A few years we saw an interesting video by Grant Thomson using an old microwave transformer to melt some things. We liked the idea, and since we have a lot of old microwaves lying around here we thought it would be cool to make a spot welder.
Ion Thruster
An ion thruster is a type of electrical propulsion system used for spacecraft propulsion capable of creating thrust by accelerating ions. Back in June 2015, I remember seeing this demonstration for the first time on Makezine, by Alexander Reifsnyder. I thought it was amazing for its scientific value and at the same time quite easy to build, so me and Hugo thought we could make our own version of it, using 3D printed parts.
Geodesic Dome
A few weeks before Lisbon Maker Faire we were discussing about the projects we would present this year. We wanted to take there something big, something different, and then it came to us, what about a geodesic dome? As we were working on the SatNOGS project, which we will post soon, we came across the domes for protecting the antennas, basically a radome. It started out as a crazy idea, but eventually we thought it was simple enough for us to do it in a short amount of time, using 3D printed connectors and PVC pipes and clamps. Sponsored by Grupo Rolear!
3D Printed DNA Lamp
This is a project I have made for the Instructables 3D Printing Contest. I was browsing online for some 3D designs when I found a DNA strand, and I noticed that when I rotated it, it created a weird hypnotising upwards and downwards effect, so I thought it would be cool to take advantage of that effect and use it on something, then came the idea of making a lamp. This will be a small summary, since the full article can be found on Instructables. And STLs can be found on My Mini Factory.
Self Balancing Robot
The digital gyroscope is a very interesting component due its usage in modern systems such as smartphones or aircraft industries.
To participate on Lisbon Maker Faire 2014 we developed the Self Balancing Robot [SBR], which uses this amazing component, and helps to understand the principles behind the Segway vehicles.
Tesla Coil
Probably the most dangerous project we ever built in eLab, but still, also one of the funniest! The Tesla Coil, an air core electrical resonant transformer, invented by Nikola Tesla at the end of the XIX century, able to generate high voltages at high frequencies, resulting in electrical discharges just like small lightning.
Lisbon Mini Maker Faire 2014
With Lisbon Maker Faire 2015 almost here, we feel like now it’s the perfect time to remember last year’s event!
Maker Faire is the greatest show and tell in the world! Originally created by Maker Media , it’s an event to celebrate arts, crafts, engineering and science projects associated with the Do It Yourself (DIY) movement where the main focus is the sharing of knowledge, experiences and ideas.
We Are Winners!
It is with immense pleasure that we announce that we are one of the winners of the Instructables 3D Printing Contest, having won a new 3D Printer! This contest was a partnership between Instructables and 3D Hubs, and it was the biggest 3D printing contest ever done, giving away 13 amazing printers!
UAlg Summer Courses 2015
The University of Algarve has just organized the 3rd edition of the UAlg Summer Courses. These offer the young students insight over many different areas like art & design, sciences, communications, sports, economy, management & tourism, engineering, medicine and sociology.
eLab Hackerspace had the opportunity to contribute to the event with a DIY PCB fabrication workshop as well as a small project presentation. Continue reading UAlg Summer Courses 2015
LulzBot TAZ 4: Unboxing and review
Now this is one of the most exciting posts we ever wrote! The long awaited unboxing and review of our newly awarded TAZ 4 3D printer by LulzBot in their 4th Annual Hackerspace Giveaway!
We were all here pretty excited when we got the terrific news that our Hackerspace had been one of the winners! So, obviously everybody in eLab wanted to be here for the grand unraveling and “test drive” of our new 3D printer, after all it felt like an amazing Christmas morning 😛