Art of the Build

Art of the Build is a new take on the maker podcast format where I interview makers about specific builds. It's the maker podcast for people that want to hear about making. This teaser ep covers the show format and my own story, including the back injury that lead to this show. Get on the weekly digest: https://artofthebuild.fm Support the show: https://patreon.com/artofthebuild

Izzy Swan is a woodworker, maker, and most importantly, inventor who really gets how mechanical stuff works. And he builds some pretty wild creations like various drill powered contraptions, including the topic of today's episode: a giant remote controlled wooden centipede that really walks. We dive deep into how the walking mechanism works, how you can also build remote controlled creations (it's not that hard), and how to start understanding how mechanical things work. Subscribe to the weekly digest: https://artofthebuild.fm Support the show: https://patreon.com/artofthebuild Izzy's Giant Walking Centipede: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3aq_z5ZYg Maker's Playground: https://www.makersplayground.com/

Linn from Darbin Orvar is amazing at incorporating different materials into her woodworking projects, and at making great use of space. Today Linn talks about how she converted a pretty typical uninsulated shed into a dream workshop space that looks better than my living room. She shares all the steps she had to go through to do the conversion, and why this is a great maker space for her. Subscribe to the weekly digest: https://artofthebuild.fm Support the show: https://patreon.com/artofthebuild Linn's shed shop build: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyuAh6Il-K-5WH9V9hyuVBGYnqTPzewUm

I first came across Emiel’s channel last year when I was working out how to build my own miniature pinball machine. Emiel built his own machine and since then he's built other little inventions like the Oreo cookie dispenser, a DIY belt grinder, and the topic of this episode, a playing card gun that shoots cards 200km/h. We go into how Emiel created a mechanism that can shoot playing cards, the crazy way his original bearings failed, and the process he goes through when designing his mechanical inventions. Subscribe to the weekly digest: https://artofthebuild.fm Support the show: https://patreon.com/artofthebuild Emiel's Playing Card Gun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMDbJqpijHE Emiel's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepracticalengineer/

When Matt Cremona decides to build an heirloom piece of furniture, he doesn’t just wander over to the local lumber store and pickup some lumber. That would be too easy. Matt’s an urban logger so it’s more far likely that he found a recently cut down tree in the city, hauled it home on his log trailer, sawed it on his custom bandsaw mill, dried it in his backyard, and then got on with building the furniture. His whole process is amazing and today Matt will tell us a bit more about that, and more specifically, about the fully custom logging trailer that he’s been building over the last few months. Yes a whole trailer. Matt is also co-host of the Wood Talk podcast, so check that out as well! Subscribe to the weekly maker digest: https://artofthebuild.fm Support the show: https://patreon.com/artofthebuild Matt's trailer build: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0dX5redvVZQmlJKflRH65XBcZ3eBoK5e

One of the recurring themes in Laura Kampf’s work is repurposing common items into something completely different. Like turning a zippo lighter into storage for bits, creating a bike sidecar out of a beer keg, or the many different objects that she has turned into BBQs. In this episode we talk about the clever design of her level jack grill and how building grills connects into her start as a maker (hint: it includes a bicycle turned shopping cart bbq - no that's not a typo). Subscribe to the weekly maker digest: https://artofthebuild.fm Support the show: https://patreon.com/artofthebuild Laura's Level Jack Grill Build: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMR1U02Vm50

There’s a very good chance you’ve seen Jimmy DiResta's work, and if not, you’ve probably seen DiResta stickers or spray painted lettering in other maker channels.  I hop on with Jimmy to talk about his Forged Bowie Knife build, why knife making is so appealing to him, and we get surprising insight into how he views the knives he makes (hint: he's not afraid to use and beat them up). Subscribe to the weekly maker digest: https://artofthebuild.fm Support the show: https://patreon.com/artofthebuild DiResta Forged Bowie Knife: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLRWghkXEe4

Robert Cowan builds combat robots. He is part of the Copperhead team on the BattleBots TV show, and he also builds a lot of smaller "insect weight" bots that he competes with regularly. In this episode Robert discusses Psychotic Break V2, a beautiful carbon fiber and S7 tool steel bot that weighs only 3lbs and packs a scary amount of kinetic energy. We geek out on choices of materials, the unique properties of carbon fiber, and the crazy destruction that these bots can pack. Subscribe to the weekly maker digest: https://artofthebuild.fm Support the show: https://patreon.com/artofthebuild Robert Cowan's Psychotic Break V2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzDyFtu6iMo

Elisha of Pneumatic Addict is a former hairstylist turned maker and DIYer who in her words is here to demystify tools and the lumber section of the hardware store.  Many of Elisha’s builds are primarily out of lumber, but she incorporates metal a lot too. A perfect example is her wood and metal cable bed that combines a really smart and sturdy bed frame design with a really creative headboard. We geek out on Elisha's clever bed frame design details, the challenges of finishing softwood lumber, and the awesome and strange cable crimping tool needed to work with the metal cable. Subscribe to the weekly maker digest: https://artofthebuild.fm Support the show: https://patreon.com/artofthebuild Pneumatic Addict Bed Frame Build: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0pklCnxWrE

James is an electrical engineer, former toy designer, and most importantly he’s a builder of amazing robots and other contraptions (like the robotic bowling bowl collaboration with Mark Rober). One of James' most epic creations are his 7ft tall extremely robust "performance robots". These "Chappy-like" robots have many degrees of motion, really cool head displays, and can be controlled either through scripting or via puppet rigs. James shares the secrets of how these bots are controlled, some of the challenges he solved, and the crazy amount of 3D printers that allow him to build and release his weekly robot videos. Subscribe to the weekly maker digest: https://artofthebuild.fm Support the show: https://patreon.com/artofthebuild James' Performance Robots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWW-6_NYBBA&list=PLpwJoq86vov-vjlb1OEefk8BDxUmujIxM

Ben has a very specific material that he builds from: recycled skateboards. He’s made bowls, he’s made a bat, he’s even made a skateboard. On this episode Ben talks about about a particularly interesting skateboard project, a skateboard guitar. Subscribe to the weekly maker digest: https://artofthebuild.fm Support the show: https://patreon.com/artofthebuild Woby Design Skateboard Guitar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtN1epnTPCc

Does your microwave cabinet have a slide out spice rack? No you say?  Well then listen up because this episode has the fix to that problem, as well as tips and insights for anyone that wants to apply their woodworking skills to improving their home. Mark used to be a photographer and graphic designer by trade, but now he runs Gunflint Designs building and filming awesome projects. He’s also a tree farmer, videographer, podcast host and he is co-host of the We Built a Thing podcast. Mark shares how he designed and built this clever cabinet, the "Mr. Fearless" persona he made up for DIYers that maybe shouldn't be DIYers, and why his wife never got a chance to use the cabinet that he built. Subscribe to the weekly maker digest: https://artofthebuild.fm Support the show: https://patreon.com/artofthebuild Gunflint Designs Microwave Cabinet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqRiSHe5Mdk

Ashley Harwood, a master turner, shares her biggest wood turning to date, a pedestal and foot for a Barolo table. Or 4 of them rather. And I want to emphasize that when I say gigantic, I’m not exaggerating, or using that word frivolously. Listen to Ashley's stories about the many safety considerations involved, what happens when a piece being turned blows up, and how Ashley pushed her lathe to the limits. Subscribe to the weekly maker digest: https://artofthebuild.fm Support the show: https://patreon.com/artofthebuild Ashley's Table Build: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmZFA4AvJYs

Ever wonder how those super tiny electronic components on circuit boards are placed so accurately? With machines of course. Industrial pick and place machines can cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Stephen Hawes is helping to make this technology more accessible by developing a much cheaper and open source pick and place called The Index. We discuss some of the multitude of fascinating challenges with building this type of reliable machine, at a hobbyist budget. Subscribe to the weekly maker digest: https://artofthebuild.fm Support the show: https://patreon.com/artofthebuild Stephen's Pick and Place Machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAFleHaPjEY&list=PLIeJXmcg1baLBz3x0nCDqkYpKs2IWGHk4

That flew by fast! Like all good things, season 1 of Art of the Build has come to an end. This is a short wrap-up episode updating listeners on the show and plans for season 2. Subscribe to the weekly maker digest: https://artofthebuild.fm Support the show: https://patreon.com/artofthebuild Thank you to the amazing makers that appeared on season 1: Darbin Orvar Izzy Swan The Practical Machinist Matt Cremona Laura Kampf Jimmy DiResta Robert Cowan Pneumatic Addict James Bruton Woby Design Gunflint Designs Ashley Harwood Spencer Hawes A maker podcast isn't possible without the makers!