Machines That Fire, Float, Walk, Fly: 20 DIY Projects to Make

If you like making things, the 18 machines featured in this book cover a wide range of interests and skill levels, and every one does something when it's completed--whether it's flying, floating, walking, or talking.

From a tiny balloon-powered boat that will entrance a toddler to a light-following robot, there's something here to cover every mood and all abilities. There are simple projects that you can make with children, and more complex ones that you can take on yourself; machines that call for team effort and others that are definitely for days when you want to embark on a solitary enterprise. Most have elements that you can show off to an admiring audience when they're completed, like the huge hot-air balloon that you can send floating up into an evening sky, or Stomper, the tiny dancing robot. The detailed step-by-step instructions hold your hand along the way, whether you're sawing wood or putting a circuit board together, ensuring that every project reaches a successful and enjoyable conclusion.

--Inventive ideas that really work, from an electronic music box to a lemon cannon
--With fully-illustrated, easy-to-follow instructions and back-up advice on any technique that may be unfamiliar
--Affordable components combined with flair and imagination guarantee some truly impressive results

Contributors:

ALAN and GILL BRIDGEWATER are writers, illustrators, and producers of highly successful DIY books on a range or subjects, including furniture making, woodcarving, and mechnical models. They have also contributed to a variety of DIY and craft magazines.

GLYN BRIDGEWATER studied furniture design at the Royal College of Art in London. He has written for Woodworker and is coauthor of How to Make Simple Wooden Puzzles & Jigsaws and, with his brother Julian, The Boxcart Bible.

JULIAN BRIDGEWATER previously worked as an electrician and plumber. An engineering graduate, he currently is the projects manager for an international marine construction company and is the coauthor of The Boxcart Bible.

PAUL CLARK has been creating model rockets for over thirty years for international competitions and also commercial model rocket kits. He is the founder of the British Space Modeling Association.

IAN LAMBERT is a trained engineer with a particular enthusiasm for machines that fire and fly. He is the founder of Science Wizards, a company that performs live science experiments for entertainment and education around the U.K.

MIKE RIGNALL has worked in electronic engineering for over half a century. Now retired, he continues to work in electronics as a hobby and also designs homemade cameras for Amateur Photographer magazine.