Site of J. Edgar Park

But will it stand up to 100 proof?

jedgarpark — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:00:37 +0000

Upstanding fellow Kent K. Barnes has completed some important research into adding my bitters to 100 proof rye and reports that it all pans out nicely. Thanks for your hard work, Kent.

Steam Shovel

jedgarpark — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:56:04 +0000

JEParkSteamshovel02, a photo by JohnEdgarPark on Flickr.

My great-grandfather, Rev. Dr. J. Edgar Park, then President of Wheaton College, in Steam Shovel for Kilham Hall Ground Breaking. Norton, MA, 1932.

Clyde Common Egg Nog

jedgarpark — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:15:26 +0000

I’m also making this nog from Jeffery Morgenthaler:

Our tequila-sherry egg nog at Clyde Common has been so overwhelmingly popular that I figured I’d share the recipe here. It’s based on my original egg nog recipe from years back, just slightly modified to incorporate the lower-alcohol sherry into the mix.

Añejo Tequila and Amontillado Sherry Egg Nog

12 large eggs
18 oz (by volume) granulated sugar (~2 1/4 cups)
3 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
12 oz anejo tequila (533 ml. or a little under 3/4 of a bottle)
15 oz Amontillado sherry (443 ml. or a bit over 1/2 a bottle)
36 oz whole milk (about 2 1/4 pints)
24 oz heavy cream (1 1/2 pints)

In a blender or stand mixer on low speed, beat eggs until smooth. Slowly add nutmeg, and sugar until incorporated and dissolved. Slowly add sherry, tequila, milk and cream. Refrigerate overnight and serve in small chilled cups. Dust with fresh nutmeg before serving.

Makes one gallon.

Charles Dickens’s Punch

jedgarpark — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:08:55 +0000

This is a totally unauthorized reprint from David Wondrich’s excellent book, Punch, The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl.

Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl
By David Wondrich
Hardcover, 320 pages
Perigree Trade
List Price: $23.95

THE ORIGINAL FORMULA

TO MAKE THREE PINTS OF PUNCH

Peel into a very strong common basin (which may be broken, in case of accident, without damage to the owner’s peace or pocket) the rinds of three lemons, cut very thin, and with as little as possible of the white coating between the peel and the fruit, attached. Add a double-handfull [sic] of lump sugar (good measure), a pint of good old rum, and a large wine-glass full of brandy — if it not be a large claret-glass, say two. Set this on fire, by filling a warm silver spoon with the spirit, lighting the contents at a wax taper, and pouring them gently in. [L]et it burn for three or four minutes at least, stirring it from time to Time. Then extinguish it by covering the basin with a tray, which will immediately put out the flame. Then squeeze in the juice of the three lemons, and add a quart of boiling water. Stir the whole well, cover it up for five minutes, and stir again. At this crisis (having skimmed off the lemon pips with a spoon) you may taste. If not sweet enough, add sugar to your liking, but observe that it will be a little sweeter presently. Pour the whole into a jug, tie a leather or coarse cloth over the top, so as to exclude the air completely, and stand it in a hot oven ten minutes, or on a hot stove one quarter of an hour. Keep it until it comes to table in a warm place near the fire, but not too hot. If it be intended to stand three or four hours, take half the lemon-peel out, or it will acquire a bitter taste. The same punch allowed to cool by degrees, and then iced, is delicious. It requires less sugar when made for this purpose. If you wish to produce it bright, strain it into bottles through silk. These proportions and directions will, of course, apply to any quantity.

SOURCE : Letter from Charles Dickens to “Mrs. F.” (Amelia Austin Filloneau),

January 18, 1847

SUGGESTED PROCEDURE

Use an enameled cast-iron pot for the “common basin,” or at least something heatproof. Six ounces of demerara sugar should do — particularly if you can get the sort that comes in rough cubes. Use 20 ounces of rum and 6 of Courvoisier VSOP cognac (the brand Dickens kept in his cellar) to be authentic, or 16 ounces of rum and 10 of cognac if you don’t want the brandy to get completely lost in the mix; for that rum, I find a sixty-forty mix of Pirate Juice and Planter’s Best styles works well here, although you can also go all out and deploy something in the Reverend Stiggins’s Delight line. Indeed, Dickens’s cellar also held a number of bottles of “fine old pine-apple rum” (the good reverend’s favorite), which may be approximated by combining 12 ounces Smith & Cross

Jamaican rum and 20 ounces Angostura 1919 rum in a sealable jug along with an eighth of a pineapple, sliced, for a week; strain, let the solids settle, siphon off the clear rum and bottle.

Whatever you do in the way of rum, the fire will melt the sugar and extract the oil from the lemon peel. Dickens’s advice about lighting the spirits from a spoon is extremely sound: always bring the fire to the alcohol, not the alcohol to the fire. (And a stainless steel spoon is fine — anything but

pewter or, God forbid, wood or plastic.) The rest of his advice is also sound, as befits a man who was an acknowledged master of the art. The water should probably be an imperial quart, or 40 ounces.

YIELD : 8 cups (more than “three pints,” but who’s counting?).

List for a triple batch:

1 1/8lbs. Demerara sugar
Rinds of 9 lemons
Juice of 9 lemons
48 oz. or 1,419 ml or ~1 bottle of Appleton Estates v/x rum and 1 bottle of Wray & Nephew Overproof
30 oz. or 887 ml or ~1 1/8 bottles of Martell VS cognac
120 oz. or 7.5 pints or 15 cu. of water

Holiday Gift Guide 2011: Park’s Picks

jedgarpark — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:04:14 +0000

Here is a cross-post from MAKE:

My holiday picks this year run a wide range of things I love to geek out on — from maker fashion to music makers, from machine shop memberships to steam engines, from beverage kits to time keepers. I hope this guide will help you find that perfect something for someone on your list. Or, maybe a little something for yourself!

Six legged!
This super quick hexapod uses Dynamixl servos and the Arduino-compatible ArbotiX micro controller to deliver open source arachnid robotic fun. Sure, this isn’t the cheapest thing on the list, but think of the wow factor!
PhantomX AX-18F Hexapod Comprehensive Kit, $2,250

Edgy
I carried a Spyderco Dragonfly with me for over a decade, using it nearly every day, until I recently misplaced it. This slightly larger model, the Delica, with its quick-deploying combination blade looks like it would make a perfect replacement.
Spyderco Delica 4, $95 (street $50)

Noisy little fellow
This is a fun kit to build, and an even funner kit to play with. Repatch the jumper wires to adjust the drones and noise loops of this alien synthesizer critter.
Bit Blob Jr. Kit, $55

Cooking the joe
Makers love coffee. Makers love making things. Why not make your own coffee beans? Growing them can be difficult if you don’t live in the right part of the world, but buying green beans, which keep for over a year, is the next best thing. Roast them on demand and you may improve the quality of your coffee, cut the cost, and have fun doing it. I love this particular roaster — I make a pound of coffee in it every weekend and get consistently great results.
Behmor 1600 Coffee Roaster, $300

Tooling around
TechShop says:

This holiday season, TechShop is offering our best deal of the year. For only $49, you can become a full member of TechShop for one month with access to all TechShop locations. Plus, we’re throwing in not one, but TWO jumpstart classes! It’s an exciting and inexpensive way to get in and see what TechShop is all about. This offer is running from November 25 – December 31, 2011.

TechShop One-Month Gift Certificate, $49

Helmet cam
Originally intended for extreme sports enthusiasts to record their exploits on the ski slopes, this camera can add rugged, lightweight video capabilities to your robots, rockets, and other maker-ish projects. I love the realtime Bluetooth preview mode, which adds remote wireless vision on your iPhone or Android device.
Contour+, $500

Power
This is the simplest, safest way to control scary, 110V AC devices, such as lamps, fans, and blenders with your Arduino or other micro controller. This new version requires no driver circuit and can be plugged directly into a 3-12V DC control signal.
PowerTail Switch II, $27

Mightier than the sword
Three words: Titanium writing implement. This is a tough, no-nonsense pen that uses Fisher Space Pen refill cartridges. It looks good, has a nice weight to it, and I’m pretty sure was designed to double as a kubotan or stabby tool if you’re in a secret agent sort of bind. Also available in aluminum, stainless steel, and copper.
Titanium Embassy Pen, $40-$85

Homemade suds
The Brooklyn Brew Shop 1 Gallon Beer Making Kit is the perfect introduction to brewing for the quality-conscious quaffer. Instead of the typical can of malt extract, you’ll learn about the true steps of making a grain mash, sparging, hopping, yeasting, fermenting, bottling, and then drinking a delicious homebrew. I made a tasty IPA, though they offer many other styles. One of the most inspired things about this kit is its size — small enough to do on a stovetop, more manageable than the typical 5-gallon size. Includes malted barley blend, hops, yeast, glass fermenter, airlock, tubing, thermometer, tubing clamp, sanitizer, stopper, and blowoff attachment.

Beer Making Kit, $40

Wireless transfer
This SD card contains an impossibly small WiFi transmitter, thus freeing you of the shackles of USB cables. Thanks to the Eye-Fi, my SLR now automagically posts my project photos to Flickr and my computer moments after I snap the shutter.
Eye-Fi Mobile x2, $80 (street $60)

Role play
Here’s one for the the kid (or kid at heart) on your list. Imaginative play is fantastic, but can often involve grabbing anything handy to act as a sword. Sometimes that something is more dangerous than strictly necessary. This gorgeous leather sword, holder, dagger, and shield are safer and more stylish than the typical stick or fire poker.
Handmade Leather Sword, Holder, Dagger, Shield, $145

Fresh brew
I’ve brewed many interesting types of beer before, but never with ingredients such as peanut butter, lavender, grapefruit, or carrots. The brewing recipes in this book are unusual, innovative, and often delicious. The Peanut Butter Porter and Lady Lavendar samples I tasted were excellent; I can’t wait to make some Mustard Brown Ale.
Brooklyn Brew Shop’s Beer Making Book, $20

Brick education
This subscription to LEGO learning is a gift that keeps on giving. The Master Builder Academy is a fantastic way to learn “insider” techniques from LEGO master builders, such as sideways building, micro scale, and airplane design. Buy set one, then subscribe to sets two-six, which will come to your house throughout the year.
LEGO Master Builder Academy Kits 1-6 Subscription, $100

Lock bypass tools
Picking locks is a useful skill to have, and a heck of an impressive party trick. Grab a good set of fundamental tools, read the classic MIT guide to lock picking, and start practicing.
Beginners Lock Picking Blend Set, $40

Vintage bots
Humans love robots. Especially these fantastically appealing robot sculptures made from reclaimed vintage bits and parts. I’ve got one on my personal Christmas list this year — Doris the Bowler Hat robot pictured above.
Lockwasher Design Robots, prices vary, contact the artist

Muscle wire
Flexinol wire is wonderful stuff. It can be pulled and bent out of shape, and will then return to its original state when a current passes through it. This robot hand kit is a great introduction to working with muscle wire, and will spark your imagination for many other applications.
Muscle Wire Moving Hands Kit, $30

Not knowing is half the battle
Full disclosure: I’m highly biased about loving and recommending this item, because I created it. It’s my baby! The Mystery Box kit is a wooden, laser cut box that I recommend you gift to someone only after filling it with messages and artifacts the recipient is never meant to see. Maddening, but worth it; just ask J.J. Abrams.
Mystery Box kit, $35

Hurdy gurdy
Reminiscent of punch cards and player piano scrolls, this music box kit begs the recipient to compose their own tunes, one hole at a time.
DIY Music Box Kit, $15

Making time
I’ve had this watch for a while now, and I just love it. It’s crazy big (46mm), but functionally minimalistic, in a cool-guy pilot-of-an-experimental-secret-stealth-aircraft sort of way. (Shhh, this watch was contracted by a government agency to have no brand or markings on the face.) It’s an autowinder, so there are no batteries to replace, no need to hand wind it. Also available in a mid-size (39mm).
Maratac Pilot Automatic Watch, $195

Made for walking, standing, stomping, shuffling, etc.
Everyone needs a sturdy pair of boots. This is that pair. Made in the USA, leather, nitrile cork sole, triple stitched. I wear the heck out of mine. They even sent me a set of replacement laces, free of charge, just for asking.
Red Wing Heritage Style No. 8111 Iron Ranger Boots, $280

Soda jerk
Take control of your sweet, fizzy beverages! This kit includes the excellent book Fix the Pumps, which chronicles the history, techniques, and recipes of soda, as well as two key ingredients for making your own soda fountain drinks, acid phosphate and lactart.
Fix the Pumps Soda Kit, $33

Little big truck
LEGO Technics vehicles tend to be marvels of ABS plastic engineering. At 2,047 pieces, and featuring a working pneumatic crane arm and offset portal axle gear hubs, this may be the crowning achievement of Technic sets.
LEGO Unimog U400, $200

Take steam back from the punks
Model steam engines are wonderful. From the tiny Model #85 to the full-blown Model #25G power plant, there is a great range of steam engines to enjoy. Simple to set up and run, these will bring joy to the steam engineer on your list. Or, build your own creation such as my Boiler Bot as seen in the Make Project below.

Jensen Model #85 Steam Engine, $120
Jensen Model #25G Steam Power Plant, $390

// –>

Steam-Powered BoilerBot

In the Maker Shed:

Want more? Stop by the Make Shed. We’ve got all sorts of great holiday gift ideas: Arduino & Arduino accessories, electronic kits, science kits, smart stuff for kids, back issues of MAKE & CRAFT, box sets, books, robots, kits from Japan and more.

Holiday Shipping Deadlines in December:

December 14 Last Day to place orders shipped via USPS
December 19th Last Day to place orders shipped via 3-Day freight
December 20th Last Day to place orders shipped via 2-Day freight
December 22nd Last Day to place orders shipped via priority overnight Saturday delivery

Note: We guarantee delivery by Christmas when ordering by the above deadlines, except for USPS, where we simply cannot guarantee. However, we feel reasonably certain based on experience that orders placed on that day will be delivered by Christmas via USPS.

And of course, Gift Certificates and MAKE subscriptions are always available – even on Christmas Day!

More Hulk recursion

jedgarpark — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 01:47:46 +0000

Original was here: http://moustair.tumblr.com/post/12590157073 I needed more!

Florence Siphon Coffee Brewing on Make: Live

jedgarpark — Wed, 11 May 2011 19:09:51 +0000

I’ll be sharing the alchemy of my Florence Siphon Coffee Brewer tonight on Make: Live. Thanks to Becky and Matt for having me on the show.

Becky Stern says:

Make: Live airs tonight! Don’t miss our brewing episode where guests Diane Gilleland and John Park show us how to roast and brew coffee, DIY style. Douglas Amport and John LaPolla from City Brewshop stop by to teach us how to make beer and take your questions. We’ll also have special deals and giveaways for you makers in the live audience:• Digi-Key tool giveaway: Weller soldering station + component grab bag

• We’ll announce a special code to get a fantastic deal on Bay Area Maker Faire tickets

• Maker Shed discount code

• City Brewshop giveaway: 5 Gallon “Brewing Essentials” starter kit (with pale ale Ingredients kit)

Make: Live 08 – Brewing Beer and Coffee

Wednesday May 11th, 9pm ET/6pm PT

Watch at makezine.com/live or on UStream

What’s my name?

jedgarpark — Mon, 09 May 2011 15:59:53 +0000

Prince Edgar

jedgarpark — Mon, 02 May 2011 16:33:03 +0000

I hereby renounce everything else in favor of becoming Prince.

Blendophone: iPhone + Arduino + Blenders

jedgarpark — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 05:32:49 +0000

My friend Usman Muzaffar and I are building a “musical” instrument using an iPhone, an Arduino, and a mess of blenders. Come to the Bay Area Maker Faire May 21 & 22 to see it in action.