Awesome Making

Most modern homes are built by an entire crew, using tens of thousands of dollars in hardware and building supplies. But this resourceful young woman shows how with enough strength, energy, and vision, you can build a home using only the things that nature gave us. Her arms must be made out of pure muscle after all of that digging.

The machete is one of the most imposing bladed weapons out there. In this clip from blacksmith Green Beetle, he walks us through the process of creating one by recycling steel found in a rusty old push-handle lawnmower. It’s interesting to see how he determines the carbon content of the steel on the grinder.

If you like the look of shipping containers, you can buy a tissue box holder inspired by their design. But if you’re a pro model maker like Adam Savage, and want something you can sit on, you build your own from scratch. You can get the digital files for printing the photorealistic vinyl stickers here.

Artist jedrek29t makes all kinds of neat dioramas by embedding objects into resin. Watch him build a scene of a miniature UFO as it hovers above a grassy field and starts vacuuming up cows in its tractor beam. He also integrated an LED into the spaceship so it works as a nightlight.

Adafruit Industries produces some really nifty components for making electronic gadgets. In this video, they show how their NeoPixel LED strips can be used with a one-way mirrored sheet, acrylic, and some 3D-printed bits to make an infinity mirror you can toss in your pocket. Build details and parts list here, and the source code is here.

We love how the light shows through this unique musical instrument that Burls Art made by carefully cutting, routing and sanding blocks of pink Himalayan rock salt to form its body. It also gives new meaning to the phrase “guitar licks.”

Using an ordinary computer keyboard as a starting point, maker SKM managed to create a fully-functional keyboard that’s made out of cardboard and popsicle sticks. We’re not sure how long it will last, but it’s definitely more functional than his cardboard mechanical typewriter.

We love how builder Laura Kampf is creates objects that are both thoughtful in their function and design. Her latest project is a curved wooden cabinet with a turntable and amplifier shelf, plenty of cubbies for storing records, and spaces for speakers that tuck neatly behind grille cloth.

At first glance, this looks like a modern and minimal desk. But DIY Perks wouldn’t show off something that basic. This table conceals a high-end Windows PC beneath its hardwood veneer surface. He had to spread out the components and get creative with the cooling system to fit everything inside of something so thin.

Rather than doing battle with the squirrels in his backyard, builder Michael Dutko of Duke Harmon Woodworking built himself the fanciest squirrel feeder we’ve ever seen. The Nutty Bar serves seven different artisanal nut and seed varieties on tap for his furry rodent friends.

After building himself a beautiful desk out of beautiful Sapele wood, luthier and carpenter tchiksguitars crafted a beautiful electric guitar using pieces of the wood that he took from a shelf in his office. The part where he carves out the curvature of its body is wonderfully satisfying to watch.

Joel Creates previously showed off two different designs for a weapon that can fire hot glue. Now, to prove that the third time’s a charm, he created an even more dangerous version. It’s basically like a Super Soaker, except it shoots a stream of molten glue instead of water. Needless to say, don’t try anything like this at home.

There are factories that churn out millions of screws every day. But when you want something truly special for your project, you make your own, one at a time, like Clickspring does. In this clip, they show off the creation of a single domed-head blue screw, just one small part that sits inside of a Byzantine sundial calendar.

It took Positive Couple a ridiculous amount of time to cut out, sand, and arrange the numerous slices of aluminum tubing they used to make this unique piece of furniture. We’re not so sure about the quilted denim sides for the desk, but the geometric patterned desktop is pretty spectacular.

The real Notre Dame Cathedral suffered from a devastating fire in 2019, and it may take decades before it can be restored and made safe for visitors. For now, let’s enjoy this miniature version of the iconic Parisian landmark, courtesy of builder FoBIRD, who created a replica from wooden popsicle sticks and kebab skewers.

Inspired by the gigantic skateboard that Rob Dyrdek used to show off on, metalsmith Paul Pinto set out to build one that’s not as fancy, but still ridiculously long. The finished metal and wood skateboard measures 25 ft. long. It turns out that Dyrdek’s ride was over 36 ft. long, so it still holds the world record.

Using a homemade hydraulic press, a section of square steel tube, and his forge, blacksmith Paul Pinto shows us how he made a cool looking container to keep his office supplies like pens, pencils, paint brushes, and err.. an ice pick.

One of the great things about metal is just how recyclable it can be. In this video from Random Hands, he shows how he transformed a rusty old bolt into a shiny new lighter with a steampunk aesthetic. While the reused steel was only used for its main chamber, the additional brass pieces really give it a finished look.

Unlike other miniature crossbows, builder M.N. Projects‘ palm-size weapon features an impressive upgrade to its mechanism. It has a pair of rotating cams with a spring drive mechanism, enabling more powerful and longer launches of its tiny, but dangerously sharp metal bolts.

Nate from The King of Random steals a page from Kiwami Japan’s book, and attempts to make a knife out of an unconventional material. Using an actual piece of flank steak, he honed a full-tang blade, along with a strip steak handle. The trick was freeze-drying the meat, then saturating it in resin. But will it cut?

Back when we worked in an office, we always wanted a gavel so we could demand order in the conference room when people started talking on top of each other. Jimmy DiResta’s friend just became a federal judge, so he made him a beautiful brass gavel from scratch. We had no idea you could mill brass with a razor blade.

There are lots of guitars out there made out of fiberglass or cast resin, but ones made out of actual glass are rare. Morningstar Glass Guitars walks us through the tricky process of building one of their very special instruments, which has both a glass body and a glass neck. The Starlight II shown here sells for $3859.

Making a basic chair from straight pieces of wood isn’t that hard. But crafting something with a bent wood structure that can hold weight takes a bit more carpentry skill. Lignum shows that he’s up to the challenge, building a modern wooden chair from laminated strips of spruce formed into “U” and “L” shapes.