After building a number of dovetail puzzle boxes the HipMonsters sister team set out to make their own unique design. We explored many designs and drew influence from creations like this one on YouTube. The sisters wanted something that looked deceptively simple and easy to make. Thus was born Push My Button!
Please note, this material is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.
Side View
Here is Push My Button from side view. The sides of the box are made from a several of 1/4 wooden square dowels. These are our go-to material for many of our designs.
Top View
The top, sides and bottom are made from 1/8 inch plywood.
Corner view
Here is a view of a corner. We purposely made it look slapped together to confuse people. The lopsided look makes it appear that the sides of bottom can be slipped off – which cannot be done.
Which button to press?
But the key to opening Push My Button to to press the correct button… but which one? We added spacers between some of the dowels and aligned them irregularly to make harder to tell which one is the key.
Opened!
When we give it as a gift, we usually leave earrings or chocolate inside to reward the receiver once them uncover the trick.
We wanted to give people a scare on Halloween and was inspired by a visit to Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum so we set out to make our own mummy, George the mummy (he got too curious).
Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.
Materials
For the mummy, we used:
A roll of burlap fabric
Lots of brown shipping paper
Chicken wire
Aluminum fense wire
5 1/4×1/4X 5 Wood
Twine
nuts and bolts.
We needed it to be pretty light so we didn’t use a lot of wood and padded the skeleton with lots of shipping paper. We had been storing the shipping paper for years and had bags of it in a closet for just such a project. It is perfect because it looks like old dried skin!
Cutting the joint
We wanted George to be flexible so we could place him through out the house and even take him on car trips.
Close-up of the joint
This is one of the joints that we made. George is fully articulate but not powered like our robots.
Trimming the sides
We cut small pieces of the wood off to make it more rounded then sanded the edges to get a clean joint. Since these joints would not be seen we used only rough grade sandpaper.
The finished joint
We drilled holes in the joints so that we could put them together. To drill the holes we clamped the two pieces together to assure the holes would align.
Putting them together
We used a rubber washer between the two pieces so George the Mummy would not be too wobbly. After screwing the bolts down we crimped end to make sure they would not come undone after George was finished.
Starting the head
We used chicken wire to start making the shape of the head. The chicken wire was so sharp so we had to be extra careful not to cut ourselves. Best to let a parent do this part. One trick we used was to warp the end pieces in duck tape to make them less pocky.
The basic shape of the head
We molded the head into shape. We recomend wearing thick gardening gloves because the chicken wire is very sharp.
Wrapping it in paper
We wrapped it in paper to make it less sharp and because the paper looks like dry skin. The paper alos helps makes the linbs more circlular.
George’s head with the skin
The head fully wrapped in paper.
Securing the paper
We secured the paper by tightly wrapping it in twine. we used twine because it is strong, but also because it is the same color as the paper, so if a little shows it would blend in with the paper.
Wrapping it in burlap
We wrapped it up in burlap after we finished securing the paper. We did several layers so it wouldn’t come off and towards the end split the burlap into multiple strips
The completed head
After the head was done it was on to the rest of the body. The wooden skeleton we made as simple ae possible and used bolts and bolts with crimp washers to make sure it would not come loose after the wrapping for completed.
Put it together!
Now assemble the skeleton and wrap the body in the same fashion as the head. Wrapping the hands and feet proved to be very hard, and we ended up not making wooden fingers, we just wrapped the arm and secured the ends.
Waiting to be wrapped
Here is the completed skeleton fully covered in paper and tied together with twine. We needed to remove the final wrapping from the head in order to better integrate it to the body. Also, we tried using left over hand from out Hand of Glory project but in the end, they did not look as real as we want.
The side viewFront view
Now you can see George out of the workshop! We originally tried to make him be able to stand up on his own, but that would mean either making the body weirdly small or making the feet gigantic. We ended up attaching him to a lamp post instead.
George the mummy exercising
In this photo, George is sitting on a stationary bicycle. This shows off how George’s limbs can move and that he can be detached from the lamppost. It also shows that George is about the same size as a normal human, which makes him more realistic and creepy.
George taking down holiday decorations with Number Three
In this video, George the Mummy is taking down Christmas decorations with Number Three, showing off how well he stands and how much he enjoys wearing hats. He is also sturdy enough to hold Christmas tree ornaments without his arm bending.
We decided to make a special present for our teachers at school. One of the teachers really loved alligators, so we decided to make one for her out of wood.
Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.
So we set out to make one out of wood. First we cut the wood into the rough shape of the toy.
Next, We drilled the wood that we cut. We cut lots of little pieces so the tail could move. We also drilled a small hole in the center of each small piece.
To smooth the edges we used a wood plane. Then we sanded each piece with fine grain sandpaper. For the details on the head we made rough cuts using an alligator saw then sanded repeated to get the shape we wanted.
We laid out the final design before threading the wire through the holes we drilled.
Here we are threading the wire though the holes. We used pipe cleaners to get a snug fit. This will make the toy alligator flexible but will also hold its shape well.
With all the potion-making we have been doing recently, we found that we needed a place to put our potion supplies on the go, so we made a potion cabinet fit for the experts of potion-making. Professor Slughorn’s portable potions kit was the main inspiration for this creation.
Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.
Getting started
We used the following supplies; a hammer, a saw, four 90-degree angle clamps, black paint, blue paint, mahogany-colored wood stain,
Using clamps to get a tight fit
The core of the cabinet is the frames. These carry the weight of the bottles and hold the cabinet’s shape. To make the frames, we cut the beams into 12 inches and glued them together, using the 90-degree angle clamps for making a strong right angle.
Getting the pieces ready for assembling.
All the sides and frames are ready for assembly. All pieces need to be cut out before you start assembling to make sure that you don’t forget a piece.
Gluing the pieces together.
We ran a bead of glue on all the edges of the frames. We made sure to only put a little glue to prevent sliding.
Clamping the cabinet together.
Then we use clamps to firmly secure the sides to the frame.
Hammering in nails for support.
Once we were sure the glue had dried we went on to the next steps. For added strength, we put in a few thin nails on the bottom and sides.
Measuring the box for the shelf.
We measured for the interior shelf after we put the cabinet together to make sure we have a snug fit.
Cutting the corners of the shelf.
Next we cut out slots on all the corners so the shelf following the outside of the line then sanded to fit the cabinet.
Attaching the handle to the top.
Finally, we added a handle on top to make transportation easier. Since the outside plywood was thin to make the cabinet light, we added an extra piece of wood underneath to secure the handle. we used thin screws so we don’t split the extra piece of wood.
The fully assembled cabinet.
Here is the assembled cabinet ready for staining and painting. We are looking for a vintage look so we need to do multiple layers and light distressing.
We stained the cabinet and left it outside to dry. The shelf and front were stained separately to make sure that we got the stain in all the nooks and crannies.
Adding wax circles on the top of the cabinet.
We used candles to make wax circles around the cabinet. We do this because when we paint it, the paint on the wax would peel off, creating a distressed look.
Painting the cabinet.Sanding some of the paint off.
Then, we mixed the black paint and the blue paint, creating a dark blue, and painted the cabinet. We used dark blue because when black paint gets old, it looks like dark blue.
We lightly sanded the painted wood, showing the stain underneath. We can repeat this process to get the aged look that we desired. Here is a view of the completed potion cabinet with the vintage finish.
Photo with the cabinet door.
Here is a view with the case close for safe transportation!
The door closed.
Here is the completed potion cabinet with a vintage finish.
We saw the need for a new robot for halloween, so we made one. This is our steampunk squirrel powered robot Number Three. We wanted it to be as big as a kid to help with our Halloween decorations. Our other robots were small and not easy to see. Our plan was for a big robot with lights and room to grow as we came up with new ideas.
Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.
Getting started
These are some of the parts that we used. We gathered most of it from unused parts from other projects. This project ended up being a great way to recycle old parts and scapes and it made it look even more steam-punky.
Scrape parts
We used PVC pipes for the skeleton of our robot because its strong and lightweight. Also we had fitting from remodeling that would attach to the pipes and let us hangs details. The pipes are standard so if we did need to buy anything it would be easy.
Completed Robot
The image to the right is the completed robot. The starting images ended up not as good as we expected so the final image was the best to show how the tubing was used. First, we cut the pipes to the right size using one of us to figure out lengths arms, legs and spine. Then we assembled it and added feet to keep it stable as we worked. The feet were harder than expected to get the right balance and weight. We used concrete bolts with extra washers as needed.
Then we assembled the PVC pipes and painted it with two coats. The first was sliver; the second was bronze. Next, we used an old security camera mount and attached a plastic jar on the neck. We added a toy squirrel inside and a few parts that looked like little controls for it. We named the squirrel Professor Brookenhoff.
For a fake engine core we used an old battery powered lantern connected to an old water bottle.
Assembling the gear box
Now we started on the fake control box. To make is steampunk we used gears and only a few wires. Then we assembled the gears to control the robot. We used old wood as a base and stain and distressed it by hitting it with a hammer.
After that, we drilled a bunch of holes on the back and put thin, long bolts through them to create a framework for the gears. Before we assembled it we laid out the gears on the table in the pattern we wanted then transferred the gears to the rig. You must remember to lay out the gears in the opposite way you want them in the rig.
Side view of the gear box
Here is a view of gears completed with the control boxes on each side.
The gears took the most time and ended up being a lot harder than we imagined. It was difficult to screw the tiny nuts into place to give it a 3d look. Also, the bolts proved to be sharp. We attached some gears to the side of the control boxes so it would look like they actually controlled the gears.
Close up of the gear box
Then we attached a box to run the wirer through. We had a plan on the gears, engine, wire, pistons that we made before we started work that was our best attempt at design an honest working robot. The things we added is what Number Three would have needed if it was real.
Side view
We then added a second box next to the gears for attaching the control wires.
Close up
Here is a close up of the gears. Getting a 3-D design is important to make it look real. Each gear needs two bolts. One on top and one on the bottom. Make sure they are tightly screwed together.
Back view
Now we focused on putting on details that would make it look like Number Three could move. Since it was supposed to be steam powered we used four left over pistons. We attached pneumatic tubing to the pistons then attached the other end to the engine. The idea is the power from the engine would create steam, and Professor Brookenhoff would give commands to the gears which would send the steam to the right piston to make it move. The idea of the head came from Carmichael from The Umbrella Academy.
Close up of the feet
As we added more details to Number Three, we also needed to add more heavy things to the feet for stability.
Close up of the head
A close up of Professor Brookenhoff piloting Number Three.
Close up of the chest
A close up of the tubing from the engine to the joints.
Side View
Number Three from side view. Here you can see the hands which also ended up being hard to make. Finally we made the hands out of wires and springs so it can hold things.
This project is about how to build a ladder bookcase. This bookcase has less room because its sides slope in towards the top but fit well into small spaces and is very sturdy, a perfect place for books! This design was inspired by a model designed by Vico Magistretti.
Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.
All the Supplies Laid Out
First, you get all the materials:
2 clamps
a bottle of wood glue
5 48 X 3.5 X .5 inch wood planks (we used reclaimed wood)
4 36 X 5/8 inch Oak Dowel Rods
4 48X 2 X 3/4 inch cheery wooden boards
a saw
sandpaper (Course and fine grit)
drill
3/4 inch bit
4 MDF Wood Board 6x8x.0785
Wood Stapler
No Screws or nails!
Measuring carefully
Now you can begin. First, on the 48X 2 X 3/4 inch cherry beam make a straight line one inch from the top. This you will line up with the edge of the circular saw.
Cutting carefully
Next, you cut a twenty-degree angle so that the tip touches the corner.
Our Japanese saw in good use
Then, if there is access cut it off while not impacting the angle.
Measuring again
Then, you make dots 11 inches apart in the center of the 48X 2 X 3/4 inch cherry beams.
Clamping wood to align drilling
Next, you clamp both pieces of wood together, to make drilling more accurate.
Drilling carefully
Then, you drill a hole on all the dots while keeping the wood clamped together.
All the holes align!
Put them aside to use later.
Planning out the next steps
Then, mark 3 of the 48 by 3.5 by 0.5-inch wooden boards at 22 inches.
Measuring the support
Next, measure a 36 X 5/8 inch pole and mark it at fifteen inches.
Cutting the support poles
Then, cut the pole at your mark, repeat 9 times. if the pole is too wide for your hole, sand it, if it is too thin, then wedge some pieces of wood between the pole and the hole.
Almost assembled!
Next, stick the poles in the holes that you drilled so that it looks like this. After that, put the other two wood beams on the other side as well. Make sure not to alternate.
Measuring the shelves
Nearly done, mark the other three 48 X 3.5 X .5 inch boards at 30 inches each.
Clamping the shelves for cutting
Finally, clamp all three of the boards together. Then, cut them at 30 inches while keeping them clamped, and remember to use both sides for shelves.
Cutting the shelves
Clamp the shelves together while sawing to make it much easier.
Finished!
Now you have a amazing ladder bookcase! The finished shelves was quickly put into use for storing our large StarTrek fiction and RPG book collection.
The Hip Monster’s sister team has created a DIY pump drill. Pump drills are ancient tools used by many cultures including Native Americans. The sisters got the idea from seeing pump drills made by the Miwok tribe who used to live in California.
Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.
Some of the supplies
Equipment:
saw
drill
spade drill bit ~1 inch
drill bit 1/8 inch
spokeshave
sandpaper
strong string
bee’s wax
three long, straight branches
Branches:
1) shaft: the centerpiece of the pump drill. Look for a long, straight, and thin piece of wood.
2) spindle whorl: Attached near the tip of the shaft and makes the drill rewind. This piece should be heavy and thick enough the shaft can go through it.
3) handle: What you hold onto. This piece should be just thick enough for the shaft to go through.
First, you pick out three straight pieces of wood, one long and skinny, and the other two thick. Make sure the handle and the spindle ones are thick enough for the shaft to go through. Cut off the extra parts making sure to leave a bit extra on each end.
This se should look like this. The extra inch on each side of the sticks are so you can secure them to a vice for shaving.
The first one will be the spindle, the second the handle, and the last the shaft.
Next, spokeshave the pieces to make them smooth. Be very careful while spoke shaving you don’t want to make any of the pieces too thin or curved. Continuously flip the piece over to get to make all the sides are even. Sometimes when there is a knot or we accidentally cut into the wood, an adult can help smooth it out. If you have finished spoke shaving but don’t have enough time to stain or wax it, soak it in water so it doesn’t dry out to much.
For the main shaft, spokeshave till it is as straight as possible. To find out which side to shave roll the stick on a table and see which part is bent up. For the handle and spindle, you just need to get the bark off.
Now cut the piece to the right size. Make sure the thin one is the longest because that would be the main piece that supports everything else. Measure everything out the right size before you cut it.
Sand the pieces to make them really smooth. Spend more effort on the shaft. Remember, the shaft needs to be smooth and straight for the pump drill to work. They should look like this when done. Drill the holes in the two thick pieces. The with of the holes should be a bit bigger than the diameter of the shaft. When drilling, go slowly to avoid splitting. Make sure you drill in the middle of the wood. When done you should have two big holes in the large pieces big enough for the shaft. For drilling hole likes these where the edge of the drill bit comes close to the vice we let an adult do the final set up and test.
After you have drilled all the holes apply bee’s wax. The bee’s wax makes them smooth and help avoid splitting.
To apply the bee’s wax use an old towel. Since bee’s wax does not go bad, we use the same rag repeated for other projects.
Drill two holes at the tip of the shaft the same width as the string you will be using. Measure the string and put the string through it.
Now drill holes at both ends of the handle. Make sure the hole is in the same direction as the shaft hole.
Next, assemble the pump drill by sliding the shaft through the handle.
Then loop the string through the two holes you drilled in the handle.
Adjust the string so that the center stick if a little less than halfway down the pole. Then tied knots on both ends of the string.
Now slide the spindle onto the shaft.
Use a thin board of wood like the one shown in the photo and break off a strip.
Wedge the strip of wood in the gap to make the fit tight. Add more strips of wood as needed. The spindle should not be able to move.
And finally, cut a slot at the end of the shaft by cutting two parallel cuts. Then use a chisel to clean up the notch. Secure a sharp stone shaped like an arrow tip with string.
Yay! You finished!
Now you know how to make a DIY pump drill!
You use the drill by first winding it up. Then gently push down on the handle. Let the string rewind itself (thanks to the spindle whorl). Do not push the stick up but let the pump drill wind back then, again, gently push down.
Need to track the moon phases for that perfect time to cast a spell? Worried about when you are due to change into a werewolf?
The following instructions are for a quick DIY Sun, Earth, Moon Orrery we did for a school project. This is suitable for ages 6 to 12 but may need adult supervision. We were inspired by this article in instructables.com but needed a much simpler design.
This project was also the start of HipMonsters, and we still use some of the same skills for our robots and woodworking projects.
Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.Equipment
Equipment:
Drill
Pliers
Wire Cutters
Parts:
Plywood (10 X 10 inches)
4 inch bolt with 3 nuts and 3 washers
2 inch bolt with 3 nuts and 3 washers
3 foam balls of different sizes
9 inches of thick wire (may use coat hangers)
5 inches of thin wire (may use pipe cleaner)
Foam padding
Step 1
First, measure the center hole for the main screw. This screw will support the Sun, Earth, and Moon.
Step 2
Next, drill the hole and push the large screw through the hole and secure it with a washer and bolt.
Step 3
Turn over the base and stick four foam pads on the bottom. We used one large foam pad for furniture and cut it into four pieces. These foam padding will prevent the center bolt from scratching the table when placed upright.
Step 4
Turn the base back over and make sure the foam padding is tall enough to prevent the bolt from scratching the table. If not, then add another layer of foam. Next, screw another a nut to the halfway point on the bolt and then put a washer on top.
Step 5
Now we need to make the support wire for the Earth. Take the larger wire and bend both ends using a screwdriver as shown. The goal is the make the loops tight enough so the bolts are secure when threaded through them.
Step 6
Here, both ends are ready to secure the Earth to the center shaft. Notice one loop is smaller than the other. The larger loop is for the center bolt; the smaller one is for Earth’s bolt.
Step 7
Now, thread the smaller bolt through the smaller loop.
Step 8
Secure the bolt to the arm with a washer and nut. Then screw a nut halfway up the bolt. This bolt will serve as support for the Moon’s arm.
Step 9
Next, create the Moon’s arm. Bend the thinner wire similar to the Earth’s arm but only put a loop on one end. Bend the other end up to support the Moon.
Step 10
Now connect the thin wire to the screw on Earth’s arm and secure with a bolt.
Step 11
And we are nearly there! Just connect the thick wire to the screw and put a washer and bolt on top. Make sure to screw on tightly, the weight of the arm can make it droop.
Step 12
And finally we are ready to add the Sun, Earth, and Moon. The smallest ball is the Moon and goes on the smallest arm. The Earth is the mid-sized ball and put onto the outer bolt. The largest ball is the Sun and placed on the center bolts. You can paint the balls as the final step if you want to.Putting it all together
The Sun, Earth, Moon orrery is almost complete, we just need to assemble! Here are all the pieces laid out. We substitute the foam balls in one build with a ping pong ball for the Sun and felt balls for the Earth and Moon.Enjoy
You now have your own Sun, Earth, Moon Orrery and predict the next eclipse or start planning for the next full moon! Keep a watch out for werewolves!
When the sisters team discovered Transformer comics (Go WindBlade!) they wanted a whole city of Transformers to play with. While that was way too expensive, they could build their own shape-shifting toy robots out of wood.
Getting Started
Borrowing from wooden dolls, we settled on a design with rubber bands attaching the arms and head to the body and a bolt to attached the legs enabling the robot to shift forms.
Drilling to holes
First we cut and drilled all the wood based on a working design.
Assembling Begins!
We used lego wheels for the robots that transformed into cars.
Fitting the rubber bands
Attaching the rubber bands proved difficult. We used a jewelry tool to thread the rubber bands through the holes in the wood (many broke in the process).
Final Touches
A few more adjustments, including sanding the edges, and widening holes.
The robot is complete!
By using springs in the legs, the toy robot can hold a standing position.
The assembly line
After we perfect a design, it was just a matter of creating a assembly line to crank out droids! We did some that turned into cars, some that turned into bugs, and some that turned in to other forms!
When we go hiking, we sometimes pick up some good pieces of wood to make into staffs or other creations. We found this one in a park close to our house, it was made from a fallen eucalyptus branch. Every staff we craft has a unique mythos and special spell. This staff is called the Twisted Wave.
Mythos
The staff Twisted Wave craves unexpected journey and visitors. Travelers should only journey with Twisting Wave if they want to encounter potential friends, it is a peaceful staff, and does not like engaging in battle.
Special Spell
Amicitia (Friendship)
Twisting Wave is 5 feet high, perfect for navigating tricky terrain. The wood was spoke shaven, soaked in oil with a red clay then polished with bee’s wax.
We laid out the final design before threading the wire through the holes we drilled.
