In this video I revisit an old project with new technology. I was asked to build another small backlit sign, so I went back to Harbor Freight with another free flashlight coupon. Using the parts of the flashlight and a variety of 3D-printed parts I turned it into a battery powered backlit sign.
Get the 3D designs here: http://www.thingiverse.com/benbrandt22/designs
Get the pens here: http://amzn.to/2lndAQm
Bill Livolsi over at One Car Workshop challenged the maker community to get creative and try making a pen without a lathe. My original plan failed, so I decided to dive in and spend some time with my new (new to me) 3D printer and see what I could come up with. As you may know, I enjoy designing things in 3D in Fusion 360, so I came up with a couple interesting geometric pen designs, built to fit the ink from a cheap pen.
For more inspiring pen projects, check out the No Lathe Pen Challenge playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khokap7AP5o&list=PLHoCZ7LR6hNrJHIlhZxW876wEhs9ReQTt
For those of you who are interested in the printing details, these were printed in PLA with 100% infill and a high detail resolution. I didn't use automatic supports because they were generated inside the pen body which would have been too hard to remove. Instead the supports were manually placed around the outside and that was sufficient. The hexagon pen was placed flat-side down and only had supports added to the two ends.
My son has a pair of wired headphones he uses at school that were starting to fail mid-year, so he brought them home to me. It was a rush job to get them repaired for school the next day, and I made some mistakes along the way. Everything worked out in the end, so hopefully this can serve as a guide on what to look out for, and how you can recover.
After my previous video on the solid wood dodecahedron, I made this video to cover the design and making process in greater detail. In this video we cover the use of Fusion 360 to make a 3D model and use it to plan out the jig and fabrication process, talk through how it was made, and problems and solutions along the way.
In this video, I took on the challenge of making a 12-sided shape (dodecahedron) on my table saw. Using Fusion 360 to make a 3D model and plan out the process, I took this all the way from concept to fnished part. This was a really interesting exercise in design and jig design, and made for a fun project.
I was tasked with fixing an unusual storage problem. Large rolls of fabric had been stacked up on a wire shelf that was much too small and not designed for this type of item. The rolls were nearly falling off the shelf, held back by a random length of ribbon that had been tied around them. Despite the poor solution this was the best place to keep them, so I came up with a simple wooden stanchion that could "slot into" the wire shelf and hold back the rolls of fabric. This way we had a better, cheap solution that was easy and not permanent.
This USB Hub challenge was inspired by a project where Giaco Whatever made a USB hub cast in cement, and the video was met with a lot of criticism. A number of fellow YouTube makers, led by Michael Lawing, decided to get together and make our own Giaco-inspired USB hub projects as a show of support, and to show how much good can happen by sharing even a small idea with the community.
To see all the projects in the USB Hub Challenge, check out the USB Hub Challenge Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtOpzFLh4wxwkOPFP7-Euqf8ZpEhvOrsd
For me, this was a fun opportunity to get creative and experiment with some new materials and techniques. I got to plan out, sketch, and model my idea, experiment with the concept, and make it happen. The cement parts were cast in molds made from MDF and packaging tape, placed down on a sheet of glass I salvaged from an old scanner. I need more practice with my router, having blown out some chunks of my walnut, and my first time cutting mortises resulted in some blowouts as well. Thankfully the outside turned out good enough that I didn't have to start over. I learned a lot from this build, and I hope it inspires you to get out and try making something yourself.
Giaco Whatever's channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/giacowhatever
Michael Lawing's channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVBiW0_QzrsS3vZdCjAitQA
Now that we've established that the programmable box joint jig can make fixed width box joints, it's time to demonstrate variable width joints, and really showcase what software can bring to the wood shop.
In this video we'll be making some simple plywood boxes, with a basic, somewhat decorative variable width box joint.
Raspberry Pi 3 Starter Kit: http://amzn.to/2bxqBl0
Limit Switches: http://amzn.to/2bxrJF6
My table saw: http://amzn.to/2bTGiU9
As a budding woodworker I always wanted to try making box joints. My table saw however was not designed to handle a dado stack. If I could use a single blade accurately I could make wide finger joints, but that can get difficult and repetitive. If I could automate the process, then I could easily cut box joints of any size. After months of development, here is my first test run on the programmable box joint jig.
I want to go into deeper detail on how it was made and how it works. What I really want is to answer as many of YOUR questions as possible, so if there's something you want to know more about, let me know.
Raspberry Pi Starter Kit: http://amzn.to/2bxqBl0
Limit Switches: http://amzn.to/2bxrJF6
My oldest son loves to color these days, and wanted something to hold his markers. Meanwhile, his dad loves to make box joints these days, and was looking for an excuse to do so. As a result, we came up with a simple box-jointed open-top box to use as a pencil (or marker) cup, made to fit in with our dining room decor.
This project also served as a fun upcycling challenge for the 2016 Pallet Upcycle Challenge. The entire project came from a section of thick beat-up pallet wood that I picked up awhile back. At first I thought I would leave it looking "rustic" but I was pleasantly surprised how nice it looked after sanding off the rough surfaces.
Silicone mini glue brushes: http://amzn.to/2baXC9h
Cognac wood stain: http://amzn.to/2baXPJv
Water based satin polyurethane: http://amzn.to/2bryXev
MUSIC: "Undone" by Lunova Labs
https://soundcloud.com/lunova/undone
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Portions were repeated to extend the length of the music.
A little creativity and hobby engineering caught on video.
