Awesome Making

Using parts from a 3D printer, custom laser-cut components, and LED lighting RCLifeOn created this mechanical table that uses a magnet and a ball bearing to draw complex patterns in sand, only to erase everything it doodles. On the plus side, as soon as it wipes out an image, it gets to work on another.

3D printed objects are typically made out of plastic. But as Robinson Foundry shows us, these computer-generated pieces can be used to produce detailed castings for more substantial materials. In this case, he output a 3D print of a menacing alien emperor and used it to create a ceramic mold for an awesome brass sculpture.

After showing us how to make some geometric patterns with plywood, builder Michael Alm is back with another neat woodworking tutorial. In this clip, he walks through several other patterns, each of which is contained in a hexagonal shape. Surprisingly, it’s not nearly as difficult as it looks.

Aviation enthusiast Viktor built a custom machine that can make identical copies of paramotor propellers. Area28 shared this video that shows how it works by the form of the original, much like one of those machines they use to copy keys. Skip to 6:10 for the money shot.

The curvy tower design of the PlayStation 5 has been polarizing, to say the least. Whatever you may think of its looks, there’s no arguing that the brass case Matt from DIY Perks built is amazing. Cutting and bending the brass into the proper shapes took a tremendous amount of work, but the end result was worth the effort.

Inspired by the Nintendo GameBoy Color he had when he was a kid, artist and electronics wiz Jiri Praus made a custom version of the handheld, featuring a shiny brass front and a see-through back which exposes its meticulously bent brass wiring. He had to use an emulator instead of original hardware, but it’s still beautiful.

Builder Ivan Miranda claims he’s built the fastest model train of its size. The powerful electric train has no payload other than its motors, wiring, and battery pack, and can hit a scale speed of 485 km/h, or just over 301 mph if it were upscaled to the size of a real train. We wouldn’t want to be a tiny passenger on that thing when it derailed.

Working with styrofoam can be pretty tricky, especially the way that it tends to break. But that doesn’t stop artist Vinayak R, who makes detailed architectural structures out of the material. He uses hot-wire cutting, hand carving, and sanding to create the pieces for his models. He then spray paints them to bring out the details.

(Gore) The weapons in the RPG shooter Outriders have some of the most insane designs ever. Among them is the Grim Marrow, a deadly light machine gun made from bones wrapped around a sparkly crystal structure. Kamui Cosplay built an amazing replica from PVC and foam, loaded with colorful light-up crystals.

Most of the marble machines we’ve seen are either powered by gravity or motors. But builder Daniel de Bruin shows us how he made a mechanism that stores up energy using a spring, carrying marbles to the top of a tiny bent-wire maze using a Ferris wheel of sorts.

3D printers use a technique called “infill” to provide structure and reduce material use and print times. Breaks’n’Makes was intrigued by the geometric patterns and decided to create coasters out of some infill. He then wrapped them in wood and coated in resin for durability. You can buy sets of six on his Etsy shop.

In Iron Man 2, Happy and Pepper come to Tony Stark’s rescue with a slick new suit of armor that fits inside of a briefcase. After making a retractable version of Iron Man’s helmet, Jake Laser’s fans demanded more, so he got to work on a real-life version of the Mark 5 briefcase suit, made out of plasma-cut steel.

We recently watched in amazement as RAY Studio converted a shaver into War Machine. In this video, the talented maker took a smartphone engineering prototype, broke it down into hundreds of individual components, then reassembled them to form an intricate dragon sculpture.

Maker The Q shows off one of his more unusual constructions – a mouse-sized wooden staircase that appears to be built into a wall. We’re not sure where the secret door leads to, but we want him to build the rest of the house to go with it now.

There’s something so satisfying about a well-organized workshop. Maker Zack Freedman shows how he brought order to chaos by creating a wall of parts bins that create a smooth gradient when all the drawers are in their proper places. He 3D printed the faceplates using rainbow filament and laser cut the drawer labels.

Watch as a pile of ordinary brass nuts and bolts is transformed into a shiny sculpture of an insect by artist Ross the Random. We weren’t quite sure where he was going at first with the wing piece, but the finished work turned out to be quite amazing.

The beautiful patterns of damascus steel make for some of our favorite tools and knives, and the thicker the tool, the more dramatic the look. In this clip from metalsmith Hassan “Habu” Abu-Izmero, watch as he welds together, forges, and twists multiple layers of steel to create a truly special pair of pliers.

The guys from Fowler’s Makery and Mischief dropped by the Home Depot and spent over $1200 on cordless leaf blowers, lumber, and hardware to build a fun and totally ridiculous craft. The finished hovercraft uses six leaf blowers to hover, and another four for thrust and steering. See it in action at the 38-minute mark.

After making an axe shaped like a hand, Dirk from The Metalist thought his tool collection could use another hand. Or, more precisely, a fist. In this video, Dirk takes an old sledgehammer and makes it look like a clenched fist, ready to deliver blows to any building materials that stand in its way.

A volumetric display can show images that produce the illusion of depth. After maker Sean Hodgins got his hands on some see-through OLED displays, he designed and built a miniature display that can display a 3D image by spreading its components across its multiple layers. This thing looks straight out of science fiction.

Standard 6-sided dice are cube-shaped. But it’s also possible to make cylindrical dice – the trick is that they spin instead of roll. Metalsmith W&M Levsha demonstrates their craft by fabricating a pair of smooth-rolling metal dice spinners, each laser-engraved with six numbers. Tiny magnets ensure they stop in the right spots.

“Why do I need a six-barrel gun? This is a stupid question.” Most NERF weapons are made out of cheap plastic. Alex Lab wanted something a bit more substantial, so he put his skills to the test and build himself an impressive rapid-fire NERF M134 minigun aluminum and steel. It’s powered by canned compressed air.

While watching TMNT with his kiddo, DiesInEveryFilm Customs spied a cool weapon that he knew he just had to replicate. While masquerading as Nightwatcher, mutant turtle Raphael wields this awesome-looking compact flail. That handle he made almost looks like the hilt of a lightsaber while it’s on the lathe.