MakeSmith CNC

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The rest of the WyoLum crew get to have fun with laser cutters and 3D printers to build cool and interesting Open Source goodies for everyone. I figured I needed to get in on some construction action too, so I recently purchased a MakeSmith DIY CNC machine (www.makesmithtech.com) from their recently completed Kickstarter Campaign (I love Kickstarter…;-). It’s a very low cost entry into a small scale CNC set up (work area approx 9 inch square) for hobbies etc. and I couldn’t resist the idea of trying it out. Over the next few months I thought it would be interesting to post some updates to the blog detailing how I get on with putting it together and what I end up using it for..

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Chronogram2 – A Modern Timepiece

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If you’re at all familiar with the C3Jr (which you should be given you’re reading the WyoLum blog..;-), then you may know about it’s larger sibling the Chronogram2. Originally offered as part of the Kickstarter campaign, it’s two C3Jr’s combined to tell time minute by minute in glorious fashion. Here’s how to put one together (see attached PDF)!

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Chronogram2 Construction

Låda, a custom project box system

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HALO is an EL-Wire night light. Photo by Emily Shaw

Project boxes can be a real pain. You can get a standard size box from a place like Radio Shack or you can make your own custom box. If you have access to a laser cutter, you can make yourself t-slotted boxes.  While the t-slotted boxes do the trick, the open slots leave an unfinished look to projects.

I wanted a more polished look for my latest clock, so I set out designing Låda.  The Låda (or Lada) Sytem, based on standardized 3D printed corner and edge pieces and custom laser cut face pieces, allows you to define a box of any size bigger than about an inch and a half on a side.  A program written in Python does all of the tedious calculations for you and spits out a PDF file.  Custom openings can be added with InkScape to accommodate stand-offs, buttons, cords an sensors.

The edge and corner pieces have mounting holes 0.4″ from the inside face.  They have an elevated platform to cradle your project.  Hex cutouts captivate a M3 nut so that once installed, they remain in place and the box allowing the final face to be screwed into place.  +Kevin Osborn has been keeping our 3D printing non-stop so that now I have plenty of Lada pieces to play with.

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HALO consists of an AlaMode, a Grove Shield, and an EL-inverter. Photo by Emily Shaw

The Lada system works fine for small projects like the EL-Wire night light seen above.  It also works with larger projects, like the Kandinsky Klock (or Kandy) for short.

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About the projects:

Halo is an EL-Wire night light configured to outline a doorway.  It helps to prevent falls by both providing light, and creating a frame of reference to orient you if you need to be up in the middle of the night.  I made it for my father who could use a little assistance getting to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  The idea comes from a story I heard on NPR.

Halo was easily assembled from: an AlaMode,the Grove Starter Kit, and a USB based EL-Wire inverter.

A special thanks to +Kevin Osborn who lined me out on what I needed to drive EL-Wire and pointed that the Grove Started Kit had everything I needed aside from the inverter.

Kandy is a two-sided mountain bike race timer that I’d promised to build for my collage roommate two years ago.  It is 4 TiM boards with c prototype LED controller called TiNA.  It is bluetooth controlled (thanks to the FTDI compatible BlueFruit module).  I think it is worth the wait.

None of these projects would be possible without Anool’s tireless work designing amazingly flexible circuit boards.