Table of contents for Vol 94 - Fall 2025 in Make:

Technically speaking, SolderlessPCB is not a DIY board as often discussed. It is not even a readily-available kit, but rather a bold set of ideas on PCB (re)making with those tiny SMD components. How often do we reuse through-hole components during our early prototyping with a breadboard? The answer is probably a lot. With their finger-friendly long metal pins and standardized array of holes, it's very easy to assemble and disassemble the many throughhole electronic components by simply pushing them into the breadboard. Prototyping iterations are fairly easy and fast. But how often do we reuse SMD components, often the size of a grain of rice, or with metal pins the size of needles, during PCB prototyping? The answer is probably never. When we try to make circuits smaller and…

The Electronics Prototyping Lab (EPL) at Portland State University is a space where ideas transform into tangible prototypes. It's the kind of place where you might spend 14 hours, fueled by a pot of coffee, to turn out your first prototype. With an extensive array of tools and supplies, our lab empowers you to bring your vision to life. EPL is run by a dedicated team of students continually working towards the vision of creating “the ultimate engineering makerspace.” To do it, we combine a vibrant community atmosphere with specialized tools tailored to electronics prototyping and well-designed systems that encourage creativity and problem solving. A GREAT COMMUNITY SPACE The EPL strives to welcome everyone by prioritizing the human needs of its users. A welcoming atmosphere is our largest driver of…

There I was, dumping out our big blue recycling can one night, when inspiration literally tumbled out. I saw a clear plastic crudités tray from a party we'd recently had. There were five compartments: one in the center for the dip and four around it for the veggies. The compartments had odd shapes and angles that immediately struck me as futuristic-looking. I had been on the lookout for the materials to construct five sci-fi buildings for a game scenario I'd been wanting to play. Stargrave is a sci-fi miniatures skirmish game, and one of the scenarios called for at least five buildings to create a shabby, long-forgotten planetary outpost. And here they were, in one piece of vacuumformed plastic! I could instantly imagine them painted up in a Star Wars-like…

We hobbyists are always on the lookout for tips that save time, money, and headaches while leveling up our modeling and painting skills. I've distilled some of the best ideas from years of personal hands-on experience into this little guide. Whether you're game-crafting, scale modeling, creating a diorama, or building a model train layout, these tips will hopefully contain a couple of ahas! 50/50 GREEN STUFF AND MILLIPUT Two-part epoxy putties are popular among model makers. Green Stuff aka Kneadatite is stronger and more rubber-like, but harder to work with and more expensive. Milliput is more clay-like, and easier to sand and drill after curing. Mixing equal parts gives you the best of both worlds: a pliable, smooth putty that's easier to sculpt and less sticky than either alone. Good…

Virtual production has revolutionized Hollywood's approach to visual effects (VFX) in recent years. In the past, putting actors into a digitally animated background typically meant filming on a greenscreen, where actors perform in front of a green background that's removed later during post-production and replaced with whatever environment a scene calls for. Greenscreens still see wide use in the industry, but virtual production is a new method of staging that has taken cinema by storm. Made famous by its use on Star Wars TV projects like The Mandalorian, virtual production deploys giant video walls as a background behind the subject, which display a digital environment for the camera to capture. Typically, a video wall is a curved array of high-end LEDs rather than a traditional screen, often spanning diameters of…

Longtime Make: readers — and visitors to Maker Faires around the world — know how much we love R2-D2, that cheeky little astromech droid from Star Wars. We profiled the R2 Builders Group way back in our second issue in 2005 (makezine.com/article/craft/r2-diy), and showed how to build your own life-sized, remote controlled Artoo in 2016 (makezine.com/projects/building-your-first-r2). Since then, the Star Wars universe has only grown, and the makers who create their own replicas and custom droids have grown with it. Let's check in with them, and learn what's going on in the expanded universe of droid building. THE ASTROMECH BUILDERS (R2 BUILDERS) This is where it all started, and it continues to grow. The famed R2 Builders Club forum at astromech.net is where makers come together to share their knowledge…

Being an artist, I've seen sine waves come up in so many different contexts. I can recognize a sine wave visually or auditorily, and I can understand that they're useful, but I've often been confused about how to use them myself in a meaningful way. Sine waves, to me, seem right on the edge of art and math. So I decided to take some time to really understand how they work, and explain it to artists like myself. I'll start by explaining sine waves in three forms: a graphical visualization, an LED sequence, and an audio frequency. This is a preview of my upcoming zine, Sine Me Up! A MATHEMATICAL CURVE A sine wave is calculated with a function in math and computer science — which means it takes a…

Move over, unicorn! Beat it, teddy bear! The most popular cute animal right now is the axolotl. This adorable amphibian might be endangered in its native Mexico, but it's thriving on your local toy store shelves. You'll find axolotl squeeze toys, axolotl plush figures, axolotl fidget toys, axolotl games, axolotl craft sets — that's alotl axlotls! Join in the trend and make your own Axolotl Squirt Bottle. It's easy and fast to do. Just add a cute axolotl head to an upcycled soda bottle, fill with water, and squeeze out a big squirt. 1. PREPARE THE BOTTLE Find a suitable soda or water bottle. One with a deep cap and squeezable shape will work best. You can use a small bottle for sniper squirter, or a jumbo bottle to make…

I recently attended Crowd Supply Teardown in Portland, Oregon, and from the moment I arrived, the hacking was prolific. Even before the event got started, as my friend and Jumperless creator (crowdsupply.com/architeuthis-flux/jumperless-v5) Kevin and I journeyed up to his 14th floor suite, Flipper Zero devices emerged to explore whether the elevator could be exploited or if we could duplicate room keys (allegedly). Once inside the room, I handed over my J-Link so that Kevin could flash our friend Guy's in-development “Running Doom” badge, which literally runs Doom on body energy harvested while running a marathon. I realized that while most people walk around with a tiny computer in their pockets, there are a subset of us who also carry specialty tools for exploring the realms of radio frequency (RF), infrared…

In March of 2018 I was asked a question: Do you know the blimp from Blade Runner? My answer: Freaking of course I did! Not only am I an enormous fan of the movie, and an artist in awe of the models made for it, but it also happens that my college mentor was Lawrence Paull, the Oscar-nominated production designer of said masterpiece. Sitting in the Tested office eating a slice of pie for Pi Day, Adam Savage pulled out a garage kit — the starting point for my screen-accurate reproduction at one-half studio scale. For those not deep in the world of model making, a garage kit is a model kit put together by someone who has done all the legwork for you ahead of time. They've sourced most…

To travel to the rundown town of Respite on the planet of Tapu (aka the Gutterlands) is to step into the wonderfully weird imagination of Bill Mullaney, the U.K.-based creative professional who's behind the popular YouTube channel Bill Making Stuff. Bill uses all his skills in art, illustration, filmmaking, and crafting to create the characters and scenery that populate the alien world of the Gutterlands. He is literally trashbashing a world into existence by fleshing out the ideas for his planet, its history, customs, and characters as he crafts new models and terrain. Bill's approach to trashbashing combines vivid storytelling, whimsy, and meticulous crafting, transforming household junk into little postapocalyptic masterpieces. Action figure limbs become mutant appendages, broken gadgets evolve into steampunky creations, and craft beads transform into killer robots.…

LEDs are a go-to when it comes to wearable electronics projects - everyone loves to wear a splash of light now and then. But how might you design dynamic, wearable lighting effects for a professional on-stage performance? How could the circuitry be made robust enough to survive the bodies of sweaty dancers and the wear and tear of multiple shows? And what if many wearables worn by multiple performers could be controlled to each display synchronized but unique patterns by the same software that operates the stage lighting? COSTUMES FOR 21ST-CENTURY OPERA A hundred years ago, Karel Čapek's 1920 science-fiction play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) introduced the word robot to the English language. To celebrate the centennial, the Tapestry Opera company in Toronto created a new opera inspired by the…

One of the most memorable moments in The Wizard of Oz — and arguably one of the most iconic scenes in movie history — is the twister that sweeps Dorothy off her Kansas farm and whirls her into the magical land of Oz. In an incredibly realistic sequence, even by today's standards, we see Dorothy frantically run through the family farm trying to get to the safety of the storm cellar. Far in the distance, the twister grows in intensity as it approaches and eventually swallows the house with Dorothy inside. What makes this scene especially impressive is that it was created long before digital special effects or computer-generated imagery (CGI). Instead, it was the result of incredibly clever practical effects and the unique genius of Hollywood special effects artist…

This hanging frame is an elegant way to display a favorite book, open or shut. I originally wanted a full-color e-ink display that would automatically download and cycle through a new comic strip each day, but this was easier, uses zero power, and frankly looks better on a wall. I have a Calvin and Hobbes book in mine, and turn the page every few days for variety. 1 CUT AND DRILL You could hand-cut the pieces, but a table saw is better. These dimensions work well for a 175-page softcover. If you're framing a dictionary, make it wider. Cut four 1½"×24” boards. Cut two 2"×24” boards. Drill a ¼” hole centered 1½” from each end. 2 GLUE Glue the rails together into two U-shapes and let dry. These joints shouldn't…

Tell us about your faves: editor@makezine.com LokLik Cutting Machine 2 $230 loklik.com LokLik's Cutting Machine 2 is a good vinyl cutter with a bumpy app. It cuts standard 12"×12” sheets or rolls up to 21 feet long and boasts a max cutting pressure of 5,200gf, comparable to a Cricut Maker (at a price closer to Cricut Explore). But the required IdeaStudio app shows its low cost. For some reason files consistently came in 133% bigger than intended. It gets the job done but it's probably easier to design in a program like Inkscape. My first cut went well, and though a bushing fell out on my second, it only happened once. The LokLik easily sliced through veneer, heavy paper, and a fridge magnet. And it cut vinyl crisply and quickly.…

RALPHZIMAN.COM Tens of millions of individual beads adorn South African artist Ralph Ziman's The MiG-21 Project. Ziman collaborated with a team of bead artists to bedeck this 51-foot by 24-foot decommissioned Russian MiG fighter jet, inside and out. The core team of bead workers include artists from Zimbabwe and Ndebele women from South Africa's Mpumalanga province and took 5 years to complete. Now based in Los Angeles, Ralph Ziman was inspired by his experience growing up in Apartheid South Africa and seeing hand-beaded objects and animal sculptures being sold by the side of the road. “[Beadwork] was really looked down upon,” Ziman said. “People would say it's made for tourists — it's rubbish. I always felt it was given short shrift, because the amount of skill and talent to do…

The Riddle of the Sphinx. Rubik's Cube. Wordle. The Kobayashi Maru. If you're a maker, you probably enjoy puzzles — discovering how something works scratches an itch and brings a sense of order to the world. That thrill is at the core of Game On, a liveaction puzzle experience in Berkeley, California, cofounded by childhood friends James Hopkin, Tim Alley, and Eric Mittler. Unlike an escape room, where players linearly move through a puzzlesolving narrative like, say, a zombie apocalypse, Game On features puzzle rooms that operate independently. One room not to your liking? Try another that has a different type of puzzle to solve. The Ball Game room, named after the kinetic artwork at its center, features steel pinballs descending an ornate maze of welded tracks, platforms, and switch…

My props and animatronics workshop in Bochum, Germany, offers only limited space for tools and machines, so everything is very compact and space-saving. I try to avoid work that causes a lot of noise or coarse dust and concentrate on things like 3D printing or laser cutting. I had a CNC for a time, but it was too loud and dirty for me; due to the lack of a garage, I gave it back! 1 My animatronic Grogu (which I always like to bring to Maker Faire and cosplay events) and next to him a Nix — which is still a work in progress 2 I adore Nikola Tesla, but my interactive, life-size bust has no room in the workshop, so a photo will have to do. 3 My industrial…

When approached by Kayte for the Blade Runner blimp project, I immediately saw that the original electronics were nonfunctional. Rather than repair the damaged system, I opted for a complete redesign that would better serve the project's needs while maintaining authenticity to the iconic prop. My first step was diagnosing the existing components. After salvaging the buck converters from the original circuit board, I used a power supply to determine the voltage and amperage requirements for the LED lighting system. This analysis allowed me to source 3.3V micro LEDs from Mouser with coated wires to prevent shorting, a critical improvement over the original design. For the control system, I selected an Arduino Uno board because it could simultaneously manage the lighting elements — some steady LEDs and some simple blinking…

Dressing up as a robot is a super fun way to escape your human form. Upgrade your next robot costume from a simple box to a fully articulated, dancing electronic wonder! 1. TAKE MEASUREMENTS Measure your body. No need to be precise. You'll just need a general idea of how large to cut your cardboard pieces. Shoulder to waist Around your waist Shoulder to elbow Elbow to wrist Upper thigh to knee Knee to ankle 2. CHEST AND WAIST Use your measurements to cut cardboard pieces like the ones shown in Figure A. Use duct tape to connect them and close them when you're ready to be a robot. 3. UPPER ARMS & LEGS The upper section of your arms and legs will need three-sided shapes like these (Figure B).…

Auto painter, soldier, droidsmith? All of the above. My path from painting cars to Patriot missiles to building world-class droids has been driven by hard work, curiosity, and the unwavering belief that anything is possible if I set my mind to it. DISCOVERING A PASSION FOR CREATION I was born in the Bronx, New York City in 1986, and grew up in Orlando, Florida. As a high school sophomore, I discovered a love for painting cars through an auto body program guided by my teacher Gary Williams, a mentor and father figure who inspired me to dream big. After graduation I landed my first job as head painter in a local body shop. It was there I discovered I had red/green color vision deficiency, and I had to quickly adapt…

I needed a temperature sensor for a project I was building, and I wanted to display the output using a bar-graph LED display, such as the one in Figure A on the left. Only one snag: The assigned colors were not what I wanted. I wondered if there were bar graphs containing bicolor LEDs, so I would be able to choose between two colors for each bar. After some searching, I found the Kingbright DC10EGWA, which allowed me to select red or green. Its pin configuration, shown in Figure B, wouldn't fit a breadboard or an IC socket, so I soldered some wires to it temporarily and added a couple of trimmers to adjust the color intensities. Figure C shows it being tested, and Figure D shows the internal connections. Having…

3D printing has revolutionized manufacturing sectors worldwide, but one critical aspect often overlooked is the emission of particles and chemicals during printing operations, and even from idle printers in the room. These emissions present significant health concerns through two main types: volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde and styrene that evaporate at room temperature causing respiratory irritation, headaches, and potential long-term health issues with chronic exposure; and ultrafine particles (UFPs) - microscopic solid particles smaller than 0.1 micrometers (μm) - which may pose greater risks by penetrating into lung tissue and the bloodstream, where they can lead to cardiovascular problems and other wide-ranging health effects, including systemic inflammation. Emission levels vary significantly by filament type, with ABS plastic generating substantially higher concentrations than PLA, making material selection an important safety…

Tell us about your faves: editor@makezine.com Petoi Programmable Robot Pets $269 Bittle STEM kit, $435 Nybble Q, $469 Bittle X V2 + Arm petoi.com The Petoi Nybble Q cat is my go-to cool thing to show off to new guests. The servo-packed, palm-sized robot comes with built-in responses to a bunch of voice commands right out of the box, and I had a ton of fun messing around and discovering them. A few minutes of demonstration even convinced a teacher friend to get one for his classroom. More than an impressive toy, Nybble is programmable via mobile and desktop apps, using Arduino, Python, or Mind+ block coding with accompanying lessons. With sensors and flexible behaviors, Nybble is immediately fun, and has potential for deep exploration. Despite some amusing voice recognition…