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HackSpace (DOWNLOAD FREE PDF)
What could be more satisfying than building a whole computer, from scratch? You might think it’s impossible these days, but we’ve found a band of makers who are re-creating the clicky switches and flashing LEDs of a bygone age. Have a go yourself!
- Design, sustainability and ethics with Jude Pullen
- Add much-needed safety features to a cheap off-the-internet laser cutter
- Send communication signals through the ground
- Get going with gears
Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold. That’s why repair skills are so important! This month we’re talking upcycling — the art of making beautiful new projects out of old junk.
Plus: what happens when your just-for-kicks project turns out to be something that loads of people want? We talk to Timon Skerutsch, creator of the Piunora, to find out. And can you use open source technology to keep satellites in orbit? Of course you can – we meet someone who’ll tell you all about it.
- Sheet metal CAD
- Logic chips
- PCB buttons
- The smallest RP2040 board we've seen yet
The Raspberry Pi Pico: it costs pennies, it’s simple to program with, and it’s really good at getting data in and out. In short, it’s the ideal board for home projects. We’ve hunted high and low for the best, most innovative, most creative projects around to show off what the Pico can do. What will you build with yours?
- Discover an innovative spin on PCB design
- Upcycled LED lights
- Learn (and use) Morse code
- An all-singing, all dancing toilet-cleaning robot
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Human beings come in all shapes and sizes, all abilities and disabilities. So why should we have to fit in with technology, when technology can so easily be changed to suit us? That’s the key question that unites the projects in this issue. From joystick adaptations to prosthetic limbs, we take a look at the ways that open source hardware is making life better for millions of people.
- Make shiny LED jewellery
- Explore the Inception-like properties of hexaflexagons
- Design for pipes in FreeCAD
- Our most ambitious make yet: building a laser cutter from scratch!
Machine learning used to be the preserve of university research departments with money to burn on high-power, high-cost kit – but not any more! Thanks to a new breed of affordable dev boards, anyone can get in on the act at pocket money prices. We’ve trawled the makersphere for the best, most creative machine learning projects to show just what can be done. The future of machine learning is awesome – and it’s here right now!
- Light painting — incredible images created with a Raspberry Pi, LEDs, and the passage of time
- Matt Stultz — 3D printing guru on Prusa, printing and the pandemic
- Lathe gearbox — use a Raspberry Pi Pico to control the speed of a spinny thing
- Christmas PCBs – get into the festive mood with custom flashing decorations
There’s a lot be said for LEGO: you can make just about anything with it, including functional pieces. It’s easy to build, break down and re-build with it. And now it’s also easy to program it, to make it smart and build it into some seriously advanced tech projects. We’ll show you how!
- Play tricks on the puny human brain with stereo photography
- Make MIDI beats and bleeps with a Raspberry Pi Pico
- Give oomph to your power tools with compressed air
- Get to grips with your new favourite embedded computer: the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
When you’ve graduated from breadboards and jumper wires it’s time to tackle electronics the way the pros do it: by making your own PCBs! We’ll take you from beginner to slightly more experienced beginner, with a guide to designing, debugging and manufacturing your own custom electronic creation.
- Learn the secrets of the guitarist’s favourite electronic component: the vacuum tube
- Build a MIDI synth out of a Raspberry Pi Pico and an empty camembert box
- Sew a fabric bag to store essential maker mess
- PLUS! an exclusive first look at a new add-on for Raspberry Pi that we think you’ll like a lot
If your 3D printer is looking a little dusty and unloved, now’s the time to put it to work: we’ve 50 of the best 3D prints to improve your home, office, workshop and more. From functional to frivolous, we’ve got ideas for you. It’s time to unleash the awesome power of your printer!
- Oskitone: where 3D printing meets analogue synth goodness
- Pure Data: make music with this awesome graphical programming language
- Surface mount soldering: solder the way the professionals do it
- Cardboard tubes: do something useful with toilet roll tubes
Anyone can be a scientist, and this issue we’ll show you how. Whether you’re interested in space, traffic, the oceans, or something else, there’s a citizen science project for you. The world has never been more connected – so let’s use that connectivity to make our planet better!
- We talk to a real-like scientist about the emotional links between making and materials
- Turn empty drinks cans and a bit of 3D printing into a heat-exchange system for a laser cutter
- Coax random numbers from a humble ESP32 board
- Make music with a Raspberry Pi Pico
- Build a glorious piece of retro tech in the shape of a crystal radio
This issue we’re paying homage to some of our favourite projects built on the Raspberry Pi. We’re living in a golden age for experimentation, accessible making and digital discovery – and a large part of that is thanks to this teeny tiny computer. Just add imagination!
- How one maker achieved perfection (yes, really!) by embracing failure
- Our pick of the best walking robot kits
- A deceptively simple hack for printing large objects (hint – you make the printer bigger)
- Homebrew improvements to a cheap CNC machine
- How to put an oak handle on an old kitchen knife
- … and loads more
When Newton spoke of standing on the shoulder of giants, he might have been thinking of the Raspberry Pi Pico and Arduino. We delve deep into the Arduino ecosystem and find out how to harness its power for your next Pico project.
- Get excited about the possibilities of machine learning with Shawn Hymel
- Fame, fortune and glory with Simone Giertz and her brand-new sensible builds
- WinDIY: a beautiful, Quixotic tilt at building a home-made 3D printed windmill
- Send signals to USB via the humble web browser
- … and loads more!
- Get excited about the possibilities of machine learning with Shawn Hymel
The internet of things can work for you: all you have to do is do it yourself! Inside this issue we look at 10 of the best DIY internet of things projects to inspire and delight you, and maybe even give you the idea for the next world-beating device.
- Debug hardware on Raspberry Pi Pico and ESP32
- Fix stripped threads the quick way
- Design complex assemblies in FreeCAD
- Tie NASA-grade knots
What do you do when something breaks – do you fix it, or do you throw it away and replace it with something new and cheap? We reckon we know the answer. Join us as we pay tribute to the makers keeping good old stuff in working order.
- Find out how one maker hacked Google for her own ends
- The prettiest PCBs ever committed to silicon
- Restoring a lathe to satisfying shininess
- Our pick of makery things to do with mason jars
- A ridiculously over-the-top DIY fuzz pedal
- … and loads more
If you thought you had to spend big to get decent prints, think again. There’s a quality printer out there for you for under £100 – and we’ll help you to find it.
- Put ink on blocks of wood to print things the old fashioned way
- Connect little smart boxes over the internet to make a simple IoT network
- Find out from a real artist what's so great about 3D printed carpentry
- Expand the capability of the Pico Explorer with supercharged graphics