Electronic Component Abbreviations

Here’s a list of common abbreviations for electronic components on circuit boards (PCBs). AE Aerial (antenna) B Battery BR Bridge rectifier C Capacitor D, CR Diode DSP Digital signal processor F Fuse FET Field effect transistor IC integrated circuit J…

Artistic Styles Worksheet for Children

Use this worksheet to help teach your kids about some famous artists and their styles. There are eight artists featured on the first two pages, along with eight of their paintings, a photo, and some basic information about the artistic…

Grasshopper Pirates Fanwear

If you happen to have a soccer team called the Grasshopper Pirates, then this fanwear is for you. If you don’t have a soccer team with that very specific and unusual name, then you might want to wear this stuff…

The Pied Piper’s Magic!

Come read the latest exciting release from JEF Press in this illustrated thriller by Jacob. “It’s a real page-turner!” exclaimed the author’s mother. “You’ll be on the edge of your seat until the surprise ending,” suggests his father. According to…

$2 Hot Wire Foam Cutter

Here’s a hot wire foam cutter that I made from scraps, following a general design I saw in Make magazine a couple years ago. I picked up 20 feet of 30-gauge nichrome (nickel chromium) wire on ebay for $2.09, shipping…

How to Make a Pen from Start to Finish

Here’s a 20-minute video of the entire pen-making process — everything from selecting the wood to preparing the blanks, through to turning the pen on the lathe, finishing it to a shine, and assembling it. Virtually none of the process…

Rubber Band Gun

Okay, let’s get some parenting concerns out of the way first: I believe that a rubber band gun is probably one of the safest ways to teach a kid a bit about gun safety, partly because it actually shoots something…