Hot Construction Toys Posts
News: LEGO 1858 Remington .45
Meticulously crafted LEGO replica of a Remington .45, circa the Wild Wild West, 1858. Created by Flickr user Arkov.
How To: Make a Lego balisong butterfly knife
Balisong knives, or butterfly knives, are folding pocket knifes with two handles that can counter rotate. People love performing tricks with them because of the balisong butterfly knife's flipping ability. Since knives aren't toys, make your balisong butterfly knife out of Legos. You still might hurt yourself, but not as badly as with the real thing. Learn how to build a Lego balisong butterfly knife by watching this video tutorial.
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 fast and easy tennis ball trebuchet
In this tutorial, we learn how to make a fast and easy tennis ball trebuchet. This tool will throw tennis balls easily so you can hit them without having a partner around. This only needs a few pieces of wood and 2x4's along with dumbbells. There isn't a whole lot to this, it's very simple to build. Use two 10 lb dumbbells clamped with a hose clamp onto the top of a 2x4. Use a dowel to go through this, so it will help it rotate. Down at the bottom is the release mechanism and on the sides wil...
How To: Make a short sword with a safe stabbing tip for boffer larping
This tutorial shows you how to make a very safe short sword with a stabbing tip that will pass safety inspection for most games. You'll need filament tape, cloth tape, glues and adhesives, a fiberglass or graphite core and foam coating.
How To: Construct your own replica of a keyblade out of craft foam
If you're looking for how to make the perfect cosplay prop, this tutorial is for you! You can construct your own replica keyblade! You'll need some heavy craft foam to sketch out the keyblade design, and then a sharp craft knife to cut it out. Then cover it and paint!
How To: Construct a basic boffer longsword using a foam noodle
This tutorial shows you a very basic method to create an effective boffer sword using PVC pipe, a foam noodle, duct tape and some open-cell foam for a stabbing-safe tip. You're also shown a good method for constructing the hilt. This is a great tutorial for anyone looking to make a foam sword for their favorite boffer larp!
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...
How To: Make an easy switch blade knife
This is an easy to follow step by step video explaining how to make a switch blade out of easy to find objects. This is not a real knife but still has the function of a switchblade.
How To: Make a steamboat with copper, a candle, & a bottle
First, cut a plastic bottle down the middle the long way. Next, put a little candle in one of the halves.
How To: Make a jumping paper clip toy
How to make an amazing toy: Let me show you how to make it in ONE minute with TWO paper clips, it can jump up to 2 meters high.
News: Magnets, Sticks, and Sugru Combine to Make an Awesome DIY Construction Toy
With just sticks, some magnets, and a bit of Sugru, you too can be the proud owner of an awesome set of magnetic construction toys! The idea is very straightforward. Simply bond magnets onto the tips of thin sticks using Sugru, but the results look like a whole lot of fun.
How To: Make armor out or Sintra and Rub'n'Buff
Make your own armor with a weathered look out of Sintra (or expanded PVC foam). You'll need a heat gun, a padded cushion, paper towels, rub'n'buff in silver leaf, a knife, a marking pencil, water and a can of spray primer. Trace your piece onto the Sintra, then use the heat gun to shape it. Useful for costumes, Halloween or larps.
News: This LEGO Mindstorms Submersible Can Be Piloted by Your Xbox Controller
Making little robots with a LEGO Mindstorms NXT set is already cool, but putting one underwater? Now that's just crazy. That didn't stop this engineer, who built a LEGO submarine that can not only maneuver around his fish tank, but can also be remotely controlled with his Xbox controller. The craft has a sealed battery compartment, exposed Power Functions motors, and features real-time communication between it and a laptop using a NXTbee wireless module.
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: Get the right materials together to start making foam boffer weapons
A valuable tutorial for the aspiring foamsmith, this tutorial shows you how to to start building boffer weapons out of foam and latex by starting with the right materials. From cores to tapes to adhesives, this video shows you what to get and what to avoid.
How To: Turn a paper clip into a jumping toy
Forget school boredom again… a mere paper clip will keep you entertained in study hall, all the time! This video will show you how to make a cool little jumping toy with a paperclip of any size. It's shaped like a triangle and jumps pretty far!
How To: Make a duct tape backpack
Are you a regular backpack user? Do you tire of that generic Jansport look that seems to be all your low backpack-budget will buy you? Do you want to rock something a bit more distinctive without breaking the bank? Do you like duct tape? Then look no further! This 2-part video provides wonderfully detailed instructions for making a full-sized backpack out of only 45 yards of duct tape! A must for the DIY-happy student-about-town.
How To: Power a toy car with a balloon
Karthik Raj and Nishant explained about a air balloon car in this video. You just need 4 or more things to make the air balloon car. You need two rubber bands, one pen, two toy cars, and one air balloon exactly to do this air balloon car. First of all, you just take the air balloon and fix it one side of the pen which is opened two sides. Next place the pen on the top of the toy car and tie with a rubber band and make sure that the rubber band is in the middle of the toy care and not in the t...
How To: Make a Lego crossbow
The girl in this video demonstrates the way of making a LEGO crossbow at home. She first shows you what all pieces that you require for the process. Then she asks you pick up the rod-shaped piece and stick it to the back of the spark piece. Then you have to put the two tiny pieces together as shown by her. Then she asks you to attach this piece to the stick and push it all the way to the end touching the spark piece. Then you have to stick the two horn-shaped pieces to the sides of another pi...
News: 4500 Brick LEGO Pop-Up
YouTube user Talapz has built a LEGO Pop-up Buddhist temple. Jaw dropping construction. Made from 4500 bricks, the structure is a representation of actual temple Kinkaku-ji (video below): Previously, Lego Mindstorms Puts the Fun Back Into Number Two.
How To: Build a lego Link from Zelda with a master sword
Make a lego Link from Zelda with a master sword, just use the lego pieces in this video.
How To: Build a cd/dvd case mod
Check out this video to learn how to hack a cd/dvd case to hold valuables like flashlights, knives, and lasers.
How To: Make a DVD or CD holder from old records
Use old vinyl plates to craft this retro DVD or CD case rack.
How To: Build a Lego Link
See how to build Link, the hero from Nintendo's Legend of Zelda video games out of legos!
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...
How To: Make a homemade airgun or "airzooka"
This video shows you how to make your own airzooka with supplies found around the house. By no means is this the definitive model you can build, it just a start. Things can always be improved.
How To: Make a Lego sword
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to make a LEGO sword. LEGO consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts. This video is very short and only lasts for 35 seconds. It is very basic and easy to follow. This LEGO construction is very simple, fast and easy to do. There are only 3 pieces required to make the LEGO sword. It does not matter what color the pieces are. This video will benefit those viewers who enjoy pl...
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 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.
News: Hack a Nerf gun for superior fire power
Store bought Nerf guns don't always achieve the velocity necessary for an effective assault. Zach Scott's solution: mod the toy. Known for his fantastic cat videos, Zach claims this hack increases trajectory by at least 25%! Every bit counts when you're in an all out foam war.
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: Make a Tesla vortex
Take a journey to the center of a vortex. A beautiful whirlpool is created by the magnetic coupler inside a tall CD cover, driven by the Tesla CD Turbine on faucet water pressure.
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?
News: Full-Sized Mechanical Skeeball Machine Built Entirely Out of K'Nex—And It Works!
If you played with K'Nex as a kid (or still do), you know that it can take a lot of those tiny little pieces to build something. Just imagine how many it must have taken to make this full-sized, fully functional, coin-operated skeeball machine with a mechanical score counter. Instructables user Shadowman39 (aka Kyle) spent an entire year building this masterpiece. It's the same size as the ones you see in arcades, and it's coin operated, too. But don't try to feed it your pennies, it knows th...
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 coreless punch shield for boffer combat
Construct your own shield for use in boffer combat! This tutorial shows you how to construct your own large punch shield out of several layers of blue camp foam, a length of PVC for the handle, a measuring tape and some DAP adhesive.
How To: Make an easy and eco-friendly spell packet for a larp mage
This tutorial shows you how to make spell packets. It's designed for NERO, but many larps use the same rules. All you need is a square of natural fiber cloth (like cotton), some birdseed (or rice or crushed walnut shells or any biodegradable matter) and a rubber band.
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 spinning tops with everyday objects
In this tutorial, we learn how to build spinning tops with everyday objects. You will need: round recyclable plastic lids, skewers, hot glue gun, and washers or pennies. First, take your plastic lid and weight it with a penny, then poke a skewer through the middle of it. After this, you will have a top made out of homemade products! You can use anything that is laying around your home to make a top, no matter what it is. Just make sure you have something to place int he middle and the weight ...