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Make: Volume 92 is a 128-page anniversary issue that combines a history of the Maker Movement with practical workshop projects. The publisher presents it as the magazine’s 20th-anniversary issue, pairing reflections from Fab Lab founder Neil Gershenfeld and technology publisher Tim O’Reilly with coverage of laser cutters, 3D printers, CNC tools, electronics and DIY builds.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWhat the anniversary issue is
The issue looks back at two decades of Make: while keeping its focus on things readers can build. Its anniversary framing comes from the publisher’s statement that it has been “20 years since Make: magazine hit newsstands and mailboxes.” The cover listing also promotes 23 projects.
The historical section is useful for readers interested in how maker culture developed, while the workshop section translates that history into machines, materials and build ideas. It is best understood as a hybrid of retrospective magazine and project-heavy fabrication guide, rather than a product catalog or a tested buying guide.
#1 Best Overall
![Playboy, January 1992 [Jan., 1/92, 1-92, '92], Vol. [Volume] 39, No. [Number, #] 1, Holiday Anniversary Issue](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51I5EQuUY4L._SL160_.jpg)
- Playboy Magazine
- January 1992 Issue
- Swedish Bikini Team on the Cover
Anniversary features and maker history
Editors, designers and the magazine’s evolution
“Back to the Beginning” brings together members of the original editorial and design team. “Make: Over the Years” examines the magazine’s covers, offering a visual record of how its subjects and presentation changed over time.
Fab Labs and the Maker Movement
Neil Gershenfeld contributes a reflection on Fab Labs and the Maker Movement. Tim O’Reilly contributes an essay about makers and the future. The issue’s welcome column by Dale Dougherty describes the unusual role a magazine can play: “It’s a rare thing that a magazine would become a catalyst for a community and a movement.” The contents identify these essays but do not provide longer verbatim statements from either Gershenfeld or O’Reilly.
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Digital fabrication coverage
The largest practical thread is digital fabrication. Coverage spans laser systems, filament 3D printing and CNC work, with attention to what each process can do rather than treating every machine as interchangeable.
Laser cutters: materials, types and eye safety
The issue includes a guide to laser cutters, a safety article titled “Don’t Fry an Eye,” and a comparison organized around “What Cuts What.” It discusses differences among CO2, diode and fiber lasers and the materials each type can cut. The contents establish the comparison and safety focus, but do not provide enough current specification data to serve as a product-to-product buying recommendation.
Rank #2
Readers should treat the safety coverage as a starting point and follow the exact requirements for the machine, enclosure, ventilation, interlocks and wavelength involved. Laser work can create fire, toxic fumes and serious eye injury; ordinary workshop improvisation is not a substitute for the manufacturer’s safety instructions.
3D printing and printer conversions
Filament-printer coverage sits alongside a project that adapts an old 3D printer into a CNC tool. That combination makes the issue relevant to makers deciding whether to repurpose equipment or buy a dedicated machine. A conversion can change the hazards, rigidity, dust control and software workflow, so the project should be read as a build concept rather than a universal upgrade path.
CNC equipment and guided cutting
The issue includes CNC gear coverage and “How to build a handheld CNC router,” described as a build that keeps cuts on track. The project is particularly relevant to woodworkers, sign makers and artists who need controlled paths without committing to a full-size CNC table. Material hold-down, bit selection, dust extraction and emergency-stop arrangements remain essential design decisions for any router build.
Projects across electronics, crafts and fabrication
The publisher’s contents list a deliberately broad set of builds:
Rank #3
- A pinball-machine restoration feature.
- A 3D-printed lace fabric project.
- A heat-gun coffee roaster.
- A smartphone safe built with an Oxocard Connect.
- An electronic safe using rotary switches.
- A bubble-blasting robot.
- A binder-based music synthesizer.
- DIY Matter devices for connected-home projects.
- Tabletop games cut from acrylic.
- A pico-hydroelectric water turbine.
The $50 water-turbine project
The contents describe a “$50 Water Turbine” intended to “Generate 200 watts” from a pico-hydroelectric turbine made from everyday materials. Those figures are the publisher’s project description, not an independently verified cost or power test. Actual output would depend on water flow, head, generator choice, construction quality and electrical loading.
Why the project mix matters to artists
For painters and mixed-media artists, the issue’s value is not limited to machine ownership. The 3D-printed lace project suggests ways to create repeatable surface patterns; acrylic-cut tabletop components point to layered stencils, maquettes and game-inspired compositions; electronics projects introduce light, motion and interaction; and CNC and laser processes can produce panels, templates, frames and installation components. The magazine supplies starting points, not a prescriptive studio workflow.
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The toolbox section names the following products and brands:
| Named item | How it appears in the issue | What the contents establish |
|---|---|---|
| Prusa MK4S | Toolbox entry | The model is listed; current specifications and suitability are not established. |
| xTool P2 | Toolbox entry | The model is listed; current specifications and suitability are not established. |
| Saturn 4 Ultra | Toolbox entry | The model is listed; current specifications and suitability are not established. |
| xTool F1 | Toolbox entry | The model is listed; current specifications and suitability are not established. |
| EM-Smart One | Toolbox entry | The model is listed; current specifications and suitability are not established. |
| LDO Motors | Brand named in the toolbox contents | The brand is mentioned; no current product recommendation is made. |
Because specifications, availability and safety requirements change, use the manufacturer’s current documentation before buying or adapting any machine. The issue’s contents alone should not be treated as a comparative lab test.
Edition details and ISBNs
| Record | Details |
|---|---|
| Print issue | 128 pages; ISBN 9781680458688 |
| Digital listing | ISBN 9781680458695; February 2025 listed by O’Reilly |
| Anniversary framing | Make: Volume 92, presented by the publisher as the 20th-anniversary issue |
Keep the two ISBNs separate: they identify different format records. A bookseller also lists the print paperback in 2025, but the available bibliographic information does not establish a specific print publication month.
Who should read it?
- Established makers: The retrospective provides context, while the fabrication and electronics projects offer new directions.
- Artists and studio builders: Laser, CNC, printing and interactive projects can expand how you make templates, surfaces, props and installations.
- Beginners: The variety is helpful for finding a first area of interest, but hazardous tools require separate safety training and manufacturer guidance.
- Collectors and longtime readers: The anniversary roundtable and cover history make the issue a record of the magazine’s development.
What it does not provide
This is not a current, independently tested comparison of the named machines. The contents do not establish today’s prices, stock, performance measurements, laser power, cutting limits or affiliate availability. Project claims such as the turbine’s $50 cost and intended 200-watt output should be read as descriptions of the builds, not guarantees.
Bottom line
Make: Volume 92 works best as a bridge between maker history and hands-on experimentation. Its strongest feature is the range: readers can move from Fab Lab history to laser safety, CNC construction, electronics, restoration and experimental energy projects in one issue. Buy or borrow it for the ideas and context, then verify current machine specifications and all safety requirements independently before building or purchasing.
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