Hot Construction Toys Posts
How To: Make a simple fully automatic rubber band gun
This is an instructional video showing how to build, load and fire the "Simple Fully Automatic Rubber Band Gun 2 (wooden)".
How To: Make an air vortex cannon
You've seen what a vortex cannon can do, so now it's time to build your own! Okay, this air vortex cannon is not huge, but it's definitely a fun thing to construct if you have some junk plastic laying around, and it works really well for its size. Grab a cheap plastic container and follow along to the video instructions and build yourself a homemade vortex cannon!
How To: Make a prop sword out of an aluminum bar
This will still hurt if you swing too hard! If you need a realistic looking prop sword, you can follow along with this tutorial to make the prop out of an aluminum bar. You'll need a couple power tools as well, so be careful around them!
How To: Pot mod a green laser
Put the newspaper down on a work surface. Pick up the 5 MW green laser pen and unscrew the battery cap. Remove the batteries and put them and the battery cap aside.
How To: Turn 2 Disposable Lighters into a Lightercycle (English Instructions)
Here's the English language How-To for constructing a Lightercycle using 2 cigarette lighters. Original article courtesy of WonderHowTo user rmansur.
How To: Build a LEGO pick up truck
In this video, we learn how to build a LEGO pickup truck. First, you will need to lay out all the parts that you need to build the truck. This includes small and large parts that are in gray and white colors, as well as wheels. Start off by building the middle of the car, making room for the wheels to fit in. After this, start to add on the blocks that go on the back and the front to make the headlights and different features on the truck. Add on the block for the windshield, then add on the ...
How To: Modify a Nerf Longshot CS-6 gun
Nerf guns are a great way to battle without inflicting serious injury. This video tutorial shows you how to modify a Nerf Longshot CS-6 by adding an angel breech and altering the clip to accept stefan bullets. This instructional also shows how to add gun spring reinforcements to insure the weapon operates well under the increased force. Finally, you'll learn how to integrate the front gun and link the trigger to the main Longshot spring mechanism for added fire power.
How To: Build a motorized gyrocar with a gyroscope and everyday household objects
Build your own miniature gryocar from a toy gyroscope in this fun little project with Kipkay and make it ride on skinny tracks! All you need is a toy gyroscope, a spraypaint canister top to fit the gyroscope assembly, and some assorted parts that you could probably find around the house (or at your local hardware store). Ask your parents for permission first!
How To: Make a sword out of cardboard
Learn how to make a sword out of cardboard with this video. Materials:
How To: Make a lego Pikachu
This is a lego tutorial on how to make the #1 most recognized Pokemon of all time, Pikachu!
How To: The Dark Knight's Bat and Tumbler Vehicles Come to Life with LEGOs
If you've finished building your Curiosity rover and are wondering, now what? Perhaps it's time to move onto something a bit more... mobile?
How To: Make a Soul Eater scythe out of cardboard for cosplay
Soul eater is one of the most popular manga and anime series in the world, and the scythe that protagonist Maka uses against the souls of the damned is one of teh cooler weapons in modern anime. This video will teach you how to make an excellent cardboard replica of it for cosplay.
How To: Build a rubber band powered mini car launcher
What is it about boys and toy cars? Speed, motors, and lots of fun! In this video, Kipkay shows us how to make a mini toy car launcher that is powered by rubber bands. Make sure an adult supervises this project, as power drills are required. Once it's completed, your kid will have a blast with his or her Hot Wheels and some rubber bands. Don't forget to download the PDF of the project before you start.
How To: Make a homemade spin toy with a button and string
If you've ever found yourself bored and not knowing what to do, this video tutorial might help you out. See how to make a homemade spin toy with a button. Just get out a pair of scissors, a large button, a glue stick, string and a small piece of paper and you can begin building this time consuming button spinner toy, time consuming as in not hard to make, but fun to play with.
How To: Convert 2D Photos Into 3D Models
The video below demonstrates how you can convert you 2D Photos into 3D Models using 3Defy. You will need to follow these steps:
How To: NASA Engineer Shows You How to Build a Mini Curiosity Mars Rover Out of LEGOs
You might have seen our post on this last week: It's a working reproduction of the Mars Curiosity Rover made with LEGOs, but it's a bit complicated for anyone without a decent amount of robotics knowledge. Plus, you need to have some Mindstorms NXT and TECHNIC parts lying around. If you want something a little simpler than programming a working LEGO rover, you could always build a scaled model of the MSL out of regular LEGOs. Not only is this easy to build and looks great, but the step-by-ste...
News: Insane LEGO Replica of World's Most Expensive Car (Working 7 Speed Transmission!)
Sheepo HL's LEGO replica of the Bugatti Veyron is more than just a perfect facsimile, it also runs! It has a fully functional seven-speed gearbox, retracting spoiler, independent suspension, and more. DO NOT miss the videos below. Amazing. Previously, Obsessively Authentic LEGO V-8.
How To: Make LARP-safe werewolf claws or monster claws
This tutorial shows you how you create a boffer larp safe pair of werewolf claws. Start with some basic heavy gloves, like gardening gloves, then cut out your claws from foam (at least three inches long!), and then follow along with the tutorial to end up with your own awesome monster claws!
How To: Make popsicle stick fences
If you've got a tiny farm, you're going to need some tiny fences. Don't shell out your whole allowance for a fancy store bought fence set. Instead make your own fences out of popsicle sticks. This video tutorial demonstrates how to create stalls and stables so your miniature farm animals won't escape.
How To: Build a spy periscope
This video is to show you how to construct a super cool spy gadget! You'll need some toilet paper tubes, tape, scissors, glue and an old CD. Then, just like that you'll be able to make home made spy gear in no time.
How To: Build a popsicle catapult
This video demonstrates how to make a catapult out of popsicle sticks. For this project, you will need the following: 7” rubber bands, a box of popsicle sticks, a hot glue gun, a Dixie cup, and tape.
How To: Make a gas burner from a lighter
Check out this video to learn how to make a gas burner from a purple lighter. It's only 9 cents to make.
News: Man Spends 2 Years & 30,000 LEGOs Building Star Wars Ship
Paul Yperman’s Droid Control Ship has been two years in the making, and required a whopping 30,000 LEGO bricks to build. Says Brothers Brick, "Paul’s build differs in the surface textures of the model. He uses tiles and greebling elements in shades of gray to add realistic-looking details, which really enhances the appearance of this amazing creation."
How To: Build a simple robot with the Lego Mindstorms NXT kit
These how-to videos provide an introduction and tutorial to LEGO Mindstorms NXT. Topics discussed are (1) what is included with the NXT robotics kit (2) how to build a simple NXT robot (3) programming an NXT robot and (4) testing an NXT robot. Watch this video tutorial series and learn how to build a simple robot with the Lego Mindstorms NXT kit.
How To: Use basic building techniques
Papa Tom teaches viewers the basics for building realistic miniature buildings using Scene-A-Rama Building and Structures Kit. This is great for school or art projects.
How To: Make a 300-style Spartan chest piece with paper mache
This is Sparta! If you find yourself yelling that line from the film and graphic novel 300 before doing all sorts of intense tasks, than this two-part video is for you. It will teach you how to make your own wearable replica of a Spartan chest piece out of cardboard and paper mache at home. Never be harmed by Persian arrow again!
How To: Make a Lego boomerang
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to make a LEGO boomerang. LEGO is a line of construction toys manufactured by the LEGO Group. This is a very simple LEGO construction. It only consists of 8 LEGO pieces and 2 optional LEGO pieces. It doesn't matter about the color of the pieces. The video provides a visual demonstration and step-by-step instructions for viewers to easily understand and follow along. The video is descriptive and explains all the instructions. This video will benefit th...
News: Haunted House in Rotting LEGO
Mike Doyle's latest LEGO house (perhaps even more hauntingly beautiful than the last) is a Victorian mansion that transcends the material so effectively, the plastic reads like real rotting bricks and mortar. Beautiful house-devouring trees, created with LEGO hinge cylinders to mimic the texture of tree bark, and ridged 3 mm hose, droid arms and other technic connectors for the creepy, spindly branches.
How To: Make a K'NEX mini gun
A lot of people got confused on how to make a simple gun out of K'NEX, so here you are. The simplest tutorial on how to make a mini gun.
How To: Build a Lego Mario
The ultimate lego achievement for any Nintendo or Super Maro Bros. fan. Learn how to build Mario out of legos.
How To: Add an edge to a boffer sword or other foam weapon
Build an edge into your boffer weapon that gives it the illusion of being sharp (but still being only foam!). This tutorial assumes you already have some basic understanding of how to construct a boffer sword and are looking for ways to increase your foamsmithing ability.
How To: Build a Lego bionicle snake and cordak gun turret
Learn how to build two custom Lego bionicle props. The first is a Bionicle snake and the second is a cordak gun turret. Both are made from various Lego bionicle pieces.
News: LEGO 1858 Remington .45
Meticulously crafted LEGO replica of a Remington .45, circa the Wild Wild West, 1858. Created by Flickr user Arkov.
News: 16-Year-Old Builds Wicked LEGO Star Wars Diorama
Paul Yperman, you've got some competition (see previous entry, Star Wars LEGO Droid Ship). 15-year old Sven Junga's LEGO Stargate diorama (including a Daedalus from Stargate Atlantis) is nothing to shrug about. Incredibly impressive.
How To: Make boffer weapons using the latex methods
Want to go beyond the basics of larp weapon making? This tutorial shows you how to use latex and foam to make any sort of larp weapon you can imagine, from a sword to a spear to even a mace or halberd.
How To: Create a simple mold to cast a toy duplication
If you have a toy you love SO much, this video will show you how to create a simple mold so you can duplicate it! This simple how-to tells you what you'll need to get cloning today. This video will also tell you what can and can't be cloned.
How To: Modify your Nerf gun darts
See how to mod your Nerf gun's darts to be a little more painful than they should be. Those darts could either be just the foam they are, or the foam and pushpin they could be.
News: Wicked LEGO War Vehicle Crosses Chasms With Built-In Bridge
LEGO Technic builder Peer (Mahjqa) Kreuger has constructed the incredible Stilzkin Bridge Launcher, a vehicle modeled after real life ALVBs (Armoured vehicle-launched bridge).
How To: Make a bottle blast off with a simple rocket launcher
This tutorial video will teach you how to make a bottle blast off toy, which will fly into the sky with the aid of a very simple rocket launcher. This activity is great for children, and can help them learn about flight and flying. Make a bottle blast off with a simple rocket launcher - Part 1 of 4.
How To: Modify a Nerf Longshot CS-6 gun
Watch this informational two-part video on how to improve your Nerf gun. With a simple mod, you're Nerf gun will be better than all of the rest.