52 Random Weekend Projects: For Budding Inventors and Backyard Builders

by Grant Thompson "The King of Random", Ted Slampyak (Illustrator)

From one of the most popular project channels on YouTube comes a how-to book on building things that go boom.

Grant Thompson, "The King of Random," has created one of the most popular project channels on YouTube, featuring awesome videos such as How to Make a Laser Assisted Blowgun and Assassin’s Micro Crossbow. He currently has almost 10 million subscribers, posts 5 times a week, and averages over 40 million views a month.

Partnering with Grant is Ted Slampyak, the artist behind the #1 New York Times bestseller 100 Deadly Skills.

52 Random Weekend Projects: For Budding Inventors and Backyard Builders is a guide that enables ordinary folks to build an impressive arsenal of projects. These crafts combine some of Grant’s most popular projects—Matchbox Rockets, Pocket Slingshot Super Shooters, Proto-Putty, Ninja Balls, Mini Matchstick Guns, The Clothespin Pocket Pistol—with many new ones, providing clear instructions on how to build them step-by-step.

Broken down into Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced sections, 52 Random Weekend Projects is loaded with truly amazing projects, including:

- Mousetrap Handgun
- Mini Solar Scorcher
- Air Vortex Canon
- Air Mounted Skewer Shooter
- Paracord Bullwhip
- Bottle Cap Party Whistle
- Ninja Stress Balls
- Tablecloth Parachute
- Skyblaster Slingshot

And many more!

Genres: Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

Published March 10, 2020

Reviews

[Gladimore · Rating 3 out of 5]

My husband would be all for these projects.

[Scott Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a neat collection of potential projects for people interested in various small projects to take on, particularly if you like small projectibles. There is little utility in these projects so they exist sheerly for fun and potentially for the education of trying something. There are inevitably lessons in physics, crafting and engineering but they are practical and not elaborated upon.

[Calvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book overall

This book was a great book overall. I found the projects intriguing and fun. I did notice though that there were some typos and weird formatting errors.

[Sharp Kids · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great ideas...if you want your kids building weapons 😬

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many projectiles. I would think that they could come up with more of a variety of projects.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of the YouTube channel since someone forwarded me the micro-crossbow ep. That's the only experiment I've successfully completed from the videos (and is in the book, too: it's a good one for doing with your kids)

I like that the book has a complete parts list, plus full step-by-step instructions, which will be easier than pause-and-rewind while watching a video.

Hopefully, armed with this, I'll be able to do some more of these.

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My i nner child was ecstatic to find this book! From Ninja Stress Balls and Magic Sand to a Skyblaster Slingshot and off to a Semi Automatic Marshmallow Blaster, and many many more. I was in Heaven. I Definitely will need to buy this book. Step by step instructions made it clear how to do the project. Can't wait to try some.

[Harrydaniel Wiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to try some of these, I don't know when yet.

[Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grant Thompson was a brilliant and creative man, and this collection of projects he came up with is great for anyone from beginner to pro.

[Kevin Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and fun projects. Details are awesome and I like the wide range of difficulty of the projects

[Adrian The · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun book