Hack This is your passport to the world of hackerspaces: your invitation to share knowledge, master tools, work together and build amazing stuff.


Twin Cities Maker co-founder John Baichtal explains it all: what hackerspaces are, how they work, who runs them, what they’re building—and how you can join (or start!) one.

Next, he walks you through 24 of today’s best hackerspace projects…everything from robotic grilled-cheese sandwich-makers to devices that make music with zaps of electricity. Every project’s packed with color photos, explanations, lists of resources and tools, and instructions for getting started on your own similar project so you can DIY!

Some of the projects include:

• Kung-fu fighting robots
• Home-brewed Geiger counter
• TransAtlantic balloon
• Twitter-monitoring Christmas tree
• Sandwich-making robot
• Interactive Space Invaders mural
• CNC mill that carves designs into wood, plastic and metal
• Telepresence robot that runs an Internet classroom
• Toy cars that are ridden by people
• Bronze-melting blast furnace
• Laptop-controlled robot fashioned from a wheelchair
• DIY book scanner.