If you want an electrical circuit to send power to an object, like a light, you're going to need resistors. This video, part of an excellent series on basic electronics by Scotty, will teach you how to make a circuit with resistors and an LED light, a real function piece of el ...more
Many types of circuits are useless and less useful if you cannot control the amount of power going through them. For that, you need a PWN (pulse with modulation) switch. This electronic component will let your control the power going through the circuit, enabling you to dim LE ...more
You may already know that you can build a functional circuit on a sheet of paper with the graphite from a pencil, but you'd probably never think of using it to fix an electronic device. This same principle can be used to bring back a bricked phone, but can also repair a damage ...more
Sputnik, Apollo and the Space Race. If you watched the State of the Union address last night, you probably heard President Barack Obama mention those three things. The Space Race was an informal bout between the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (USA) over the ascenda ...more
This two-part video introduces you to the breadboard, also called a protoboard, used to build electronic circuits without soldering. The first part of this presentation describes the features of a breadboard. The second video continues by showing you how a breadboard is used ...more
Before there was digital music and fancy computers and music software, people use to employ the power of the electric color organ (now more commonly known as the "light organ") to add some visuals in sync with their music. MAKE shows you how to build your own sound-to-like cir ...more
Simple yet effective, capacitors come in a dizzying array of forms and materials, vital to so many circuits for storage, timing, and filtration - the mighty capacitor! In this installment of the MAKE presents series, Collin Cunningham explains - how to build a Leyden jar, how ...more
A function or signal generator is an electronic device that can create different types of waves and send them through a circuit without building oscillators. This video will teach you how they work and how to build a basic LED dimmer that uses one as an example.
In this two-part soldering tip video brought to you by BEST, Inc. Norman Mier demonstrates the placing of a J-leaded component on a PLCC circuit board using lead-free solder. Part 1 of 2 - How to Place a J-leaded component on a PLCC with solder. Part 2 of 2 - How to Place a J ...more
In this soldering tip video brought to you by BEST, Inc. Norman Mier demonstrates how to install and solder properly a through hole component into a circuit board.
Get started with the LilyPad Arduino! It's a sewable microcontroller that lets you embed lights, sounds, sensors, and much more into your wearables, perfect for clothing and accessories. In this Make Magazine intermediate, soft circuit, video tutorial, you'll see how to sew up ...more
An emergency battery charger for your mobile phone comes in handy, but it's not the ultimate solution; once it's dead it's useless (what a waste). If you want to really get off the metaphorical grid, you can follow the steps in this video to construct a more robust circuit tha ...more
If you're a musician in need of some lessons, there's no better way to learn than with MusicRadar's so-called "Tuition" instructions. Although the title tuition is misleading, this video class is anything but costly, because it's free, right here. Whether you're looking for he ...more
The first day of Hanukkah is here, the day you start lighting the candles of the menorah. So, why not ditch the wax and light the "lights" this year? (Skip ahead to see the LED menorah) Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that lasts eight days from the 25th day of Kislev, which th ...more
Graffiti is a great way of getting your message out to the masses. The earliest known graffiti dates back to 30,000 years ago and used the traditional apply-paint-to-wall technique. Though our paint now comes in cans and not from scavenged berries, the actual graffiti process ...more
It turns out that the popularity of soft circuit electronics has leaked out of the interwebs and into the hands of the U.S. military. Soft circuit electronics allow you to literally sew electronics circuits into fabric using flexible conductive thread instead of wire. Soft cir ...more
Fans of Doctor Who know that the sonic screwdriver is the ultimate tool. It can unlock doors, turn on lights, detect life forms, solder wires, and sabotage weapons. Presumably, the sonic screwdriver creates sonic vibrations to achieve whatever the doctor wants by vibrating th ...more
Whether you're in an airport, restaurant or waiting room, the insidious grip of televisions on human life is omnipresent. Sometimes it's nice to talk to other human beings while looking at them directly—actually hearing what they have to say. Thankfully, there's a DIY device ...more
Computer viruses are terrifying. They are undetectable, dangerous, and operate constantly right under your nose. For the average computer user, there are only a few repair options. You could buy expensive antivirus software that causes more problems than it fixes, you can wipe ...more
Making your own circuit boards can be a daunting challenge. You have to design a schematic, test it on a breadboard, design the board layout, and then after all of that, you still have to print and etch a board! Luckily, we have Fritzing. Fritzing is a free open-source PCB d ...more
Since the invention of the mechanical clock, enclosure of the commons, and proletarianization of labor, the alarm clock has been the bane of our existence. While not actually evil, it does represent the constant and uncompromising glare of our owners shaking a patronizing fing ...more
Video: . Recycle your hard drive into a hidden flash memory device that only you know how to turn on and use in secret. This DIY hack project allows you to recycle your broken hard drives back to life and turn them into something useful. So far, this project has several funct ...more
Whenever we make a homemade circuit, we use what are called through-hole components. Any components with long metal leads is a through-hole component. They are great for soldering to, but it's tough to fit enough through-hole resistors and capacitors into a smartphone. To get ...more
Bikes are a great form of transportation. They use human energy more efficiently than any other machine. You can keep it in your closet or hallway. You can even take it on the train in a pinch. However, this portability is also the bike's biggest draw back. If you own a bike i ...more
It's what every astronomy-loving geek has always wanted... a beautiful, twinkling home galaxy. As Instructables user MrTrick rightly warns, this project is no small feat. Be prepared to get schooled in: Basic woodworking skills How to handle a soldering iron How to design LED ...more
Just about every household gadget we own runs on 1.5 volt batteries of one size or another. Wouldn't it be great if you could reuse all of those dead AA, AAA, and D batteries after they've passed on? It turns out you can make a simple circuit called a "Joule Thief" to reanimat ...more
Around the world, X-People (yes... there are X-Women, too) are under attack from an intolerant sapiencentric ruling class. Integration without equality is a farce. Autonomy is denied outright. Human prejudice cannot abide a mutant state. Human fear, born to hate, imposes itsel ...more
Microcontrollers are great. You can do anything from water your garden to catch wildlife trash diggers in the act—and on the cheap. I prefer to use the Arduino microcontroller because of the large and helpful community built around the website. Though it is my favorite, there ...more
This is an instructional video featuring Doug Prime, founder of the Future Engineers Center at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Melt the solder to connect wires for switches and permanent circuits. Heat the surface before you put the solder on it. Don't drip the solder ...more
Instructables member mark-mark creates a beautiful effect with just a tin can lantern and an LED. It's as simple as it sounds: punch a decorative pattern into a tin can and insert your LED rig. Catch the impressive result here. You Will Need: Quart sized tin can with lid Pr ...more
This video by makemagazine demonstrates a weekend project on how to make a LED light brick. The materials required for this project are listed on the link to the make magazine page in the info box or it can be orders as a kit from the make magazine store. Take the PCB (printed ...more
Hacked Gadgets recently featured Csaba Bleuer's LED wave display, a device that projects LED messages midair. Bleuer had also previously created a similar device that spins on a fan motor. "Csaba Bleuer sent in some pictures and a video of his new creation. It is a LED Wave D ...more
This is a video tutorial on how to make a USB aquarium powered by a under-gravel LED bulb that is powered by a USB port. With a bit of simple engineering, build a circuit to provide elegant lighting to your aquarium. Connect the wiring to the air pump for a cool lighted bubble ...more
There are many impressive accomplishments in Minecraft, too many to name in fact. Sprawling builds, complex machines, and massive servers are the hallmark of Minecraft and things keep getting bigger and better. No one doubts the epic scale Minecraft has reached, but every once ...more
The agents of empire do not always arrive with warning. When you are besieged, surrounded, and infiltrated, imagination is often your best weapon against the oppressors. If all you have at hand is some duct tape and a disposable camera, fear not, you have the makings of a powe ...more
Take a look at this instructional video and learn how to take apart and put together the iPod Shuffle. First, you'll want to remove the control button. You can do this with a box knife or an exacto knife. Next, you'll want to take out the on and off button. Remove the USB case ...more
If you have a fear of needles, you may want to sit this one out. Billed as an "analog answer for the digitalized DJ," this five-arm turntable plays an ode to the lock groove. What's a lock groove? Glad you asked. Whereas normal grooves lead the stylus in toward the label of th ...more
Ultimate Handyman demonstrates how to check a washing machine pump for blockages. First, disconnect the washing machine from the electricity source and remove the pump. The water sucks through the inlet and is pumped out of the outlet. Check to make sure that the pump doesn't ...more
Take a tour through the world of the light-emitting diode. Learn - who invented it, how to use it, and how to make your own. A light-emitting-diode (LED) (pronounced /??li?'di?/),[1] is a semiconductor diode that emits light when an electric current is applied in the forward ...more
The DIY industry is booming, despite the desperate blackmailing of society by finance capitalists. Companies like Adafruit and Makerbot are grossing well over a million dollars a year, and Evil Mad Science Laboratories just recently dedicated themselves to running a full-time ...more
Turkey's been consumed, you've awakened from the food coma, and you've escaped the madness of Black Friday. Isn't it about time you tackle a new project? We've got some great new projects for you to help illuminate the darkness of winter. Make your own electroluminescent (EL) ...more
If your PS3 is YLOD (flashing the Yellow/Red/Green Light Of Death), try sticking it in the oven. Why does this work? Instructables user formulajake88 explains what causes YLOD and why the oven re-flow method will (likely) work: "There are several prevailing theories, includin ...more
In this article, I'll show you how to make a simple touch-triggered switch. This is very useful for various electronic projects, from a simple bedside light to a flat panel touch keyboard. The circuit can vary in switching power depending on the transistors you use. For exampl ...more
In this article, I'll be explaining the basics of how microcontrollers work, physically and virtually. First off, microcontrollers are no simple thing, so don't be discouraged if you find it mind-boggling! The world of microcontrollers is fascinating, engaging, and an awesome ...more
Solar panels are an amazing invention. Catching energy from the Sun before it even enters Earth's food chain, photovoltaics are like an all-natural nuclear power plant. Unfortunately, the constituted parts of a solar panel are rare, valuable, and subject to the coercive forces ...more
When I was attending college, my friends had a phantom thief in their dormitory. Almost every night, a different item of food would go missing, never to be seen again. There was constant speculation as to whom the thief was and how to catch them. Security cameras were deemed t ...more
Science-fiction writer Jules Verne predicted many scientific breakthroughs, including the moon landing, tasers, and nuclear submarines. In his 1874 book The Mysterious Island, Verne writes: I believe that water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen which ...more
Valentine's Day is almost here, and if you're like me, you're scurrying to do something special for your mate. The standard chocolates and flowers just isn't cutting it anymore, and you can only make so many homemade cards before it becomes banal and meaningless. So, what can ...more
Welcome to Minecraft World! Check out our advanced tutorials and come play on our free server. Missed the other guides? Click on the links! Contents Starting off & Mobs Combat Food Mining Survivability Welcome back! Today we're going to look at the most important aspect to ...more
I love making beeps and bloops with the Arduino pitches library, but sometimes archaic 8-bit tunes just don't cut it. Whether you want your robot to terrify your enemies with a demonic synthetic voice, you just need a pocket boom box on the go, or you want to a miniature guita ...more
WonderHowTo is a how-to website made up of niche communities called Worlds, with topics ranging from Minecraft to science experiments to Scrabble and everything in-between. Check in every Wednesday evening for a roundup of user-run activities and how-to projects from the most ...more
Even if you live in a big city, chances are you have some wild raccoons or foxes that cannot abide a vertical trash barrel. While apparently omnipresent, these phantasmic critters usually vanish in the night leaving only a shameless trail of refuse you never wanted to see ever ...more
“On this day he had lived with that feeling, with death breathing right in his face like the hot wind from a grenade across the street, for moment after moment after moment, for three hours or more. The only thing he could compare it to was the feeling he found sometimes when ...more
WonderHowTo is a how-to website made up of niche communities called Worlds, with topics ranging from Minecraft to science experiments to Scrabble and everything in-between. Check in every Wednesday evening for a roundup of user-run activities and how-to projects from the most ...more
WonderHowTo is a how-to website made up of niche communities called Worlds, with topics ranging from Minecraft to science experiments to Scrabble and everything in-between. Check in every Wednesday evening for a roundup of user-run activities and how-to projects from the most ...more
I have an absolutely wonderful time making projects and writing articles for all of you mad scientists! Today, I will bring you behind the scenes for a look at the workbench, tools, and software that make the Mad Science World possible. Above is my beautiful workbench! My who ...more
In our media-enriched world, past and present, SCRABBLE has made a name for itself, whether deliberately, subconsciously, or influentially. You may have a read a book that had the popular word game within a chapter, watched a movie that showed your favorite characters bringing ...more
It might seem like an inconvenience but it is important to take the time to find out what has caused your oil light to come one in your car. You may just be low on oil or you may have a more serious problem but ignoring the warning will only lead to further damage. When the o ...more
I obviously do a lot of Steampunk projects, but there are a ton of things out there that I haven't tried yet. So, in an effort to broaden my horizons, I recently taught myself how to use Arduinos, which I plan to incorporate into some of my future Steampunk builds. Since ther ...more
Biking at night is dangerous. Seriously. If you've ever taken a night ride, you've probably experience a few close encounters with a set of headlights. Which is why you use bike lights—to make yourself more visible. Problem is, unlike modern car lights, bike lights don't turn ...more