Tusko

for some reason or another, a few of us are really into making things. making everyday, practical, but cool items.

we've made flute/pipe type things, and are in the middle of refining the process (tuning, better mouthpieces etc) but so far we've had good results.

we're trying to figure out the best way to throw together a bongo or skin drum...

i'm making a backpack type deal, found some canvas and am working on figuring out the best way to sew it together (i've got an old one im using as a guide)

i'm going to go find some soapstone to make a pipe out of. but im still trying to find out if soapstone is safe to smoke out of...


but, any other ideas for random stuff i could build/carve?

we spend most of our time outdoors, going on road trips and stuff. and it's just cool to have everyday items (well, as every day as a bamboo flute is...) that we made completely personal...


next project im thinking is a water gourd/canteen thing...

Redjake

two words: giant trebuchet

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tommyasdfehheia

my brother and I made a trebuchet in the living room of our trailer about a year ago. We used it to shoot dog food and make zoey fetch it. later on, it helped me to land a good engineering job

Fire

I make knives- its nice to make a tool you use, and there are lots of books on the subject, and it takes few tools........

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viejo gringo

We used to make great whistels from willow trees..

it takes a young tree, and you tap on the bark until it slips off..
then you cut a notch and a flat on one end and slip the bark back on..

bacon_masta

i'm with fire. making knives is always fun, i have a kris and a small falchion that i made out of scrap metal that i got from a junkyard, in addition to a more functional hunting knife, and a kitchen knife that is better than most of the knives i PURCHASED for preparing food.

MageB420666

Make a potato cannon, those things are awsome!

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TheDave87

You could make beer or wine to go in the gourd/wineskin beverage holder

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Rodney

There's always knitting. It's not "girlie work," it's engineering. In Northern Europe, a lot of people learn how in school. You can make hats, bags, bandoliers, sweaters, holders for particular pieces of equipment, socks, etc., in whatever colors or patterns you want. My wife is always knitting special-purpose bags for hauling around various electronic gizmos.

Warf Rat

Tye-Die

It's not possible to teach someone over the internet, but if you are creative you will do fine. I was once considered a top producer, and on Dead tour, that's a badge of honor. Don't do tee shirts, do bed sheets, clothing for children, anything different than a tee shirt. My only advice is don't use store bought dye, it all fades and runs. If you order small amounts of good dye you will never have to worry about fading or running into other clothing in the wash. Pro-Chemical Dye company is out of New England somewhere, it's been a while but you can probably google them. You don't need any of the things they tell you are needed, just the dye.
This activity can be done anywhere you have access to water, so you can do it outdoor's, as a matter of fact I did a friends childs birthday party not long ago, and everyone had tons of fun. It was outdoors.
Pretty colors, creative juices flowing, works for me.
Feel free to PM me with any detailed questions

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rockogre

I was randomly wandering about the net today and found an interesting idea. Gnome doors to put on trees as a garden decoration. You can get plans at http://www.scrollsaw.com/tdc01.htm, but I bet it would be pretty easy to design your own.

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stonegrody

Are boomerangs easy to make? That seems like kind of a cool project. Seems relatively easy but I'm sure there's some science behind it. Could personalize the hell out of it and be a bad ass with a boomerang. Man...now I really want a boomerang.

World's King

I make X girlfriends.

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fhqwhgads

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More pictures can be found here:
http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=65383

HamiC

Wow.....exactly what I was thinking. I was trying to figure out how to spell it when I saw your post........weird.

My second choice.......knit something.

kalisto_911

Furniture? One of my Dad's friends is really into furniture building and I could see how satisfying that could be. Plus you could make some cool secret compartments for whatever your putting in your soapstone (wink wink).

Speaking of secret compartments, how about a trap door somewhere in your house? maybe toss a fireproof safe under a floor? That would be a good investment I would think.

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Paq

I used to make them all the time. umm..requirements are fairly low, but i had a bandsaw and sanding belt.

it's pretty simple, really, just cut out a rough shape of a boomerang, Then, hold it exactly as you are going to throw with an overhead motion.

After that, remember the air-foil design of a wing...well, you have to sand and smooth that shape into the roughly shaped boomerang. You want a short leading edge and a long taper, The leading edge is the side that spins first. After that, you sand a small, straight angle into the underside of each leading edge.

Then throw and adjust as necessary.

I have made about 4000 over the years and some work MUCH better than others. Basically, as long as you get the leading and trailing edges right, you can have as many 'wings' as you want and it will still roughly work, just at different distances...

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Fremen

I love to watch a good boomerang fly.
I had one as a kid.
I got it right after watching the very badass Feral kid throw his metal 'rang in The Road Warrior. Cool kid.
Lost mine in a field next to a nursing home.

I like the new shapes of today's 'rangs.
Some can be kinda odd and funky and cool...




And some can be very artistic...
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Fremen/_aboomerangcompilation.jpg">

Traditional is always great, as well.

Tusko

oh man, that gnome door looks killer. i think im gonna try that.

skier

I make my own designs for a lot of my clothes. Just grab some fabric/spray paint and make a stencil.

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MSD

Soapstone does not outgas harmful chemicals when heated, and expands/contracts very little under varying temperature conditions. It is frequently used in wood stoves because of its heat retention properties, keeping warm for hours after the wood stops burning. You should be fine smoking out of it. It also has a nice tendency to not stain or burn, which is why it's also used for stovetops and oven beds.

RainbowBright

I like making candles and soap. My brother crochets. My husband and brother love Potato Guns!

How about making a harmonica? I think they have kits, I don't know if you can make them from scratch but the kits have to come from parts somewhere don't they? How about sewing some clothes?

maleficent

Quilting...requires a sewing machine and imagination...

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hokieian

I'm not sure if this is up your alley, but I have found that I really enjoy building model ships.

I am currently about a year into my second one (the first one took just under a year to build) and probably have a couple more months before it is completely finished (I work ~3-4 hours per week on it). The kits cost around $100 and come with plans/wood/and hardware and the rest is for you to figure out. It is very relaxing and is really great to see it take shape. I find it very rewarding work - plus you create a really beautiful model that you will be proud of for the rest of your life.

roachboy

or you could get a copy of harry partch's book "genesis of a music" which is full of specifications for building the instruments he designed. or you could use them as a template and build some of your own.

sound is good. making sound is better.

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Tirian

My boy and I built a didgerrdoo (sp?) out of PVC - was fun and sounds good. My first thought is always "can I build one" whenever I need something.

Mephisto2

Babies?


Mr Mephisto

Mephisto2

You crack me up TOK.


Mr Mephisto

joystick

What you want is a spud gun, I've made several, my current one launches a spud almost three hundred yards just using hair spray. Just remember to always err to the side of safety
http://users.frii.com/bsimon/hspray.htm

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Paq

I am thinking about making a portable massage table....any idea how to do upholstery or where i can find info on it

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Mephisto2

http://www.diynet.com/diy/ln_upholst...270725,00.html

http://www.growinglifestyle.com/us/j/53318/

Google is your friend.


My wife has several of those portable tables. Do you work in that area?


Mr Mephisto

Paq

I am wanting a portable table so i can work on my friends at work. I want to see if i could do this enough to actually go through the schooling to be certified so i can work in this area. i saw the tables and they don't look "too" tough to make as long as they are 1. comfy, 2, can support the weight, 3, very nicely padded and covered in a comfy, forgiving material, and 4, have a good head and arm rest for whomever is the lucky recipient.

Ebay has some tables for a bit less than $200 shipped, which is a great price, i know, but there is just something about making your own...Plus, i can make it to my sizes/specs, like a bit more padding here or there and larger than most.

thanks for the links. if you have any other info, i'd greatly appreciate it

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Cynthetiq

Icelanders put those doors on rocks for the trolls...

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