FastCap Babe-Bot Glue Bottle Review
This is the FastCap Babe-Bot (Amazon link). It is a 4-oz. bottle made for glue. I’ve got mine filled with wood glue. They also make a bigger 16oz. version but I find this one a little more handy.
The Joy of Digital Calipers
Today I’m going to show off what you can do with a pair of dirt cheap digital calipers (Amazon link). These come in a plastic case. Mine even had an extra battery included. On the front here you have a power button, a zero button to zero out the measurement, and a toggle between inches and mm.
Hakko FX-901 Cordless Soldering Iron Review
This is the Hakko FX-901 portable soldering iron (available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2sh7g0t). It runs off 4 AA batteries that you can swap out really fast with this removable cartridge design. I use rechargeables in mine and I get over an hour of use out of it before I notice the temperature drops. Alkaline batteries will run hotter, but not last as long.
Robert Larson Plastic Center Finder Review
I learned about the Robert Larson 800-2875 Plastic Center Finder (Amazon link) from maker Ben Light, who uses it to drill out the center in the tin can robots he builds. Online, I see a lot of videos of jewelry designers using these. Woodworkers use them on finding centers on dowels or centering up work to chuck into a lathe.
Knipex High Leverage Cutters Review
These are Knipex High Leverage Cutters (Amazon link). They cost around $35-40 on Amazon, which isn’t cheap for a pair of clippers, but they seem indestructible. They’re drop forged, so they’re extremely tough. They’re rated for cutting through Piano Wire, which is essentially tempered spring steel and easily damages most cutters.
Rothco G.I. Type Mechanics Tool Bag Review
This Rothco G.I. type mechanics tool bag is around $16 on Amazon. Russel Brooks wrote a review of this bag for Cool Tools saying that these are similar to bags he was issued when he was in the Air Force in the ’70s. They’re made of a thick canvas with a heavy brass zipper, pockets on both sides, and small pockets lining the inside.
Bobbleheads & Burrs [Maker Update #46]
This week on Maker Update, designing your own bobblehead, a new trick for your Raspberry Pi, what’s so great about deburring tools, McMaster Carr meets Tinkercad, and a roundup of 3D printed Pi cases. This week’s Cool Tool is the General Tools 481 Swivel Head Deburring Tool.
PocketCHIP $69 Handheld Computer Review
The Oakland-based startup Next Thing Co. made a splash in 2015 when they announced a $9 single-board Linux computer called C.H.I.P. Like the Raspberry Pi, C.H.I.P. is a Linux computer designed for DIY projects and education — only significantly less expensive. And while the price made an impression on me at the time, I wasn’t yet into Raspberry Pi enough to even be tempted by a competitor. That is, until I saw PocketCHIP.
Next Thing Co. is clever enough to sell an accessory called PocketCHIP that transforms the credit card-sized board into a thoroughly unique, fully functional handheld computer. The PocketCHIP’s $69 price includes both the CHIP board and the portable handheld computer hardware that it simply slots right into.
Review: Light Paintbrush for Circuit Playground
I love when a DIY project gives you something that feels almost like a magic trick. The TV-B-Gone project is one such project, but so is this LED paintbrush project published by John Park on Adafruit.
John Park has an embarrassing number of great projects, but I ordered up the parts for this one specifically because I’ve been looking for an approachable project with a fun payoff to use for a beginner electronics workshop I’m teaching in April. I love the idea of students walking away with a unique gadget to show off, rather than just a blinking LED.