Do-It-Yourself

News, reviews and articles about products that help you make and fix things.

Raspberry Pi drops microcontroller, and it’s only $4!

pico board

NEWS – The Raspberry Pi Foundation has been building mini computers for years now.  I have one on my local network that hosts PiHole.  Recently they’ve decided to dip their toes into some new water:  microcontrollers.  They just released the Raspberry Pi Pico, a small microcontroller board that only costs $4!  If you’re ever wanted

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Relive the golden age of personal computers with this cool C64 case

retro c64 2

NEWS – I have many fond memories of the Commodore 64. It wasn’t my first personal computer (that was the TI-99/4A) but it was definitely my favorite. I remember typing in assembly code from magazines, modding a 5 1/4 inch floppy disk drive to pirate games (shhh), and upgrading from a 300 baud modem to

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KneeBlades make working on your knees easier and more fun

kneeblades 1

NEWS – KneeBlades are an interesting “tool” for construction workers, and DIYers. If you’ve ever had to work on your hands and knees for any length of time, you’ll understand how much of a pain that it can be both literally and figuratively. Milescraft created KneeBlades to make it easier to move around on your

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Dakboard smart display review – Build a DIY always on wall display

dakboard 11

REVIEW – How do you keep track of things that need to be done? Do you use a task or to-do app on your phone or computer? Do you use a physical notebook? I use both of those methods and have just added a third tool to my productivity toolbox – a Dakboard. What is

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Go Hang It all-in-one picture hanging & leveling tool review – Hang pictures with fewer cuss words and tears

gohangit 5

REVIEW – We recently did a complete remodel of the upper level of our house, but even though it’s been done for several months, we have yet to hang any artwork back on the walls. Why? We’re mainly afraid that we’ll make a mistake getting multiple framed art pieces to line up. That’s where a

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Celia & Perah R1 and R2 FM/Bluetooth speakers review – You can build them yourself

Celia Perah 21

REVIEW – In these surreal times of the COVID-19 pandemic, staying at home while practicing social distancing requires families to do things together more than ever. One of the ways to promote togetherness is to build something. But what if—like me—you’ve never made anything? In all the years I’ve reviewed portable Bluetooth speakers, all I’ve

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You can build these ultra cool metal plane models without glue or solder

metalearth 2

NEWS – We’ve talked about Metal Earth models in the past, but I haven’t visited their site in a very long time until yesterday. In the past, their no glue, no solder steel models were all plain silver. Now they are offering a variety of new models in color and they look really awesome. In

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FLUX beamo CO2 laser cutter/engraver review

flux beamo 14

REVIEW – Crafters, makers, and DIYers will be excited about the beamo CO2 laser cutter/engraver from FLUX which is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter. Let’s take it for a test drive. What’s is it? beamo is an easy to use small tabletop unit that will allow you to cut and/or engrave a variety of materials

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Check out beamo, an affordable compact laser cutter and engraver for makers

beamo 1

CROWDFUNDING NEWS – If you think you’re crafty now, just imagine what kind of cool things you can make with a tabletop cutter and engraver like the beamo which just launched on Kickstarter from Flux, the same company who had the successful Flux Delta 3D printer campaign. What is it? beamo is a small desktop

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GameShell is a DIY kit to build your own Gameboy style handheld

gameshell 1

NEWS – Holy handhelds Batman! Prepare to part with some cash, because I have what looks like the coolest DIY kit I’ve seen in a long time. It’s called the Clockwork GameShell and it’s a modular kit that includes all the parts needed to build your own pocket-sized gaming system that looks strikingly similar to

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Turn paper into light with the Bare Conductive Electric Paint Lamp Kit

Electric Paint lamp Kit

NEWS – As a self-confessed gadget nerd, I always feel that after so many years of seeking out the newest and coolest gadgets, that I have seen just about every concept that I can expect to see for a while. And just when I think I have, another creative gadget surfaces and captures my attention

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Kano lets kids build their own Windows 10 laptop

kano pc

NEWS – The new Kano PC isn’t just a kid-friendly laptop with a colorful orange keyboard. It’s a laptop that kids can build themselves with easy to assemble modules and cables that require no previous knowledge of electronics or soldering. Kano is the same company who makes the Computer Kit Touch tablet that I reviewed

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Level up your DIY game with LumiLevel

LumiLevel level 1

CROWDFUNDING NEWS – Are you a DIYer that needs to keep things on the level?  This can mean hanging things, building things, installing plumbing lines and so on.  Lots of things are simply better if they are straight side-to-side or up-down.  Kickstarter project LumiLevel looks to level up your game with their new digital level.

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Level up your DIY game with the Shaper Tools Origin router

shapertools origin 1

NEWS – Hobbists, makers, and wood crafters will want to check out the Shaper Tools Origin router. It uses computer-guided technology to make sure the shapes that you want to cut out are as precise as possible. This router uses a special tape that orients the router bit so that it can cut inlays like

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Be prepared for the spring gift season with wrap buddies

wrap buddies 1

NEWS – And you thought that the holidays were behind us didn’t you? That’s adorable… Springtime is a busy time for holidays like Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and graduation. That means you’ll need a tool to help you wrap all those gifts you’ll be giving to family and friends. What you need are some

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