Source: Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers
I have always had a fondness for kits and curated collections of things. Probably for this reason, I also like Christmas stockings when the person playing Santa has filled it with thoughtful and silly items that have meaning to the recipient. There’s something special about getting a bunch of thoughtful and whimsical small items instead of one big gift.
For any DIYer on your holiday list, a great gift idea is to put together a tool stocking, toolbox, or bucket filled with useful tools, materials, and supplies. This year, a friend of mine (thanks, Rebecca Mordini!) suggested that I put together such a gift basket build around my book, Tips and Tales from the Workshop, and some of the tools recommended within it.So, here is one suggestion for how to put together a maker’s gift basket. You can tailor your basket to fit the needs of your recipients. This collection is built around the tips and tools mentioned in my book or suggested by some of the book’s contributors.
Gift Basket Giveaway! See the end of this article for details on how you can win the gift basket seen here.
Tips and Tales from the Workshop – My bestselling book filled with indispensable shop tips, build techniques, tool tricks, and inspiring stories from dozens of makers about their favorite tips n’ tools and the how they came by them. I designed this book to appeal to all types of makers, crafters, handypersons, homeowners, anyone who makes, repairs, or maintains just about anything.
Parachute Bag – I write about these wonderful bags in Tips and Tales. They are cheap (as low as $8 when on sale), durable, and they hold lots of screws, nails, fasteners, other components in six compartments. There are also pockets all around the bag for small tools, pocket notebooks, and the like. Cinch it up, grab it, and go.
DiResta Mini Ice Pick – I have given full-sized DiResta ice picks as presents to a number of maker friends. This is the new smaller version and I like it even better. People always ask me: “But what is it good for, except for chopping ice?” I use mine nearly daily for all of my marking, scribing, cutting, poking, picking, awling, scratching, and stabbing needs. These tools, handmade by Jimmy himself, have been a big success and become a sort of maker status symbol. I think the smaller picks are even more practical and will do even better.
Component Lead Bending Tool – Having a neatly-populated circuit board goes a long way, especially if it’s a heavily populated board. This resistor bending tool from Evil Mad Scientist Labs helps give you perfect right angles at the desire width to fit your PCB layout. A tidy PCB is a happy PCB.
123 Blocks – These precision milled blocks, made of hardened tool steel, measure 1″ x 2″ x 3″. They are made for the machining industry, but are useful on any type of workbench. In Tips and Tales from the Workshop, I included several tips on the use of shop weights. There are perfect for that application. They include 23 holes, with 5 holes tapped…
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