My friend Mike Senese is one of the most talented people I know. Which is why I couldn’t wait to get him on the podcast. He’s a lifelong DIYer, who is as comfortable wrenching on an old Land Rover as he is building with a CNC machine. He’s currently the executive editor at Make magazine and former TV host on the science channel.
In this episode, he updates us on what’s happening at MAKE (hint: they just launched make.co), the best projects to get your kids started on, and of course his all-time favorite tools.
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Read the full transcript.
Timothy
My friend Mike Senese is one of the most talented people I know, which is why I couldn’t wait to get him on the podcast. He’s a lifelong DIYer, which is comfortable wrenching on an old Land Rover as he is building with a CNC machine. He’s currently the executive editor at Make magazine and former TV host on the Science Channel. In this episode, the updates us on what’s happening at make best projects to get your kids started on. And, of course, it’s all time favorite tools. Hello, Mike. Thanks for coming on the show.
Mike
Hey, no problem, Timothy. My pleasure.
Timothy
Well, you know, it’s been sitting back. It’s been quite a while since ah, since we first met, But it doesn’t seem that long ago in some ways, but I guess it was Chicago at Thea when you wrote that piece about the Craftsman event. I know we met at the previous one, but that had been quite a few years ago.
Mike
Yeah, you know, you’re right. It does not feel like it was all that long ago. Ah, but then when I actually do the math on it, and I think about everything that’s happened since then and ah, you know, it’s Ah, it’s funny how time works that way.
Timothy
Right? And you recently wrote she kind of restarted your blawg, it seems, and have that piece about making the tray. Boucher, can you talk a little about that project was it was It was pretty spectacular.
Mike
Yeah, that was a lot of fun. So Ah, little bit of, ah, background context to that. You know, I, uh, I’ve had this pretty fun and wacky ah, career path where, uh, at one point, I be was able to host a few different TV shows and, um, build shows, science shows, engineering shows, and they lead to me co hosting Punkin Chunkin on the Science Channel, which, if you haven’t seen it. And I know you have Timothy, but it’s Thea, uh, annual pumpkin launching competition. That happens in a on a large farm in Delaware every year, and it gets broadcast on Science Channel. It’s their Super Bowl of, you know, They put like half the marketing budget of this event are of their channel into this one event and s o for me, that ended up being really probably like the highest point of all the TV stuff that I did. It was the huge production. We set record ratings on Science Channel for the for the broadcast. And it also set me off on this path as being, uh, looked at as a catapult. Trev, you shay expert And part of it’s because, you know, I had been tracking Punkin Chunkin for years and so, you know, I had done some writing about it, But then I had to really flex that expertise on camera and, um and it’s just so amazing. I mean, if it right now, I think the whole event on hiatus, because they had a couple incidents. But if it comes back and if you get a chance to go see it, it’s unreal. The power and the size of the machines of these people are putting together
Timothy
right. That’s gotta have a unique piece on your resume. Their to be to say you’re an expert at at launching Pumpkins as faras as possible,
Mike
right? Right? Yeah. And it’s funny because, you know, I I’ve I’ve tinkered with building some Trevi shayes, but I am by no means at the level of any of the participants in that event. You know, these people put ah, every day of their life into building something that culminates in that weekend event. Um, so, you know, and the stuff they’re making it just like, you know, these 50 foot tall Trevi Shayes or these 100 foot long air cannons just is all designed to launch a £9 pumpkin as faras possible. It’s wild. Uh, but with that, I I got I got to be friends. Some of the people, that craftsman and we did a few different events together and broadcast They had that great craftsman experience space, which I I just loved hanging out at in Chicago. Uh, and then a few years ago, they put together another weekend event called The Craftsman Make Asian, and they reached out to me and said that they wanted me to do one of the workshops at this event where they’re gonna bring in some bloggers and influencers. And they asked me if I could do so Tribute Shea Workshop and then also build Ah, tribute. Shay on site. Ah, and I said, of course, I said, Yeah, I would love to do that Be super fun Event hosted. They hosted it at the Lake Arrowhead Lodge outside of Los Angeles, up in the mountains, which I’d never been to. Not just going up that It’s like a cliff. It’s going from the base in it. Oh, my God. Yeah, but that like that it’s like a straight shot up right from from loss and flats of Los Angeles. And then you just suddenly you’re shooting up in this elevator of, ah highway to like, I don’t know if it’s, like, 9000 feet in elevation,
Timothy
right? And I’m sure they’ve never seen something like that in the parking lot of this this somewhat posh resort before.
Mike
Yeah, yeah, it was fun. So I, uh, did I just looking through those photos from the event and seeing and remembering that this whole tool demo workshop space, they just took over the entire parking lot. You know, the Craftsman banners everywhere these booths and tools and rob north there with his Les than he’s carving chalices And you got Carla Bruni and she’s doing Ah, reclaimed projects. And I mean, just like the whole team of people they brought in, just as the experts in the builders they’re so awesome and cool.
Timothy
We even made cigars there, Which was
Mike
kind of yeah, yes, Gare rolling. There was a grilling. I mean, it was like there was kind of posed as this, like, ultimate dude weekend. Um and you know that that Rob Riggle came in to talk about fantasy football cause he’s the fantasy football guy. Ah, you know that the that the concert with Everclear, that acoustic concert the night before the whole event kicked off. And, uh, yeah, so part of what I did, I built these many tribute Shay’s with the with the attendees and it was only, you know, that’s the funny thing. They were like more Maur workshops and exhibitors than there were attendees that they wanted to keep it. This really small, intimate group. It wasn’t like a massive event with tons and tons of people, and it was like, really focused and a lot of hand holding and everybody. I mean, I just They took care of everybody so nicely with that. It was really kind of awesome,
Timothy
you know? I mean, like like, I think we mentioned on Twitter. I still wear my T shirt, and every time I put on it feels like, you know, the great memories and, yeah, that was one of the one My favorite media events that have been, too. And, you know, it’s, you know, I’m excited about what craftsman doing is doing now, but I really miss the old No, the old stuff they were doing. And like you said, that that crossed my experience they had set up in Chicago. Chicago, that was That was amazing.
Mike
Yeah. Yeah, the team was great, you know, And I’m glad that, you know, I made friends that I’m still I’m still close with a lot of the people that, uh, that were part of that. That whole thing, you know, Rich. Yeah, he was He was a big, big part of getting me involved in all of that. And Christina, um, in Brian Ostrom, who was the CMO. You know, Jeff, big team of people there? Um, yeah. The funny thing, though. So? So back to this Trevi Shea as we started working on it, and I brought I brought my pal Chris Wise barred up with me who I think you’ve met a few times. Probably another Los Angeles guy. Um, And as we started working on it, the, uh the organizers of the experience this this vacation, um, they started get a little nervous, and so we went small. Not small, but medium, you know, like a four foot tall Trevi shape, something that would be it would be. You know, you couldn’t take this too, Punkin Chunkin. You get laughed at it. You know, it’s but but but big enough to, ah, to whip something like a baseball to pretty considerable distances. And Ah, and that was the plan. They said, Oh, let’s do, like, vacation. We’re gonna We’re grilling, and we’re gonna do cigars, and we’re gonna launch base balls into the lake. And, uh and so were, you know, I’m all I’m on board with that. And then as we started building, this came on and said We actually have second thoughts about this. Maybe you just build it, But don’t launch way. Don’t know about. Like, suddenly, like throwing a bunch of baseball did what they did and they didn’t take over the entire Lake Arrowhead resort. There were other people there, right? Eso We actually came up with a resolution of launching water balloons, which is tricky because you got to make sure that they don’t pop when they launched. There’s a lot of forces and and so I got on that That recap post that I just put together much, much too late. But I’m glad that I got to do it cause it was fun remembering through all this. But there’s there’s, um, some fun videos of, ah couple pretty epic water balloon launches that surprising. Actually, I was pretty surprised how far we got some of those water balloons to go like out of sight distances,
Timothy
right? I mean, you might be able to submit that to Guinness Book of World Records as the, uh, biggest water balloon launch. Possibly, I mean, even separately is just a water balloon launcher. Those that’d be pretty popular right now. You kind of glossed over a bit on, you know, getting that point. Um, you know, I know you did, you know, quite a bit of of work in front of the camera. But before that, you were really, you know, originally set up to do that kind of work. Because as a as a child, a young adult, You’ve been a maker throughout your life. And before even D I was a thing. It’s just been some things That’s part of you. Can you speak to that a bit?
Mike
Yeah, absolutely. Um, you know, it’s it’s funny because ah, I I used to think that I had this really, uh, this really unique upbringing of being this person who my dad just gave me, You know, he gave me full run of his basement workshop when I was really young and and and just let me explore my curiosity’s and give me the confidence to, like, do stuff, make stuff and try stuff. S so you know, I just started taking everything apart. Ah, that Christmas lunch was Let’s okay, thanks for the presents. Let’s let’s let’s dismantle everything they write. Some of this stuff would go back together and some of the stuff I wouldn’t be able to figure it out, but I was just always learning. You know, the thing that’s interesting is now with this maker community that we’ve you know, it’s kind of it’s coalesced into this thing where you like. We have this this this big, big group. I’ve discovered that that that story’s it’s hardly unique. There’s a lot of people who have that same you know, that same upbringing with the access to tools and the guidance and the permission to run wild with, you know, taking things apart in building stuff. But it set me on this course. It’s what I wanted to do And, uh, what I was excited about, Uh, what I was excited about at the end of the day. Well, you know, every day. No, if I I’ve had lots of passions in life, you know, just growing up. Skateboarding was always something I liked and playing guitar. I wanted to be the fastest heavy metal guitarist in the world. But the thing that connected everything that I did was I would take everything apart that I had. I would, and then I would build stuff to go with it. I’ll build my own skate ramps and I would I’d always beat you tinkering with my skateboards, and then I get a guitar, and I would take it apart to understand the electronics and how they work and how I could make them better. And then I build new speaker cabinets because I wanted to make louder and guitar sounds. And, um so that was and continues to be the, You know, this is sort of the fundamental element of kind of how I think about things. And now I look at the world,
Timothy
right? And now, when we were both parents of youngsters here, and, you know, your son is really at that age where he’s he could do all of these things. Is it Are you reflecting now and just say any kind of come full circle? And how are you? How are you getting him involved In a similar way?
Mike
Yeah, Yeah, I mean, I definitely I, uh I am trying to get him comfortable. You know, he comes out into the garage with me to work on projects. Uh, he’s still getting comfortable with the sound of ah, of the drill. And, you know, we haven’t done a ton of sawing yet because we just haven’t had a lot of Salling projects to come up with, but I wouldn’t be. I would not be uncomfortable with holding his hand with a circular saw and cutting some fence boards apart. You know, I think that would be a good lesson for him. He’s got, in fact, right over here To my left, we got this little black and decker Ah tool bench, and it’s all fake toy fake tools. There’s a little chops on a drill press and pegboard hammer set up, and you can pretend to cut these plastic boards and build your own. Your own wooden fake wouldn’t toolbox. And you know, he’s kind of got this exposure of all of that from because it’s just bad. Just think it’s cool, but, uh, you know, I also want him to feel comfortable as well,
Timothy
right? Right. And it’s kind of play right now, and it just kind of have that same play feeling as well, in a sense, when you’re doing it because you’re just exploring and finding out new things. So that’s awesome.
Mike
Yeah, How about your kids you got? You got them with the tools yet?
Timothy
Yeah, my So my oldest. He’s seven. He’s going to eight in September all next month or so. Yeah, and it’s gonna be interesting to see ah, what is capable of just in the last couple of years from, like, 5 to 8. Really? Um, and now he really can. I mean, physically, there’s some things where you know he can’t do mate, because it’s a little heavy or anything like that. But for the most part, he’s got the patients. Now. He can kind of figure things out. Um, I definitely would say there’s times when we’ll just get out scraps of wood, some screws, a drill driver. And he’ll just have fun, you know, putting things together like he likes to make random guns and things of that nature. But yeah, I mean, yeah, he and his buddies, though they’ll make guns, they’ll paint them, and then you can just kind of sometimes I’ll make cuts with a like a circular saw. But other times, you know, we just get the hand saws out and, um, an advice and they just, you know, have fun doing that. So, you know, it’s been it’s been great to kind of see him do that, and he would He really would want to have all that stuff out all the time. Yeah, I think when the struggles is sometimes, Okay, now it’s time to clean up and make it. I mean, for all of us. I mean, me included that, Hey, this stuff has to go back, so we know you know where it is again and all that. So that’s what we’re again working on is well, but, you know, he loves it all in. And, you know, again, you’re part of being part of making that whole community there and the touch points you have on Children what they’re doing that I mean, that’s always fascinated me.
Mike
Yeah. Yeah. And it’s seat to see how advanced stuff has gotten, you know, just even over the last 10 years to go back and think about the stuff that I was doing. Ah, the TV stuff that I was doing and how you know, I felt like we would know it was pretty cutting edge of the time, But that was all pre Arduino, pre raspberry pi, pre microbe it. And, you know, these tools have come out. And, um, you know, just on the electronic side, this stuff that you can do now. Ah, and and it’s all, you know, these these huge open communities. So there’s so much support and that’s designed. I mean, all of those tools, our design education first. So they’re made for kids and, you know, it’s it’s pretty thrilling to think about what you know in 10 years from now what this next group of kids will be able to do as they grow into through college and then into the professional careers because they’ve had the exposure. And you know, this thing enthusiasm for, ah, for the electronic side, the coding side, you know, And then all of that, in my mind, I still I marry all of that into the physical building aspect, too, because you need we kind of need to have both to make the stuff that’s really cool. Yeah, you know, that’s that’s my opinion,
Timothy
right? So where would you? We haven’t touched on any of electronic stuff at our in our household, and it’s like you said, it’s advanced so much, but it’s also very approachable. Where would you go to and where would you send Hunter and I to explore that and to kind of a good place to kind of hate. This is the first, you know, great project to start with.
Mike
Yeah, Yeah, you know the thing I think I think just, uh, basics. The Elektronik basics is ah, really good starting point. Before you get into this stuff, that’s, you know where you’re actually doing microcontroller work. But you can move from one into the next Not, uh, pretty quickly. Um, but just thinking I’ve got this that I brought home from Japan from a maker faire that I went to last year. Um, and it’s really simple snap together model kit made by Tamia that you know, which is the company that made all the RC car. And I loved, isn’t it? Uh, And, uh so this one, it’s you snapped these pieces together. You snap the wheels and gotta stretch the wheels over the little plastic hubs, and and there’s a motor that goes into it, and there’s a couple of metal pieces and they slot into place, and then you pop the batteries in and a little turn switch it. You have to assemble the turn switch that turns it on and turns it off. And I think it’s designed. It’s hard to tell because it’s you know I can’t I don’t read Japanese, so I don’t know. But I’ve got a feeling that there’s racing leagues for these. This this car style. They probably have these tracks that have bumpers on the walls and because it’s designed where it kind of has the coasts around with these rollers on the sides of the car. But Mas Mona had the greatest time putting this together, and it was most of it was me with me saying, OK, now I need you to help me come over here and you push this in and he and and it was kind of one of those, like we’re doing this together moments that was advanced enough when I was in, This was, you know, just we We built this together just a couple months ago, but it was advanced enough where I went off. This is great. Like he’s he’s getting exposure to something right now that he saw a bunch of parts and they became this really cool race car and it’s got a motor and the motor turns on and now he’s you know, he’s connected. Those dots of you can make parts into a cool toy, right? And, um and so it So I’m really stoked about that If I want to go further into the Elektronik side of things, you know, I I always think about how how influential just the whole RC car thing was for me, for my learning about mechanics and electronics. And I didn’t know it at the time. And this was 1/3 4th 5th 6th grade. I was I was really tight. And I think you and I have talked through this event, but I had the grasshopper that to me over a grasshopper. And I had the Wild Willy. Uh, and, um and it’s funny because I put them together and then, you know, 25 years later, I bought an old car because I wanted to figure out how cars work. And I took this young, this old Land Rover apart and really studied like the Haynes Manual and studied all the pieces. And it was something Every time I take some part of a goddess really familiar and it finally clicked. I went, Wait a minute. I’ve done all this in a 1/10 scale with the RC car like the stuff that they’ve done it. It is actual, perfect, miniaturized renditions of what the real mechanics of a real automotive are. Ah, and so you know, I wouldn’t discount that as a great way to also give Ah, really solid mechanical experience and understanding comes right now, but, hey, how did Timothy
Timothy
Hay? How’s it going? Having a good summer? Okay, I gotta
Mike
do this phone call. I’ll talk to you a little bit. Okay, But okay,
Timothy
way have these similar interests. You stay with RC cars, and it’s that’s funny. You brought that up now because we were just in Tucson and my parents are transitioning into retirement now, and they have now. You know, I still have my old room. I’m I still have my room there. I grew up in, and there was a closet there with all of my old childhood stuff that it was just time to finally go through and figure out what I’m going to do with. And included in that was I’ve got three RC cars, and so I’ve got my old ah, all the controllers. I have Evan R. C 10 and a frog still there. They’re just, you know, it’s all set up. And of course, the other years my son has seen all this saying, Dad, can we put this together? What we can do and I’m a little bit of I haven’t done any research, but the dilemma of I mean deserved. I mean, sure, there’s stuff out there to bring these back or is it maybe despair to kind of re invest in something similar? But we have. He has other RC cars, but they’re kind of the ones you buy off the shelf. And if they stop, they stop working. They kind of stopped working. That could be you could open him up and see if there’s some circuitry or some something that’s maybe lost connection. But beyond that, you’re not replacing servos. You’re not adjusting the suspension. You’re not, you know, kind of doing the fun things that play with the gearing, the things that you know. Like you said, these these RC cars were exact replicas. That kind of taught you how to have you know how vehicles work. So So, yeah, that’s that’s a great idea to kind of get into and break through. I just need to maybe figure out if I’m gonna go with my vintage stuff or, you know, see what the new stuff is. It’s out there.
Mike
It’s hard to figure out because I’ve got the same dilemmas. You know, I’ve got I’ve got my closet of of RC cars at my parentshouse too, And and you know I know you and I We’ve we’ve traded tweets about I still look att, the re issues, the Tamir stuff. I still want the frog. I’m so jealous of you got it. And I think that was the
Timothy
one I wanted that baby. To be honest, that was actually my dad’s car. So I had a I had that I had the grasshopper, he had the frog, which was I don’t think I had a better suspension setup, but just was the next class up. And, uh and I inherited that frog. I think probably when I got done in being into it. So So, yeah, for Braga still there,
Mike
but yeah, you know, the looking at this stuff, the new stuff that’s out right now, even on, like, the like, the build it yourself side. For some reason, I don’t feel like I’m I feel like I don’t know, it doesn’t have that same, uh, the same magnetism that that eighties to me a stuffed it and maybe it’s because I was a kid, and that’s when I was just so influenced by it. But I really feel like they like they was like, lightning strike for them in that moment. You know, just golden years, those you know, those those catalogs and the marketing and just there’s something so cool about it. And you know, now the thing that’s interesting is I Sometimes I’ll look into, like the ah, the open our C community. And there are There are these groups that they’ve designed full three D printable RC car setups and you could just build out your whole thing and reprint parts. And it’s kind of like that, that fantasy that that I always have like, Oh, if I could only got break a frame and I’m like, Dang, I have to break it. I wish I could just build my own frame and now I can, um, but I still like the stuff that the way that they’ve designed everything, it’s still the stuff that I kind of want
Timothy
right, right, and just going to the store and I mean, we could talk about this, but this is the only their shirts like this RC RC car stuff. Um, but yeah, I mean, you’re right. There was a magic there. That and for me, too. I got into, like, the this local racing community, and so my parents would drop me off on Saturdays, and I’d have my kit and my battery’s all charged up, and I’d go and sign in and do all that. And I would be my thing for, like, a few hours on Saturday mornings for, like, a couple of years. So And my dad would join me, too. And it would Yeah, that was a great fun memories.
Mike
Yeah. Yeah, it was the same thing for me, like me and my dad was good, really good bonding time. Which is why, you know, I probably also why I think that it’s a great kind of one of the steps to take, as you know, as parents ourselves. Now, you know, it seems like it’s a it’s a good one that helps guide things along.
Timothy
Right. So, uh, bring me up to speed on what’s happening at make um I know that you’ve kind of a long time executive editor over there. And then things kind of shifted, Can, you know, kind of Let let’s tell me what’s up with make and your role there.
Mike
Yeah. Yeah. So? Well, the the most current thing is make his back. Eso We, uh We had, ah, little bit of a bumpy start of 2019 and to a lot of it’s tied thio the financial setup of the company that we had been navigating through for a while. And, uh, you know, this is stuff that Dale the founder has talked about a bit, but part of part of make our maker media was that it? What had VC funding behind it on and And it sze, which is a challenging ah ah, challenging element for for any business because there’s a lot of expectations when you’ve got venture capitalists that air watching what you’re doing. And you know, some of the things we had three or four different investor groups that were involved. Uh, you know, one of them had a a big portfolio, like one of the one of the other people in there. One of the other groups in their portfolios lift. So you know the huge, huge, like a big firm with big investments and, you know, and were a lot smaller than company like that. You know where we’re really, You know, we’ve got this global footprint, but we don’t have that. Ah, you know that that that same type of revenue potential, that a big thing, you know, like like lift would have. So there was struggles on the financial side. There were struggles, and eventually, and and and a lot of them also tied into doing a big event like maker faire, which is, you know, this this incredible community event that just everybody loves and gravitates to. But it has really challenging cash flow issues to it. You gotta put gonna lay out a lot of money to in the in the start to get that event to happen and then hope with your fingers crossed really hard that you’ll make that money back through ticket sales and sponsorships, and sometimes the sponsorships would offset that they would bring in the money on the early side. So you knew you could You could cover the costs because the sponsors would come in. But, uh, you know, the last few years of sponsors have haven’t shown up as much as they did a few years back, and that created some some some difficulties And we ah, we got through our fair. The maker faire the barrier maker Faire in May are big flagship fair. And, um, you know, as far as I understand it, you know, the board are our investors who are on the board. They said, Okay, it’s time to wrap it up. And, um, you know, I might I may not have that perfectly accurate. I wasn’t And I haven’t been in the the the boardroom for those discussions, but that’s, you know, more or less my understanding of it. Ah, and so we, uh, we will put the company in this process called ABC Well, which is kind of like a little bit of like a fast track bankruptcy. But through that process, Dale the founder, Dill Dougherty, he leveraged his investment in the company and then some some new investment and was able to ah was able to obtain the assets and took the assets of maker media, which would be the make magazine. Um, are are fair division or books division R E commerce division and launched a new business, a new company called Make Community L L C. And within that the were continuing their lot, really resuming the magazine. I’m not even sure the right word to say, but we’re resuming the printing of make magazine. Um, and so we’re underway with that right now, we will be resuming our global affairs, which are licensed affairs that communities produce around the world were figuring out what we’re able to do with our flagship fares. The two big ones Berry on New York on will be still be doing our books division in some e commerce. So, um, we’ve we’re back, We’re back. We’re still in the middle of getting everything up and running. Um, we just launched a community support program, a membership program where, uh, part of what we’re trying to do is figure out how do we how do we service the community as best we can, But also, you know, how can the community support the maker movement as well? And so, you know, if you go to make dot co, which is our new website, you’ll see this, uh, this this membership drive that we’re doing and it’s been pretty successful. People are. You know, it’s great because people love what we do and they have been affected by in positive ways. And so they are happy. Thio help support it, which is just I mean, I get it because I’m one of them. Uh, but it’s cool to see how just how widespread it is,
Timothy
Really. I mean, it really sounds like you haven’t really skipped a beat. And it seems like a soon as I kind of heard things were stopping it. Make them a month later, it was like, Oh, we’re back. And it seems like things are something from it Sounds like to you. Ah, there’s still things to be worked out, but it’s coming back in similar maybe slightly different ways. But, you know, hopefully some of the bigger maker affairs will return. And obviously the magazines you come back is using the magazine. I saw you tweet something. The magazine could be come back in the smaller format.
Mike
Yeah, Yeah, that’s that’s that We are working on that right now. Ah, and that’s one of the things. So you know, my my main responsibility make a CZ executive editor is overseeing. Ah, make magazine and and I love it, you know, it’s great. I’ve got a great team. It’s, you know, we’re pretty small team at this point, but, uh, we’re all really good. We d’oh and passionate about what we d’oh! And so one of the things that everybody had talked about was the original Make magazine when it came out in 2005. Was this journal sized ah format? It was about like you 66 point, you know, I think like six and 5/8 by nine and 7/8 inches. You know, come on, look like a magazine book and almost comic books. Eyes. I’ve got a few of them over there a little bit in a little bit smaller than like a regular comic book, but you know, kind of thick. And it had this different feel to it that other magazines had, you know, it felt almost like, you know, an academic journal in some ways. But ah, nice square edge on the side. See, people collected them and put them all in their bookshelves. And it was just something, really I just kind of cool feeling about it. And and then when we went up to the larger trips or when we went well when Make magazine went independent from O’Reily Media, which is where had launched from, and this was in 2000 this very started 2013. The company changed from the small trim size to a full size magazine, and there’s a bunch of reasons for it, and you’re part of it was to connect with with postal requirements for mailing. And part of it was to just reflect a difference now that the company was independent, not part of a Riley, Um, and there were some good things about it, But I’ve heard from a lot of people that they said I would love if you guys could go back to that original size. It was so cool. And so when we, ah, when Dale was able to pull everything together and launch make community one of the things he came to me and asked, he said, What do you think if we went back and I said, Oh my God, that would be the best thing ever. I think that it would, uh, I think that people would will jump up and cheer about this, and so I’m really excited. I can’t wait for this next issue to come out because it’s gonna be It’s gonna be cool. It’s gonna feel like the old cool make.
Timothy
Yeah, I think the smaller like you said, kind of ah, book style. It kind of encouraged people to just more value in it. And you said, collect them. Um, just a thicker pieces and then, like I say, a thinner magazine. Um So when does that new? Is there a date yet on the new issue?
Mike
Uh, T b d. Right now we are We’re internally targeting a mid September date, but I am hesitant to say that out loud because there’s still a few extra pieces that we are that we’re getting ironed out as far as production windows go. We have to do with with the new, you know, with the new company, uh, we have to reset basically everything so resetting the production window with the printer being one of many things that we have to do so that could affect when the actual release will be. But it hopefully will be hopefully mid September, when people start seeing this. If not, hopefully it’s not much longer than that, uh afterwards,
Timothy
right. And what’s happening? So you said the websites under new it’s make dot ceo.
Mike
Yeah, make dot co. So we’ll still have our main. Um, you know, make zine dot com has been the make magazine, ah, website the blogger and and everything on there and what’s we’re still maintain maintaining that, and we’re still maintaining maker faire dot com. But make dot co is the the community hub that we’re launching as we’ve become make community. And so, you know, the main thing on there right now is this membership drive. Uh, the, uh But we’ve got other pieces that were building out that will also live in there that you can read about on make dot Go.
Timothy
It’s great. And them that’s live right now. Correct? Yes. Yeah, yeah. Awesome. Since we’re on a podcast called Tool Crave, I’d love for you to share some here. Your highlights. I know you’ve got some opinions about tools and you’re something. You use them every day. So is there a
Mike
what I
Timothy
like to ask about people? Is there a two out there that we feel is underrated that you know, it doesn’t get its fair share of ah of action but you know, really could become a staple in most people’s toolboxes.
Mike
Ah, great question. And I’m going into my head thinking about on the underrated side. So when I think of, like, quote unquote favorite tools ah, three come to mind and I don’t know if they even really count is underrated, but, uh, number one is a shop back. I, ah find it to be one of those, like, ultimately satisfying jobs, too. Just wander around in my garage getting dust out of every crack. You know, if there’s a crack in the concrete in a little bit of sawdust, get into it and then you get that out with the shop vac. Oh, it’s It’s so it’s so great. Then you will kind of water and pack it up. You put it away, and then you start heading back to the garage door and you see another little pile of dust and other corny going to take it all out and you gotta get so, uh, I don’t know why, but it’s just something so satisfying about about just the cleanup process of shop vac ing everything. Ah, drill press is my my my other favorite tools. Similar where? Just getting the perfectly straight, uh, exact hole drilled in something is, um and when you go from hand drilling everything in getting these, you know you don’t Sometimes you don’t know if you’re coming in at the right angle and you pop it holds out the side of things to every hole is perfect. It’s such a It’s such a great transition. Um, I, uh I think everybody should have a drill press, even just a bench top drill press. Right. Um, the other one. And this is kind of like that, Like, way out there. One plasma cutter. Okay, this is Yeah. Thing is, nobody’s mentioned that yet, is it is the tool that has made me feel s’more superhuman than any other experience in my life. Uh, you just like this. You’ve got the ability to cleave metal into multiple parts. You have slicing through stuff like it’s like you’re humans shouldn’t have this type of power, and they’re like, and you do. And you know, so, uh, it there is something just immensely satisfying about the the just that dad capability. And then, you know, if you’ve got the ability to hook a plasma cutter up thio CNC machine and do, like, perfect, precise cuts because, you know, you gotta you gotta understand the distance, you know, keep you perfect distance from the piece. Perfect movement. So you get, like, a nice clean cut. And I’m looking at a piece over here that I were the very first thing that I ever plasma cut. It was a little just wrote my name and my wife’s name, and
Timothy
I’ve done that, you know?
Mike
Yeah. You know, it looks sloppy, but it’s great cause it’s cool. But you know, men, when you get into like that, like professional grade stuff where you’re just getting perfect cuts, it’s pretty stunning. But I don’t own a plasma cutter. I don’t know what I would do with one. I don’t have, like, a day to day used to have one, but I, uh,
Timothy
you’d find us for it.
Mike
I would figure something out pretty quick, even if it was just picking up bikes off the side of the road that got abandoned and cutting them up into tubes just for kicks. Yeah, man, they’re just great. Not only do
Timothy
you know, I mean do you know how much those things cost. And it is something that’s even feasible to somebody for somebody having their garage.
Mike
I without jumping into Google. Yes, it is feasible for you to have in your garage. You could get something that I believe they’ve got 1 10 versions of it definitely into 20. But I’ve pretty sure the ones that we were using on some of the shows that I did were want just 1 10 You need an air compressor, so you’ll have to have something that has decent enough size tank on it. So you’re not constantly recharging, but, you know, even like a medium sized compressor will be fine. Um, I remember reading a lot as we were setting up the one that we had on one of the show’s having the instruction manual, saying, You gotta have this moisture trap involved area connected to it and all these other pieces and some of the other builders who are these gritty, seasoned set building engineer not even engineered, but just like construction guys and in Los Angeles, Uh, and they said we’ve never used one of those fine and, you know, they just slap this thing together. And then, uh, and I just went to went to town, gotten up sheets of metal
Timothy
doing its job. It’s amazing. I have never thinks that that’s it for some of her that answer. But, um but yeah, that’s ah, that’s there. If you need a plasma cutter, nothing else can replace it. Really?
Mike
Right. Yeah, but as far as cost wise, I don’t think that that crazy. I mean, like I And this is just making it up. Like, I think you could probably find something that $1500 range to get started,
Timothy
right? There’s probably think huge range along that as well. Oh, yeah? What? Ah, what connected tools. Uh, is there a tool that you currently have your own tool? That you, uh, would, if some reason, all the other tools away, the one tool you want to keep the most that you also would think about, you know, handing down to your son. Is there a tool that’s that, uh, means that much to you.
Mike
Oh, good. Yeah. Good. Um, thinking about Well, let’s see. On, like, the heirloom side. You know, I got this speak going back to the drill, press I the drill press that I have is something that I inherited from my good pal Eric Story or his his grandfather was was was ah, building engineer. I think he worked in the aerospace field in San Diego and And when he passed away, he had a garage full of tools. And they said, Mike, if you want to take a few of these, uh, you know, we would be happy if you did, cause we think that they be going into good hands. And so I’ve got I’ve got his drill press, and every time I use it, it makes me feel just proud of, you know, that the heritage of it And I would be you know, I’d be thrilled to pass it on to Moscow on to my son. Um, because I know I know what he did really cool stuff with it. And, you know, it’s funny because it’s, you know, it’s got it. It’s not a modern current drill press, but kicks. But it does. It does just great. Um, not newer ones have different speeds, settings, digital outputs, and isn’t it doesn’t have any of that. Um, it’s It’s just the just the real deal
Timothy
right Sometimes with these older tools. They were meant to do one thing like perfectly, and they were bulletproof added and never made a mistake at it. And that’s what they we’re meant to do, and they keep doing it. So it’s amazing you mentioned that, too, because a lot of the new ones there’s just so many, Like you said, the settings and all these other things that you can just kind of get lost in. Um and
Mike
that’s Yeah, you know, that’s and it’s something that drives me crazy cause and I’ve got I’ve gotten I just boxed up a bunch of Cordless tools Ah, that I’ve had for a while all you all one brand because I had three batteries and all the batteries are shot. And then I went Well, what am I gonna d’oh You know, like and and I know I think about like the drills my dad has that we’re the ones that I used in his workshop when I was three years old. He still asked those I could put him in, and they’re still working great. Uh, but it drives me bonkers that the stuff that I’ve had for nine years is now. It’s pretty much useless unless I go out and spend a bunch of money on new batteries, which will have, ah, limited lifetime. And then I have to buy new batteries. If they’re at that point, they’re still making those ones. Cause, you know, those those tools were at that point, then be many generations old. So one of the things that I’ve been doing on the tool side is really carefully selecting what tools I need and then trying to find the best quality, courted versions of those. So I just got the worm drive skill saw. And Holy cow. Yeah, if you don’t get it, you have, right? Yeah. Oh, my God. Is yeah, I’ve never I never knew that cutting wood could be so satisfying.
Timothy
And those saws haven’t changed, you know? I mean, it’s a little bit pretty much they’ve been the same for a long time. And that power you can’t really replicate
Mike
totally. Yeah. Yeah. So I’m doing that. I’m just trying to figure out, Like, what are the tools that, like, what are the tools that I that I need and I need to rely on and I don’t know, honestly, for the stuff that I’m doing around the house. I don’t need that skill saw, but I want it. So I got it and right, Right. And and I know that I can count on it forever. If at some point I go and I build a deck or a build addition to the house like I will have I will have any problems with that. Where, as you know, these courted tools that I’ve gotten a box now figure out thinking I’m gonna invest in new batteries, you know? I don’t know,
Timothy
right? Right now, that’s a great point you bring up. But I think it’s harder and harder now to find these. You know, you can find the cheap recorded stuff, but the high end courted stuff is tougher to find across the board, I think. All right. I mean, I think all the tool cos obviously they’re They’re just looking at you know what? The margins on the Cordless stuff and the R and D goes into that, and so yeah, that just gets pushed.
Mike
Yeah, Yeah, I get it on you from the business side of things. I totally get it. It makes sense, but, um It’s thinking about stuff that I that I like and, you know at some point I’ll probably inherit those court drills at my dad. That he still hasn’t his is his tool case, and I don’t even know if he uses. I mean, he’s probably got a Cordless stuff that he’s now on Lee just exclusively using because it’s convenient, like this little 12 volt drilled the driver that I I’ve got like, No, that’s what I’m wandering around the backyard with its little it’s light meant, you know, and that’s that’s fine for most of the projects that I’m doing
Timothy
right, right? So where can people connect with you and follow you?
Mike
Most of my social channels are MSNBC. First initial last name on Dhe website is Mike Cindy si dot com, and I’m more than happy to hear from people that want to tell me about projects or profiles or anything cool that they think might be interesting
Timothy
for make to see. Feel free to email me, mike at make dot com way. I’ve taken up a lot of your time here. I really appreciate you coming on and look to catch up in person sometimes. Yeah, let’s do it. Definitely
Mike
toc the family too. So let me, uh let me know if Europe this way. I’ll let you know when I come down. L a
Timothy
Next sounds good, Mike. Thank you. You’re welcome. Thanks for listening to Tool Crave If you like the show, please rating of us on apple podcasts or ever You’re listening Fall along with us for guests updates on instagram, Twitter and Facebook at Tool Crate and feel free to email us at podcast at You’ll crave dot com for guest suggestions or just to say hi Thanks again and see you soon.
