I.Maker.365.

coiled bracer updated

I got a little ahead of myself installing components on the new coiled light bracer. Rather tha test each component as I went, I installed a bunch of stuff at once, and then turned it on (circuit-wise it was a repeat so I felt a little too confident). It didn't work. Nothing. I didn't know where to start.

So I cut the board out unsoldered it, and started over, the right way. The short is in the switch bank I made to control the various states. I may take it appart and redo that part too, or I may got for a walk. Let's just say reaching through the coiled copper to do all of that soldering and unsoldering yesterday got a weensy bit old.

 

el panel animation test

With the paint dry it was time to fit the components. This was the first powered run.

 

moving the coil

When I was working on the first light bracer I kept having the thought, "looks cool, but I wish you could see the light show from more angles than dead-on."

The coiled light bracer is the response. In this "movement study" you can begin to see why the x,y,z accelerometer will be interesting for mapping-out more 3D like effects.

 

 

Light Bracer v2.0: three dimensions

Detail about the "second generation" light bracer I started working on yesterday. Disclaimer: those are lather dye stains on my hand.

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EL panel animated sign part 1: inventory/goal

Here's a run-through of the parts I'm using to make the animated EL panel sign

 

The Steampunk Light Bracer

 

 

a new beginning

Several months ago I started this blog with the high hopes of writing 365 posts in one year. But before reaching even fifty entries, I was done. Unlike most abandoned blogs that die a slow death due to lack of content, I conciously walked away from this one.

Let's call this a new beginning. There comes a point in your life when you realize that monsters don't exist, we create them. I needed to take a break. I needed to slay a monster or two.

The good news is I didn't stop making the entire time I was away. I'll try and pull some of the better projects and catch you up on what I've been making. 

 

(037) the seed cube

Every day I get one step closer to the flocking led light effect I want for a roomed sized installation. Granted it started with step 1, learn to solder competently, so there’s been a lot of steps in this process.

Over the weekend I assembled this rgb led 4x4x4 cube from Seed Studios. Assembly took a couple of hours as there are solder points all over those stick thin pcb’s. Seed’s Rainbowduino board that is an Arduino compatible controller board runs the cube with a professional multiplexed LED driver. Essentially an Arduino unit all hopped up for blinky lights.

 Since assembling the unit I have been working through software bugs. When I plug it into the usb port all of the requisite led’s light up on the board and a single red led begins to blink in the cube. That’s it. I've read on-line that several people have noted this same state when they got done assembling and finally juiced it up. They seem to have been able to work through their issues, so at least I feel like I’m on the right track.

 Getting the Arduino IDE to talk to the board is the big problem. There is no specific device called “rainbowduino”. I tried using the Uno setting and all of the 328 compatible options (at Kip’s suggestion) to no avail.

 There are a couple of hardware problems that COULD still be wrong. I took a 50/50 gamble on two resistors, wasn't sure which was the 10K. I matched the colors in the example on-line. I essentially didn’t look them up to double check, but still think I got right. The other thing is there’s a switch that allows the arduino unit to draw power directly from 3volt power source rather than the usb, again I think I got that right.

 I’ve set it aside for an hour or two, there are plenty less vexing projects. Although I did promise to have it running by the weekend, so an hour or two max, and then more poking.

(031) good old pots

Kip came over on Saturday to show me the analog to digital solution he had come up with me for the willow ball art piece I've been working on since the big storm. The willow branches came with Sandy, I practically had pneumonia (bad bronchitis) so instead of getting out to help with relief, I sat at home and wove willow.

After the ball dried for a few weeks I covered it in a skin of one ply natural paper towels misted with a solution of elmers glue and water, ghetto paper maché I've been calling it. From the start it was designed to a be a light thing of some sort. I like the shadow play of the branches on the paper skin.

The hole that is in the bottom of the ball is an interesting side note, if you put this lamp shade on your head it's more like a resonating chamber. In fact it's sort like being in a private echoey place in nature, perfect for chanting or singing to yourself...but I digress.

It's lit from the inside by a strip of 24 controllable rgb led's. What Kip had been helping me with was getting normal analog pots to control each of the three color channels-- one each for red, green, and blue. It worked.

There are two final steps. First we have to add in one more potentiometer for rhythm. Then we create two identical versions of this system to complete the willow piece.

In the end, someone walking up to the piece can control the color of its heartbeat (ranging from 40-150 bpm) and the color of its breathing (ranging from 1-7 seconds). All of this analog twiddling controlling digital functions to make storm detritus appear to be alive.

In addition to Kip being here, my neighbor Tracy also stopped by. She teaches computer science in a NY middle school and has opened a maker space during lunch with a grant she received. It was great to introduce the two of them. Each of them has promised me post for the blog, so I'm not going to put too many words in their mouths... yet.

(016) testify on making

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend we hosted a pie party. The idea was bring your favorite pie, or bring whatever left-over pie you want gone. My friend Alex showed up with a tasty homemade chess pie. I hadn't seen him in a while and he asked what I'd been doing lately.

I told him, amongst other things, I had recently started writing a blog about making. He asked why he hadn't heard about it. The answer was quite simple. Having developed user generated and social strategies for getting the word out for the better part of 10 years now, I keep reminding myself, there has to be a there there first.

Eight posts does not make a blog on making, fifteen simply states that I have been able to stick with it for two whole weeks! Needless to say my aim was to get some variety and girth behind this project before tooting my horn too loudly.

One of the things I've wanted to do since the start is share not only what I've been doing, but what others have done too. To that end I am looking for a few folks that want to testify on making. I've approached a couple of ringers to get started on a various topics. But I wanted to offer you, the hand-full of casual readers, an opportunity too.

What's your passion? Cooking, knitting, auto restoration, beer making, Rasberry Pi, wood-working, welding; what gets you going, and what is it that keeps you there?

Testify on the art and love of making. Help me breathe more community into these posts.

Drop me an email, let me know what you're making, we would love to hear from you.