Author: Caleb Kraft

1567 Articles

[Jimmy The Torch] Making Blown Glass

June 5, 2013 by 5 Comments

Skip to about 2:30 if you just want to see the action.

Blowing glass is always so pretty to watch. The warm glow of the glass mixed with the light playing through the cool parts makes for a stunning visual environment, especially when you stop to think about the fact that this is potentially a very dangerous thing as well.

In this video [Jimmy the torch] starts off very conversational. At about 2:30 things shift a bit. Some music starts up, the camera work gets a little more serious, and the real glass blowing begins.

HANDMADE.hackaday: Celebrate Craftsmanship

June 5, 2013 by 24 Comments

Snap 2013-06-05 at 07.42.22

Today we are quite excited to announce HANDMADE.hackaday. HANDMADE is a place where we celebrate craftsmanship. Usually in the form of a stunning video, or a beautiful image gallery. We will also be sharing extremely detailed DIY projects as well as tutorials.  Hop on over and take a peek for yourself to see what you’re in for, but be prepared to clear your schedule, you’re not leaving any time soon.

We are also producing some videos of our own for this that we hope you’ll like.

A personal note:

I am personally so excited about HANDMADE. I’ve been wanting to put this together for a very very long time. I eagerly consume every video of this nature I stumble across, often putting them full screen, high def, and putting in headphones. Any of you who know me personally will attest that getting my full attention on any single thing ever is a daunting task. Also note that these videos usually last several entire minutes; a lifetime in my attention span.

Watching people make things, while applying a practiced and refined skill is almost a religious experience for me. This is creation. I hope some of you will enjoy this area as much as I do.

Building A Treadle Powered Lathe

June 4, 2013 by 6 Comments

[Chris] found inspiration in an antique flywheel he found. He decided he was going to construct something with it and began rounding up parts. The flywheel, along with some old sewing machine parts becomes a treadle powered lathe.

There’s something so very cathartic about seeing all the wood chiseled and sawed away. That pile of sawdust just means you’re getting things done!

How Does That Ship Get Into The Bottle?

June 4, 2013 by 3 Comments

Meet [Ray Gascoigne]. He’s a ship builder. Well, he builds ships in bottles. He’s been doing it for years and years and years and you can see it in his hands. The details are fantastic on the ships, but I really love hearing about the tools. He talks about how much things have changed over the years from having to build your own specialized tiny drill bits from broken needles to being able to just walk right down to the store and buy some.

The part that I found most interesting is this video, as amazingly beautiful as it is, never shows the insertion and erection of a full ship.