Makers, get ready: This is your ultimate, must-have, tip-packed guide for taking your DIY projects to the next level—from basic wood- and metalworking skills to 3D printing and laser-cutting wizardry, plus the entrepreneurial and crowd-sourcing tactics needed to transform your back-of-the-envelope idea into a gleaming finished product.

In The Big Book of Maker Skills: Tools & Techniques for Building Great Tech Projects, readers learn classic, tried-and-true techniques from the shop class of yore—how to use a metal lathe, or pick the perfect drill bit or saw—and get introduced to a whole new world of modern manufacturing technologies, like using CAD software, printing circuits, and more. Step-by-step illustrations, helpful diagrams, and exceptional photography make this book an easy-to-follow and easy-on-the-eyes guide to getting your project done.

With an emphasis on making DIY projects that can change the world, The Big Book of Maker Skills includes sections and tutorials on:

• Setting Up a Hackerspace
• Picking the Right Tools
• Welding Smarts
• Circuitry Basics
• Programming & Arduinos
• Working with Wood
• 3-D Printing
• Laser-cutting
• CNC Routing
• Testing & Prototyping
• Drones and Space Exploration Tools
• Robotics
• Biotechnology
• Sourcing and Crowdsourcing

Chris Hackett is Popular Science's intrepid DIY ​columnist.

Founded in 1872, Popular Science is the world’s largest science and technology magazine, with 6.7 million readers. Each month, the magazine reports on the intersection of science and everyday life, and its popular How 2.0 column offers tons of fascinating DIY tech projects for both beginning tinkerers and pro builders alike.