3D Prints for The Collaboratory
iAm - Electronics
I wired up the electronics for the iAm project. I did an led test and they work perfectly. I just need to refine the code and wait for some epoxy on my connections to dry.
Stand alone? iAm
After rendering the pieces on the wall, I started to wonder what it would look like if they were all mounted onto a stand alone steel frame... I like how minimal the wall version looks compared to this... I wonder what this would look like suspended from the ceiling vs. coming up from the floor. The desert shot makes me chuckle.
iAm - Rendering
I rendered a few images of the iAm project to get a feel for how I'd like the light to work. It turns out you cannot animate light in Keyshot, so I will be taking some animation frames from Keyshot into After Effects.
DFD & Frank Stella's Retrospective
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| La penna di hu, 1987-2009 Mixed media on etched magnesium, aluminum and fiberglass |
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| La penna di hu, 1987-2009 Mixed media on etched magnesium, aluminum and fiberglass -- Side View |
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| K.459, 2012 Tusk SolidGrey 3000, plexiglass, and steel pipe |
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| K.459, 2012 Tusk SolidGrey 3000, plexiglass, and steel pipe |
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| K.459, 2012 Tusk SolidGrey 3000, plexiglass, and steel pipe |
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| K.459, 2012 Tusk SolidGrey 3000, plexiglass, and steel pipe |
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| Circus of Pure Feeling for Malevich, 4 Square Circus, 16 Parts,2009 Stainless steel tubing, wire, Protogen RPT |
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| Circus of Pure Feeling for Malevich, 4 Square Circus, 16 Parts,2009 Stainless steel tubing, wire, Protogen RPT |
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| And of course, some 3D printed Stella ornaments in the gift shop -- Stella knows what's up. |
Basilica de la Sagrada Familia - Antoni Gaudi
I visited the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona over winter break. I knew that I was going to be in awe of the architecture, but I hadn't considered the possibility of finding something so familiar. As I came upon the structure I started having the nerdiest thoughts, "I wonder if they did that with a CNC? I bet they did that with a CNC! I could do that. I can't believe this entire thing is being built with a CNC!" The entire thing hasn't been built with a CNC because they started construction in the late 1800's but, a lot of today's fabrication is... It's pretty amazing to walk around the outside and inside of the basilica and to be able to notice process in the aesthetics.
I absolutely loved how the lights on the capitals reminded me of cabochon jewels, but also fruit hanging from the palm trees.
The light through the windows was absolutely stunning, these images don't do it nearly enough justice.
Every single detail has been considered.
These giant metal doors made me drool.
THIS WAS THE ICING ON THE CAKE:
Below the Basilica was a whole museum dedicated to the process that housed many original architectural models, drawings and current models and drawings.
When we walked by this room Tom goes, "Look, their own DCRL!" Be still my heart.
I'd love to see the crew in action.
We rode the elevator up to the top of one of the towers and walked down the spiral staircase. It was actually terrifying because it was so windy, but the structure didn't move at all... so that was reassuring. The tops of the towers have mosaic "finial" type structures of fruit and vegetables. They catch the light just right.
Making a 3D Printer - Control Box
I made a box out of MDF to house the electronics for my 3D Printer. I started with some rough sketches, cut the 1/2" MDF on the table saw and then the 1/4" on the laser cutter. Here's what I've got so far:
It took a lot of trouble shooting to get the alignment just right.
Both of the sides slide out for easy access to the electronics.
Eventually I will paint the box after drilling a few holes in the top for the cords to go through.
E-Nable Fellowship - Trumpet Files on enablingthefuture.org
IMA - Final Project Documentation
IMA - Final Project Part 3
Here are some more images from the construction of the project I made for Interactive and Multimedia Art. I used this 1/8" x 3/4" copper stock to make the "buttons" for the project. They are all wired up to an Arduino. I ended up running a ground plane of steel just below each copper strip too. I built a foam stand for the TV to rest on.
Christmas 2015 Ornaments
Every year I try to make at least 50% of the gifts I give and usually it consists of all jewelry for the ladies in my family. This year (for many reasons) I decided to make 100% of the gifts I gave; everyone was given laser cut ornaments. I designed 3 ornament patterns in Rhino, spray coated clear acrylic, engraved the patterns on the painted side, cut them out, and hung them from a red cord. Every package came with 3 inside; one customized to the family or couple, and two patterned.
The funny part about this was that the idea came from a huge (at the time) disappointment in the studio earlier in the fall semester... This was during a week where I was sleeping about 3 hours a night, staying late in the studio and then waking up at 4AM to go back to the studio to make sure I was able to use the equipment I needed to use. I was working on CNC milling a piece of aluminum for the iAm project and I had spent about 3 hours on the piece when I accidentally ran a drill mill straight through my perfectly milled but now destroyed part... The first thought was "If I would have slept an extra three hours, would this have happened?" (I know the mistake was bound to happen sooner or later, but I couldn't help but wish I was still sleeping.) I didn't let it shake me, I just loaded up another piece of aluminum and started over. I later texted a picture to Tom with a sad face and he said "I'll give you $100 if you carve in "Christmas 2015" and put a string on it." It made me laugh. It wasn't a half bad idea ;) ... and it reminded me to make space for the creative mind even in moments that test your strength and endurance.
Making a 3D Printer - Prusa i3 progress
It's been a while since I've posted about (and worked on) my prusa i3 progress... Last week I made it my goal to make it work before the new year. I did pretty good. Duncan helped me trouble shoot and customize the code to get it working. It's extruding PLA really nicely, the code just needs to be tweaked a little more for location and distance information. After the final code adjustments, I'll be making a box to hold all of the electronics and LCD screen and SD card reader.
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| My first print! ;) |
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| My real first print. |
IMA Final Project - Part 2
I am manipulating a few images of water that I recorded out at Atwater Beach last week for my final project in Interactive and Multimedia Art. I've been doing some writing about the work, so I'll just post that here too (below)... I'm not sold on the video presentation yet - so I'm not posting any video documentation until that's better under my control. To see the work live, check out Arts Tech Night at Kenilworth Square East on Wednesday, December 16 from 6PM - 9PM.
Bound by Periphery
is an interactive art object that explores aspects of peripheral awareness
through human presence and touch. Upon approaching the object, the viewer’s
presence and proximity are sensed; this reveals a moving image on a screen
resting face up on the gallery floor. By crouching down and physically
exploring the frame of the video, the imagery begins to change; the water
imagery becomes clear, colors increase in saturation and the sound of waves and
wind becomes evident. Through presence and an acute awareness of the boundaries
of the object, the viewers experience becomes more dynamic and descriptive. In
this way, Bound by Periphery explores
various states of being contained and containing physically through objects as
a metaphor for the mind. A container holds a screen, holding a sequence of
video frames, playing over time. While screens can contain an endless amount of
data, this object is restrained to the frame of the video. The video frame only
allows us to experience what is in view, limiting our field of vision, but upon
exploration of the periphery, the focus becomes clearer and transforms. By
placing emphasis on the physical presence of the body on the edge of the
object, the viewer is offered an incentive to explore, to relieve themselves of
tunnel vision, to soften focus and play.
IMA - Final Project
I've been working on an interactive object for my Interactive and Multimedia Art class... Here's a few images of the structure I've been creating to hold the TV over the weekend. I'll have some videos playing on the screen and then you will be able to manipulate the videos by sliding your fingers across the copper strips mounted to the surface of the frame.
I cut out a slot to inset the top frame into the top of the box structure. I needed to keep it hollow so that I can fit the tv, electronics, and laptop inside.
On a recommendation from Broc, I decided to just use glue and tape to construct the pedestal. This worked good from what I can tell. He said this is the way a few professors on campus construct all of their pedestals, so we'll see if it stands the test of time and the wear of Arts Tech night!
I sanded out the overlaps with a little wood filler, to disguise the seams. Laser cut some corner strips (WOAH - DIGI FAB and HAND FAB - UNITED!)
I had never done any angled cutting on the table saw so it was a bit tricky to get the right measurements at first, but with a little experimentation, I got exactly what I was looking for. It's really satisfying to work with wood, you can get such precise results relatively quickly if you have the right tools.
Drilled the holes for the wire to go through and made sure to attach the laser cut pieces to separate the four "buttons."
Finished the copper strips with a 150 grit sand paper. I will have to seal these with a spray acrylic to regulate the capacitance.
Just waiting for it to dry now.....
iAm Light milling
This weekend I machined a version of the iAm light out of polypropylene. I ran into a few issues with the break-chip drill operation, but luckily nothing detrimental. This series of operations only takes about an hour and a half, a significantly less amount of time than the aluminum versions of this shape (5 hours per piece, yikes!). I'm going to test out sandblasting on the back of the light to see if that diffuses the light a little more. I've got a 12 neopixel ring, trinket, and battery that all goes inside, so I'd like to be able to frost the dome a little more, so that the electronics don't distract. I've been thinking about the color of light I'd like the object to emit, and I think I've decided on hues of orange to go with the plugs. I'm really having a lot of fun with this project, all of the materials and all of the components are making it challenging to finish quickly, but I think taking my time with some of the decisions will pay off in the end product.
Plug Packaging v1
I've been working on a high-end and a low-end packaging design for the iAm project's plugs. The "high-end" version will be 3D printed and then sealed in a vacuum formed case once the design is finalized. The "low-end" version will be laser cut out of a thinner plastic and engraved with the lettering. I see the high-end version of packaging being part of a set for purchase - socket, case, light and light case, vinyl tape, wires, battery, instructions, and the plugs. I see the lower end packaging being used in gallery spaces or public spaces and offered for free if the viewer is willing to participate in the experience of iAm. 
Tri-Grip Ear Plug 3DM
I've been designing around these ear plugs for the iAm project. I decided after I modeled them to release them on GRABCAD because there are currently only two ear plug models on there. I think this file is valuable because I've designed it specifically for the Tasco Tri-Grip Reusable Ear Plug that I've been buying through the Ear Plug Superstore. I like it when models I find online are specific to actual products available for purchase.
Below are images documenting the creation of the ear plug.
Compact Progress - Capacitive Touch Sensativity & Other Buttons
iAm - milling aluminum
Frankie showed me how to use the tormach with pathpilot last week. He helped me mill the top portion of iAm, and then over the weekend I wrote the code and milled the bottom half. The tolerances between the top and bottom are just right - makes me super happy!!! I will finish assembling this next week.
iAm - Functional?
