I’ve finally had an opportunity to play with my 3D printer [makerbot replicator, dual-extruder], and have had some successes, as well as a challenge. I’m having issues with the objects not sticking as well as they should to the build platform, which results in print failure. I have a lot of things I want to print, but until I lick this issue, I’m having to experiment first. So far I have managed to print a spiral box and a guitar pick. The pick only took 8 minutes, the box about 45. Posted pictures on Facebook, will also push to flickr when I get a chance.
I’m learning how the workflow functions with the software for the printer [replicatorG], and doing some G-code editing, which isn’t entirely new to me, since I’ve looked at it before for CNC stuff.
So all in all, it’s an interesting time for me, hoping to really get things tuned up in the next few weeks so I can push out cool stuff. I have that “starting to understand new stuff” feeling, which I’m trying to embrace, although I do like the “totally mastered this” feeling that comes later… And Maker Faire is soon, so I’ll have a good time talking with other 3D printer folks there.
And in other news, the studio is getting drywalled (which is why I have time to fool around with my new toy), so soon I should have a permanent home for the printer, along with all the other stuff cluttering up the kitchen at the moment.
So on Kickstarter, there was a interesting project called Kicksat. The idea is to use a cubesat, which is a 10cm cube standardized frame for a “nano-satellite” as a mothership for even smaller “sprite” satellites. These Sprites are about the size of a half-dollar, and stacks of them will be ejected from the Kicksat.
Since the Sprite is so small, the cost of launch is actually affordable at a personal level. So I bought one. Well, how could I not?
We don’t have a launch date yet, but we are confirmed through a NASA program for academic research, so it’s just a question of when now. The Kicksat will hitch a ride on a larger mission, mounted in what would be dead space in the shroud that a larger satellite isn’t taking up. It’s stuffed in a corner basically.
When it gets to low earth orbit (yeah, this is the real deal, not “balloon space”, but actual orbit), it will emit a 5 character string digitally, which will be recorded by data receivers on the ground.
Those Five characters will be “Bryon”. Welcome to space, family o’ mine.
Space Cadet Jay, signing off…
Finally bored through enough wood and concrete doing pathways that I got to installing the actual conduit(soon, actual wires!).
As I predicted, lots faster than the prep work. I did about a quarter of the job in a few hours, in contrast to three weeks of prep, nights and weekends.
Actually looking forward to the rest of it. Well, except for the one path I forgot, but that should go pretty quick.
Well, also the part where I’ll be crawling under the house…
Well heck, having fun for now with my handheld bandsaw slicing conduit like butter. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Finally pulled the trigger and got a 3D printer, last week, so lead time being what it is, we’ve got 7 weeks to go before it gets here (they have to build them first).
Due to the build area size (how big an object it can print) and dual extrusion heads (lots of interesting things one can do), and also the time vs money equation, I went with a Makerbot Replicator.
It was a close call, as I was all lined up for a Makergear Prusa, just as they announced this new beast. Took me a week or two to balance everything and finally come down on the side of the Replicator, although the Prusa was also a good choice.
Also, once you have one 3D printer, it’s entirely possible to build another one ala a “repstrap” process. So if I have to have a prusa later, it’s an option. But I think I’ll be busy enough as it is. I’m making a long list of ideas to explore with it, many things I will be printing for nieces/nephews (or the cousin equivalents, I don’t bother with the distinction these days).
So in the meantime, I’m working very hard to get my studio finished before it gets here (drilling complete, installing some blocking and then on to either concrete drilling or installing conduit).
It’s a good incentive for me to keep going when I’ve got sawdust in my eyes and my headphones just ran out of juice. Threw them on the charger, now for some lunch and back to it!
Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, I sucked at math.
My Dad felt that this was unacceptable and the school I was going to didn’t have the academic strength to correct it, so he made math sheets for me. We then did timed drills, noting time on the sheet and doing further drills on the ones I missed, until I didn’t miss them anymore.
This was not a smooth process, by any means, but in the end, I learned what I needed to know. Dad has long since passed away but I have the original math sheets still. I’ve passed on copies of these math sheets onto others who needed them, and am doing this again for my Cousin/Niece to help her master the basics.
I think my Dad would be utterly thrilled at this turn of events. I can see the echo cascading forward so clearly, with the family resemblance that is truly astonishing at times. I’m also now remembering more of that time of my childhood, as I search my memory for how to do this for somebody else.
I still sorta suck at math, but at least I’m sucking at trig, instead of basic arithmetic. Thanks Dad.
We had a little shindig at our house, the first real party since the renovation, and it sure went well!
All the Northern CA Bryons made it, all my cousins and most of their kids and husbands even! Lois kicked butt and with little to no help from her husband, put out an amazing spread for brunch. Said husband managed to be of some use in other areas, but was also recovering from the “deathstar trench” he had to dig for electrical conduit, partially under the house. Best thing about that: it’s done.
Back to happier topics, entertainment was provided by the “under 10yrs Production company”, which included a never-to-be-forgotten rendition of “Tomorrow” among others(by a 3yr old with curly hair no less!). Fortunately captured for all time on video, for blackmail when they’re all older and dating.
We managed to not have any casualties, always a plus, and everybody had a great time! Mom and Papa met them all for the first time, and that went better than my wildest dreams.
We’re looking forward to doing it again, repeatedly, and becoming even more family in truth as well as name.
So, 3 days in, 2012 is starting out better than 2011 did. (Although 2011 improved right around May 25th, when I started meeting my cousins for the first time!)
Work on the art studio. Not work IN the studio, but work to finish the studio. Firstly, I will need to get electrical and data to it, which is going to be quite interesting. Holesaw drilling concrete, how hard could it be? Had to get a utility vault to allow for how the conduits are arrayed, it’s one of those rectangular little things in the ground you’ve seen a million times without noticing. Weird that I own one now. Did manage to get the one that says “electrical” instead of “sewer”, that was a plus. In case you’re curious, it is possible to lift the vault by yourself, but I don’t recommend it.
Then there’s the whole “install 50 amps of 220V, without killing yourself or burning the house/studio down” part. Fun! We’ll be hiring our electrician for part of that, the parts where death is potentially involved. Hasn’t killed him yet, so we’re good right?
After I’ve gotten electrical to the studio, there’s building the in-wall distribution for the outlets and hardpoints for the machine tools. I’m looking forward to this part, I’ll be using my handheld bandsaw to cut conduit. Also I’m installing compressed air plumbing in-wall, lots of soldering, but I’m hoping that it’ll minimize clutter given the space constraints.
Fortunately we’re hiring a guy from the renovation to do the drywall, thank god.
And after all that, I’ll have someplace to park the drill press I just got for Xmas!
So, a while back when we were visiting in MN, my mophie juice pack air (iPhone case with battery for extended runtime) died. Under warranty, so I sent it back. At the time, I had noticed that for the past several months, the battery was rattling a bit in the case. I suspected that the two were related, but moved on with the new case.
Fast forward a few months, and the new one starts rattling just like the old. And it too dies on me about two weeks ago. This time, however, things were going to play out different.
Instead of sending it back, I opened it up. Lo and behold, the battery lead to the charging circuit board had broken off, due to the wiggle of the battery fatiguing the wire and causing it to snap.
No problem, soldered it back together. But, rather than rely on the crappy double stick tape to hold the battery still, sugru has been deployed! Sugru is silicone putty that is fairly adhesive, extremely shock absorbent, fireproof, and easily applied. Also reasonably non-toxic once dried, but since it’s in the case that didn’t matter so much. And it comes in convenient little packets.
Pictures posted on facebook, as my blog seems to be having an uploader permissions malfunction. Fix that with some sugru next…
So the good news is that Vossen-fest 2011 starts Wednesday evening, and the guest bathroom will be ready for it! This was the last room in our interminable-renovation-death-march-can’t-we-talk-about-something-else-yet-? But somehow, as we have apparently sinned in some fashion, the minor cosmetic details (threshold strips and a cabinet door) will not be done in time. When my Mom said, “well you know it’s never really done” I don’t think this is what she meant.
But that’s okay. The shower is *awesome*! The shower head is the size of a small Frisbee and will *drown* you in sybaritic luxury if you’re not careful (didn’t look that big on the website, but what the hey). It’s height adjustable for our altitude variant guests (even my bro-in-law Dave will fit under it next time he comes, and it will swing down for the more altitude challenged too) and the controls are totally easy. Hot water shows up in 1 minute (and stays forever, tankless heater), and the shower rail is arced outward to keep that curtain from annoying you during your stay in the shower. And it even looks nice, with the new tile and fixtures. Just don’t trip walking into the bathroom, and we’re all good…
Diamond bits are great for drilling tile, just keep ‘em wet and go slow. Was sweating bullets until I got the holes for the shower rod done, did *not* want to have to call our tile guy back to replace any of our new tiles. Phe-ew! I even impressed Lois with that one, which takes some doing. I’m just glad that it’s done and I can move on to something else. The other adventure was getting the window done, we won’t be using that vendor ever again. I’m tired of having to don the cape and save the day due to other people’s screw-ups that I paid good money for. But doesn’t it just look great now. That’s what I keep telling myself. Big thanks to Andy Miller, our contractor/carpenter who really helped me bail out the situation. The window is now mahogany for rot resistance (it’s in a shower after all) and we put both smith’s and varnish on it, which means it’ll probably be perfect even after we’re dead and buried, many years from now. It’s also double glazed for insulation with some really nice fluted and frosted glass, pretty and private. Also heavy, so new sash weights were needed. (I now know far more than I ever wanted to about window sashes, and their various mechanical aspects.)
So now the house is so close to done that we can just let it go at that. Now we get to finish my work studio/secret laboratory in the back yard.
Oddly, I’m looking forward to it.
As I write this, our 4th generation Italian craftsman tile installer is working on the guest bathroom. This is the last room in the house to be receiving a major upgrade, and it’s going to be done before Vossen-fest 2011 commences and we have guests who would probably like their own bathroom functional. I have my own to do list, which I should probably stop writing about and just get to.
Once this is done, we move on to getting my workshop/secret laboratory functional. I’m more motivated for that phase, given that it’s basically all about me anyway, man-cave stuff. Hope to have that more-or-less functional by the end of the year, but that’s probably optimistic.
Off to buff up some lock hardware and a dozen other minor and semi-not-minor tasks…
