Try out a layering technique using spray paint. Always wear a mask when painting with spray paint indoors. Create interesting compositions on old shopping bags. Add depth and tone to stencils by building up layers of material texture, drawing and spray paint. Dry your work wit ...more
Here are some of necessary the tools for hobby crafting and diorama making. This model maker uses wood rasps, sanding pencils, wire cutters, small pliers, a box cutter, a wood carving knife, and a Japanese pull saw. When building miniatures you may find yourself making your ow ...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
The Android Megaminxer is mind-bogglingly elaborate, impressively combining multiple geeky mediums to solve an incredibly complex puzzle. ARM, the genius behind the stunt, uses LEGOs (a Mindstorms NXT kit to be exact) to build a robot responsible for the mechanics; they then e ...more
K'NEX is one of the most popular construction toys on the market, right next to Lincoln Logs and LEGOs, but what makes K'NEX stand out is the fact that children can build mechanically derived toys. Instead of blocks or little logs, kids use interconnecting plastic rods and con ...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
It's one of the greatest fears among parents and politicians the world over—video game violence spilling out into reality. The shooting at Columbine and the more recent tragedy in Utøya, Norway have touched deep nerves in Western consciousness. And that's why there's a giant p ...more
It's typically not the kind of video game you would see on WonderHowTo. Instead, you'd learn about games with gruesome zombies or beer guzzling dwarfs, even a controversial, dystopian war. But Sissy's Magical Ponycorn Adventure deserves some serious praise. The Flash game fol ...more
Chris Burden's latest piece is a portrait of L.A.'s hot mess of traffic, entitled Metropolis II. The artist has constructed a miniature highway system, complete with 1,200 custom-designed cars, 18 lanes, 13 toy trains and tracks, and a landscape of buildings made with wood blo ...more
Look what came in the mail today! The File Cabinet from hell. Die hard Jackass fan and file cabinet mod-junkie Jeff Dahlin tracked us down to drop off this gem at WonderHowTo HQ today. It is his official entry for the Jackass Prank Contest. It has three wheels.... so it's a tr ...more
It is the file cabinet from Hell. Look what came in the mail today! Die hard Jackass fan and file cabinet mod-junkie Jeff Dahlin tracked us down to drop off this gem at WonderHowTo HQ today. It is his official entry for the Jackass Prank Contest. It's a three-wheeler, does tha ...more
Laser gun + killing mosquitoes = lots of little boy fun, but what's it all about? Quite possibly the most entertaining, thrilling, and well, downright life-saving presentation at this year's TED conference was Intellectual Ventures' mosquito death ray. The mosquito death ray ...more
In this article, I'll show you how to create a simple yet effective way of scaring off intruders. Of course, there are methods around this approach, but it's great for office pranks and general fun. The project requires a little background knowledge in electronics and circuitr ...more
In this article, I'll be covering Triggers and Coils, part two of the series (see part one here). Generally, a simple EMP generator consists of four components; a capacitor, a transformer, a trigger and a coil of copper wire. The transformer component can be varied, but the co ...more
Noah Scalin—proprietor of the web famous Skull-A-Day project—has teamed up with LEGO engineer/artist Clay Morrow to provide instructions for Scalin's LEGO skull first posted back in '08. Rendered with LDView, Morrow dissected the original piece and put together full instructio ...more
Normally the idea of messing with an electrical outlet makes me squirm, but Apartment Therapy's quick fix for a loose wall outlet means skipping out on a costly electrician bill. Not only is a wiggly wall outlet unsightly, but it can also be a fire hazard. The solution is simp ...more
Traditional Aboriginal didgeridoos are made from trees that have been hollowed out by termites. Finishing work to smooth out surfaces and decorate the didgeridoo would soon follow. Lucky for you, you don't have to spend lots of money or find a hollowed out tree to create a did ...more
Lori Nix's teeny, tiny, incredibly laborious, detail-oriented dioramas are, in a word, insane. We've seen an amazing diorama or two... but these are eerily obsessive. And creepy- all the spaces are depressed, abandoned, and in terrible disrepair. Inspired? Start small. (No pu ...more
Apple software engineer Andrew Carol built a fully-functional replica of the Antikythera Mechanism, the world's oldest known scientific computer. The 2000-year-old analog device was used by the ancient Greeks to predict the year, date, and time of future solar and lunar eclips ...more
If you've downloaded Autodesk Inventor and are kind of confused how everything is supposed to work, you're in luck! In this great video series you will learn all the steps how to do some of the basic functions of Inventor, including: Extruding the bass, shelling the brick, add ...more
In this video, we learn how to build a magnetic stirring device. First you will need: a block of 1 inch thick Styrofoam, a piece of cardboard, 2 magnets, a small electric motor, a piece of non-magnetic metal, a hot glue gun, and a soldering iron. First, draw the shape of your ...more
Seated dips are one of those exercises that looks easy but is a real pain to actually do. While you can do seated dips on the floor, doing them on a bench with your feet flexed adds an extra dimension of height that will increase muscle intensity and heart rate. To try out th ...more
In order to make a ribbon tree, you will need the following: 50 2" pieces of ribbon, scissors, a hot glue gun, hot glue sticks, and a floral tree. Cut the ribbons into even 2 inch strips. This is a way for you to use up all of your left over ribbon, which is leftover from oth ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to stretch the perfect canvas. First, measure the canvas. After this, center the canvas and make sure there are no wrinkles. Then cut the canvas and staple it to the frame. This will take several minutes, and you will work your way from the insid ...more
Chances are you could probably fold a paper plane with your eyes closed. A paper plane is one of the first crafts a boy learns, usually followed by smoke bombs and paper guns that shoot paper bullets (surprisingly these guns really do work, and the bullets can hurt). But you' ...more
Teaching the basics of soldering, you should be able to learn how to fix broken headphones. There should be two wires protected by a covering, one which is a silvery metal and an orange wire which is your copper wire. Taking the plate for your speakers, there should be two con ...more
The Ghost is one of the most important vehicles in the Halo universe, allowing the Covenant forces to move quickly and dangerously across any environment. This video features detailed instructions for building a model of a Ghost yourself out of Lego blocks. Warning: you need ...more
Via AntVar's deviantART: "This is the birthday cake my wife made for me this year. We have a teddy bear cake pan that hasn't been used much so I suggested making it an ewok from Star Wars for me this year. She did all the work of baking the cake and decorating it, but it was ...more
Have you ever wanted to bend a small piece of acrylic? Well now you can with the help of a traditional hot air gun and this informative video. Make sure to wear safety glasses and gloves before trying this project. Clamp the acrylic to a work table, and proceed to turn the gun ...more
Paul Yperman, you've got some competition (see previous entry, Star Wars LEGO Droid Ship). 15-year old Sven Junga's LEGO Stargate diorama (including a Daedalus from Stargate Atlantis) is nothing to shrug about. Incredibly impressive. See more of Sven's work in his Flickr gall ...more
This video demonstrates how to create a 3D Lego brick using the Illustrator. In this, first a circle is made and then, by using the "transform‚" mode, another circle is made. Then by the 3D command it is converted into a 3D image. Further you can copy these circles and make th ...more
Whimsical shoe design is by far my favorite kind. Cop stilettos, invisible heels - the more out there, the better. Sarajevo designer Belma Arnautovic's delightfully delectable footwear line definitely takes the cake. "A shoe collection branded Lolice is the graduation work of ...more
Adam from Chemical Reaction wants to show you a little movie magic. This video tutorial will show you how to create the Matrix stop bullet effect for your homemade film. To recreate the bullet stop effect from the Matrix without a lot of money, this is how you're going to do i ...more
Watch this short tutorial on how to make a realistic bullet hit to simulate an actor getting shot by a gun. Materials needed include a pressure sprayer, clear tubing that will fit on to the hose of the pressure sprayer, a small Translucent PVC elbow, fake blood, duct tape, a f ...more
John Leeke demonstrates using steam to remove heavy paint build up from wood surfaces in this five minute video. Steam paint removal softens the paint film so it can be more easily scraped away. It works well with the heavy paint buildup commonly found on the exterior of older ...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
TOP MOVIES 2011 The Artist (2011) Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.Dir: Michel Hazanavicius With: Jean Dujard ...more
Pull up outside any construction site and you'll see tools scattered about—hammers, jigsaws, nail guns, hydraulic pipe benders—these are the tools of the trade. You would be hard-pressed to build a home or office building with just your hands! On that same page, security profe ...more
WonderHowTo is made up of niche communities called Worlds. If you've yet to join one (or create your own), get a taste below of what's going on in the community. Check in every Wednesday for a roundup of new activities and projects. Thanks to all of our active moderators and ...more
WonderHowTo is made up of niche communities called Worlds. If you've yet to join one (or create your own), get a taste below of what's going on in the community. Check in every Wednesday for a roundup of new activities and projects. Thanks to all of our active moderators and ...more
In my second article of the laser weapon series (see the first part here on CO2 lasers), I'll be expanding on the potential of pulsed lasers. I'm sure most everyone has seen those green and red laser pulses on Star Wars. Theoretically, those lasers could be built using a conc ...more
This is the third part of my electromagnetic pulse series (see Part One and Part Two). By now, I've covered the hardware and general concept of electromagnetic pulse generators, but how exactly do they disable electronics? How can an invisible field of energy have such a catas ...more
In this series, I'll be exploring electromagnetic weapons, how to build them, their function and application to the future, and the amazing possibilities electromagnetism has to offer. First, the electromagnetic pulse generator, or EMP. You've probably heard of these before, a ...more
Building a DIY Alarm System: The Concept So, you want to protect your property, or maybe a room, car, or even your backyard. The concept of an alarm system is to notify the "alarm administrator" that there is an intruder entering the previously designated boundaries. The trig ...more
Snapseed is a highly regarded and award-winning photo-editing app for iOS devices. Originating out of image manipulation specialist Nik Software in San Diego, Snapseed is Apple’s iPad App of the Year and, after using it for the purposes of this review, I believe it points to t ...more
BioShock is one of the best games of all time. It combines FPS gameplay with RPG storytelling and supports multiple systems better than any other game, that much is for sure. And the setting of its amazing story is a place called Rapture, a high-tech libertarian colony at the ...more
Welcome to the Google+ Insider's Guide to all things Google+. We're dedicated to keeping you updated with all the latest news, tips and tricks on Google+, and this official index will serve as a one-stop catalog of all our How-To articles, as well as all the news & updates we' ...more
In 1988, John Langley created COPS for the fledgling FOX network. 23 years later, the show is still running. It is the Energizer bunny of prime time television. Since John has followed more police officers and witnessed more crime than any human being on earth (absolutely no q ...more
ATTENTION COLLISION REPAIR INDUSTRYHave you ever put your stud in your stud gun to repair a dent and the stud falls out before it reaches the panel? Sure it has, it has happened to all of us. However, the new Magna-Spot eliminates this problem with their exclusive (MPS), which ...more
I love this project. It involves fire, projectiles, electricity, and is easy to put together from commonly available parts. This mini cannon fires airsoft pellets, is fueled by alcohol, and is made almost entirely from parts found in a standard BBQ lighter. The total cost is u ...more
Minecraft never ceases to amaze, from programmable pianos to serial killers. But now someone has tackled M. C. Escher's famous Relativity lithograph from 1953 that depicts a world not bound by the normal laws of gravity. It's an amazing puzzle of a three-dimensional world trap ...more
The developing team Techland gets a free pass. Having thoroughly enjoyed their previous title, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, this sequel was bought on day one by good ol' fashion blind faith. After playing for most of today, it's still to early to tell if the game is a mess ...more
Banksy, Cope2, Invader, Retna, Mr.cartoon, They all have a few things in common. Firstly, they are all extremely talented and well known urban artists. Secondly, they all have very memorable and very, very cool names. Banksy is the most well known of the bunch, and in my opin ...more
Mark Burnett is, financially speaking, perhaps the most successful television producer today. While I had launched America's Most Wanted and COPS a decade earlier, Mark exploded onto network television with Survivor, the glossy and fantastical innovation to reality television. ...more
Matt Reed, a web developer at Nashville interactive ad agency Redpepper, built a massive, real life Facebook Like "button" out of Legos, which lights up whenever someone clicks Like on his Facebook page. The programmer loves LEGOs, and draws an affinity between the legendary b ...more
In every nerd, there is a 12-year-old boy just dying to get out. This week, we bring you the ultimate in indulging your inner kid. Make a penis card emblem in Call of Duty: Black Ops The ability to make your own player card emblems in Call of Duty: Black Ops has led to a bur ...more
Red Dead Redemption is hard to pin down in game play and story. The game offers this massive multi-layered world in which the player can roam freely, offering plenty of challenges, beautiful graphics and atmosphere for the player to experience. Yet after some point the whole w ...more
Attention all iPhone users. Engadget posts a helpful tip on possibly avoiding that painfully long iPhone 4 upgrade wait: "Apple and AT&T have worked to give folks a little leniency, with existing AT&T users able to upgrade to the iPhone 4 'up to six months early.' In other w ...more
Sometimes ghetto is the way to go. Yankee ingenuity is always the way to go (at least on WonderHowTo, that is). Says creator Tim Schiesser, "I noticed recently that my DVD drive wasn’t getting much love, but my iPod Nano was getting loads of use and needs charging all the tim ...more
LEGO Technic builder Peer (Mahjqa) Kreuger has constructed the incredible Stilzkin Bridge Launcher, a vehicle modeled after real life ALVBs (Armoured vehicle-launched bridge). It works like this: when approaching a chasm, the Stlizkin deploys a self contained, built-in bridge ...more