About the show
We (Taylor Hokanson and Rob Ray) assign ourselves (and a guest) a new creative challenge every two weeks. We then talk about our discoveries, problems, solutions, failures and successes and.... try to steer clear of catastrophic shop accidents.
Opposable Thumbs on social media
Episode List
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Episode 51: Backwards Safety Dance
February 13th, 2019 | 43 mins 46 secs
555, apc, art, atari punk console, attiny, augmented reality glasses, bacon, badge life, bose, breadboarding, challenge, chicago, creativity, electronics, fiberglass, flux, forrest mims, fr4tg130, henry rollins, knolling, leadfree, los angeles, magica voxel, making, oshpark, r kelly, solder paste, soldering, sound, stepped tone generator, surface mount
No guest this week! Just Rob and Taylor going big and then also going home.
Rob and Taylor dive in on relational aesthetics, branding and wanting to think the person whose art you like isn't a giant butthole. R. Kelly, Carl Andre and Henry Rollins walk into a bar... Which person's art do choose to like? And then we deep dive into electronics.
Taylor reaches the melting point!
Rob conjures triple five soulessnessGo see Taylor at the Hilton Bar in Manhattan! Whew! That was a lot of talking about electronics!
You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs
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Episode 50: Survival
January 31st, 2019 | 58 mins 24 secs
art, behind the rind, botany, challenge, cheese, cheesemaking, chicago, creativity, denim, dogs, engineering, getting shocked, lidar, los angeles, making, micah elizabeth scott, mojave, multimeter, plants, podcast, qr code, quinn dunki, raw milk, rennet, reverse engineering, robot apocalypse, serger, sewing machines, sonic boom, survival, tim sway, tshirt, voltage, wargames
Jen Costillo and Álvaro Prieto of the Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast are our guests this episode! Undisclosed Unnamed geographic locations in tha house!
We dig into the concept of reverse engineering and also the complexities and simplicities of cheesemaking!
Taylor brings a serger to a #fingergunfight. Taylor is an I. And a very slight A!
Jen asks us "can you ensure your survival?" Always check the QR code to be totally sure!
Plants! Humans! Electronics! Alvaro may have created of a new version of rock paper scissors!
Rob packs his bug out bag and then was totally unprepared for what happened next.
You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs
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Episode 49: Iteration
January 17th, 2019 | 57 mins 27 secs
art, art projects, bit coin, challenge, chicago, creativity, drum machines, elderberries, electronics, feminist, feminist social practice manifesto, hardcore, iteration, javascript, kefir, kombucha, los angeles, making, motor controller, multiples, papermaking, pcpartpicker, poseymom, punk rock, raspberry pi, seed bank, stepper motors, tr-909, tracks, train, veganism, vegetarianism, water kefir
Melissa Potter is our guest this episode! Chicago in tha house!
We talk to Melissa about bad art history books, the radness of papermaking, the earnestness of hardcore kids... and the rad earnestness of papermaker hardcore kids.
Rob brings the patterns of life and the YouTube-ness of "How To Lyfe" to the Roland TR 909 drum machine.
Mel also examines iteration through life but through the lens of multiples and the microbiological.
Taylor takes takes his iteration on a train to... to... Grand Central Station?You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Deb Chachra, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs
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Episode 48: Happy New Year!
December 30th, 2018 | 20 mins 4 secs
2fa, andy griffith show, art, beadwork, challenge, chicago, chord breakdowns, clubwear, creativity, fimo, harmony, jewelry, jobs, los angeles, making, midi controllers, opendeck, rave, reply all, silkscreening, stepper motors, tight harmony, toto, yubikey
Just Rob and Taylor on this episode! Taylor made a thing! And it's gonna take some time to do the things he never had. We also talk about our first jobs, Fimo, the OpenDeck, beadwork and computer security. We'll be back in two weeks with a guest and a challenge.
Happy New Year everybody! A big shoutout to the 20 guests we had over 2018! Thank you Kelly Martin, Molly Allis, Cedric Tai, Meghann Sottile, Megan Sterling, Rita Blaik, Tim Sway, Charlene McBride, Andy Birkey, Liz from Blitz City DIY, Jarrett Quon, Nigel Poor, Kate Conlon, Matthew Shenoda, Quinn Dunki, Mathew Lippincott, F. Douglas Brown, Debbie Chachra, Michelle Sheng, and Maddie Vaccaro.
You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway, Charlene McBride and Deb Chachra! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs
silkscreening, Fimo, jewelry, TOTO, chord breakdowns, harmony, tight harmony, yubikey, 2FA, Reply All, jobs, rave, clubwear, Andy Griffith Show, stepper motors,
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Episode 47: Make Me Cry
December 21st, 2018 | 1 hr 2 mins
acrylic, art, cassette tapes, ceramics, challenge, chicago, cnc, creative, creativity, hachiko, influences, los angeles, making, materials, mdf, mixtape, molding, molds, multiples, nfc tags, nudity, plaster, podcasts, porcelain, process, q lazzarus, qr codes, rhino, spotify
Madeline Vaccaro is our guest this episode! Chicago in tha house!
We talk about Maddie's work and the challenge of making multiples. It's so hard to re-make a thing over and over with the same amount of enthusiasm as you had for the first one. We also talk about Hachiko the dog * sniff *. Also, Taylor and Rob are addicted to podcasts.
Taylor merges the new-schoolness of NFC tags to re-invent a 20th Century past time.
Need a good cry? Maddie's project has got you covered. If it doesn't make you cry you're probably a replicant.
Rob refurbs an antique to make a cool gift for a great friend. "They see me knollin... They hatin'..."
You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Deb Chachra, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs
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Episode 46: Paradox
December 6th, 2018 | 59 mins 31 secs
3d printing, adobe animate, animation, apps, art, challenge, chicago, coin cell batteries, core77, creativity, ear hustle, fireworks, flipaclip, health, illustration, insight, ipads, javascript, jpl, jumpsu.it, krita, leftovers, los angeles, making, menenists, opentoonz, parenting, screaming cowboy bongo cat, text
Michelle Sheng is our guest this episode! Ann Arbor in tha house!
We talk about the NASA InSight landing and the weird fun that comes along with being multihyphenate creator of things.
Rob takes a swing at animation and gets beaten up by about 5 different animation applications.
Michelle brings her sketchbook pages to the web and navigates the dark forest of self-identification.
Taylor rolls with the punches this episode.
We also talk about jumpsuits, fireworks and the health ramifications of 3D printing. Also, congratulations to Earlonne Woods!
You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs
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Episode 45: The Falsely Accused
November 20th, 2018 | 1 hr 4 mins
art, audrey lorde, beer, breast cancer, browser automation, canvas, card deck, challenge, challenges, chicago, creativity, david milgaard, design, efficiency, engineering, fire ladders, first person grader, formative assessment, grading, lms, los angeles, making, making things, poutine, sandra bland, scratch off, scripting, stan lee, summative assessment, testing, witches
Debbie Chachra is our guest this episode! Boston in tha house!
“The Falsely Accused” is our challenge this episode! Thanks to F. Douglas Brown for the challenge!
Taylor creates Castle Gradenstein (an FPG?) and we talk about the weirdness that is grading. Debbie investigates the cost of false positives, atypicality and the emotional weight of not knowing what to do next. Rob takes a thing apart as a meditation on women's liberation, invention and the master's tools.
We also talk about making beer, useful design feedback, David Milgaard's innocence, witches, wooden fire ladders, and poutine... annnnnnd Stan Lee.
You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs
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Episode 44: Making Things Flat
November 7th, 2018 | 1 hr 1 min
anvil, art, bend, boys, challenge, chicago, creativity, flat bush zombies, flat earth, forge, forged by steel, frohawk two feathers, hairpin, legs, lesson plan, los angeles, making, organization, painting, poetry, rats, shelving, steel, students, teaching, zuhitsu
F. Douglas Brown is our guest this episode! Los Angeles in tha house!
“Making Things Flat” is our challenge this episode! Thanks to Mathew Lippincott for the challenge!
Rob makes things flat and makes things rat!
Doug took the flatness and folded it up into an complex sphere of ideation speaking and listening.
Taylor heats it up and makes it round so he can make it flat!
We also talk about evil chaos, ekphrasis poetry, Frederick Douglass and re-dad-ing. And we have to give a shout out the Mr. Brown's 7th Period Poetry Class!
You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs
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Episode 43: Precision
October 23rd, 2018 | 1 hr 6 mins
airpup, art, balloons, challenge, chemex, chicago, coffee, composting, creativity, dirigibles, flat, futel, hackerspace, ham radio, kites, libraries, los angeles, making, plumbing codes, pour over, pumping station one, quinn dunki, reflow, regulationpunk, regulations, rework, soldering, telcos, telephony, tindie, toilets
Mathew Lippincott is our guest this episode! Portland in tha house! “Precision” is our challenge this episode! Thanks Quinn Dunki for sending us the challenge!
Taylor puts the work and flow into rework and reflow. Mathew folds, unfolds and beholds! Rob's morning ritual goes exactly as planned. Exactly... As... Planned... We also talk about Mathew's encounters as a volunteer operator for the Futel telco network and AirPup, his latest amazing dirigible project.
You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs
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Episode 42: Build a working camera and take a photo with it
October 9th, 2018 | 1 hr 12 mins
abom79, adam booth, appleii, art, boiler, brass, camera, challenge, chicago, computational photography, controller, creativity, external combustion engines, fpga, hardware, instagram, kansasfest, knot tying, lathe, lidar, los angeles, machining, making, man on wire, neato, old time steam powered machine shop, photography, pinhole, robots, roomba, software, steam engines, threadcutting, urinals, vacuum, xv11
Quinn Dunki is our guest this episode! Los Angeles in tha house! "Build a working camera and take a photo with it" is our challenge this episode! Thanks Arturo Romo for sending us the challenge!
Rob goes for broke and then goes for broke again.... and... ends up broke. Quinn brings tha heat in order to freeze a moment in our lives. Taylor risks being arrested capturing photographic psychedelia but perseverance and Metallica gets him through. We also talk about amazing wire walker and interventionist Philippe Petit.
Quinn gave us our next challenge at the end of the episode and you can hear the fear in Rob's voice.
You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Nik, Walter, Federico, Kelly, Luke, Mike and Tim! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs
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Episode 41: Hate
September 26th, 2018 | 1 hr 1 min
arbys, art, challenge, chicago, cloud, creativity, film, flash art, hate, hereditary, high school, los angeles, making, meat, nazis, nest cam, pneumatic tubes, sailor jerry, skinheads, smart home, style, tattoos, wemo, wyze
No guest this episode! Just Rob and Taylor making it to Episode 41!!!
"Hate" is our challenge this episode!
We talk about gamifying meat popsicles for the big cats and Taylor gives two thumbs up to the new film Hereditary.
Taylor adopts his least favorite style and rocks it! Rob gets a smart home device. He also lets us know how dumb he was when he was in high school. This episode is one embarrassment after another for Rob.
You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Nik, Walter, Federico, Kelly, Luke, Mike and Tim! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs
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Episode 40: Oceanic
September 13th, 2018 | 55 mins 1 sec
60-40, 80-20, aluminum, art, challenge, cherry switches, chicago, cnc, creativity, design, drexciya, foucault, los angeles, lps, making, microwaves, mind mapping, motor controller, plywood, records, repairs, t-slots
No guest this episode! Just Rob and Taylor making it to Episode 40!!!
Oceanic is our challenge this episode! Thank you to previous guest Matthew Shenoda for the challenge!Also, every 10 episodes we ask our previous guests to call in and let us know what they're up to. We're so excited by the calls! Many thanks to Andy Birkey, Charlene McBride, Cedric Tai, Kelly Marie Martin, Molly Allis, Ranjit Bhatnagar, and Tim Sway!
Rob makes a map from (and for?) the mind. And it spins at 33RPM. Taylor goes wild and knocks down so many problems! It's pretty oceanically epic.
You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Nik, Walter, Federico, Kelly, Luke, Mike and Tim! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs
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Episode 39: Overkill
August 27th, 2018 | 1 hr 9 mins
african, art, challenge, chemex, chicago, coffee, creativity, egypt, figure, iron, korn, los angeles, making, materials, nevada, poet, poetry, polycarbonate, popcorn, poseable, road trip, straightening, tactical, utah
Matthew Shenoda is our guest this episode! Providence, Rhode Island in tha house!
We finally have a poet on the podcast! Huzzah! We speak with Matthew about the craft of poetry and also hear from him about the African Poetry Book Fund, a really cool organization he cofounded that publishes 3 to 4 books a year and works with Akashic books to publish an African poetry box set!
Ask Taylor about the Big Bang. Matthew is born again hard-boiled. Rob goes the distance to get a pose-able figure.
You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Nik, Walter, Federico, Kelly, Luke, Mike and Tim! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs
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Episode 38: Eavesdropping
August 14th, 2018 | 1 hr 4 mins
argentina, art, art books, artist books, bank card, blaster, buenos aires, challenge, charcoal rubbing, chicago, cooking, creativity, ear hustle, fat man, grandfather's axe, han solo, immersion blenders, immigrant, improvisation, john coster mullen, language, little boy, los angeles, making, mapping, mcmaster-carr, military facility, mystery, nigel poor, overkill, patton oswalt, popeyes, seven eleven, shop, signage, star wars, streets, taiwan, the oatmeal, theseus's paradox, true crime, turning, urn, utilities, ventra, wood, zodiac killer
Kate Conlon is our guest this episode! Chicago in tha house!
Rob rubs Buenos Aires the right way.
Kate takes all of us on a nefarious and wild ride (or is it a drive?) across Chicago. Taylor yearns to put the urn in turn.You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Nik, Walter, Federico, Kelly, Luke, Mike and Tim! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs
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Episode 37: Not My Style
July 31st, 2018 | 1 hr 9 mins
am radio, anger, art, artmaking, challenge, change, chicago, collaboration, color, creativity, design, ear hustle, hope, los angeles, making, photography, prison, radio, solitude, time, trucks, web design
Nigel Poor is our guest this episode! San Francisco in tha house!
We speak with Nigel about her teaching, photography and her artmaking projects at San Quentin State Prison. Nigel also co-hosts the podcast Ear Hustle with Earlonne Woods who co-founded the podcast with fellow inmate Antwan Williams.
Taylor cops Nigel's style. Nigel leaves listening to chance and gets earfuls of anger. Rob goes from rock crawler to kissyface.
You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Nik, Walter, Federico, Kelly, Luke, Mike and Tim! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs
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Episode 36: Resistance
July 19th, 2018 | 1 hr 5 mins
3d printing, abolish ice, adobe illustrator, andy birkey, blitz city diy, breyer, broforce, cardboard, coachella, defense distributed, drawing, drugs, freedom of speech, ghost gunner, gitbook, global inheritance, glowforge, guns, hitmen, illustration, ipad pro, jenkem, laser cutting, leds, machining, more practice, practice, shaper origin, steamrollers, style, uv resin, wacom
Jarrett Quon is our guest this episode! Los Angeles in tha house!
We talk about the fallacy of "talent" and the hard-workin fun-work of practice and learning and practicing some more.
Rob wears his arm out drilling holes. Jarrett asks what a swimming pool, BBQ grill, and water bottle have in common. Taylor hones his routing and printing skillz! Oh, and ABOLISH ICE.
We also talk to Jarrett about his experiences with the Glowforge laser cutter.
You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com
Props to Blondihacks, Nik, Walter, Federico, Kelly, Luke, Mike and Tim! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs