The Thoughtful Tinkerer - Make Homemade Devices For The Fun Of
It
I've always liked to make gadgets and gizmos that have some
function, either useful or not so useful. It started with the
simple things that many kids make - slingshots, a simple bow and
arrow, a toy boat. Occasionally I made more involved items such
as a canoe and a dune buggy. Then there was the grass hut - 12
feet across, octogonal in shape, and thatched top to bottom with
a thick layer of grass. I built it in a remote location, near a
stipmine filled with water. Hauled the cut grass in a 1972
Volkswagon convertible with the top down. Piled the grass high
in the back seat. It must have taken a dozen trips back and
forth from a nearby hay field.
Simple things appeal to me more than costly homemade items. A
small project lets me pursue an interest without interfering
with other goals. A project with a small amount of time invested
seems more like entertainment.
So now when I don't feel motivated to do more practical things I
often turn to an idea about some device or other that I've
wanted to try making but never got around to.
I can recall many such improvised devices that gave me
satisfaction and enjoyment. Each project gives me something to
be proud of and relief from the tedium that often must be
endured with more practical endeavors.
Ideas for things to make come from many places. Most often the
idea comes from some need. I do a lot of keying of text using a
computer keyboard. I tend to keep the room temperature a bit
cool, cool enough that my hands become uncomfortable. I ended up
rigging a length of electrical heating tape wound in a large
coil-shape to surround the keyboard. Tying the heat tape to a
large piece of cardboard keeps it in place. It does a nice job
of keeping my hands warm. I can leave the room temperature set
where I want it. As far as I know, you can't buy anything like
that.
As we build and invent, we become more able to manipulate the
physical things that are around us. We gain pride in our ability
to do so.
The thoughtful tinkerer comes to understand that even simple
things are complex. And what is complex can be summarized in
simple terms. This understanding inspires appreciation and
enjoyment of the physical world.
Both intuition and logic are used to make a homemade gizmo. The
more the two abilities are used together, the more powerful the
combination becomes. A strong partnership of reason and
creativity helps a person to produce and enjoy life.
It is fun and satisfying to conjure up and build simple devices.
Those created items command more appreciation than more casually
acquired, purchased items. And it feels good proving that
imagination and ingenuity can make life better. Having witnessed
first-hand the process of invention, we wonder what other things
we can achieve.
My interest in making my own devices could lead to a new career.
I've written a couple of books based on this topic. It's too
soon to say whether sales of the books will create a significant
income. But at least I've followed a dream. Hopefully, those
books will give something of value to other people who share an
interest in my particular type of creativity. Certainly, I have
gotten a great deal of satisfaction.
About the author:
Alan Detwiler is the author of the ebook "Homemade Devices For
Inventive Teens". He has a web site about homemade items at
http://www.makegizmos.com
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