Sisyphus At Work [Maker Update]
This week on Maker Update: the stacking that never stops, reverse engineering a head mounted display, mechanical clocks, racing Roombas, making plans, and a new twist on 3d printing.
Wrap Music [Maker Update]
This week on Maker Update, making bubble wrap sing, telegraphing your lunch date, a mesmerizing headband, and arm wrestling the left-handed.
The Seaworthy Syringes [Maker Update]
This week on Maker Update: plunging to new depths, remembering Sanjay Mortimer, a birdsong freeform circuit, mech controllers, lightning infill, and how to make paint out of milk.
Wearable Miracle [Maker Update]
This week on Maker Update: vaccine fashion, Intel kills their Kinect killer, laser cut LED neon, casting keycaps, and the Eye of Agamotto.
You Can’t Make an Omelette… [Maker Update]
This week on Maker Update, a LEGO egg opener, Morph grows up, Panasonic’s robot pet, an infinity collar, and a spin with Darth Vader.
Best Electronic Soldering Badge Kits For Classrooms
Learning how to solder is a right of passage for any maker. Personally, I remember holding out for the longest time, relying on alligator clips and breadboard jumpers to complete beginner projects and simple circuits. Soldering is intimidating, and the prospect of mangling a project while you learn the basics technique can compound the anxiety.
The best way I’ve found to dip your toe in to learning to solder is with a fun, inexpensive soldering badge kit. These come in dozens of varieties, with a wide range of cost, which I’ve outlined here.
Boil them down, they’re essentially a simple LED circuit, powered by a coin cell battery. For both students and instructors, they offer a quick project with a high payoff. Plus, you literally get to wear your new skill as a badge of accomplishment. How cool is that?
For a look at ore advanced kits for beginning makers, check out our current list of the Top 5 Best Kits for Makers.
Shred Your Own Banksy [Maker Update #98]
This week on Maker Update, your own Banksy art shredder, the new Pi TV HAT, the CAD of soda bottles, a wearable touchscreen computer, a 3D printed doorman, a location aware MP3 player, and a sand table drawbot.
Favorite Projects of 2017 [Maker Update #65]
This week on Maker Update, I’ll take a look back at some of my favorite projects from 2017 and show you a cordless hot glue gun for hot glue on the go. This week’s Cool Tool is a Ryobi Cordless Glue Gun.
LEDs For Your Face [Maker Update #43]
This week on Maker Update, LEDs for your eyes, talking to your lamp, a new marble machine, the poor man’s table saw, and a giant super soaker. This week’s Cool Tool is the Kreg Rip-Cut.
Beach Art Robot [Maker Update #31]
This week on Maker Update: an autonomous beach-roving art bot, Kickstarter wants your ideas, a project that makes kits for other projects, GUIs for Raspberry Pi, stipple ceramics, and I’ll show you why digital calipers are cool (and why you should buy them here: http://amzn.to/2ov1YJU).