make. break. in no particular order.

My name is Andy and I make lots of random stuff. Read more about me on the About page.

What's New, You Ask?

WELCOME to the 2026 Edition of StuffAndyMakes.com!

I've gone back to my roots and actually coded this site and now host it on the cloud. No CMS, no platform, just pure TypeScript, JSX, HTML, CSS, and cloud stuffs.

If you'd like to celebrate yourself, click the icon in the upper-right of the page up there.

I am using the super-cool Input font for this site. If you write code and you want to use it for your code editor, grab it here: https://input.djr.com/

If you find bugs or typos and you have time, drop me a contact form visit and let me know. Much of this website data have now gone through four or more migrations, so I'm pretty sure I missed something in this latest move.

Latest Blog Articles

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock
📆 Dec 30. 2025
📁 Computer Stuff

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

My thoughts on the CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 dock

The Shed Beast: A 12x16 Wood Frame Storage Shed
📆 Mar 23. 2020
📁 Uncategorized

The Shed Beast: A 12x16 Wood Frame Storage Shed

Designing and building a massive 192 sq ft workshop shed.

Fitness Tracker Tester (& Pokemon Incubator?)
📆 Oct 12. 2016
📁 Uncategorized

Fitness Tracker Tester (& Pokemon Incubator?)

A generic device for... testing fitness trackers. Yeah, testing.

Photo Parade!

meltmedia Hack Day July 2012!
Office Chair Land Speed Record?
Dartboard Backstop from Office Corkboard
Making Mad Props for meltmedia's Interactive Superhero Marketing Launch: The Rest of the Props
Disney Glow With The Show Ears Teardown
LED Reading Lamp
2012 Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Bourbon, Yummy Bourbon!
Touch Screens: Some Interesting History and Info
Tony Stark for Halloween 2010: The Arc Reactor (RT Mark II)
Updated Office Chairiot Mark II Systems Schematic
Easy DIY PVC Poolside Towel Rack
Objective-C/iOS/iPhone: UIColor from NSString
Cigar Coolidor (Wine Cooler + Humidor = Coolidor)
Swanky Chinese Lamp
CAD: Now My Most Important Maker Tool
Bourbon Bottle Chandelier - Bluetooth, Dimmable, Hand-crafted
Making Mad Props for meltmedia's Interactive Superhero Marketing Launch: The HAT
Save Buckyballs Rare Earth Magnet Desk Toys!
Sharp Clock (Saw Blade Recycling)
What happens when a fat guy on a golf cart parks on my iPhone?
Office Chairiot Mark II - Progress Update
Solenoid-Powered 6 Brass Bell
A Maker Review on Bluetooth Smart Beacons (or Apple iBeacons)
LED Mood Lamp
Electronics and Hack Workbench
Ventilation Upgrade
How To Compete in Your Company's FitBit Walk Competition While Injured
Electronics Workbench LED Upgrade
Foam Core Backdrop Support Frame
meltmedia Hack Day July 2012!
Office Chair Land Speed Record?
Dartboard Backstop from Office Corkboard
Making Mad Props for meltmedia's Interactive Superhero Marketing Launch: The Rest of the Props
Disney Glow With The Show Ears Teardown
LED Reading Lamp
2012 Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Bourbon, Yummy Bourbon!
Touch Screens: Some Interesting History and Info
Tony Stark for Halloween 2010: The Arc Reactor (RT Mark II)
Updated Office Chairiot Mark II Systems Schematic
Easy DIY PVC Poolside Towel Rack
Objective-C/iOS/iPhone: UIColor from NSString
Cigar Coolidor (Wine Cooler + Humidor = Coolidor)
Swanky Chinese Lamp
CAD: Now My Most Important Maker Tool
Bourbon Bottle Chandelier - Bluetooth, Dimmable, Hand-crafted
Making Mad Props for meltmedia's Interactive Superhero Marketing Launch: The HAT
Save Buckyballs Rare Earth Magnet Desk Toys!
Sharp Clock (Saw Blade Recycling)
What happens when a fat guy on a golf cart parks on my iPhone?
Office Chairiot Mark II - Progress Update
Solenoid-Powered 6 Brass Bell
A Maker Review on Bluetooth Smart Beacons (or Apple iBeacons)
LED Mood Lamp
Electronics and Hack Workbench
Ventilation Upgrade
How To Compete in Your Company's FitBit Walk Competition While Injured
Electronics Workbench LED Upgrade
Foam Core Backdrop Support Frame

Maker Resources

A radnom sampling of tools and resources I find useful. View all resources →

Developer Tools
Pico CSS

Minimal CSS framework for semantic HTML. It makes things look great without writing classes.

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Learning Platforms
FreeCodeCamp

A non-profit organization that consists of an interactive learning web platform, an online community forum, chat rooms, online publications and local organizations.

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Resources for STEM

Find stuff for learning Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. View STEM

STEM Stuff
STEMpowerUP

“[STEMpowerUP was launched] to help others find similar opportunities. Our platform consolidates STEM courses, bootcamps, scholarships, and events, providing one place where you can discover what you need to grow and succeed.“ —STEMpowerUP About page

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STEM Stuff
PhET - University of Colorado Boulder

“PhET provides fun, free, interactive, research-based science and mathematics simulations. We extensively test and evaluate each simulation to ensure educational effectiveness. These tests include student interviews and observation of simulation use in classrooms. The simulations are written in HTML5 (with some legacy simulations in Java or Flash), and can be run online or downloaded to your computer. All simulations are open source (see our source code). Multiple sponsors support the PhET project, enabling these resources to be free to all students and teachers.“ —PhET About page

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STEM Stuff
How Stuff Works?

“HowStuffWorks explains the curiosities of our world, delving into everything from cyber security and housecleaning tips to the physics of black holes and the history of slang. We provide factual, unbiased content that’s fun to read — seriously, check out this piece on the world’s ugliest animal and tell us you didn’t at least crack a smile when you found out why blobfish are so ... blobby.“ —HowStuffWorks.com About page

Visit Resource →

Resources for STEM & Women/Girls in Tech

Technology is super cool and it shouldn't care who makes it that way. Women/Girls in Tech.

Women & Girls in Tech
50 Women in the Tech Industry Every Man Should Know

(From the article intro) “The tech industry is a sector dominated by men. You’ve probably heard about well-known tech giants like Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos or Mark Zuckerberg, but you might not know about the equally impressive female tech gurus. Research shows that almost 80% of students cannot name a single famous woman working in tech. To solve this problem, we’ve got a list of the top 50 women in the tech industry you should know about!” (Thank you, Eva!)

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Women & Girls in Tech
List of Scholarships for Women

This page has a list of scholarships for women organized by major or field. From the page (edited for clarity): In 2019, women constituted 56% of all enrolled college students, yet they hold almost two-thirds of cumulative student loan debt, which at the time had reached almost $1.46 trillion.

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Women & Girls in Tech
Women Who Code

Global non-profit dedicated to inspiring women to excel in technology careers. From their home page: "Since 2011, Women Who Code has been where women in tech find their people, the mentors who push them forward, the peers who get it, and the network that opens doors."

Visit Resource →