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For Medieval Armor: The Armour of English Knight, by Dr Tobias Capwell, vol 1 is out but limited editions left, vol 2 is out now, vol 3 coming out end of 2022/start 2023. It includes inscriptions by modern armourers on how pieces may have been constructed and fitted together, plus full body line drawings of full harnesses.
I feel like the question on the EMP switch was actually asking about features such as sound fx, lights etc so that when used it would be more of an experience-just as how the ghostbusters proton packs usually have sound fx and lights built in....
The reason I asked Alton Brown about the food was because at the time I was a heavy equipment operator and spent 12-16 hours a day running everything from 100 ton cranes to bulldozers and would often use the engine bay to cook my food on. I even made several stainless steel containers that fit specific places depending on the amount of heat. Glad you enjoyed the question.
The Ford Model T had an amazing number of bolt-on accessories, including a small oven that attached to the engine. It was precisely for what Adam described, but it couldn’t hold a modern turkey.
I have a 1947 Chevy and it has over 200 add on's I don't have any of them but I have a book that shows all the extra accessories you could have ordered when buying the Car new. Some people will pay big money to have that extra add on if they are looking for it.
I've never seen you do any blacksmithing, but "recipes in iron" by Francis Whitaker is still talked about as one of the most important blacksmithing books out there. Francis Whitaker while being an amazing blacksmith himself established a school in Carbondale Colorado.
"The Forging Handbook" was also a good read, even though it is more of a textbook for a factory manager than a maker's manual. How different forges and furnaces work, chemistry in the atmosphere of a furnace, rules for supporting and upsetting work, and even cost engineering were all interesting.
i have this book! I think on a recommendation from your channel. I recently picked up a book called "Laboratory Apparatus and Reagents" from Arthur H Thomas Company. It has lots of great drawings of apparatus and has helped me figure out the names of a few things, and discover some new ones.
Came here for this. Glad you beat me to it. There's just the right amount of madness to that book. I had more written here, but I'll leave it was that.
For the EMP button, it would be easy enough to add sound to add that extra level of immersion. If you were to integrate it into the shop, it should only turn the lights off, not on.
It needs to be made into a "...portable enticement snare', without the chloroform of course, with a label that says "do not touch", and then when someone cannot help but activate it the lights in that room go out and a klaxon starts to sound.
This, plus a sound box with some shutting down sounds. And use it to entertain yourself at the expense of anyone who hasn’t been in your shop before lol
“The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships” by C. Nepean Longridge. Back in the 90s I was really into Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series and started buying related biographies and histories. Written for model makers, “Anatomy” is an incredible reference on how 18th Century warships were made and how to reproduce them at a much smaller scale.
Hidden doors are cool. My dad built one in the house I grew up in. The face of friends/guests was priceless as you appeared through the hidden door of the wall of books that they had obviously spent time looking at.
When I worked for Michael Whitely the prop maker in London he had a tonne of National Geographic covering years and years. There were photos of almost everything on the planet in at least one of the copies. Might have taken a while but I’d always find something for reference there.
A maker book that I found really interesting was "Structural Packaging: Design your own Boxes and 3D Forms" by Paul Jackson. Great reference for designing strong and beautiful boxes and the 2D templates to make them.
Mine favorite maker book is one of the first I ever bought. It’s the “Handbook of Model Rocketry” by G. Harry Stine. It took me from seeing a model rocket fly one time and wanting to have a go myself, to fully understanding the science of rocketry in all scales. The author was quick to point out that this is a small rocket your making, not a toy rocket. It’s the real thing. It answered many questions I didn’t know I needed to know… for example, why does a weather vane point into the wind and now with the wind. Excellent beginner to expert book and very well written.
Based on the comment Adam made in an earlier video about treadle tools, he might be interested in the Foxfire Series for collection of older making documentation. I inherited one of my grandfather's, but I think my father has the full set. It is a collection of articles on Appalachian life including many preindustrial household making activities. The volume I have has an article on furniture making.
Seconded. I inherited the first four volumes from my grandma, and they're great. Especially impressive because it's all compiled and written by highschoolers. (And the magazine is still running!)
John Louis Feirer Cabinetmaking and Millwork, Fifth Edition 5th Edition Clearly the best book on woodworking tools. It will show you ways to use major power tools in ways you never thought.
I did a BA hons (in the UK) in faux finishing, so the reference book I got at the time was “The Art of Faux” a lot of the techniques, tools and materials used would be transferable to distressing and ageing in your makes. Who would have thought stale beer would be good binder for pigments…
I am a theatre prop master with 30+ years in the business. My list of "maker books" is as long as my arm, but I was thinking about a few of the more obscure ones: The Wood Book by Hough, Roemyn Beck (a book with hundreds of pictures of different types of wood), Figure Making Can Be Fun?!?: A complete guide to making a professional ventriloquist figure. by Michael Brose (This is a great intro to a lot of concepts like simple hand operated automations and casting,) Decorative Draperies & Upholstery by Thorne & Frohne (a hard book to find in good shape and not a lot of $$$, but a great book for research.)
You asked about a tome we own for making. I was a Boy Scout and for most of my childhood a friend’s copy of “The Ashley Book of Knots” was the end-all be-all of books for a Boy Scout. Could i have made it to Eagle without it, sure, but having more knowledge was great.
The Museum of London has a great series on medieval artefacts. My two favorites are "Knives and Scabbards" and "Medieval Dress Accessories". They are mostly catalogs of finds from around London but also have some fantastic commentary about trends, methods, etc., from curators and researchers. Everything has measurements and materials and where they were found and estimated dates, with methodology for how they determine those things.
It's super cool to see you have Oakeshott's book. You should come visit Minneapolis sometime and see those swords in person. You wouldn't think his collection would be in Minnesota, but it sure is. The owner of Arms and Armor in Minneapolis was friends with Ewart Oakeshott. The swords are now held in trust by the Oakeshott Institute in Minneapolis. They are super rad and bring swords out to local sword fighting events and classrooms and let people hold the swords, with special gloves of course. They're also experienced crafters, historians, and fencers.
The "patterns of fashion" series (started and largely written by janet arnold) is an astonishingly detailed resource for historically-informed costumes!!!! There are 5 in the series (i believe...they may already have announced 6?) but they're all HIDEOUSLY expensive and several are hard to find
HENLEY'S FORMULAS, RECIPES AND PROCESSES -- this and the FOXFIRE volumes were books I frequently borrowed from my local library when growing up. Very much "maker" books. Also loved Forrest Mimms' books he wrote for Radio Shack, too.
I second the recommendation for "The Engineer's Notebook" by Mimms (and all the mini-notebooks). I had lots of fun breadboarding those circuits as a kid.
@@dwall0 the mini notbooks are just the chapters of the big book separated out. Of course I didn't realize that until I got it after I had all of the minis.
Favorite maker book is Swedish Carving Techniques by Wille Sundqvist. A fantastic reference for anything related to carving/whittling (especially whittling spoons). Goes over common tools of the trade, tool maintenance (especially sharpening), and various techniques one can use when whittling a variety of objects. A book that inspired many others.
I wouldn't be surprised if you already have a copy but the first thing that comes to my mind for old maker's books would be the "Mechanick Exercises: Or The Doctrine Of Handy-Works" written by Jospeh Moxon in the 1680s. It's mostly on woodworking and carpentry iirc but there's also a section on blacksmithing.
It might not be something you' need often, but a CRC (Chemical Rubber Company) Handbook is a beautiful reference. Chemical properties and compatibilities, mathematical formulae, etc. And for a more fanciful interpretation of the question, consider "How to Invent Everything" by Ryan North.
I would wire the EMP button to kill the shop lights (only for like 5 seconds). Use an OMRON A2W wireless/batteryless switch and receiver (or similar kinetic powered switch) so that when you have guests, you can show off the button and even hand it to them and when they press the seemingly inert switch, it kills all the lights.
Or, leave it on a shelf/desk, as people are ever so inclined to fiddle with buttons and switches, especially attached to innocuous boxes... Then, when someone DOES trigger it, run up to them saying: "OH NO! You tripped it?? *_Please_* tell me your phone was off?!?! 😟" 😅
You could make the big visible throw switch close a low voltage DC circuit, which then activates a mains power AC circuit via a relay. That way, the exposed contacts of the switch always remain generally safe to touch. If you don't like the idea of an exposed and active circuit (which could also accidentally be closed by anything conductive, not just the throw arm) you could instead embed a magnet in the throw arm, and hide a reed switch or Hall effect sensor in the switch body, and activate the relay that way.
Place a normal AC pushbutton switch in one of the the gaps in the on position that is pushed by the handle. Colour matched it won't be visible. Or a switch with a lever that extends into one of the hinges.
Adam, I would absolutely love to see you do a vid where you bring out and briefly review your favorite Maker books, plus a list of any others on a page on Tested. I am always on the hunt for good books.
Dunno how much they can be considered 'maker' books by current definitions, but in the woodworking mold: "Ingenious Mechanicks" by Christopher Schwarz. It's a super cool retrospective of old work holding methods for woodworking. The second is perhaps one of the oldest sets of 'maker' books: L’Art du Menuisier (The Art of the Carpenter) by Andre Roubo.
My favourite maker book is the exercise book my great great grandfather used when learning how to become a rigger for fighter planes in the first world war. Such lovely diagrams and details into the world of a maker from that period of time. I was fortunate enough to be able visit his collection of diaries in the reading room at the RAF museum in London to take measurements, reference images, and have all his diaries and this exercise book scanned so that I could create a set of replica books to distribute amongst my family. One of my most satisfying projects to date!
My favourite and most useful book is "Fabric for Fashion: The Swatch Book" by Amanda Johnston and Clive Hallett. It's full of real fabric swatch samples.
I would absolutely *love* 😘 an Adam Savage Maker's Library video!!! I need a new list of books 📚 to hunt down for Christmas and my birthday for myself. 😆
The maker book that got me into engineering was "Boomerangs - making and throwing them" by Herb A Smith. I must have bought a copy around 1978. It was privately published, but Herb's widow allowed a scan to be uploaded and you can download a free copy from the flight-toys website. About 10 years ago I wrote my own maker book about paper hot air balloons. The publisher loved it, but sales for maker books were really low! It was the best gig I ever had though. I work in engineering design, but I never get quite as much of a kick out of designing a new microscope widget as I did writing about tissue paper balloons! Clive Catterall
Listening to the library thing makes me think of something you could do if you wanted the "fake door with books" aesthetic, but didn't have enough space to hide a secret room: Make the secret door basically hinge out and open all the way, such that you shut the front face of the bookshelf onto the front face of the bookshelf next to it (and vice-versa). On the inside is another bookshelf; this gets you extra book-storage space in a relatively compact place, and it has the "Oh yeah! That's great!" of a hidden doorway, only it's a hidden bookshelf behind another bookshelf. Possibly you could even make it so that both shelves hinge out onto the other in that manner.
When I was 12 I discovered a well-worn copy of The American Boy's Handy Book by Daniel Carter Beard. It was first published in 1882 and was full of amazing illustrations and schematics and instruction on a myriad of subjects like making fishing poles, Tom Sawyer rafts, telescopes, a perfect snowball and snow fort, and even homemade fireworks! I acquired a reprint in the 1990s, and still occasionally use it. Highly recommend it.
Laura Kampf made a power switch for her shop that turned power on when she hung her keys from a hook y the door, and turned everything off when she took her keys. I suspect she has a 2nd set of keys if she ever needs to use the keys and have the shop powered up at the same time.
To answer Adam's question, one of my go-to reference books as a maker is The Cosplayer's Essential Guide: Volume One: The Monster Maroon. It's a reference guide for making a replica of the maroon uniform worn in Star Trek II thru Star Trek VII. While it's not written by a sewist so the sewing instructions aren't perfect, it does offer an incomparable source of the designer-intended and community-accepted measurements for all the details of the uniform along with examples of the customizability of division colours and other insignia.
I remember enjoying "The Nature of Design" and "The Nature and Art of Workmanship" from David Pye. Also unrelated to making, but I would recommend "Rimowa: An archive since 1898", I've never seen the book, but while working with them they sent all the archival images for reference. Some of those suitcases have been in a plane crash and never been open since recovery (so I've been told). That weathering really pops in those beautiful archival pictures, good inspiration for when you need to design an object that would gladly show its age.
There is a book that was published by locomotive engineers that detailed how they cooked on the trains. The original was for steam engines. A later version was for diesel electrics. Had instructions of where in the engine compartment to put it and for how long based on the throttle setting (notch # I believe is the term)
My favorite makers book is "On divers arts" written by Theophilus around 1120AD. Not just as a historical resource, but the way it's written, it makes it a very enjoyable read on it's own. Particularly the chapter dedicated at describing in full detail the horrors you will face if you want to be a bronze caster is fantastic (and very recognizable;)). Also, on one hand it's written as clear and practical instructions that you can understand as a maker, there are parts where he goes off in ludicrous mythical directions, where I have suspicion that the Theophilus is just having a laugh.
People like this often wrote things from sources that were not firm. Herodotus in one chapter concludes a long section with something like "but I don't believe it"
Katherine Strand Holkeboer “Patterns for Theatrical Costumes: Garments, Trims, and Accessories from Ancient Egypt to 1915” just perfect broad overview great for modifying extant garments or a quick and dirty Pennsic garb.
The first book that came to mind was The Amateur Scientist (C L Strong) As a teenager in the 60’s the Amateur Scientist was where I started each Scientific American issue. I loved that it covered so many different areas that I interested me. When I discovered there was whole book collecting these projects I checked it out from the library so many times. I’m sure you know this one but I had to share.
As a model railroader, Track Planning for Realistic Operation by John Armstrong is my primary go to reference. I'm on my third copy of the book because I use it so much I've worn it out twice.
I'm not sure if this technically counts as a "maker tome" but here goes: How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way by John Buscema and Stan Lee. I know there are literally millions of books that teach drawing, and hundreds of thousands of them are almost certainly held in higher esteem, but this was the book that provided one of my first "Eureka!" moments as a young artist. It was written in language that was easy to understand and also energizing and motivational for the reader (at least I found it so). I practiced the lessons in it constantly, and for some time I was frustrated, because even so, my results weren't what I was hoping for. But then when I was 17, our art class had a live model for the very first time. The moment my brain applied all those lessons to a live model standing in front of me, it was like all the tumblers in the lock that was preventing my progress suddenly aligned. Everything suddenly "clicked". I still give that book out as a gift whenever I meet a young artist at the beginning of their journey. I've easily bought over a dozen copies of that book in my lifetime, gifting them to nieces, nephews, and friends' kids.
Not necessarily a “makers” book, but a book that was my dad’s, then he gave it to me when I was 16 is the 1977 or 1978 “Reader’s Digest Fix-It-Yourself Manual” How to repair, clean, and maintain anything and in and around your home. It’s served me well even though it was 20 years old when I got it.
The EMP button needs to function as intended: to immediately CUT the power to a device or machine. So having it as an emergency cut-off switch to the lathe, table saw, etc. might be a good use for it.
I do want to make a knife switch for my lights. Thinking about what my requirements would be: It must be an actual knife switch, not just a fancy handle for a normal plastic light switch. Has to look dangerous without actually being dangerous. I think I'd hide a relay and low voltage DC power supply behind the knife switch's base plate, so the electrical contact of the knife switch actually does something. Maybe add some capacitors so that it sparks when you close the contacts.
I know that I am a few days late to the party. My favorite maker book is just call Wood Carving. Printed by Sunset publishing back in the 1950s and reprinted into the 1970s. I have my grandfather's copy and a backup I found somewhere. It has some of the clearest images for teaching basic chip carving and whittling. It also has a great list of woods that gives a description of the grain structure and possible uses for woodworkers. It has been immensely helpful in my decades of creating in wood.
As someone who once lived in an old house with glass fuses and a knife switch for the mains power supply reaching for that switch in the dark when you've dropped and broken your flashlight is terrifying.
My grandfather's farmhouse five miles outside Nacogdoches TX was electrified by the ERA in the 30's. The entire house was fed through a small knife switch and two glass Edison-based plug fuses. When a thunderstorm neared, they would open the switch to prevent lightning damage. Of course when lightning wants in, a tiny 2" gap is not going to do a thing to save you. In the end, the place was not done in by fire, but the inevitable economic pressure of expanding residential suburbia.
favorite maker library books you might not have: The Anarchist's Toolchest by Christopher Schwarz, How To Make a Chair from a Tree by Jennie Alexander, Automata and Mechanical Toys by Rodney Peppe, 507 Mechanical Movements: Mechanisms and Devices by Dover, and Make Ink: A Forager’s Guide to Natural Inkmaking by Jason Logan
I can't imagine that you don't already own them, because I know you like cooking, but Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking" is spectacular and "The Flavor Bible" (authors names escape me) is indispensible for coming up with fun food flavor combinations and general understanding of how flavor pairings work.
I always find diving into the Makers Mark ...leads me into amazing feelings and thoughts. Taking in the Makers Mark at night not only helps my creativity but also helps me sleep.
Bittersweet Country by Ellen Gray Massey and her students is one of my favorites. Its a excellent record of making in the early 19th century Ozarks. "This is a large collection of personal recollections, stories, and records of how people in the Ozarks lived several generations ago. These are first hand recollections, most of the people recorded in this work are no longer with us. This is a story of wisdom, how-to-do-it on nothing and more."
40 years ago I was hitchhiking the West Coast when I was picked up by a older man in an older Chevy pick up truck with a camper. Driving from Santa Rafael to Eugene, he asked if I was staying for dinner! Somewhere north of Garberville, maybe at Weott, he stopped. Under his hood he had a pressure cooker sitting in a bracket attached to the engine! Perfect beef stew, piping hot!
As for a maker book, dunno if you would count it but one of my most treasured possessions is a Popular Mechanics Do-it-yourself Encyclopedia. It's like 20 volumes and honestly I've always treasured the one with instructions on how to build a Pool Table. I will never have the space, skill, or tools to build one, but I still treasure those directions. As for the EMP button, maybe build a companion electromagnetic plate with a hovering widget and wire up the button so when you press it the plate loses power and the widget drops.
I know its a long shot, but it would be spectacular if we could get a list of Adam's Maker Library in his Adam Savage's Tested Amazon Profile. I'd spend days just going through the list and looking for books that would make my eyes light up with ideas.
Most useful reference I have even seen is called The Handbook of Ornament, by a guy named Hoffman, I think. It's Victorian, illustrated in Woodcuts. Dover has a reprint. It has just about every design motif, achitectural feature, or period hand prop anybody could ever want. Have you ever done a video on your maker's library? We'd love to see one...
"The Prop Builder's Molding & Casting Handbook" by Thurston James. Published in 1989, much of the content covers 'old school' methods and materials but all of it still works. What's "missing" is of course information on newer materials that have replaced some of what's covered in the book. TV and movie productions don't use candy or sugar glass anymore because it has to be heated, takes time to cool, can't be allowed to get wet, can attract ants, and despite being considered "safe" can still break with edges sharp enough to cut. The reusability aspect (sweep it up and remelt) is outweighed by the convenience of urethane resins formulated to break. There are resins that easily break into small chunks with dull edges, yet are waterproof and strong enough to withstand handling. There are also resins that stay soft like rubber yet can easily be crumbled to look like shattered tempered glass or crushed ice, and completely safe for actors to walk on barefoot or roll around on. A couple of products are from Smooth-On, Smash Plastic and Rubber Glass. Smash Plastic also has an advantage over candy glass in that it's possible to cast it into sheets and objects as smooth and clear as real glass so that it looks exactly like glass, especially with just a tiny bit of green dye.
The crossbow by Sir Payne-Gallwey (1903) It's the classic victorian source for the construction of medevial crossbows. His sources for details have that wonderfully vague gentlemanly sense of "oh I found it myself". He includes super useful blue prints including the Chinese repeating Crossbow that I'm sure was referenced on Mythbusters. Great book, super practical.
You could turn the wall in front of the toilet into a bookcase and the toilet door itself into a secret door. Making a secret door between the work space and the sitting space where the cabinets with the collections are wouldnt work that well because you would keep it open most of the time so it defeats the point of the secret door.
Tim McCreight's The Complete Metalsmith. Jewelry oriented but useful for so many things. There is a "how to" element to it, but there are tons of useful charts and lists. Traditional and modern symbological meanings of different stones, phase temperatures of many alloys, alternatives for expensive tools (e.g. how to de-gas molds without a vacuum system), lists of techniques with basic explanations, so much good stuff packed into a super practical spiral bound book meant for the workbench rather than the bookshelf. He also wrote Practical Casting, also excellent, mostly about small scale (jewelry, etc) metal casting, but other materials as well. He was a jewelry teacher and a lot of the info is perfect for a student or hobby level practitioner who can't go out and invest in industrial scale jewelry equipment right away.
A bit specific to my trade: Violin-making, as it was and is : being a historical, theoretical, and practical treatise on the science and art of violin-making, for the use of violin makers and players, amateur and professional / by Ed. Heron-Allen. Published 1884 (Not always appreciated by the critics, but when I was a student, it was about the nearest thing to a practical guide) I also highly recommend a volume you may well posses: The Ashley Book of Knots is an encyclopedia of knots written and illustrated by the American sailor and artist Clifford W. Ashley. Published 1944
My favorite maker book is "Working Wood: A Guide for the Country Carpenter" (1977) by Mike and Nancy Bubel. It's a practical guide to design and construction using found and salvaged materials. Dunno how useful it would be to you (the focus is on tools and buildings, which suits me fine here on the farm), but it's an entertaining read in its own right.
How about the Foxfire series for the reference library? Although, I suppose it is mostly geared towards people with minimal tools and little or no workshop.
My favorite book of tips right now is called 'Gunsmithing Kinks' By Bob Brownell. its a collection of tips in six volumes sent in by gunsmiths around America. Gun bluing? Spring making? Engraving? its all there.
ebay and amazon must LOVE it when you do episodes like this... "Hey, we just had a major run on 'maker' books." "Yeah, Adam Savage did an episode on books..."
I've seen multiple tools mentioned here get a cost spike on Amazon shortly afterwards. Similar with sites like America's Test Kitchen and other big channels making recommendations/etc.
@@tymmezinni Every time someone does a video featuring a tool from Harbor freight, that tool disappears from their stock for a several weeks. hard to hold it against Adam though... All the other guys, sure! But not Adam.
Quick response to the question at 1:10, The best book(s) I have on making / manufacturing are ACTUALLY my father's 1950s era college engineering & chemistry textbooks: They give a simple but detailed explanations about practical manufacturing - the engineering books explain-casting, milling, turning, lathing, swagging, drawing. There's another on joining- rivets, bolts & nuts, screws; soldering, brazing, and welding; gluing laps, joints, and pins; crimping, folding, and bending/breaks; threads & taps. The chemistry books are unlike any modern chemistry books- they explain WHY you use an acid to clean metal, and how it works. Explains why it is called "slaked lime" versus "lime" and how those various chemicals are used in practical, daily life; e.g. "soaps have two ends, one end that mixes into oil and one end the other end mixes into water, this means soap dissolves oil and grease into water when washing the dishes, or dissolves water into oil to prevent corrosion in machinery" It's a style of practical, common-sense writing that we just don't see anymore.
The book on paper airplanes you mention is The Great Paper Airplane Book. It was published by no less than Scientific American magazine based on the results of their paper airplane contest. I don't remember the exact year it came out. I used to have a copy, but whether I lost it in one of many moves since then or it's languishing in a box in the attic. I should go have a look.
While not maker-related, my favourite book for semi-obscure knowledge is my grandpa's old binder full of all of his notes and the manuals he kept from when he was an electrical engineer for the US Army. My favourite oddity inside it is the service manual for a Motorola television.
For the EMP button: Wire a remote switch into the main overhead lights and wire the remote inside the EMP button housing. That way the switch would appear to serve its desired function but leave all the auxiliary lighting alone. The switches are like $30 on Amazon.
Too many years ago, I worked with LASER cutting machines which requried extractor fans. The safety power switch for the extractor system was very similar to your EMP switch, just mounted to the wall and way less cool.
'Woodwork in Theory and Practice' by J. A. Walton. Basically the master-list of carpentry using Australian timbers, tool use and types, design consideration, the works. Worth every cent.
“The Traditional Bowyers Bible” is the gold standard for bow-making. Also, “Autoprogettazione” by Enzo Mari is a super interesting book from the 70s about how to make furniture if you have no experience and little money.
My grandparents were in an Airstream travel club. My grandfather once baked beef roast in the engine compartment of his GMC pickup during one of their trips. I didn't have the opportunity to taste for myself, but they were pretty impressed.
It's not an old book but Knife Engineering by dr. Larin Thomas is an incredible book about metallurgy of steel, blade geometry, carbide development, sharpness testing, hardness testing, it goes on and on. It's meant to be read front-to-back but it's incredibly rigorous and detailed. Great read and a great reference.
I am a model railroader. The book that I considered to be the Bible on my railroad is called "Track Planning for Realistic Operation" by John H Armstrong and published by Kalmbach. It has taught me so much on how to build a railroad to emulate realistic running. I know it is nothing in your realm of making, but it is something that I have found to be of great value to me.
My favorite maker book is starfleet technical manual by Franz Joseph. It is a must have if you want to make props and costumes from the original star trek series
Ah! I'm afraid I steal someone's thunder here, but I follow his daughter Karen Schnaubelt, who's a big name costumer. I wouldn't bet against Adam having met her at some point.
I would love a video of your top ten or 20 favorite reference books/tombs. I remember another video you did about a stage hands technical book or something to that nature. Would be great to have one video with a listing of them all.
Potato wrapped in aluminium foil on the exhaust header, Bit of butter & salt for seasoning 👌 Done this many a time and blown many minds on how great a feed it is.
The anarchist’s workbench by Chris Schwartz is a fantastic book from a smaller ‘modern maker’ so is essential joinery by Marc spagnolio (the wood whisperer). I know most jointers but sometimes when I have a problem I’ll just flip through and browse how it’s been done before.
I also share an affinity for old books, usually revolving around old textbooks and technical books as I have found them to be more thorough in detail. If you're looking for old "tomes" in making, I would propose "Ingenious Mechanisms for Designers and Inventors". I have Vol I & II from first edition, third printing ~1935, currently displayed on my bookshelf.
For reference manuals as a woodworker I have to say Robert W. Langs Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture (complete set of 4 books) as well as Popular Woodworking Magazine from the early 2000’s up until 2010 we’re really good.
It's less of a true "Makers book" but the book I have that has helped me think outside the box is "How Things Work in Your Home (and what to do when they don't)" circa 1977 from TIME Life books. Between learning how home stuff works and the inner workings of more advanced items like washers \ dryers it's helped me think abstractly through cosplay problems
Maker book- in the 70’s Carroll Smith wrote a series of books on motor racing. Prepare to Win is still my favorite. How to put something together that won’t break before the end of the race is the premise of the book, as are his others. Very easy reads
I've got two books that might qualify: vintage copies of The Art of Animation and How To Keep Your VW Alive. And also started collecting old cookbooks because they're awesome.
My cousins’ closets were connected by a secret passageway with a little alcove over the stairs leading to their bedrooms which we used as a clubhouse. And if I was designing my own house, it would have secret passageways galore.
One of the maker books that started me on my journey as a kid was the Star Trek TMP Make your own costume book I checked out from my local library in first grade. As a cosplayer I go for screen accuracy these days, but I still couldn't resist tracking down a copy of that book!
@@KougajiCalling Its so good. I still have the delta badge I made following the instructions in that thing. I remember hoping they'd put one our for Wrath of Khan when I was kid.
Maybe add a benign purpose, like the button is to shut off all machinery in the shop in the case of an emergency. It could be mounted and displayed in a way that can make it's use apparent while also looking awesome. It wouldn't need to be used regularly but it's purpose would be clear.
My fave maker books are quite specific: The Rocket Mass Heater Builder's Guide by Erica and Ernie Wisner, and Earthbag Building by Kaki Hunter and Donald Kiffmeyer.
My favorite "maker" book, if you can call it that, it's "Ship Models from Kits: Basic and Advanced Techniques for Small Scales" by David Griffith. If that's your lane like it is mine, model ships, it's invaluable as a reference. Well written, densely packed with tips and tricks, tons of photographs, 10/10 would recommend.
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Watch MythBusters on Discovery+ www.discoveryplus.com/ph/show/mythbusters-discovery-channel-ph
Love❤ from India🇮🇳.
For Medieval Armor: The Armour of English Knight, by Dr Tobias Capwell, vol 1 is out but limited editions left, vol 2 is out now, vol 3 coming out end of 2022/start 2023. It includes inscriptions by modern armourers on how pieces may have been constructed and fitted together, plus full body line drawings of full harnesses.
The button would be ideal for a safety cut off switch for equipment.
I feel like the question on the EMP switch was actually asking about features such as sound fx, lights etc so that when used it would be more of an experience-just as how the ghostbusters proton packs usually have sound fx and lights built in....
How about a SAFE knife switch that looks Frankensteinian, but is safe low voltage, operating a 120 VAC relay or something?
The reason I asked Alton Brown about the food was because at the time I was a heavy equipment operator and spent 12-16 hours a day running everything from 100 ton cranes to bulldozers and would often use the engine bay to cook my food on. I even made several stainless steel containers that fit specific places depending on the amount of heat. Glad you enjoyed the question.
In the entertainment lighting industry, the PAR can pizza is a staple amongst us lampies.
@@Rottwiler44 thanks
Gordon Ramsay did a video where he cooked a whole picnic dinner for his family under the hood of a car, on the way to their picnic.
@@greggv8 I'll have to go back and look for it. Thanks 👍 😊
As a glassblower we like to use our kilns! Super fast cooking😂👌🏾
The Ford Model T had an amazing number of bolt-on accessories, including a small oven that attached to the engine. It was precisely for what Adam described, but it couldn’t hold a modern turkey.
I have a 1947 Chevy and it has over 200 add on's I don't have any of them but I have a book that shows all the extra accessories you could have ordered when buying the Car new. Some people will pay big money to have that extra add on if they are looking for it.
We cooked a FULL CHICKEN in our TINY SAILBOAT FIREPLACE
24' Ranger boat
Antique turkeys are available, but not safe for consumption. 😉
@@jamesbarisitz4794 did you know 99% of people have never eaten a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving?
Pfffffftttbwuhahahahaha
@@snoopu2601 those accessory catalogs are the best time capsules to look through.
I've never seen you do any blacksmithing, but "recipes in iron" by Francis Whitaker is still talked about as one of the most important blacksmithing books out there. Francis Whitaker while being an amazing blacksmith himself established a school in Carbondale Colorado.
"The Forging Handbook" was also a good read, even though it is more of a textbook for a factory manager than a maker's manual. How different forges and furnaces work, chemistry in the atmosphere of a furnace, rules for supporting and upsetting work, and even cost engineering were all interesting.
"Building scientific apparatus". Maybe the most useful reference manual I've ever seen.
i have this book! I think on a recommendation from your channel. I recently picked up a book called "Laboratory Apparatus and Reagents" from Arthur H Thomas Company. It has lots of great drawings of apparatus and has helped me figure out the names of a few things, and discover some new ones.
I am particularly fond of the Ashley Book of Knots. Full of more than I could ever hope to learn about knots, splicing, weaving, etc.
Came here for this. Glad you beat me to it.
There's just the right amount of madness to that book. I had more written here, but I'll leave it was that.
As a librarian I so desperately want a through look of Adam’s maker library.
Same I need a full tour!
For the EMP button, it would be easy enough to add sound to add that extra level of immersion. If you were to integrate it into the shop, it should only turn the lights off, not on.
I was gonna suggest the button is only good for tripping all the breakers in the shop, but I guess turning off all the lights would be fine too.
I agree that it should only cut power. I suggested to use it as an E-stop for the big tools.
@@billdecat855 I had that thought too , but it's hard to just hit it in an emergency.
It needs to be made into a "...portable enticement snare', without the chloroform of course, with a label that says "do not touch", and then when someone cannot help but activate it the lights in that room go out and a klaxon starts to sound.
This, plus a sound box with some shutting down sounds. And use it to entertain yourself at the expense of anyone who hasn’t been in your shop before lol
“The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships” by C. Nepean Longridge. Back in the 90s I was really into Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series and started buying related biographies and histories. Written for model makers, “Anatomy” is an incredible reference on how 18th Century warships were made and how to reproduce them at a much smaller scale.
Hidden doors are cool. My dad built one in the house I grew up in. The face of friends/guests was priceless as you appeared through the hidden door of the wall of books that they had obviously spent time looking at.
When I worked for Michael Whitely the prop maker in London he had a tonne of National Geographic covering years and years. There were photos of almost everything on the planet in at least one of the copies. Might have taken a while but I’d always find something for reference there.
A maker book that I found really interesting was "Structural Packaging: Design your own Boxes and 3D Forms" by Paul Jackson. Great reference for designing strong and beautiful boxes and the 2D templates to make them.
Mine favorite maker book is one of the first I ever bought. It’s the “Handbook of Model Rocketry” by G. Harry Stine.
It took me from seeing a model rocket fly one time and wanting to have a go myself, to fully understanding the science of rocketry in all scales. The author was quick to point out that this is a small rocket your making, not a toy rocket. It’s the real thing.
It answered many questions I didn’t know I needed to know… for example, why does a weather vane point into the wind and now with the wind. Excellent beginner to expert book and very well written.
Oh man, memories of my childhood there.
Knew Stine, such a wonderful person to talk to. Read any and anything by him.
@@popguy2815 oh that’s really cool :)
I can imagine he would be great to talk to
Based on the comment Adam made in an earlier video about treadle tools, he might be interested in the Foxfire Series for collection of older making documentation. I inherited one of my grandfather's, but I think my father has the full set. It is a collection of articles on Appalachian life including many preindustrial household making activities. The volume I have has an article on furniture making.
Seconded. I inherited the first four volumes from my grandma, and they're great. Especially impressive because it's all compiled and written by highschoolers. (And the magazine is still running!)
John Louis Feirer
Cabinetmaking and Millwork, Fifth Edition
5th Edition
Clearly the best book on woodworking tools. It will show you ways to use major power tools in ways you never thought.
I did a BA hons (in the UK) in faux finishing, so the reference book I got at the time was “The Art of Faux” a lot of the techniques, tools and materials used would be transferable to distressing and ageing in your makes. Who would have thought stale beer would be good binder for pigments…
I am a theatre prop master with 30+ years in the business. My list of "maker books" is as long as my arm, but I was thinking about a few of the more obscure ones: The Wood Book by Hough, Roemyn Beck (a book with hundreds of pictures of different types of wood), Figure Making Can Be Fun?!?: A complete guide to making a professional ventriloquist figure. by Michael Brose (This is a great intro to a lot of concepts like simple hand operated automations and casting,) Decorative Draperies & Upholstery by Thorne & Frohne (a hard book to find in good shape and not a lot of $$$, but a great book for research.)
You asked about a tome we own for making. I was a Boy Scout and for most of my childhood a friend’s copy of “The Ashley Book of Knots” was the end-all be-all of books for a Boy Scout. Could i have made it to Eagle without it, sure, but having more knowledge was great.
The Museum of London has a great series on medieval artefacts. My two favorites are "Knives and Scabbards" and "Medieval Dress Accessories". They are mostly catalogs of finds from around London but also have some fantastic commentary about trends, methods, etc., from curators and researchers. Everything has measurements and materials and where they were found and estimated dates, with methodology for how they determine those things.
It's super cool to see you have Oakeshott's book. You should come visit Minneapolis sometime and see those swords in person. You wouldn't think his collection would be in Minnesota, but it sure is. The owner of Arms and Armor in Minneapolis was friends with Ewart Oakeshott. The swords are now held in trust by the Oakeshott Institute in Minneapolis. They are super rad and bring swords out to local sword fighting events and classrooms and let people hold the swords, with special gloves of course. They're also experienced crafters, historians, and fencers.
Thanks for the recommendation.
The "patterns of fashion" series (started and largely written by janet arnold) is an astonishingly detailed resource for historically-informed costumes!!!! There are 5 in the series (i believe...they may already have announced 6?) but they're all HIDEOUSLY expensive and several are hard to find
HENLEY'S FORMULAS, RECIPES AND PROCESSES -- this and the FOXFIRE volumes were books I frequently borrowed from my local library when growing up. Very much "maker" books. Also loved Forrest Mimms' books he wrote for Radio Shack, too.
I second the recommendation for "The Engineer's Notebook" by Mimms (and all the mini-notebooks). I had lots of fun breadboarding those circuits as a kid.
@@dwall0 the mini notbooks are just the chapters of the big book separated out. Of course I didn't realize that until I got it after I had all of the minis.
Favorite maker book is Swedish Carving Techniques by Wille Sundqvist. A fantastic reference for anything related to carving/whittling (especially whittling spoons). Goes over common tools of the trade, tool maintenance (especially sharpening), and various techniques one can use when whittling a variety of objects. A book that inspired many others.
I wouldn't be surprised if you already have a copy but the first thing that comes to my mind for old maker's books would be the "Mechanick Exercises: Or The Doctrine Of Handy-Works" written by Jospeh Moxon in the 1680s. It's mostly on woodworking and carpentry iirc but there's also a section on blacksmithing.
It might not be something you' need often, but a CRC (Chemical Rubber Company) Handbook is a beautiful reference. Chemical properties and compatibilities, mathematical formulae, etc. And for a more fanciful interpretation of the question, consider "How to Invent Everything" by Ryan North.
I would wire the EMP button to kill the shop lights (only for like 5 seconds). Use an OMRON A2W wireless/batteryless switch and receiver (or similar kinetic powered switch) so that when you have guests, you can show off the button and even hand it to them and when they press the seemingly inert switch, it kills all the lights.
Or, leave it on a shelf/desk, as people are ever so inclined to fiddle with buttons and switches, especially attached to innocuous boxes... Then, when someone DOES trigger it, run up to them saying:
"OH NO! You tripped it?? *_Please_* tell me your phone was off?!?! 😟"
😅
I would love to see you build a big Frankenstein electric switch. I am intrigued by how you would make it safe and usable in your makers space.
You could make the big visible throw switch close a low voltage DC circuit, which then activates a mains power AC circuit via a relay. That way, the exposed contacts of the switch always remain generally safe to touch.
If you don't like the idea of an exposed and active circuit (which could also accidentally be closed by anything conductive, not just the throw arm) you could instead embed a magnet in the throw arm, and hide a reed switch or Hall effect sensor in the switch body, and activate the relay that way.
Place a normal AC pushbutton switch in one of the the gaps in the on position that is pushed by the handle. Colour matched it won't be visible. Or a switch with a lever that extends into one of the hinges.
I just wanna see it cuz it’s goofy as hell😂
Adam, I would absolutely love to see you do a vid where you bring out and briefly review your favorite Maker books, plus a list of any others on a page on Tested. I am always on the hunt for good books.
Dunno how much they can be considered 'maker' books by current definitions, but in the woodworking mold: "Ingenious Mechanicks" by Christopher Schwarz. It's a super cool retrospective of old work holding methods for woodworking. The second is perhaps one of the oldest sets of 'maker' books: L’Art du Menuisier (The Art of the Carpenter) by Andre Roubo.
my favorite book is " The Methods of Glass-blowing and of Working Silica in the Oxy-gas flame"
My favourite maker book is the exercise book my great great grandfather used when learning how to become a rigger for fighter planes in the first world war. Such lovely diagrams and details into the world of a maker from that period of time. I was fortunate enough to be able visit his collection of diaries in the reading room at the RAF museum in London to take measurements, reference images, and have all his diaries and this exercise book scanned so that I could create a set of replica books to distribute amongst my family. One of my most satisfying projects to date!
My favourite and most useful book is "Fabric for Fashion: The Swatch Book" by Amanda Johnston and Clive Hallett. It's full of real fabric swatch samples.
I have this book! It's so helpful for beginners to know and touch a bunch of fabrics.
I would absolutely *love* 😘 an Adam Savage Maker's Library video!!! I need a new list of books 📚 to hunt down for Christmas and my birthday for myself. 😆
yeah unfortunately like The Backstage Handbook they'd all become suddenly hard to find.
The maker book that got me into engineering was "Boomerangs - making and throwing them" by Herb A Smith. I must have bought a copy around 1978. It was privately published, but Herb's widow allowed a scan to be uploaded and you can download a free copy from the flight-toys website.
About 10 years ago I wrote my own maker book about paper hot air balloons. The publisher loved it, but sales for maker books were really low! It was the best gig I ever had though. I work in engineering design, but I never get quite as much of a kick out of designing a new microscope widget as I did writing about tissue paper balloons!
Clive Catterall
Listening to the library thing makes me think of something you could do if you wanted the "fake door with books" aesthetic, but didn't have enough space to hide a secret room:
Make the secret door basically hinge out and open all the way, such that you shut the front face of the bookshelf onto the front face of the bookshelf next to it (and vice-versa). On the inside is another bookshelf; this gets you extra book-storage space in a relatively compact place, and it has the "Oh yeah! That's great!" of a hidden doorway, only it's a hidden bookshelf behind another bookshelf. Possibly you could even make it so that both shelves hinge out onto the other in that manner.
When I was 12 I discovered a well-worn copy of The American Boy's Handy Book by Daniel Carter Beard. It was first published in 1882 and was full of amazing illustrations and schematics and instruction on a myriad of subjects like making fishing poles, Tom Sawyer rafts, telescopes, a perfect snowball and snow fort, and even homemade fireworks!
I acquired a reprint in the 1990s, and still occasionally use it. Highly recommend it.
Laura Kampf made a power switch for her shop that turned power on when she hung her keys from a hook y the door, and turned everything off when she took her keys. I suspect she has a 2nd set of keys if she ever needs to use the keys and have the shop powered up at the same time.
To answer Adam's question, one of my go-to reference books as a maker is The Cosplayer's Essential Guide: Volume One: The Monster Maroon. It's a reference guide for making a replica of the maroon uniform worn in Star Trek II thru Star Trek VII. While it's not written by a sewist so the sewing instructions aren't perfect, it does offer an incomparable source of the designer-intended and community-accepted measurements for all the details of the uniform along with examples of the customizability of division colours and other insignia.
I remember enjoying "The Nature of Design" and "The Nature and Art of Workmanship" from David Pye. Also unrelated to making, but I would recommend "Rimowa: An archive since 1898", I've never seen the book, but while working with them they sent all the archival images for reference. Some of those suitcases have been in a plane crash and never been open since recovery (so I've been told). That weathering really pops in those beautiful archival pictures, good inspiration for when you need to design an object that would gladly show its age.
I highly suggest "The Ashley Book of Knots" from 1944. That's to this day THE reference book for everything rope related.
LOL I just did, before reading the comments 😉 as have two, or three, others 🤣
@@iandeare1 Looking at your suggestions it seems like we have a little more in common. I build guitars.
@@Zjefke86: Qualified as an Orchestral String, and Brass Musical Instrument Technician, Edinburgh, over 35 years ago...
There is a book that was published by locomotive engineers that detailed how they cooked on the trains. The original was for steam engines. A later version was for diesel electrics. Had instructions of where in the engine compartment to put it and for how long based on the throttle setting (notch # I believe is the term)
My favorite makers book is "On divers arts" written by Theophilus around 1120AD. Not just as a historical resource, but the way it's written, it makes it a very enjoyable read on it's own. Particularly the chapter dedicated at describing in full detail the horrors you will face if you want to be a bronze caster is fantastic (and very recognizable;)). Also, on one hand it's written as clear and practical instructions that you can understand as a maker, there are parts where he goes off in ludicrous mythical directions, where I have suspicion that the Theophilus is just having a laugh.
Quite a decoding process to that one! Kinda needs a reference book to understand the reference book ;) But so interesting.
People like this often wrote things from sources that were not firm. Herodotus in one chapter concludes a long section with something like "but I don't believe it"
Katherine Strand Holkeboer
“Patterns for Theatrical Costumes: Garments, Trims, and Accessories from Ancient Egypt to 1915” just perfect broad overview great for modifying extant garments or a quick and dirty Pennsic garb.
The first book that came to mind was The Amateur Scientist (C L Strong) As a teenager in the 60’s the Amateur Scientist was where I started each Scientific American issue. I loved that it covered so many different areas that I interested me. When I discovered there was whole book collecting these projects I checked it out from the library so many times. I’m sure you know this one but I had to share.
i was going to mention this one too
As a model railroader, Track Planning for Realistic Operation by John Armstrong is my primary go to reference.
I'm on my third copy of the book because I use it so much I've worn it out twice.
I'm not sure if this technically counts as a "maker tome" but here goes: How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way by John Buscema and Stan Lee.
I know there are literally millions of books that teach drawing, and hundreds of thousands of them are almost certainly held in higher esteem, but this was the book that provided one of my first "Eureka!" moments as a young artist.
It was written in language that was easy to understand and also energizing and motivational for the reader (at least I found it so). I practiced the lessons in it constantly, and for some time I was frustrated, because even so, my results weren't what I was hoping for. But then when I was 17, our art class had a live model for the very first time. The moment my brain applied all those lessons to a live model standing in front of me, it was like all the tumblers in the lock that was preventing my progress suddenly aligned. Everything suddenly "clicked".
I still give that book out as a gift whenever I meet a young artist at the beginning of their journey. I've easily bought over a dozen copies of that book in my lifetime, gifting them to nieces, nephews, and friends' kids.
Not necessarily a “makers” book, but a book that was my dad’s, then he gave it to me when I was 16 is the 1977 or 1978 “Reader’s Digest Fix-It-Yourself Manual” How to repair, clean, and maintain anything and in and around your home. It’s served me well even though it was 20 years old when I got it.
The EMP button needs to function as intended: to immediately CUT the power to a device or machine. So having it as an emergency cut-off switch to the lathe, table saw, etc. might be a good use for it.
The EMP button "doing something" could simply be a hidden arduino board (Simone?) that plays the sound bite from the movie of the shut down
I do want to make a knife switch for my lights.
Thinking about what my requirements would be:
It must be an actual knife switch, not just a fancy handle for a normal plastic light switch.
Has to look dangerous without actually being dangerous.
I think I'd hide a relay and low voltage DC power supply behind the knife switch's base plate, so the electrical contact of the knife switch actually does something. Maybe add some capacitors so that it sparks when you close the contacts.
I mean, not quite a maker book, but Brian Froud's artbooks are beautiful and fascinating. Faeries, Trolls, Goblins of Labyrinth
I know that I am a few days late to the party. My favorite maker book is just call Wood Carving. Printed by Sunset publishing back in the 1950s and reprinted into the 1970s. I have my grandfather's copy and a backup I found somewhere. It has some of the clearest images for teaching basic chip carving and whittling. It also has a great list of woods that gives a description of the grain structure and possible uses for woodworkers. It has been immensely helpful in my decades of creating in wood.
As someone who once lived in an old house with glass fuses and a knife switch for the mains power supply reaching for that switch in the dark when you've dropped and broken your flashlight is terrifying.
My grandfather's farmhouse five miles outside Nacogdoches TX was electrified by the ERA in the 30's. The entire house was fed through a small knife switch and two glass Edison-based plug fuses. When a thunderstorm neared, they would open the switch to prevent lightning damage. Of course when lightning wants in, a tiny 2" gap is not going to do a thing to save you. In the end, the place was not done in by fire, but the inevitable economic pressure of expanding residential suburbia.
favorite maker library books you might not have: The Anarchist's Toolchest by Christopher Schwarz, How To Make a Chair from a Tree by Jennie Alexander, Automata and Mechanical Toys by Rodney Peppe, 507 Mechanical Movements: Mechanisms and Devices by Dover, and Make Ink: A Forager’s Guide to Natural Inkmaking by Jason Logan
I can't imagine that you don't already own them, because I know you like cooking, but Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking" is spectacular and "The Flavor Bible" (authors names escape me) is indispensible for coming up with fun food flavor combinations and general understanding of how flavor pairings work.
The Flavor Bible is fantastic
I like the idea that you and Alton just have very different ideas of what is "Edible" :P
good eats show, right?
@@juliettaylorswift yup. Alton and adam go together great lol
I always find diving into the Makers Mark ...leads me into amazing feelings and thoughts. Taking in the Makers Mark at night not only helps my creativity but also helps me sleep.
Bittersweet Country by Ellen Gray Massey and her students is one of my favorites. Its a excellent record of making in the early 19th century Ozarks.
"This is a large collection of personal recollections, stories, and records of how people in the Ozarks lived several generations ago. These are first hand recollections, most of the people recorded in this work are no longer with us. This is a story of wisdom, how-to-do-it on nothing and more."
40 years ago I was hitchhiking the West Coast when I was picked up by a older man in an older Chevy pick up truck with a camper. Driving from Santa Rafael to Eugene, he asked if I was staying for dinner! Somewhere north of Garberville, maybe at Weott, he stopped. Under his hood he had a pressure cooker sitting in a bracket attached to the engine! Perfect beef stew, piping hot!
As for a maker book, dunno if you would count it but one of my most treasured possessions is a Popular Mechanics Do-it-yourself Encyclopedia. It's like 20 volumes and honestly I've always treasured the one with instructions on how to build a Pool Table. I will never have the space, skill, or tools to build one, but I still treasure those directions.
As for the EMP button, maybe build a companion electromagnetic plate with a hovering widget and wire up the button so when you press it the plate loses power and the widget drops.
you could always build a Matrix themed desk lamp an have the EMP switch to turn it on an off
I know its a long shot, but it would be spectacular if we could get a list of Adam's Maker Library in his Adam Savage's Tested Amazon Profile. I'd spend days just going through the list and looking for books that would make my eyes light up with ideas.
A couple of my favorite books are about the ford tractors and farming attachments from the 40's-60's, amazing enginuaity and mechanical engineering
Most useful reference I have even seen is called The Handbook of Ornament, by a guy named Hoffman, I think. It's Victorian, illustrated in Woodcuts. Dover has a reprint. It has just about every design motif, achitectural feature, or period hand prop anybody could ever want. Have you ever done a video on your maker's library? We'd love to see one...
"The Prop Builder's Molding & Casting Handbook" by Thurston James. Published in 1989, much of the content covers 'old school' methods and materials but all of it still works. What's "missing" is of course information on newer materials that have replaced some of what's covered in the book.
TV and movie productions don't use candy or sugar glass anymore because it has to be heated, takes time to cool, can't be allowed to get wet, can attract ants, and despite being considered "safe" can still break with edges sharp enough to cut. The reusability aspect (sweep it up and remelt) is outweighed by the convenience of urethane resins formulated to break. There are resins that easily break into small chunks with dull edges, yet are waterproof and strong enough to withstand handling. There are also resins that stay soft like rubber yet can easily be crumbled to look like shattered tempered glass or crushed ice, and completely safe for actors to walk on barefoot or roll around on. A couple of products are from Smooth-On, Smash Plastic and Rubber Glass. Smash Plastic also has an advantage over candy glass in that it's possible to cast it into sheets and objects as smooth and clear as real glass so that it looks exactly like glass, especially with just a tiny bit of green dye.
The crossbow by Sir Payne-Gallwey (1903)
It's the classic victorian source for the construction of medevial crossbows. His sources for details have that wonderfully vague gentlemanly sense of "oh I found it myself". He includes super useful blue prints including the Chinese repeating Crossbow that I'm sure was referenced on Mythbusters. Great book, super practical.
You could turn the wall in front of the toilet into a bookcase and the toilet door itself into a secret door. Making a secret door between the work space and the sitting space where the cabinets with the collections are wouldnt work that well because you would keep it open most of the time so it defeats the point of the secret door.
Tim McCreight's The Complete Metalsmith. Jewelry oriented but useful for so many things. There is a "how to" element to it, but there are tons of useful charts and lists. Traditional and modern symbological meanings of different stones, phase temperatures of many alloys, alternatives for expensive tools (e.g. how to de-gas molds without a vacuum system), lists of techniques with basic explanations, so much good stuff packed into a super practical spiral bound book meant for the workbench rather than the bookshelf. He also wrote Practical Casting, also excellent, mostly about small scale (jewelry, etc) metal casting, but other materials as well. He was a jewelry teacher and a lot of the info is perfect for a student or hobby level practitioner who can't go out and invest in industrial scale jewelry equipment right away.
A bit specific to my trade:
Violin-making, as it was and is : being a historical, theoretical, and practical treatise on the science and art of violin-making, for the use of violin makers and players, amateur and professional / by Ed. Heron-Allen. Published 1884 (Not always appreciated by the critics, but when I was a student, it was about the nearest thing to a practical guide)
I also highly recommend a volume you may well posses:
The Ashley Book of Knots is an encyclopedia of knots written and illustrated by the American sailor and artist Clifford W. Ashley. Published 1944
My favorite maker book is "Working Wood: A Guide for the Country Carpenter" (1977) by Mike and Nancy Bubel. It's a practical guide to design and construction using found and salvaged materials. Dunno how useful it would be to you (the focus is on tools and buildings, which suits me fine here on the farm), but it's an entertaining read in its own right.
How about the Foxfire series for the reference library? Although, I suppose it is mostly geared towards people with minimal tools and little or no workshop.
My favorite book of tips right now is called 'Gunsmithing Kinks' By Bob Brownell. its a collection of tips in six volumes sent in by gunsmiths around America. Gun bluing? Spring making? Engraving? its all there.
ebay and amazon must LOVE it when you do episodes like this...
"Hey, we just had a major run on 'maker' books."
"Yeah, Adam Savage did an episode on books..."
I've seen multiple tools mentioned here get a cost spike on Amazon shortly afterwards. Similar with sites like America's Test Kitchen and other big channels making recommendations/etc.
@@tymmezinni Every time someone does a video featuring a tool from Harbor freight, that tool disappears from their stock for a several weeks. hard to hold it against Adam though... All the other guys, sure! But not Adam.
Quick response to the question at 1:10,
The best book(s) I have on making / manufacturing are ACTUALLY my father's 1950s era college engineering & chemistry textbooks:
They give a simple but detailed explanations about practical manufacturing - the engineering books explain-casting, milling, turning, lathing, swagging, drawing.
There's another on joining- rivets, bolts & nuts, screws; soldering, brazing, and welding; gluing laps, joints, and pins; crimping, folding, and bending/breaks; threads & taps.
The chemistry books are unlike any modern chemistry books- they explain WHY you use an acid to clean metal, and how it works. Explains why it is called "slaked lime" versus "lime" and how those various chemicals are used in practical, daily life; e.g. "soaps have two ends, one end that mixes into oil and one end the other end mixes into water, this means soap dissolves oil and grease into water when washing the dishes, or dissolves water into oil to prevent corrosion in machinery"
It's a style of practical, common-sense writing that we just don't see anymore.
The book on paper airplanes you mention is The Great Paper Airplane Book. It was published by no less than Scientific American magazine based on the results of their paper airplane contest. I don't remember the exact year it came out. I used to have a copy, but whether I lost it in one of many moves since then or it's languishing in a box in the attic. I should go have a look.
Sounds like you need to increase your maker library by making a door with a bookshelf on it.
While not maker-related, my favourite book for semi-obscure knowledge is my grandpa's old binder full of all of his notes and the manuals he kept from when he was an electrical engineer for the US Army. My favourite oddity inside it is the service manual for a Motorola television.
For the EMP button: Wire a remote switch into the main overhead lights and wire the remote inside the EMP button housing. That way the switch would appear to serve its desired function but leave all the auxiliary lighting alone. The switches are like $30 on Amazon.
I'd love to see a secret door build!
Too many years ago, I worked with LASER cutting machines which requried extractor fans. The safety power switch for the extractor system was very similar to your EMP switch, just mounted to the wall and way less cool.
'Woodwork in Theory and Practice' by J. A. Walton. Basically the master-list of carpentry using Australian timbers, tool use and types, design consideration, the works. Worth every cent.
“The Traditional Bowyers Bible” is the gold standard for bow-making.
Also, “Autoprogettazione” by Enzo Mari is a super interesting book from the 70s about how to make furniture if you have no experience and little money.
My grandparents were in an Airstream travel club. My grandfather once baked beef roast in the engine compartment of his GMC pickup during one of their trips. I didn't have the opportunity to taste for myself, but they were pretty impressed.
It's not an old book but Knife Engineering by dr. Larin Thomas is an incredible book about metallurgy of steel, blade geometry, carbide development, sharpness testing, hardness testing, it goes on and on. It's meant to be read front-to-back but it's incredibly rigorous and detailed. Great read and a great reference.
I am a model railroader. The book that I considered to be the Bible on my railroad is called "Track Planning for Realistic Operation" by John H Armstrong and published by Kalmbach. It has taught me so much on how to build a railroad to emulate realistic running. I know it is nothing in your realm of making, but it is something that I have found to be of great value to me.
My favorite maker book is starfleet technical manual by Franz Joseph. It is a must have if you want to make props and costumes from the original star trek series
Ah! I'm afraid I steal someone's thunder here, but I follow his daughter Karen Schnaubelt, who's a big name costumer. I wouldn't bet against Adam having met her at some point.
I would love a video of your top ten or 20 favorite reference books/tombs. I remember another video you did about a stage hands technical book or something to that nature. Would be great to have one video with a listing of them all.
Potato wrapped in aluminium foil on the exhaust header, Bit of butter & salt for seasoning 👌 Done this many a time and blown many minds on how great a feed it is.
The anarchist’s workbench by Chris Schwartz is a fantastic book from a smaller ‘modern maker’ so is essential joinery by Marc spagnolio (the wood whisperer). I know most jointers but sometimes when I have a problem I’ll just flip through and browse how it’s been done before.
The book is free via the author at this link
blog.lostartpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AWB_Consumer_June-2020_v5.pdf
All the Lost Art Press books are great, I just finished Sharpen This
I also share an affinity for old books, usually revolving around old textbooks and technical books as I have found them to be more thorough in detail. If you're looking for old "tomes" in making, I would propose "Ingenious Mechanisms for Designers and Inventors". I have Vol I & II from first edition, third printing ~1935, currently displayed on my bookshelf.
For reference manuals as a woodworker I have to say Robert W. Langs Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture (complete set of 4 books) as well as Popular Woodworking Magazine from the early 2000’s up until 2010 we’re really good.
It's less of a true "Makers book" but the book I have that has helped me think outside the box is "How Things Work in Your Home (and what to do when they don't)" circa 1977 from TIME Life books. Between learning how home stuff works and the inner workings of more advanced items like washers \ dryers it's helped me think abstractly through cosplay problems
Maker book- in the 70’s Carroll Smith wrote a series of books on motor racing. Prepare to Win is still my favorite. How to put something together that won’t break before the end of the race is the premise of the book, as are his others. Very easy reads
I've got two books that might qualify: vintage copies of The Art of Animation and How To Keep Your VW Alive.
And also started collecting old cookbooks because they're awesome.
My cousins’ closets were connected by a secret passageway with a little alcove over the stairs leading to their bedrooms which we used as a clubhouse. And if I was designing my own house, it would have secret passageways galore.
One of the maker books that started me on my journey as a kid was the Star Trek TMP Make your own costume book I checked out from my local library in first grade. As a cosplayer I go for screen accuracy these days, but I still couldn't resist tracking down a copy of that book!
I had that one! That's what started me on costumes too!
@@KougajiCalling Its so good. I still have the delta badge I made following the instructions in that thing. I remember hoping they'd put one our for Wrath of Khan when I was kid.
Leo Beranek, he wrote a brilliant book about the acoustics of concerthalls. Being a soundengineer that book still gets me.
Maybe add a benign purpose, like the button is to shut off all machinery in the shop in the case of an emergency. It could be mounted and displayed in a way that can make it's use apparent while also looking awesome. It wouldn't need to be used regularly but it's purpose would be clear.
My fave maker books are quite specific: The Rocket Mass Heater Builder's Guide by Erica and Ernie Wisner, and Earthbag Building by Kaki Hunter and Donald Kiffmeyer.
My favorite "maker" book, if you can call it that, it's "Ship Models from Kits: Basic and Advanced Techniques for Small Scales" by David Griffith. If that's your lane like it is mine, model ships, it's invaluable as a reference. Well written, densely packed with tips and tricks, tons of photographs, 10/10 would recommend.