January 2010

Genius…

January 30, 2010

I’ve been messing around with linear resistor tracks recently – looking to create a new kind of controller for my PAIA 9700 analogue synth, when I came across this clip: Initially it didn’t seem to offer anything new, but just check out the volume control – utter genius! The guy has a neat concept website [...]

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Finally got the clock on the wall

January 17, 2010

It’s taken most of the weekend, but I finally got the clock up on the wall. The more observant reader will spot that the driver weight is missing – so it’s not ticking yet. Also despite my best efforts with a custom jig, the pendulum balance is a little bit off – so that will [...]

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…finishing the wooden clock

January 17, 2010

OK, So how annoyed was I at 6:30 today when, after finishing all the final gear alignments and tweaks, I dropped the escapement gear and broke off two of the teeth? Grrr… Luckily I still had the toolpath saved and so I cranked up the mill and cut another one – this one fits a [...]

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…dust collection and clamping the work down.

January 11, 2010

I bought the $85 dust collector from Harbor Freight, and added this to my router setup. It makes a big difference to the amount of “airborne particulates” that get thrown up by this set up. I also borrowed an adapted the technique described on the www.buildyourowncnc.com site about using [...]

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Windows Live Writer

January 11, 2010

I just downloaded Windows Live Writer – this is my first post using a Windows based editing client, so far it’s been very slick, and my blog still works after the initial hook up… Which was nice.

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Simple laser harp/light detection switch

January 6, 2010

I recently revisited some of my early laser harp work and thought it worth making a posting of the original beam detection circuit. This is an active low comparator circuit and the output line can be hooked directly into an Arduino. Shine the laser/light onto the Light Dependent Resistor and turn the 100K potentiometer until [...]

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…making a clock.

January 3, 2010

I was inspired by the recent documentary on Kit Williams to look into wooden clock making. Also, I thought it would be an excellent test of the CNC router I built over Christmas. So after a week of learning about ramping, lead in and out, cutting paths and other engineering type stuff I finally got [...]

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