A wise man once said, give a kid a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and she'll eat for a day...but give that kid a crazy, motorized, conveyor-belted contraption that makes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and that day will be a lot more fun! (And yes, that wise man was me.)

Check out how I made the seemingly impossible possible in less than three days, a.k.a. the Wurtz family's PB&J Mechanical Munchie Machine!

Plug this baby into your FiOS-powered computer and simulate the real-time climate of any location in the country -- rain, lightning, fog, sunshine.

Get creative -- got any new weather effects you've figured out how to add to your Personal Weather Machine? We'd love to hear about 'em on the forums!

MATERIALS:

Weather Window
* Submersible fountain pump (for rain)
* 120-volt relay board
* Safety strobe light (for lightning)
* 1/2” diameter copper pipe
* 2 feet of vinyl tubing (1/2” inside diameter)
* Fog mini-diffuser
* Plexiglas
* Silicone glue
* 18"x24" wood case and wood picture frame

Relay Circuit (to control weather changes)
* 8 Solid State Relays (SSRs)
* 10' bulk wire (14 gauge - 5' of white, 5' of black)
* 14-3 wire (we prefer rubber coated)
* Pig Tail (14 gauge)
* Crimp connectors (optional)
* Machine bolts with nuts
* 120V Indicator (optional)
* 5-10 1/2" wire clamps
* 2 4x4 electrical boxes
* 4 outlets
* Project box (to hold SSRs)
* DB-25 Wire
* Internet connection (FiOS recommended)

Why sit on a regular old couch when you can get in the fast lane? I'll show you how I made the hot rod-inspired furniture for the Zaharko family's "drive-in" basement home theater.

VRROOOOOM!!

What kid wouldn't love a super-secret lair? Here's how I built the hidden bookcase door for Daniel Jesserer's "Bat Cave" game room. (The cape and tights are up to you.)