Bantam Biplane

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This is way off my usual beat, but I get asked to review various gadgets and gizmos from time to time. Gearbest (Gearbest.com) sent me the DK-8-KZ "Mini Engraving Machine" for a spin. I'm not going to lie, I'd never laid eyes on or heard of a laser engraver before, let alone one that's small enough to fit in my hand. When it arrived, I was blown away by how tiny this thing is. The actual engraving part? Not really my cup of tea. I used the machine to carve up some giraffe pics (it converts photos to engraving-friendly format with ease) for my wife, who's totally obsessed with those long-necked critters – they're everywhere in our house. I also tried out a photo of her with a giraffe and more animal-themed pics and sketches. The results? Extremely smooth and hassle-free. As a kid, I was notorious for being reckless and doing crazy stuff like using a flathead screwdriver as a chisel (no, don't try that at home) or running with scissors (don't even think about it!). So, in the spirit of my youthful antics, I grabbed some .3mm thick brown card stock, downloaded some pixel-pushing software, and used this mini-engraver to cut out a model – specifically a tiny Bantam Biplane. If you're getting or planning to get one of these engravers, follow the instructions that come with it for unpacking, setting up, loading drivers and software, and using the machine before proceeding. You'll also need some .3mm card stock, thick (gap-filling) cyanoacrylate glue, a small straight pin to apply the glue, tweezers, and maybe even a pair of reading glasses to assemble your Bantam Biplane. Update: The cover photo now shows two biplanes – the original .3mm card stock on the left, and a new one made from .4mm baltic birch on the right.