Something for Nothing
Archive.org [host of the mind-blowing Prelinger Archives] brings you this little gem, featuring amazing live-action illustration and animation from Rube Goldberg himself.
(more…)Author Archives: Chris
Show BBpress Topic Tags from Inside WordPress
(more…)
Precision Fermentation
Arduino-Controlled Crock Pot Yogurt Maker.
What
A homemade thermostat attachment for a crock pot (or other electric heating device). It can be used to precisely control the temperature of the crock pot for things like yogurt fermentation.
(more…)Plaque Buildup: Bronze Casting from Laser-Cut Forms
Laser-cut Form for Bronze Casting
Here are some pictures and notes from a test of a bronze casting using forms produced on a laser-cutter. This is a casting of a plaque with text, produced first by engraving into a 1/2″ deep piece of acrylic using a laser cutter. The acrylic form is used to create a negative mold in casting sand, which can then accept molten bronze.
(more…)CNC Routing Technique for Milling Interior Corners
T-Bolt connection using laser-cut 1/4″ panels
Laser cutting is a great technique for quick fabrication, in part because of the very small point size of the laser beam. The minuscule kerf of a laser cut allows for very tight 90° angles on interior (and exterior cuts). This makes it easy to laser-cut thin panels of material for joining, as oomout demonstrates in this post on instructables.com (example pictured below). One of the drawbacks of laser cutting is the limited depth of materials that can be successfully through-cut; the laser cutter that I have access to can get through about 1/2″ of MDF or plywood, but the cuts are very charred and not perpendicular due to the hourglass shape of the laser’s focal point.
(more…)