1// Lego bricks
Buy lots of bricks at garage sales, toss them in a mesh bag, and run them through the dishwasher. Use them to build model car bodies and robots. Secure masterpieces with superglue.
2// LEDs and watch batteries
Make anything light up with a bag of cheap LEDs and some CR2032 3-V lithium batteries. Just tape the leads of the LED to the battery (the short lead connects to the negative side) and attach to your model car or kite. Or add a neodymium magnet for an “LED throwie” that sticks to any metal surface.
3// Hobby wheels
Combine large-diameter hobby wheels with Legos and LEDs and you’ve got a cool gravity racer or the base of a rolling robot.
4// 3-V motor and gears
Add a motor to your Lego car and watch it zoom. Swap the gears to teach kids the relationship between speed and torque.
5// 8X illuminated magnifying glass.
Make custom parts using moldable plastics. Sugru starts like Play-Doh and cures into a tough rubber. ShapeLock comes as pellets that get moldable in hot water. Super Sculpey is like clay that hardens when you bake it. Cured ShapeLock and Sculpey can be drilled, carved, or sanded.
6// Rotary cutting tool
A cordless Dremel turns you into a cyborg capable of slicing, grinding, deburring, or carving any wood or metal in your path.
7// Plastic molding material
Shed some light on the quality of your solder joints and read part numbers on small components.
8// Key to a hackerspace
For $50 to $100 a month you can get a membership to a community-run maker shop with laser cutters, 3-D printers, CNC shop equipment, and more. Bonus: You’ll get access to experts.Illustrations: Joel Kimmel
Build a Trebuchet Make a Bucky Fuller Blanket Fort
