WSC Designs

Home #Makerspace: DIY Air Hockey Table for Under $40

This is a scaled down, fun-filled air hockey table is a perfect summer project.

Two employees of Brunswick Billiards Co invented Air Hockey in the 1960s. The game field consists of a low-friction (usually by means of an air blower creating an air cushion under the puck) playing field with two goals. Each player has a striker, and smashes a puck at the opposing player’s goal. First player to a set number of goals wins. Air hockey tables are staples of entertainment in billiard halls, arcades, boardwalks, rec rooms and other places of ill-repute. Which is why I just had to make one.

I utilize a 5-gal shop vac as a blower, marker board, 1/4 plywood, one 10’ 1”x6” and some pin nails. A 3D printed part certainly helped with the fitting, but isn’t essential by any means. I also utilize 45 degree miters for a very clean look, but butt joints and screws might make a stronger, stiffer system.

Let’s play some air hockey!

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Home #Makerspace: Paper Airplane Launcher

Here’s a quick project to cut out on the scroll saw. Scroll saws are small, cheap, versatile tools that can cut through all sorts of thin materials, such as plastics, wood, plywood and cardboard. They have a very, very low risk factor for younger makers too.

If you don’t have access to a scroll saw, use a coping saw and cut out the piece by hand.

To make this paper airplane launcher, cut out and trace the template onto a piece of 1/2” or thinner plywood. Cut out the launcher. Sand the edges smooth and finish as desired.

To use, make a paper airplane as usual. Punch a hole in the plane, tie a rubber band into the hole. Place the rubber band in the launching slot, pull back and watch it fly!

I play tested this design with my own youngsters and the local Cub Scout packs. This project makes a great “make it, take it” exercise – the kids design an airplane, learn about flight, experiment with the launcher then make an improved airplane. I might pair this with my glider project in a middle school classroom. We even took it a step farther and built some balsa gliders to see if we could hot rod them a bit….

A great building block for a short activity or a foundation for a longer, involved curriculum unit. Have fun!

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Home #Makerspace: The DIY Folding Board

Some things are impossible, such as unicorns, bipartisan agreement on the greatness of bacon and getting small boys to fold their clothes. While I didn’t do the impossible this week, I certainly made it easier to master.

A folding board is a cool little device that helps you fold clothes quickly. This is great for young children and people with mobility issues as it minimizes the physical effort while maximizing effect…it makes folding fun. Better yet, a folding board can be made with plywood, cardboard or any other stiff, flat material. There’s no need to spend $20, just use some scrap wood.

Here’s a picture tutorial of how to fold a T-shirts.

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Home #Makerspace: A DIY Carrom or Marbles Game Board!

This week, we built a game board which you can customize to play marbles, skittles, carrom, billiards, pool, shuffleboard, crokinole and more!

My game board features two games, marbles and carrom. Marbles has been played for thousands of years in various forms. Carrom is a “strike and pocket” game that evolved in East India. Both games provide hours of entertainment for young kids during rainy days and family game nights. Carrom Company of Ludington, MI has a 100-in-1 version of this board that many, many grown kids remember.

This game board uses vinyl stickers for decoration, 45 degree miters reinforced with pin nails and grooves. This construction technique can be used to make large playing surfaces. I used the same technique to make The DIY Knock Hockey project a few weeks ago, and it will show up in next week’s project.

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#MakerEd in the Classroom: Exploring #3DPrinting FAQs & Resources

This week I will answer some of the most common questions about 3D printing I get asked as a Maker Educator by administrators and classroom teachers. Last summer, I published a similar guide for the Home #Makerspace!

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This Week in the Shop: The DIY Pinball Arcade in Plywood, Router Tables & The One-Bit Box

Catch a sneak peek at a future Home #Makerspace project & a new Woodworking Class at Nova Labs this week!

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Home #Makerspace: DIY Drain Pipe Regatta (or Rain Gutter Regatta)

On a hot summer day, nothing beats a cool, breezy scientific adventure. The Drain Pipe Regatta is a great investment for a classroom or backyard exploring space, as it helps teach the basics of fluid dynamics, buoyancy, motion and transfer of power. Connections to the great sailing ages in history, from the Polynesians exploring the Pacific, to Columbus’s crossing of the Atlantic, to the great whalers and galleons of Napoleonic Europe abound. This project is the base for a great mix of artistic creativity and scientific inquiry.

Boats can be made with nearly any craft material. I have made origami boat challenges, foam board & skewer boats and water bottle boats. Tweaks can be made with each regatta to reflect learning goals, materials or kids interests. The Cub Scouts of America hold a raingutter regatta every year. Scouts design small sail boats and race them down a 10 foot section of rain gutter.

Pirate-themed get-togethers optional.

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Tool Primer: Understanding Common Glues for #Maker Project

Sooner or later during a Maker project, you have to stick it together. You need glue. Better yet, you need the right glue.

Some glues are formulated to work best porous materials such as paper, wood, or leather. Some are made to work between two different substrates, say plastic and metals. Some are made for smooth, hard materials. Knowing the difference can be the difference between a success and failure in the Home #Makerspace.Continue reading “Tool Primer: Understanding Common Glues for #Maker Project”

Woodshop Cowboy At Nova Maker Faire!

Woodshop Cowboy goes to Nova Maker Faire this weekend, Mar. 19th at South Lakes High School in Reston, VA. You can purchase tickets at nova.makerfaire.com. Enjoy lots and lots of hands-on exhibits, including drones, blacksmithing, printing, 3D Printing, math tutoring and of course, woodworking!

The full list of maker exhibits is pretty overwhelming.

I will be displaying a few projects (the laser cut baseball pinball game, the Knock Hockey game, the DIY Bike and a selection of projects from Nova Lab’s Woodworking classes. You’ll be able to sign up for a mailing list for classes, project kits and plans from www.woodshopcowboy.com.

mmf-reston-068 — copyright Maker Faire NoVa

I will also be giving away Inscructables.com Pro Memberships to at the Faire to lucky attendees. See you there!

Home #Makerspace: DIY Knock Hockey Set

When the ice melts from the first burst of spring, the hockey fun doesn’t have to stop. Take hockey inside with DIY Knock Hockey, a wood table-top game which makes for hours and hours of fun.

This tutorial utilizes a table saw to create the necessary rabbets and miter joints. These are great intermediate table saw skills to learn, practice and utilize in your work flow. Strong, clean joinery really sets your project apart from the pack. While kid-focused, this project isn’t really designed to be made with young maker help.

I use this game to help teach basic concepts of physics, such as momentum, rebound angles, and friction. Game play teaches turn-taking and sportsmanship. Lastly, the rules are incredibly simple…but “house” rules unleash cooperative play and teach fairness.

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