Unfortunately we can't always be at our workbench or desk with all our tools at the ready, sometimes we just have to go out and explore the world...
But fear not ! For I have come up with the perfect solution to this troublesome dilemma, thanks to this instructable you can now carry all your favorite maker tools everywhere you go without wearing a cumbersome tool belt !
Housed in the iconic Altoids Tin is an array of useful tools that will enable you to go about your everyday routine with the comforting knowledge that you can open, hack, modify or customize anything you want.
Thank you all for voting !!
Currently the tools in the tin include :
If you have any suggestions for more tools check out this forum topic where you could win a patch for helping !
In the instructable i will show you how to make all the individual components and then at the end we will compile them and put them all in the tin.
But fear not ! For I have come up with the perfect solution to this troublesome dilemma, thanks to this instructable you can now carry all your favorite maker tools everywhere you go without wearing a cumbersome tool belt !
Housed in the iconic Altoids Tin is an array of useful tools that will enable you to go about your everyday routine with the comforting knowledge that you can open, hack, modify or customize anything you want.
Thank you all for voting !!
Currently the tools in the tin include :
- Mini Craft Knife
- Superglue
- Pencil
- Notepad
- Matches and striker
- Sewing Kit
- Metal File
- Button Cell battery
- Red,Yellow,Green,Blue LED's
- Resistors
- Wire
- Shrink Tubing
- 2x Crocodile clips
- Sandpaper
- Duct Tape
- Electrical Tape
- Mini Scissors
- Magnet (Gmjhowe)
- Screw/Nail holder
- Saw (Tobz1122)
- 2x Zip ties (Yokozuna)
- Candle (Kiteman)
If you have any suggestions for more tools check out this forum topic where you could win a patch for helping !
In the instructable i will show you how to make all the individual components and then at the end we will compile them and put them all in the tin.
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Signing UpStep 1: Mini Craft Knife
Ah the trusty craft knife, a staple tool in any makers toolkit and so obviously it had to go in the tin.
I contemplated making one on my school lathe but then I considered the time, effort and skill involved and decided to just cut one in half instead..
Anyway not everyone has a lathe so this way is better !
1 - Take the blade out so you dont stab yourself
2 - Measure your tin's width (Altoids are 9cm wide)
3 - Mark that width on your knife (including blade)
4 - Clamp the knife securely
5 - Using a hacksaw cut along the line
6 - Use sandpaper to round the sharp edges off
7 - Put in tin !
Note -
Dont try to use a wood saw... they break
If you are photographing the process, watch where you put your camera so you don't smack it with the saw when cutting...
I contemplated making one on my school lathe but then I considered the time, effort and skill involved and decided to just cut one in half instead..
Anyway not everyone has a lathe so this way is better !
1 - Take the blade out so you dont stab yourself
2 - Measure your tin's width (Altoids are 9cm wide)
3 - Mark that width on your knife (including blade)
4 - Clamp the knife securely
5 - Using a hacksaw cut along the line
6 - Use sandpaper to round the sharp edges off
7 - Put in tin !
Note -
Dont try to use a wood saw... they break
If you are photographing the process, watch where you put your camera so you don't smack it with the saw when cutting...
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-BLUEBLOBS2
-full roll of electrical tape
-50 cents(just in case the cells dead:))
-band aids (just in case)
i bike a lot so would like to see one for biking!
I like to make stuff from paper and like cerial box cardboard etc. I was thinking maybe a longer flatish case like a pencil case. I would include scissors, razor blade, bit of string bit of tape, 6" ruler or maybe one of those baby tape measures, glue paper fastener brads, rubber bands, and maybe paper clips. and of course small notebook and pencil.
I would think of it as my sanity survival kit.
i'm gonna make one as more of a survival kit type thing for camping rather than something i have with me all the time or whatever.
i was gonna add to mine a small solar panel i have from a garden light. it's connected to a LED and a rechargeable battery so i thought that would be a nice addition because there are lots of things you could use a solar panel for. like here where they make a solar powered phone for emergencies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o4_ps0epWs&feature=channel_video_title
i'm also going to add some small zip lock type bags (baggies) so that i can keep things watertight like the matches and batteries etc. because they are easy to come by and flexible. thanks for the great idea/inspiration :)
My Maker Tin
My version of the Maker Tin currently includes:
(1) 5cm*8cm piece of double-sided mounting adhesive (this is thin, not the foam mounting squares)
(1) 4cm*8cm piece of sandpaper (I think this is a pretty heavy grit, but I don't know for sure)
(1) 2cm*8cm strip of adhesive-backed velcro (both sides)
(1) Mat cutter blade (like a safety razor but without the grip and slightly larger)
(1) Safety razor
A note on blades: The original Maker Tin included a trimmed-down hobby knife. While I do like hobby knives, one would take up a significant amount of space compared to a couple of flat blades. I vastly prefer mat cutter blades over razor blades, as they are a little larger and have a slimmer profile because of the lack of a "handle" portion. I work in a framing shop and use mat cutter blades for a number of things at work to the point where having one on me at all times is a necessity for various things, and I carry one in my pocket all the time in a little sheath I made from paper and tape. I chose to include a safety razor as well, because it's nice to have that little handle in the event you need to cut with a bit more force. Because they're so flat, these two blades take up virtually no space. I carry mat cutter blades in various places on my person: I have one taped to the inside of the battery case on my phone, I have one in my wallet (still in the paper wrapper), I have one inside my iPod (hey, the case came open when I dropped it, so before taping it up, I slipped one in. Why not?) And I even have one taped onto the slot-2 cover on my DS Lite.
(4) 2.5cm strips of 3M foam mounting tape (these are on a piece of perforated paper from the label printer at work, the labels removed, of course, and a piece can simply be torn from the others on the dotted line)
(1) 2cm*3cm chunk of UHU putty
(1) Mechanical pencil. This was a cheap mechanical pencil, the kind that come in bags of 20 or so. I removed the cap and cartridge, cut the cartridge and the outer portion of the pencil down to Altoids-tin size, and replaced the cap. Now I have a mechancial pencil that fits in an Altoids tin. You have to break about 1cm off of the lead to fit it into the cartridge now, however. I made this one with a knife and sandpaper, but I've done it before with a dremel (a much faster and cleaner process). While a bit more involved of a creation process, this pencil has the added benefit of never needing to be sharpened, which could be an issue with a wooden pencil (or at least an inconvenience). It's not much (if any) larger, and has a clip as well. The clip does take up some additional space, though, so I might cut and file it off later.
(1) Length of electrical tape, probably a few feet, wound around the pencil.
(1) Similar length of duct tape, about 3cm wide (I had to remove about 2cm to fit it on the pencil).
(1) Split key ring. Not sure why, but you never know.
(6) Zip ties, about 9cm long. These were standard, good-quality 6in zip ties. I simply trimmed them down to Altoids tin size. In case there were ever a reason for color-coding some zip-tied thing, three are white and three are black.
(1) Pair of folding scissors. The pair I got are a little stiff, but work fine.
(4) Pieces of wire, roughly 10cm each. Red, black, green and yellow. These were taken out of a length of USB cable leftover from a previous project.
(5) Wire twist-ties. One holds the wires from the previous entry together, and four are tucked under the notepad in the lid.
(3) 3V lithium button cells. I put a piece of plain clear Scotch tape over each battery to prevent accidental discharge.
Okay, this might be a bit overkill. I went to Radio Shack, selected a few nice LEDs, then got home and found some replacement Christmas lights and pulled the LEDs out of them. They're a bit smaller, and one has a resistor attached to it, for some reason I'm not certain of. I decided to just include all seven LEDs in the kit, since they really don't take up much space. If I need space in the future, I will probably drop it down to one of each.
(1) Red LED
(2) Bright white LEDs
(3) Christmas light LEDs, and
(1) Christmas light LED with a resistor attached.
(1) Sewing and repairs kit. This is all inside or wound around a small 2cm*4.5cm piece of mat board (used in framing). It contains:
*A length of sewing thread, probably a few feet.
*A similar length of thin nylon line (fishing line)
*A similar length of thin nylon-coated steel cable (Beadalon brand beading wire)
*About 1 foot of plastic-coated frame hanging wire (Basically a thin plastic-coated cable)
*(2) Small safety pins
*(5) 1cm sewing pins
*(4) 3cm satin pins
*(2) 3cm "T" pins
*(1) 4cm "T" pin
*(2) Sewing needles, 1 small, 1 medium-sized
*(1) Needle threader. I don't really need this, as I'm pretty adept at threading needles, but hey, it's tiny, slips under the various wraps of materials on the matboard, and ultimately takes up no more space than the kit would without it. In the event I'm in a hurry or decide to let someone else use the kit, it could come in handy.
(2) Small buttons, one a pearlized white, 1 black.
(1) Lump of candle wax, about 1cm*1cm*1cm.
(1) Large paper clip
(1) Small flat-head screwdriver
(4) Small flat-head screws. These came with a different screwdriver as part of an eyeglass repair kit, and each screw is slightly different. They're kept together by a piece of Scotch tape folded over them.
(1) Small Phillips screwdriver. This came in a "Tech Deck" finger skateboard set I received as a gift as a kid. I never used the skateboard, but this screwdriver is amazingly small at around 3cm.
(2) Adhesive-backed foam pads. These came with the aforementioned eyeglass repair kit, and could be used for their intended purpose, but could also be used to replace a foam pad from the bottom of something, or any number of other uses I haven't devised yet. They're pretty small, so they merit inclusion.
(1) Seam ripper. For those that don't know, this is a small device with a pointed end that leads to a C-shaped blade. It's used in sewing to, as the name implies, cut the thread holding together a seam to allow for clean separation (instead of cutting the fabric). This was a cheap one from Wal-Mart, and as such was perfect for this kit--the ripper slipped right out of its handle with minimal coaxing from a pair of pliers. Without the handle and cap, it's extremely slim and compact. It's about 5cm long and maybe a millimeter thick altogether, and the shaft is long enough to serve as an adequate handle for light duty.
(2) Alligator clips, one red and one black. This was a staple of the original Maker Tin, and I included it in mine.
(10) Sticky notes. These serve as a small notepad that is adhered to the inside of the lid by the same mounting paper as mentioned at the very beginning. I decided not to rely on the sticky notes' own stickiness, as it's really not very strong and not suitable (or intended) for supporting a stack of notes. I had to trim a bit from the bottom of these for them to fit.
(2) Small (about 2cm) nails. Not super useful by themselves, but heavy objects aren't too hard to come by.
(2) Small (about 2cm) wood screws. Too large for the small Phillips screwdriver in the kit to be much help, at least these I can screw into something with my Leatherman.
(5) Matches and (1) striker. Unlike the original instructible, I elected not to mount the striker, instead bundling it with the matches. The matches each have a bit of clear Scotch tape over the head to prevent accidental lighting.
(1) Piece of folded aluminum foil, about 2cm*10cm. I don't know what I'd use this for, but it might be useful. It takes up almost zero space, so why not?
(1) Small punch tool. It came as part of the same set as the flat-head screwdriver. Could be useful for punching a hole.
Yet to include:
Super glue. I want to include one of the mini, 1-use tubes, but can't bring myself to blow six bucks on a four-pack. Maybe later.
I've included a picture of my version of the pencil, in case anyone is curious.
just having the ability to do it anywhere at any time was enough to get me started
I used a Coast Micro-Fishtool, which includes a knife, scissors, a few screwdrivers, needlenose pliers, wirecutters, a tiny saw, and an awl. The best part is it is hardly bigger than the X-Acto knife.
or the razor blade that comes out of it