Make A Forge

Somewhere there is a list of all the things we hope to make, that we want to make, that we are compelled to make, and it includes build a forge. The list isn't exactly 'written down,' and we may not always agree on what's at the the top of the list, but the list does exist, and we do aspire to address every line of it, sooner or later. Alex was probably the first one to dream of a home forge, and I am sure Geoff agreed it would be good, William, too. No doubt Max has been on board since his freshmen year metals class. It's certainly something the children have dabbled with for many years. Well, some things on our make list happen right away, and some develop over time, organically. Last September we acquired an anvil, which is a good first step toward building a metal heating hearth. Then at a Viking Festival Alex was recruited as blacksmithing apprentice, and this only fueled the fire. Then, as though it were suddenly, Alex brought build a forge to the top of the list; he called his good friend James to come over, then he collected and gathered all the parts to make a soup can forge.

The Parts To Build It:

Propane torch
Steel soup can
Plaster of Paris
Sand
Steel pipe

The Parts To Use It:

Tongs
Anvil
Hammers
Scrap metal... copper coins, iron nails, clock springs
Goggles
Closed toed shoes
Boric acid
Bucket of water
Spark lighter

The iron nail was a fun one to heat up. Iron's melting point (2,800 degrees fahrenheit) is too high for this mini-forge, which was probably topping off at about 1,800 degrees fahrenheit. The soup can forge is sufficiently hot enough to soften the iron nails, so they can be hammered and shaped.

Copper has a much lower melting point, so we scrounged for some copper pennies, and put them in a steel pipe... the steel pipe turned out to be less effective than just sitting the pennies directly in the forge. Alex prepared some sand with the impression of a sea shell to pour the molten copper into. They were able to get the copper very hot, but it would cool as soon as the heat was removed, and it wasn't possible to pour the copper into the mold before it hardened. No surprise, since they knew the forge was almost 200 degrees cooler than necessary to really heat the copper up.

So... what next? Aluminum! Aluminum, with a melting point of only 1,221 degrees fahrenheit! A perfect match for the heat of the soup can forge.

The aluminum melted quickly...

and poured easily into the sand. Ideally this would not be "playground" sand, but a special sand combination called green sand: "...there are many recipes for the proportion of clay, but they all strike different balances between moldability, surface finish, and ability of the hot molten metal to degas."

We have a homemade aluminum sea shell blob. Which is really cool.

Things have come a long way from those first fire lessons, and it's wonderful to know that all of their experiences, at home, at Maker Faire, in the school metal shop... it builds, evolves, and inspires next steps, new paths, more confidence, bigger ideas.

Alex called this experiment "Good fun, but we need the big one."

The Parts on The Wish List:
Green sand
Leather aprons
Fire bricks
Refractory cement
A steel tube
A burner
Bellows, or forge blower


And the iron nail? They made it into a mini hook! I'd like about ten more of these, for hanging art on the porch, please!

Make Weapons!

Whether you are preparing for an apocalypse of zombastic proportions, dueling with your frenemies, or just need to decimate a piñata, there comes a time in every life when you need a reliable weapon. A destructive, yet safe, oversized battle axe, a vorpal sword. Something with heft, cushion, and duct tape.

Max has something for you. Let's Make!

Max started making these cudgels, broad swords, hammers, axes, and flails last year. They are fun to use. There is something primally appealing about picking up a large stick and swinging it around, hitting another large stick, and shouting, "Now stand aside worthy adversary!"

If you want to build a fun, affordable, safe(ish) arsenal, then begin by gathering your supplies:

Supply List
foam... pool noodles are great, and can sometimes be found in the thrift shops, and yard sales
tape measure
2 part epoxy
hack saw, and utility knife
access to a circular saw
PVC
Duct tape... lots!
a Sharpie


Max's idea to build these weapons was inspired by a cudgel his dad brought home from Burning Man.* Fortunately, we had all the supplies he needed to begin his Make project. The PVC is 1/2 inch diameter, scraps from various irrigation repairs around the house.

*Geoff, Alex, Suki, and Grant were at Burning Man, together, in 2011. I made Geoff a long white, silk tunic, and at Burning Man he was charged with defending the Trojan Horse, and keeping spectators from being crushed under the 50' tall, 28 ton moving art piece. He carried his foam and duct tape cudgel to exercise his authority, and can be seen near the massive wheel, 45 seconds into this video. (I cannot suppress my delight.)

These pool noodles fit like sleeves over the PVC, and they are both durable and soft.

Ah! Ha! So, that's wear my measuring tape went!

Remember, measure twice, cut once.

The utility knife is the all purpose tool for cutting lengths of foam, and the hacksaw came in handy for shaping the weapons. Sharp tools are always the right tool and, used responsibly, are safe and good. I defer to our friend, Gever Tully, on matters of "Dangerous Things." Gever Tully is the expert who confirms my beliefs about the wisdom of letting children do "dangerous things."

Duct tape. Duct tape. Duct tape. You can never have too much duct tape. This is the stuff. The stuff to hold all the parts together, the stuff to shape and form, and finish your weapon. And: Max is looking forward to picking up some of those great Duck tape colors. He will use the fancier varieties and colors to decorate his weapons.

Loctite, heavy duty, five minute epoxy. This is not a paid endorsement. I just get so frustrated when a tutorial mentions "glue," but fails to mention anything specific... as though any kind will do. There are hundreds of glues, and epoxy types, out there, and Loctite, heavy duty, five minute epoxy is what we had, and what worked for Max.

Let's begin!

Max decides on the general idea of his weapon, this one will be a short sword. He's measured his PVC, and is marking it to cut with the circular saw. He is accounting for the length of the blade, as well as the hilt... leaving plenty of room for the thickness of the foam and a comfortable grip on the handle.

Geoff happened to be working in the shop, too, and made the cut for Max. Goggles on! Go!

Now, with the PVC the length he needs, he slips the foam noodle over the pipe, stopping with space for the hilt.

Now he is measuring the space that will be the hilt... including the crossguard, and the pommel.

Here we see Max feeling for the end of the PVC inside the foam. He is forming the tip of his sword blade. He is measuring enough foam to make the tip soft, and safe. Before cutting off the excess foam, he will ensure there is enough foam around the tip of his sword to ensure nothing hard or sharp will poke through.

He cuts well above the end of the PVC.

The foam is measured, fitted, and cut, so Max is ready to shape his sword. Using the hacksaw, he shaves off foam to create a broad sides that taper at the end of the sword.

Hmmmm... okay, I can see where we have room to step up our safety measures, here. He works carefully, methodically, and I was not so uneasy watching him, as I am looking at these photos. In the future we will see this step done on an appropriate work surface, like our dining table.

Using scraps from an earlier foam shaping job, Max chooses pieces for the crossguard. The crossguard is that piece at the base of the sword that is perpendicular to the blade, and keeps your hand from sliding up the weapon. (I learn new things from my children everyday!)

This is a good time to talk about the five minute epoxy. Max uses the epoxy to secure the sword (pink) foam to the PVC, and will use more epoxy to secure the crossguard pieces (orange). It's stinky stuff, and best used outside, in open air.

Besides epoxy, this is where he begins to use the duct tape. It's good for piecing, holding everything together, and in place, as well as for final shaping of the overall weapon.

And here it is! This is the short sword, before it is wrapped in duct tape. Later, he added an additional piece to the bottom of the hilt... the pommel, so that his hand fits between two parts, making the sword more secure in his grip. After his new sword is artfully wrapped up in duct tape, it will be ready for the battlefield, and glory!

And here you can see Max's huge broad sword next to his smaller sword, still in progress.

Time for the disclaimer: Don't be a goof. Play fair. Play nice. Do not pummel, harass, abuse, maim, harm, terrorize, intimidate, or hurt your frenemy. Now, go play, tinker, and Make!

Make a Choice

Kellie and Michal, Natalie, Maria, Eli, Geoff, Bambi and Alex, James, William, Suki, Isaac, Max, Cameron, and Grant

We're back!

Not really.

Emotionally, spiritually, we are still at Maker Faire, the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth.

This is our third visit to the Faire, and I don't mind saying, it just keeps getting better! We've got new friends coming, and we presented as Love & Rockets, our awesome Make Club. Maria, Eli, and Alex made great demonstrations, and everyone helped bring it all together... lovely teamwork. The only problem is deciding what to share, in what order... actually, I know I will share it all, so brace yourselves for the impending epic display of mind blowing Maker prodigiousness.

As for the question of what order to post the many topics of epic, mind blowing Maker prodigiousness... well, I am hoping you will help me in this decision. So, allow me to share some initial peeks and hints of the wondrousness of our journey in Maker Joy, and by a show of hands the first post about Maker Faire will be decided by the readers, You! Remember: vote early, vote often. And here are your choices:

Option 1: Conventional.

We can begin at the beginning. I'll try not to get too philosophical. Who can say when things really begin? But, yeah. At some point we got on the road and started driving north, and we call that "the beginning." A lot of prep went into pulling this off, and it wasn't exactly easy reaching the point where I felt "ready," but eventually we packed children, tools, and hopes, and left for Maker Faire!

Option 2: En Route.

What makes a girl leap for joy? What can you build with found treasures on your way to Maker Faire? What is kinetic art? We didn't wait to arrive at Maker Faire, to begin our Maker fun.

Option 3: Why is this, S.T.E.A.M. inspired, young man so happy?

(Yes, "S.T.E.A.M.," not S.T.E.M.) Who did William see, and hear, speak, live!! at Maker Faire? It's no Myth, the man is super charged for Maker Faire and all who make, just like we are!

Option 4: All the Young Makers.

Sure, there are pros at Maker Faire, big names, and big companies, but we love the Young Makers! We love sixth grader Silvia Kacic and her Fairy Wall House. We love eight year old Alex Yu, and his chess piece, the KightQueen. We love Love & Rockets entrant #7982! The future is now, and these Young Makers are going full S.T.E.A.M.M. ahead. Let's give them the tools they need to show us what they can Make!

Option 5: Think, Make, Tinker.

It's our friend, Gever Tulley from the extraordinary school, BrightWorks! For us, it all began with Five Dangerous Things. He's an inspiration.

Option 6: Max and Skallops.

You're curious. You're looking at Max, appreciating his creation, and his broad, bright smile, and you're wondering: What are Skallops?! Skallops are just one more totally cool, fun, innovative, and inspiring Make experience that we could not stay away from! Vote today. And stay tuned for an awesome Chickenbloggiversary Skallop giveaway. (The crowd goes wild!)
Option 7: Roominate.

This one is about girls and science, technology, engineering, art, and math. There it is again: S.T.E.A.M.M.! So what have the women of Roominate come up with, to inspire girls to pursue education and careers in engineering? Let's see if we can Kickstart their plans!
Option 8: Neverending Maker Magic.

Vote for the random, the unique, the wild and wonderful neverending magic of Maker Faire, and I will post just a glimpse of the fantasies come true that ride, glide, slide, and guide their way throughout the Faire.

Okay. Vote! I gotta go clean out the RV now. Wha-whaa. I'll just console myself by pretending that it's really just fun preparation for next year's Maker Faire.

Thinkers, Makers, Tinkers :: Maker Faire 2011

As a Young Makers Club, Love and Rockets was interested in everything at Maker Faire, not only SteamPunk fun and adventures, but all of the thinkers, makers, and tinkerers. We love S.T.E.A.M.M.: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math, and Music!

Love~Love~Love~Love~Love!

We also love to support, promote, encourage, facilitate, and celebrate other thinkers, makers, and tinkerers.


Sometimes we show our love by trying something dangerous.
Well, not actually dangerous... more like bad tasting.

But Gever Tulley does make a very good point about our perceptions of danger and what we should and should not do. It seems we have grown so accustomed to rules of "safety" that we have neglected our curiosity, and our ability to learn how to safely manage dangerous activities. A consequence of this is that we miss opportunities to play, explore, and learn. Play is very important, and learning just happens to be one of the many happy side effects from frequent and unstructured play.


Gever, would you say "running" is a dangerous activity? My daughter was on a field trip, at a park, and the teachers and aids kept reminding the children: "Don't run! Remember children, no running!" Did you know that running on Tom Sawyer's Island at Disneyland is against the rules? I hear "don't run" everywhere! We are allowing an entire generation of children to grow up without skinned knees, but more prone than ever to heart disease and diabetes. Seems like the real danger is that we are not using our minds and bodies as they were designed... to reason, to work, to be challenged, to learn, to excel.


I am so glad Gever Tulley is around, to remind me, and others, that we can be daring. We can explore and be curious, we can test ideas. We can even get hurt, which is a learning opportunity. With precautions, with mentoring, with proper tools, and good sense about physics, cause and effect... it is possible to safely do dangerous things.


Maria loves tools. She helped me assemble an entire Ikea cabinet. And I am talking about really using the tools and being genuinely helpful.


If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood
and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for
the endless immensity of the sea.
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery


It takes patience, a letting go of control and worries, to give a child real freedom... to let them discover and own that sense of longing for the endless immensity of the sea. Gever has a gift for being in the moment, and sharing the wonder of "what's going to happen... let's see!"


Maker Faire is full of people who are curious, who want to see what happens when forces and materials come together, when ideas are tested, when childhood dreams are made to come true.

I have had an igloo fascination ever since my kindergarten teacher taught me: "I is for igloo." And this teacher, Katy Arrillaga, is actually making igloos. Or as I dubbed it: Jugloos!


11:00 am... These are coming together with hot glue and labor.


3:21 pm... I did not stick around to see it get assembled. This is what it looked like when I saw it again, later the same day.


And this... this is Princess Leia.
I know, she looks Absolutely Small, and completely adorable. The Force is totally with her.


Okay...now for something absolutely cool. We are talking flame tube, or a Ruben's tube. I first heard of this idea from Grant, who suggested it as a Love and Rockets project to bring to Maker Faire... only he has some cool and secret improvements, which, Grant: Let's do this thing!


So, this young man, from Menlo School, was demonstrating his Ruben's tube, which has propane running through a closed tube, and a speaker attached at one end. The music makes the flames rise and fall with the... hold on, Make::Projects can explain this: "When you play a constant-frequency tone into the Flame Tube, it displays a perfect sine wave of fire. Play music, and the flames make a wild display caused by big, air-moving bass beats, standing waves from resonant frequencies, and other acoustic phenomena. It’s inspiring, fun to watch, and good for heating up your garage or workshop on a cold day."


I have something like this in mind for Fourth of July fireworks!


Are you getting the idea... that this post... could go on forever?
It could. Go. on. forever.
We were there only one day. And I will never run out of amazing stories, memories and inspiration taken from this one day. But for now, I will share just one more thinker-maker-tinker project... a hovercraft.



Plywood. Some material to create a skirt around the base. A folding chair. And... an electric leaf blower. All together, able to hover across the floor, carrying as much as four hundred pounds.


In this case... about fifty pounds of happy, daring , playing, thinking, tinkering fun.

Thank you, Hands On Science for bringing physics lessons to life, and for making a hovercraft to share at Maker Faire.