Like many inventor/maker/creator types I started out knowing nothing. I had no knowledge of electronics, mechanical principles, or relevant skills at all. What I did have was an idea and a copious amount of curiosity.

      It all started at the age of 18 when I watched an intriguing video of a Tesla Coil, a device that can create huge brilliant arcs of electricity. As I watched, arcs three or four feet long shot into the air crackling wildly. To me, it was like artificial lightning, something both powerful and amazing. I rewatched it maybe a dozen times before I decided I wanted  to make my own. In that moment I decided the only difference between me and the guy who built that was information and understanding. 

      So I set out to level the playing field. I spent hours pouring over documents and watching videos online. It was a steep learning curve to say the least. Luckily for me I was born into the era of readily available information. That advantage combined with being driven by an insane curiosity and drive to achieve my goal pushed me forward. It didn't take long before I learned everything I needed to build my own Tesla Coil. 

       I spent the next week researching all the parts I would need to order and planned out the things I could make myself. In a couple of weeks it had all arrived and I got to work assembling the monstrosity in my parents basement. With help from my dad in the actual construction it only took one week of evenings after school and practice to complete. The fast pace was partly a result of that curious drive I mentioned before and also the fact that I had planned this thing in excruciating detail. One of those nights I actually stayed up until 3am winding the secondary coil (950ish turns) by hand because I just couldn't wait. I had to see it finished. Anyway, after a week of tinkering it was done and I got to turn it on for the first time. And... nothing. I was then introduced to the frustrating world of troubleshooting. However, a few minutes later after some tuning and adjustment it worked! The damn thing actually worked. The thing was spitting out blue arcs like crazy. Not only was it loud but you could FEEL the energy in the air and smell the ozone. It was absolutely mental and I loved every bit of it. I had built a real working Tesla Coil and the feeling of that victory is what I attribute to setting me on the course of technology.

      After that came a hydrogen fuel cell, and the Intel ISEF International Science Fair. By that point I was pretty set on pursuing Engineering with the dream of being an inventor someday. So then I attending LATI's Robotics program. My knowledge kept growing and next came a laser tripwire, a FPV quadcopter drone, a 3D printer that could play music, an electromagnetic Thor's hammer, an auto-target-tracking airsoft turret and a host of other gadgets. Its been a few years since then with a lot of life things happening in between but I never lost my interest in tech. 

     So here we are, I've started a YouTube channel called TechForge. From here on out I'm going to keep building stuff with the same curiosity and drive as before. I chose YouTube because ideally the platform would allow me to invent and create for a living. With my inventing funded I might even have the time and resources to make something that can really help people or advance technology further. I don't have much in the way of resources or funding now so I'm starting with small gadgets but as more people take interest in what I do the projects will grow in grandeur as well. I believe with enough time and resources, anything is possible. So lets go build something awesome. See you in the next video!

-Austin