Space Age Hand Tools in the Maker Age
Space Age Hand Tools in the Maker Age launched on March 15, 2019 with 66 votes, #749 of 2,994 launches that month and more than 90% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 7 years on.
In plain words
Justin Miller documents his experience as a maker, programmer, photographer, and traveler based in Portland, Oregon. His project work includes 3D printing a Volkswagen hand tool based on a 1960 blueprint, combining vintage design with modern manufacturing technology. The site captures his explorations in DIY repair and fabrication, showcasing how digital tools can resurrect and localize equipment designs from decades past.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
Maker, programmer, photographer, and traveler in Portland, Oregon, USA. tl;dr How I 3D printed a Volkswagen hand tool from a 1960 blueprint, realizing a half-century-old vision of locally-made equipment. I recently got inspired by a little side project while working on my van. I had to rebuild the power steering pump, which involves pulling the old rubber seal out of the pump. I’d never used a seal puller (a commonly available shop tool) before, so I did a little digging on what exactly the VW 681 was. That led me to this 2007 blog post wherein the author references Volkswagen’s Workshop Equipment for Local Manufacture . As it turns out, back in the 1950s and 1960s, Volkswagen…from justinmiller.io
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