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Here at oomlout we're rarely as happy as when we can fire up the laser cutter to build something that makes our lives easier. From our own designs like the WENT laser-cut end table and FANH soldering fume extractor to others' designs including laser-cut knobs, pegboard parts holders, and even omni-wheels, being able to produce something useful from a sheet of MDF is a great feeling. Now we've got a new entry in our collection of laser-cut creations: a hot glue gun stand created by Sean Dunphy. While few would argue that hot glue guns are handy devices, anyone who...

If you've had visions of conquering the stars since our look at Calumn Macintosh's rocket telemetry project, there's another hurdle you'll need to overcome. While space is mostly empty of matter, it's teeming with radiation that can fry normal electronics - assuming the insulative properties of the vacuum of space don't get there first. Anything sent up into space needs to be radiation-hardened and go through a testing process to become 'space qualified.' That, funnily enough, is exactly what Spectrum Aerospace is looking to fund with a new Kickstarter campaign. A small start-up created from the incubator programmes at the...

Model rocketry and electronics go hand-in-hand. While it's entirely possible to launch a model rocket the old-fashioned way - light blue touch paper and retire - it's more common to see electronic ignition systems alongside on-board telemetry packages, just like full-scale rockets. It's the latter which forms the focus of maker Calum Macintosh's latest Instructable: an Arduino-powered rocket data logger, also suitable for use with other aircraft including drones, quadcopters, and balloons. Based around the popular Arduino Pro Mini, Calum's design focuses on reducing weight. The heavier a rocket is, the larger the motor required to launch it - and...

Sometimes, a classic tool needs a bit of love to make it work again. Other times, you find something new which falls just slightly short of perfect. In either case, there's no need to go on the hunt for a replacement when you can hack the required functionality into the tool you already have - as with Simon Ludborzs' recent overhaul of his Hakko 936 soldering station. Hakko's range of temperature-controlled soldering stations are well regarded, and even the older models are sought-after by makers and tinkerers for their excellent build quality and performance. There's a catch, though, in the...

It's hard to get involved in the world of electric motors without learning about Electronic Speed Control (ESC), circuit designs frequently used in remote control systems. While more commonly associated with remote-operated aircraft, cars, and submarines, ESC systems have a larger-scale use in personal electric transportation - in particular electric skateboards and longboards. Benjamin Vedder's open-source ESC circuit, Vedder's Speed Control (VESC), is a popular design in such projects, and John Pascoe is currently working on an Arduino-based wireless controller add-on which allows a Nintendo Wii Nunchuck to interface with a VESC circuit in order to provide fine-grained control of...