Plasma Toroid Generator

From the latest issue of Make: magazine: There’s a new hotness in plasma physics demos. With a sealed vessel of near-vacuum xenon and exactly the right kind of magnetic induction driver, you can conjure a shimmering toroidal halo of stable plasma.

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Epilog Laser Announces Fusion Ascent Laser Series

Will You Join Us?

Announcements from Maker Faire Bay Area:

The Call for Makers is officially open! Whether you’re into robotics, textiles, electronics, sculpture, fire art, or something that defies description, we’d love to see your creation under the big top of curiosity and creativity.

But hurry: Early bird ticket prices disappear at the end of this month! Lock in your savings now and get ready for a weekend of inspiration, soldering, and sparks (both literal and metaphorical).

Designing the Man for Burning Man

Maker stories from the Make: Substack: Alexander (Xander) Rose, the former executive director of Long Now Foundation, has spent decades working at the intersection of long-term thinking, art, and engineering. This year, his design was selected for the base structure of the Man at Burning Man — a towering, tree-inspired form that explores time, identity, and community.

Review: xTool F2 Ultra Laser Engraver

From the latest issue of Make: magazine: xTool hasn’t taken their foot off the gas this year as they continue to release new models with incredible features. The F2 Ultra ups the power available to desktop laser users and brings new tricks to the table. Have you ever wanted to cut through up to 2mm of steel or engrave it with color engravings? If the answer is yes, keep reading, it’s about to get fun.

Generating 3D Model Figures with AI

It’s starting to feel like you can’t avoid AI these days. AI even took my order in the drive thru the other day, but it failed, and a staff member had to step in to fix it. The most common one most people have heard of is ChatGPT, but it’s only one of many out there. Many AI models are very specialized and can only do one thing, but not always well. The latest thing I keep hearing about in my 3D printing circles revolves around generating 3D models using AI. I started testing sites in late 2024 and in just a year, it’s come a long way. Here are just a few of the AI models out there and the ones I used for my year-long experiment.

The Spacemakers — CNCs That Won’t Take Your Whole Garage

From the latest issue of Make: magazine: As soon as you get into creating projects with CNC machines, you’ll run into the same problem all of us do: your CNC is never big enough. And as soon as you step up to a larger CNC, you’ll run into the second problem: where to put it! CNCs that can cut big projects like furniture have traditionally taken up a large amount of space. Let’s look at some options that don’t.

Review: Liene PixCut S1 Sticker Printer

The PixCut S1 is perfect for on-the-go sticker enthusiasts. It’s a portable sticker maker that prints and cuts out 4"×7" sheets (or 4"×6 photo sheets). It’s compact if you’re comparing it to an average desktop printer or vinyl cutter. And it has a built-in slot to store the feed tray loaded with material during transit. 

Microcontroller Survival Pack

From the Maker Shed: Think of it as a bug-out bag for makers. The Microcontroller Survival Pack comes stuffed with over 100 components — from servos and an OLED screen to LEDs, resistors, a breadboard and all the wires you'll need. Choose your microcontroller (Pico W or Uno Clono) or go board-free if you're already set up. Toss it in your bag and build anywhere.