Make: Ultimate Kit Guide

Cover 1 Copyright 7 Contents 6 KIT CRAZY 4 Welcome: Why Are We Crazy For Kits? 4 Kits are the gateway DIY project 4 Kits teach skills 4 Handmade beats store-bought 4 Making something is more fun 4 Kits are exciting and mysterious 4 Kits are great for sharing 4 Kits open up community 4 Kits drive innovation 4 History repeats 4 Bringing The Best Kits To Makers 8 Back In Our First Year 8 Look For "MAKER MADE" Seal Of Recognition For Outstanding Kits 8 Look For A Few Good Kit Makers 8 Kits and Revolutions 10 The Industrial Revolution began with kits 10 Electronics, Airplanes, and Automobiles 10 Kits for Green tech and Biotech? 11 Mass Interoperability 12 Toward a Strategic Kit Initiative 13 FEATURES 15 Comic Book Kits That Suck 15 Build Your Own Monster Plans $1 15 9-Foot Hot Air Balloon $2 15 Build a working Laser Pistol $2 15 Build Your Dream Car 16 Open Design 16 The Rally Fighter 18 The Factory 18 Gilbert’s Girders 20 “Design For Hack” In Medicine 22 MacGyver Health Care 22 MEDIkits: Designed for Hacking 22 Languages of Design 24 Toys: Local and Globally Available Materials 25 Trickle-Up Innovation 25 An Invitation 25 Hardware The Hard way 28 Kit Maker’s Manifesto 32 Most Dangerous Kits 99 KIT REVIEWS 33 What We Like In a Kit 33 About The Ratings 33 Complexity 33 Component Quality 33 Documentation Quality 33 Community 33 Completeness 33 Robotics 34 1. DFRobotShop Rover 34 2. Mr.General Mobile Platform 34 3. Wind Up Workshop Robots 34 4. QuadBot 35 5. MadeUSA Robot Base Full Kit 35 6. Boe-Bot Robot and Gripper 35 7. 3-in-1 All Terrain Robot 36 8. AL5B Robotic Arm Combo Kit 36 9. Topobo 37 10. Sumovore Mini-Sumo Robotics Platform 37 11. Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 37 12. Metabots 37 Electronics & Controllers 38 The Perfect Gateway Kit 38 Build Over 500 Snap-Together Circuits! 38 Like Lego For Basic Circuits 38 Get Into Your Apartment Wirelessly and Keylessly 39 Zap Screens From Across The Street 39 Microcontrollers 40 Just Plug, Play, and Learn 40 A Great Kit For Arduino Lovers Of All Experiences Levels 40 Add New I/O's To Your Arduino UNO 40 Use For Quick Fixes Or Complete Electonics Projects 41 Build Devices That Talk, Sing, Or Play Music 41 Limitless Potential For Projects 41 Electornics & Controllers 42 Over 100 Components Covering All The Basics 42 Do It All With NFC and RFID 42 Feel The Tower's Power 42 One More Tool In The Egg Decorator's Arsenal 43 LEDs 44 1. Red Blinky POV 44 2. Conway’s Game of Life 44 3. Meggy Jr RGB Game Console 44 4. Octolively 45 5. Mignon Game Console 45 6. Rainbow Cube 45 7. Trippy RGB Waves 46 8. LED Video Light 46 9. Peggy 2LE 46 10. LED Art Kit 46 R/C vehicles 47 1. ArduCopter 3DR Quadcopter 48 2. T-IFO Indoor Trainer 48 3. 66-inch Indoor Blimp 48 4. Trail Finder Truck 49 6. Align T-REX 450 SportSuper Combo 49 7. Engel SubmarineType 212A 49 Tools & Workshop 50 Outdoor & Sport 54 Clocks 58 1. Chronulator PM2V 59 2. ArduiNIX ANX-1.0 Board 59 3. DS1307 Real Time Clock Breakout Board 59 4. IN12 6 Tube Nixie Clock Kit 60 5. Edo-Style Clock 60 6. Ice Tube Clock 60 7. Monochron Clock 60 8. Solder: Time 60 9. Wise Clock 3 60 10. Bulbdial Clock 60 Home & Shelter 62 1. YurtDome Kits 62 2. Eskimold Igloo Building Kit 62 3. SunMod Remote Kit 62 4. Chofu Wood-Fired Hot Tub 62 5. ElectroPUFF Craft Lamp Dimmer Kit 63 6. Fire Pit Kit 63 7. PumLantern Kit 63 Science 64 1. SpikerBox 64 2. TubeSat Personal Satellite 64 3. Perfume Science 64 4. Energy Wiz 64 5. Cloning a Fluorescent Gene 65 6. Laser Voice Transmitter and Receiver 65 7. Litiholo Hologram Kit 65 8. Analog Geiger Counter 65 9. Reinventing Edison: Light Bulb Kit 66 10. Stirling Engine 66 11. Brain Machine 66 12. The Truth Meter 66 Toys & Games 67 Craft 70 Siege & Ballistics 74 Suitable For Serious Dart Flinging 74 Desktop Battering RAM? I Think Yes 74 Capable Of Hurling A Projectile A Respectable 200 Feet! 74 Wheels 76 Rockets 78 1. Astra 1 79 2. Mars Lander 79 3. Big Daddy 79 4. Initiator Starter Set 79 5. Hi-Tech H45 79 Kit Party! 80 1. Thingamagoop 2 80 2. Pico Paso 80 3. Nebulophone 80 Food 82 1. Mozzarella Cheese Kit 82 2. Bacon Curing Kit 82 3. Corned Beef and Pastrami Kit 82 4. Water Bath Canning Kit 82 5. Vegetable Fermenting Gear 82 6. Bread Making Gear 82 7. Mayan Magic Chocolate Making Kit 83 8. Pre-Activated Shiitake Mushroom Mini Farm 83 9. Spirulina Growth Kit 83 Beverages 85 Make Your Own Kombucha At Home 85 Easy and Aesthetically Beautiful 85 A Great Weekend Project For The Whole Family 85 Alcoholic Beverages 86 Perfect For The Mad-Scientist Mixologist In Your Life 86 Tasty, Fizzy, and Tipsy Funi 86 Brewing For The Quality-Conscious Quaffer 86 Carbonate Cocktails, Or Even Fresh Fruit! 87 Age In 3-6 Months What Would Normally Take A Few Years 87 Audio gear 88 1. MSA-R MIDI Decoder 88 2. Elekit TU-879S Stereo Tube Amplifier 88 3. PoddWatt Series 1 Amplifier 88 4. TriTrix MTM Speakers 88 5. Seas Idunn 2-Way Speakers 88 6. Premium Berliner Gramophone Kit 88 7. XS-402 Little Wonder Crystal Radio Kit 89 Musical Instruments 91 Paint It, Staint It, Or Classically Distress It 92 Smooth Tube Overdrive 92 Add That "Extra Special Vintage" Tone 92 It Looks Pretty Rad 93 This Is One Unusal Synth Kit 94 Turn Anything Into A Drum Set 94 Plug In Your Headphones and Glitch Out 94