News, reviews and articles about products that help you make and fix things.
A while back, Julie posted a news item about a ‘wooden pocket knife.’ I was intrigued: normally, one cuts wood with a knife, right? So when the opportunity to review Nathan’s Knife Kit from Klecker Knives came up, I had to check it out. My 8-year-old son had been asking me when he could get […]
Nathan’s Wooden Knife Kit Review Read More
The MudWatt kit from KeegoTech is an educational DIY kit that can teach kids about soil chemistry, microbiology and electricity. By combining ordinary dirt from your yard, along with scraps from your refrigerator, kids can create a fuel cell that will light up an LED. The MudWatt set is priced at $44.95 and can be
MudWatt Generates Power from Mud and Garbage Read More
If you’re looking for a cool gift for your favorite ukulele player, this is it. It’s a kit for a folding soprano ukulele. The parts are made of laser cut bamboo. All you need is some sandpaper, glue and a few other miscellaneous items and you’ll be able to build your own instrument that just
Ukulele taking up too much space? Fold it. Read More
Duct tape artisans can now enjoy a wide variety of patterns in their favorite cloth tape. Want to create a polka dotted duct tape wallet? Now you can with Platypus Designer Duct Tapes from Fortis Design. There are 14 designs to choose from, that range from plaids and paisley to wicker and leopard. Each
Get Crafty with Designer Duct Tape Read More
Parts-People.com is a family owned business that was started back in 2002. They have a shop in Austin, TX and a web site that specializes in Dell laptop repair and parts replacement supplies. You can send them your laptop for repair, or if you are a DIY kinda of person, you can purchase the parts
Great Repair Site for Dell Laptop Owners Read More
Mixtapes (or mixCDs, if you’re of the younger generation that didn’t have to use tape), those custom-designed soundtracks of your life from high school and before, were ubiquitous. If you liked someone, or wanted to celebrate a special memory or event, you’d make a mixtape to play in the background. We still do similar things
Mixbook Personalized Printed Photo Books Review Read More
Bheestie Bags are another of those bags filled with a desiccant to help you dry out electronics that have been exposed to moisture. The bags are 6″ X 9″, so they’re big enough for phones and MP3 player but not bigger tablets. You can keep a Bheestie Bag, unopened, in reserve about a year. It
Bheestie Bags Promise to Save Your Wet Electronics Read More
Everyone knows that electricity bills are getting higher and higher, and often we’re burning up precious fossil fuels to create this power. Now Solar Panels are becoming a viable solution even for the average consumer these days but tend to be expensive, delicate, require specialised installation and look pretty ugly up there on the roof,
3M Solar Panel Window Film Read More
We have reviewed Dremel tools before- the 300 series, the Trio, and a cordless tool, however the company just keeps making a good thing better. The new Dremel 3000 power rotary tool incorporates a lot of smaller changes, and one big one- the nose cap now acts as a wrench for loosening tools.
Dremel 3000 Rotary Tool Review Read More
Back in December of last year, I showed you a wooden knife kit by Garrett Wade that helps show kids how pocket knives work. I have an alternative kit that is less expensive, requires no tools for assembly and has nicer looking chunky parts. It’s Nathan’s Knife Kit from Klecker Knives. Klecker’s website even has
Wooden Pocket Knife Kit Teaches Knife Mechanics to Kids Read More
3D printing is a form of manufacturing technology where three dimensional objects are created by laying down successive layers of material. Industrial 3D printers are available but aren’t the cheapest item around. The Makerbot Thing-O-Matic is an an open source 3D printer for substantially less. Using a 3D CAD program and plastic filament you can
Makerbot Thing-O-Matic 3D Printer Read More
I enjoy making stuff, and I love electronics, so I generally really like electronics kit projects. The SpikenzieLabs Solder:Time Watch Kit seems like a great option for someone like me. This is actually a hackable watch- they provide the source code and other info, as well as convenient pads on the circuit board to tap into.
SpikenzieLabs Solder:Time Watch Kit Review Read More
RedEye products and apps from ThinkFlood have allowed you to use your iOS devices as home theater remotes for a couple of years now. If you add some of their hardware connectivity products, you can even use them to control lights and appliances in your home. But why should Apple users have all the fun?
Control Your Home Theater – and Even Your Home – With RedEye for Android Read More
I am sure all of you have had a moment where you’ve been in a pinch to find tools to hang a picture, tap in a nail that has stuck out on a piece of trim, or needed to get a quick measurement. These are some of the projects the Kelvin.23 can help with.
Kelvin.23 Multi-Tool Review Read More
The Solder : Time from Spikenzielabs is an easy to solder wristwatch kit that has a laser cut acrylic casing that allows you to see the internal PCB, electronic components and battery (CR2032). There’s a velcro wrist band included, but you can also wear it as a badge with optional badge clip. This looks like
You aren’t a real geek unless you solder your own watch Read More
You’ve no doubt seen flip books before… They are small books with an image on each page that looks like an animated cartoon or movie when you rifle through pages sequentially. Now you can use a 5-15 second video that you’ve captured on your iPhone to create your own 50 page flip book by using
FlickBooks App Turn iPhone Videos into Flipbooks Read More
One really nice thing about being an iPhone owner is that the third-party accessories market is so enormous that one is never at a loss for accessory options. However, there is a trend in phone cases in general to lean towards the sleek and industrial or luxurious, often leaving those whose tastes tend toward the
Show Off Your Crafty Side With the DIY iPhone Case Read More
The Kelvin 23 is a toolbox for your hand. It includes a hammer, level, measuring tape, LED light, and even a 16 bit magnetic screwdriver. It’s available in Black or Pink and is priced at $29.99
Pocket Multi-tool with a Built in Hammer Read More
I know you have one. Those clunky, metal, red toolboxes. That iconic American symbol of craftsmen, workmen, and Do It Yourself-ers everywhere. Those expensive, heavy, red-paint-chipping, heavier-than-cement-crack -your-shin-on-it dead weights that holds a mish mash of tools and accessories that, once in, you can never find again. Throw it out. Seriously. Throw
Veto Pro Pac XXL-F Tool Bag Review Read More
I had the pleasure of representing The Gadgeteer at Craftsman’s Blogger Summit in Chicago recently. This event brought together about a dozen bloggers from different specialties, to highlight the Craftsman name and promote the products through social media and the Internet. We congregated at the Craftsman Experience facility to learn about some of their DIY
The 1st Annual Craftsman Blogger Summit Read More