XP8000 is that it accommodates
all sorts of devices thanks to its three output ports: 5V USB, 9V–12V,
and 16V–20V. There are more than a dozen plugs and charging cables,
including adapters for portable DVD players and DC plugs for laptops.
The battery’s power indicator also impresses. Press a button, and glow-
ing blue bars show the charge level; plug it into its wall wart to recharge,
and the bars light up automatically, allowing you to see how it’s doing
with a glance. In addition to the XP line, Energizer sells an SP line of solar
chargers and an AP line for iPhones. $100 energizerpowerpacks.com
—John Baichtal
Swivel LED Flashlight
With a form factor and feature set inspired
by consumer input, the compact Night Strike
Swivel sports a 130° swivel head with a cen-
trally located 100-lumen Cree XRE white LED,
as well as red, green, blue, and near-ultravio-
let Nichia LEDs. With the exception of the UV,
each LED operates in high, medium, or low
capacity. Locating a water leak, or reading in
the dark without destroying your night vision,
has never been easier!
The lightweight, weatherproof magnesium-
alloy case provides users with a rugged, soft
grip while maintaining the thermal manage-
ment necessary for optimum LED operations.
Run-time tops out at five hours on maximum
settings. $72 energizerlightingproducts.com
—Joseph Pasquini
10/11/10 4:37:00 PM
 Plasti Dip
When the
factory plastic coating

Bucket Boss Rear on tool handles wears

off, just recoat them

Guard Tool Sheath with a synthetic rubber

dipping compound like
Plasti Dip. At home/
hardware stores or on-
At work I test high-speed network junk, which line. $12 plastidip.com
keeps me always racking and wiring new gear. —Craig Cochrane
Well, by the tenth time I had one hand holding up
a router and the other in my pocket looking for a
screwdriver, I knew I needed something else.
When you don’t need a full-fledged tool belt, this
little organizer will clip over your belt and make
your work so much easier. $13 amazon.com
—Joe McManus

Journeyman Scotch Transparent Duct Tape

This duct tape rocks it colorless! Now you can
Tool Chest wrap gifts with the real deal. Let songs of joy
ring out throughout Nerdonia! $5 amazon.com
There’s something about a —JB
beautifully crafted hand tool
that inspires you and allows
you to exceed your normal skill
level when you work with it.
Such tools need, nay, demand
a worthy case. Gerstner & Sons
of Dayton, Ohio, have been
making such cases since 1906.
To put it simply: OMG, WANT! OpenIt
$987 gerstnerusa.com When I saw how it handled our kids’ Christmas
presents with ease, the OpenIt tool earned a
—Jake von Slatt
permanent place in our utility drawer.
Its blades are heavy-duty enough to cut
through the most stubborn plastic packaging.
It also has a retractable utility knife in one
handle and a tiny screwdriver in the other,
perfect for opening those little battery doors
on toys. And, as if they read this Santa’s mind,
there’s even a bottle opener. $10 enjoyzibra.
com/openit —Bruce Stewart

X-Bench Portable Workstation

Projects piling up on your dining room table? This
portable workstation provides a sturdy MDF work surface
measuring 53"×23". The left side has a miter gauge slot
and Skil’s “universal insert plate system,” which lets you easily
convert the unit into a scroll saw, drill press, or sanding station.
The right side can be extended to open a center cut channel, and
both surfaces have peg holes that accept the included wedge-
shaped clamps. It’s even got a bump-off power switch. Fold it and
store it when you’re done. Your significant other will thank you.
$169 skiltools.com —Joseph Pasquini
Mini Surge Protector Charger
Plug it into one outlet and you get three
outlets, plus two USB charging ports! It even
has a rotating plug so you can face it in the
direction that’s most convenient. A green LED
lets you know the outlet is powered and the
surge protection is on. $25 belkin.com
—Dick DeBartolo

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 TOOL
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Metalwork
and
Machining

Roper Whitney #5 Jr.

Hole Punch
If you have sheet material you need to make
neat holes in, nothing beats a Roper Whitney
#5 Jr. punch. Compact, powerful, reliable,
and hand-powered, a #5 Jr. will punch holes
through quarters, if that’s what you want.
(And who doesn’t want to do that?)
Designed for working with sheet metal, the
Bitmoore Drill Press Milling Vise
#5’s role in your projects will expand when
you realize just how much it can do. No tool With two worm gears on X and Y axes, this cheap vise lets you precisely place
does a cleaner job punching ventilation holes workpieces under your press, and drill series of holes exactly in-line. It can also
in computer cases. Cladding a ho-hum bit function as a poor man’s mill for wood or plastic. While drill bits aren’t made
of electronics in material to match your
decor is easy when you can make your own
for lateral forces, you can chuck an end mill or router bit in your drill press, says
mounting holes. MAKE reader Andy, and “It will allow you to clamp a piece down and then move
Plastic flowerpots can be hung by cord it around carefully under the bit. Neat! No replacement for a Bridgeport, but
passed through the smooth holes a #5 I don’t have a spare 5 grand.” $70 harborfreight.com
will punch in their edges. Washers made
from pennies keep bolt heads from tearing —Keith Hammond
through thin material and make good electri-
cal contacts when grounding electronics.
Punching heavy cardstock or plastic sheets
is trivial for this tool. Wind chimes, made
from found objects or flea-market cutlery, Dremel EZ Lock
are amazingly well-received gifts, as are
homemade buttons. It’s possible to do The Dremel EZ Lock system
intricate punching of sheet stock and wind
is a significant advance
up with your own absinthe spoon in very little
time at all. in small-tool cutting
Roper Whitney makes replacement punch technology. While the
sets suitable for punching oblong holes in heart of the system is
leather belts, along with many other sizes
a quick-release arbor
and shapes. Besides all this, the #5 Jr. com-
bines an elegant articulation and the good (eliminating the tiny
ergonomics that result from a long presence mandrel screw), the
in the market. Grab one and start ventilating. greatest improvement
$55 and up roperwhitney.com
is the new series of cutoff
—Steve Wood
wheels, brushes, buffs, sanding
disks, and specialty wheels that go with it.
The new, metal-reinforced cutoff wheels have twice
the life of fiberglass versions, are much less prone to
breakage, and come in thin-kerf versions. There are
special wheels for cutting plastic, wood, laminates,
and tile, plus a new line of abrasive detail brushes to
remove rust, paint, or tarnish.
My favorites are the wheels for cutting plastic, which
are great for case modding; and I’ve used the diamond
wheels to cleanly cut borosilicate glass. After using
these EZ Lock cutters for weeks, I’m still very much
impressed. $10 and up dremel.com
—Christopher Singleton

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 Dremel 4000 Rotary Tool Kit
High-speed rotary tools make small cutting
and grinding jobs easy, and can punch through
hard materials you’d botch with a slower-
spinning drill. Many makers can’t imagine a
workshop without one.
To overhaul their top-of-the-line tool, Dremel
quizzed customers and engineered some
of the most-requested improvements. The
new Dremel 4000 senses loads to maintain
motor speed. For better control, it’s slimmed
down, with a pencil-grip nose, 360° rubber

Mini Metal Lathe grip, literal-reading speed dial (5,000rpm–

I don’t have a lot of room or money
to spend on fancy machine tools,
but I really enjoy making things out
of metal. This meant I needed a lathe.
Not a wood lathe or a pen lathe —
I needed a metalworking lathe.
Lucky for me, I found an entire com-
munity centered on 7"×10" and 7"×12"
mini lathes. You can buy them from
many sources; mine is from Grizzly
Industrial, Inc. It’s small, but it can do
quite a bit. Plus, there are many people
who are constantly upgrading or hot
rodding their machines to get the
most out of them. I used mine in the
first month to repair a pulley on my
ancient garage door for which there
were no replacements. I figure I saved
the cost of the lathe right there. And
I plan on using this for years to come
to make all sorts of things. $525
grizzly.com —Brian Graham
35,000rpm), and a separate power switch to
save your speed setting. It’s got a bigger fan
motor, replaceable motor brushes, a five-year
warranty, and two smart new attachments:
a “detailer’s grip” to balance the tool like a
stylus, and a sanding/grinding guide to help
it follow edges.
The tool’s speed never wavered when
I leaned on it to grind down a misshapen PVC
fitting, and its balance and control are very
good. Upshot: a real upgrade of a classic tool.
And I like that Dremel listened to makers to
get it dialed in. $79–$99 dremel.com
—KH

Craftsman 154-Piece
Mechanic’s Tool Set
Wrenches! I’d be lost without my
Craftsman mechanic’s tool set.
It’s got everything. Sockets, nut
drivers, hex keys, and box wrenches
are all here, not to mention the
lifetime warranty, which you’ll never
need because these things are
awesome! Sears offers both bigger
and smaller kits than this, but the
154-piece is perfect for my needs.
$150 sears.com —Paul Overton

Loctite 248
Keeping fasteners fastened isn’t
always easy, especially when it comes to vibra-
tion. Really cranking down on a nut or bolt
won’t prevent a fastener from coming loose,
and you could end up damaging parts. Enter
the world of thread-locking adhesives.
I recommend Loctite 248, aka “Loctite blue.”
Loctite has ingeniously utilized the glue stick
as a vehicle for this thread-locker. Previously,
Loctite was available only in liquid form, and
while it worked well, its application was better
suited to the bench than the field. The glue
stick is great; it prevents waste and allows
precise application of the material. Loctite 248
is a medium-strength thread-locker, meaning
that you can undo what you’ve done without
breaking your knuckles or resorting to a torch.
I rarely fasten a nut or bolt without it.
$12 loctiteproducts.com
—Alan Kalb

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 TOOL
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Microstamp Vise-Grip
Maker’s Mark With More Cowbell
When my book The VJ Book Yes, sometimes simplicity is king. But other
(Feral House) was published
times, you want your tools to have so many
in 2005, my thoughts naturally
turned to guerrilla marketing. moving parts and adjusty bits that people will
I recalled a photo I’d seen in Popular Science: a penny with stop and stare. If you find yourself in the latter
the word “Microstamp” imprinted into it. As it happened, a position, this freaky reverse-action Expand-O
new nickel was coming out, and it had plenty of blank space
right in front of Jefferson’s eyes.
Pliers from Strong Hand Tools may be what
I ordered Microstamp’s custom “Maker’s Mark,” a hard you need — it’s a spreader, not a squeezer.
steel straight stamp that you hammer into metal (or plas- $17 stronghandtools.com —JEP
tic) like a center punch. It’s aimed at jewelers, crafters, and
anyone else who wants to stamp their logo indelibly. Prices
start at $85, but complicated images cost more, and you
need to send them an image to get a quote.
I received my stamp in the mail in two weeks, and it
worked beautifully. It’s fun giving it a tap with a hammer
and seeing the little image appear underneath. I got rolls of
new nickels, then stamped them and started using them as
bus fare. You might have one of them right now! $85 and up
microstamp.us
—Paul Spinrad

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92 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide

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 Make: Marketplace

CNC For Your Workshop

The Ultimate Tool for Makers FRONT PANELS
Introducing the PCNC 770: The first real machine tool
designed for your basement shop or other small space.
& ENCLOSURES
At over 650lbs, this isn’t your typical small desktop
mill. Tormach PCNCs are the ultimate maker
machines – don’t let your tools hold back your 3-Axis Mill
creativity. Whether you’re a jeweler, artist,
prototyper, builder, engineer, or hobbyist,
a Tormach PCNC will expand your
$6200 (plus shipping)
Customized front panels can be
easily designed with our free
possibilities and enable your ideas.
software Front Panel Designer
The PCNC 770
Features:
■ Table size 26” x 8” • Cost-effective prototypes
■ 10000 RPM computer-
controlled Spindle
and production runs
■ Stiff cast iron frame • Wide range of materials or
■ Space-saving footprint customization of provided material
Requires basic 115VAC
■
household electrical service • Automatic price calculation
■ Designed for disassembly • Fabrication in 1, 3 or 5 days
for moving
■ Optional accessories:
4th Axis, Digitzing Probe,
Reverse Engineering
CNC Scanner

Sample price:
$ 51.75 plus S&H

Product Information and Shown here with www.frontpanelexpress.com

online ordering at optional stand
www.tormach.com (206) 768 - 0602

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 TOOL
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Woodworking
and
Construction

DeWalt 18V Drill/Driver

Certainly, the piece of equipment that gets
the most use in the shop and at home is the
cordless drill. I’ve owned a few, and for me, the
DeWalt 18V drill/driver is the best out there.
It’s easy to handle, it can bore and screw like
there’s no tomorrow (stop laughing), and it
has great battery life. I used to own a DeWalt
hammer drill, but the imbalance was giving me
wrist fatigue. The 18V driver/drill is lightweight
and perfectly balanced. $279 dewalt.com
—Paul Overton

Delta SA150 ShopMaster

DeWalt Compound Miter Saw
I hate to play favorites, but the DeWalt DW716
12" Double-Bevel Compound Miter Saw is
good enough to warrant a second entry from
the company with the big yellow tools. It’s
accurate, ergonomic, and rugged. This is the
saw I put in the high school shop I worked in,
and if it can stand up to teenagers, it’s pretty
much unbreakable. On the pricey side, but
worth the green. $399 dewalt.com
—PO
Belt & Disc Sander
I paid CDN$79 for my Delta 5" disk/1"
belt sander two years ago, and I use it
every day. Yeah, 5" isn’t much — I’d be
the first to admit to serious disc envy
over the Professional 10" model-maker’s
sanders, and the 1" belt would be
absolutely laughable, were it not for one
exceptionally cool feature.
Unlike your regular-type, bench-mount
belt sander, which has the belt running
horizontally over a steel backplate, this
wee beastie has the belt running on a
vertical plane with a removable back-
plate.
It’s absolutely brilliant. Imagine having
a freestanding, abrasive waterfall with a
4" deep throat. (The throat is how deep
into the material you can go before you
run into another part of the tool.)
As with all tools, developing finesse
requires scaling a learning curve — with
the backplate removed and a 50-grit
belt you can find yourself removing
large quantities of material seemingly at
random. Caution is the watchword.
Once you achieve sander Zen, though,
you’ll have at your command a free-form
shaper-smoother-former of uncommon
flexibility. You’ll be reaching for the Dremel
a lot less frequently when confronted with
complex geometry, and it does normal,
bench-sander type stuff, too. I’ve cobbled
together jigs for tool sharpening and
other specialized tasks.
Caveat: The power switch is prone
to intermittency in the presence of
dust. Seriously. After the third failure,
I dropped a properly sealed Switchcraft
toggle into the case and in-lined a foot-
switch for hands-free activation. Delta’s
only comparable model these days is the
much larger 4"×8" PCB420SA, so you’ll
have to seek out the SA150 secondhand,
or try a similar model from Allwin, Ryobi,
Jet, or Steele. About $90 online
—Kaden Harris

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 Extra Heavy Duty Screwdriver Set
If you believe the ad copy, these are mil-spec screwdrivers that
“were standard equipment in all U.S. Army tanks” up to about
20 years ago. I own a set, and it’s entirely plausible. These are
full-tang, forged-steel, flat-blade screwdrivers that serve equally
well in turning screws, prying stuff, and, you know, killing people
who try and open your hatch. They’re heavy and nigh indestruc-
tible, and they have an anomalously sleek, streamlined shape that
feels great in your hand and is not bad looking in your boot, either.
Regrettably, not available in Phillips. $30 garrettwade.com
—Sean Michael Ragan

PlugGrip
The PlugGrip is used to install and
remove electrical outlets. I’d never
heard of it until it caught my eye as
I was picking out wall outlets for our
remodel. This tool was amazing!
It must have cut in half the time to
replace our outlets, and its indicator
lights even let us know we’d wired
them correctly.
The SwitchGrip does the same
Ryobi One+ for light switches. The built-in wire
cutter and bender worked well, and
18V Cordless Tool Kit when we turned the power back
on the SwitchGrip beeped to let us
know the switch was working. $10
With three substantial tools, the Ryobi One+ 18V pluggrip.com —April Zamora

Cordless Tool Kit is definitely worth the money.

I’ve used the cordless drill time and again for both
assembly and disassembly work, and I can tell you Titanium Clawbar Nail Puller
from experience that it has enough torque to not only Titanium crowbars first a rollercoaster ride since then, and
drill out a malfunctioning bike lock, but effortlessly appeared, at least on my radar, the stream of cheap Soviet ti-tools
amongst the spoils that flooded has long since dried up. These days,
bore an inch farther into the hardened steel around it.
Western markets following the the leader in titanium tool tech is
The reciprocating saw is quite nice, especially for collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Stiletto Tools of Winton, Calif.
handling either wood or metal, as both blades are I snagged one around then from Their 12" Titanium Clawbar Nail
included. Its only drawback is that the foot surround- a he-man catalog for my Dad’s Puller is a relatively affordable entree
birthday, and although it was pricey, to the glories of titanium tools, and
ing the blade isn’t easily adjustable.
his jaw totally hit the floor when features a cool “dimpler” doodad
Finally, the circular saw has only a 5½" blade, but I gave it to him: “I never imagined that recesses the wood around a
don’t let that fool you: if you don’t press hard, you’ll I could own something like this in flush nailhead to make it easy to
extract smoke along with sawdust from your work, as my lifetime.” He’s an engineer, so grab onto.
that’s more than just a comment on Those with deeper pockets may
it too delivers surprisingly high torque. the price of the gift. He’s been using want to spring for their 16" TiBar
The lithium batteries will hold a good charge, sitting it for more than a decade now and Titanium Utility Bar, a truly formi-
at room temperature, for more than six months and loves it. It’s indestructible, rustproof, dable implement of destruction
will give you at least a good four hours of work time on and amazingly lightweight. It hefts which, like a samurai sword, should
like aluminum, pries like steel. An probably be offered libations of sake
a charge. And they’re backward-compatible with older awesome, awesome tool. before being taken into battle.
Ryobi One+ 18V tools that came with NiCads. About The price of titanium has been on $90 stilettotools.com —SMR
the only thing I’d change about this kit is switching the
bulb in the flashlight to an LED. $260 ryobitools.com
—Pete Marchetto

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 TOOL
BOX PVC Fittings for Makers
Ever build something out of PVC and wish
they made a 3-way elbow? Well, they do.
Basically, Formufit sells PVC connectors
intended for maker projects. These are
glossy, unmarked fittings for pipe sizes rang-
ing from ½" to 2", including 3-way elbows,
4-way tees, 5-way crosses, and more.
As a bonus, they provide Google SketchUp
files of all of their connectors so you can
plan before you buy. $1–$4 formufit.com
—John Baichtal
Microplane Cutting Tools
Known as “the woodworking tools that crossed
over to the kitchen,” Microplane’s sturdy cutting
tools are each made up of tiny, incredibly sharp
planes. They make rasps for woodcarving and
blades for hacksaws and Surforms, but I have
their classic grater, which works magic on every-
thing from nutmeg to lemon zest to Parmesan,
transforming that hard lump into the fluffiest
cheese shavings you’ve ever seen. They now, of
course, offer zesters, a rotary grater, and even a
sea salt shaver! Whichever you get, it will surely
have a myriad of uses. $9 and up microplane.com
—Arwen O’Reilly Griffith
96 Make: Workshop+Tool Guide
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Stanley Wonder Bar
It’s low-tech, but this crude-looking tool
is one of the most satisfying demolition
weapons I’ve had the pleasure to use
around the house. No nail of any size has
resisted its awesome power, and I can rip
up carpet strips like a pro. No instructions
needed. $11 stanleytools.com
—David Albertson
Bosch Multi-X
We’ve been remodeling our house forever. It was recently decided that
one of the exterior doors needed refinishing. After struggling with a
sanding block, I decided we needed something more appropriate for the
job. Since I’m also always having to flush-cut something in an awkward
space or grind down the odd nail, I decided to try out the new cordless
Bosch Multi-X cutter/sander/grinder/scraper. I’m a big fan of any tool
that can get multiple jobs done. I also like a cordless tool that can deliver
real power. The Bosch Multi-X does both. The tool ergonomics are great
and it comes with a decent carrying case. $160 amazon.com
—Adam Flaherty
Bosch Palm Routers
These bridge the gap between Dremel
tools, which are always necessary but
sometimes not powerful enough, and
the Dremel’s big brother, the router.
I bought an old router-style workhorse
of a laminate trimmer, the Porter-Cable
310, and loved working with a router
I could safely control with one hand.
Bosch caught on to the possibilities,
and recently introduced their Colt
palm-grip routers: the PR10 single-
speed and PR20 variable-speed. If a
Dremel isn’t enough for a project, but
you don’t want to leap to a much
heavier router, take a look at
one of these lightweight but
powerful tools. $115
amazon.com
—Simon St.Laurent
10/11/10 4:49:08 PM
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