September 13, 2021: Gaslight Steampunk & Maker Festival

Each year in San Diego there is a wonderful steampunk and maker festival which is called the Gaslight Steampunk Expo.  This year the festival is being held September 30-Oct 3, 2021.  I’m pleased to report that not only will I be playing my street organ at the event for a few hours on both Saturday and Sunday. I’ll also be presenting.an Automata presentation.  I’m hoping that this presentation will be lively, fun, and action-causing.  Sunday morning at 10 a.m.  Perhaps I’ll see you there.

On the automata front, I’ve been working Bench Press Message Board #1  I’ve got the biped and mechanisms working the way that I want them.  

I recently discovered a program called MeshMixer.  It’s a digital sculpting program that will permit me to design components that are more organic (than I am able to design in FreeCAD).  The head in the image was downloaded and then modified in MeshMixer. I am pleased with the control that MeshMixer gives me over the process and am looking forward to becoming more proficient with it.

I am so sorry to see that vaccination has become a political debate as opposed to simply the practice of good medicine.I frequently think that Golden Retrievers and Automata are better than humans.

September 2, 2021: Automata Magazine

I am a very happy subscriber to the Automata Magazine.  The first issue came out at the beginning of 2019 and it’s been bi-monthly since.  I just received my September-October 2021 issue and am extremely impressed.  It seems to me to be a ‘super issue’.  

I’ve not “deep read” the issue yet…I’ve simply downloaded it and browsed slowly through.  My impression at the end of my browse was that this issue is the best yet.

If you are interested in the world of automata you should subscribe.  It comes out bi-monthly and costs about $6 an issue.  If you subscribe now you automatically get access to back issues (worth about $70), a very nice deal.

As I’ve gone through my weeks one of my recurring thoughts is “how does Planet Earth look to alien species passing by”.  I’ve concluded that we probably appear pretty chaotic and undesirable and insignificant.  My guess is that we are bypassed more often than not.

As I’ve mentioned in past posts my 3D printer is now considered an essential tool.  I’ve got a Prusa Mini.  I’ve defaulted to Matterhackers PETG.  The software that I use is FreeCAD.  It’s been about 10 months and I’m finding that I desire to be able to print items that are more ‘organic’ than I am capable of creating in FreeCAD.

So I Googled ‘digital sculpting’ and got good hits.  The end result is that I’m learning a digital mesh sculpting program called MeshMixer.  It’s by AutoDesk.  It’s capable.  There is a learning curve but fortunately, we’ve got tools like YouTube to help us learn.

My first mesh project is a head.  I’m learning how to give it different personalities.  It’s fun.  And I’ve actually been able to use one of the heads on the Bench Press Message Board automaton that I’m in the process of creating.

Time moves on.  The end creeps closer.  I desire to create many more automatons in the meantime.

August 18, 2021: Time Flows

It’s been five weeks since my last post.  I go through a phase when I feel guilty…and then I let it go.

It’s been hot in my garage studio, and the Golden Retriever wants to be petted.  And books want to be read.  So things have been ‘summer slow’.  

Finally, the Five Slat Message Board is completed (except for its carry case and its video).  I’m pleased with this automaton.  I’ve had it in public several times and am pleased that it has caused quality conversation.

Each morning I plot Covid-19 ‘New Infections’ for the World, the US, California, and San Diego County.  The resulting graph has been beneficial to me in helping me understand what is going on around me.  I can clearly see on the graph that we are entering the third bloom of this virus.  As a result, I have restarted wearing a mask when in public places.  I don’t understand why people are so reluctant to get vaccinated.  It seems that as I age people get more stupid.

I’ve started a new automaton that has a working title of Bench Press Message Board #1.  Yes, another message board.  I think that I have more message board stuff to learn…so am creating another.  This one will be larger.  It will be driven by a biped exercising, doing Bench Presses

12 July 2021: Frustratingly, almost Completed
Five Slat Message Board

I began creating this automaton in early March 2021.  The Five Slat Message Board is a complicated automaton that includes the materials that I normally work with (wood, metal, leather, gear motors), and also 3d printed parts, and also a microprocessor-controlled proximity sensor..

As of today, the message board is almost done, with the only remaining task being ‘making the slat rotation reliable’.

When I create an automaton one of the things that I desire is absolute reliability.  The slat rotator works most of the time…but not all of the time…so I must re-engineer the linkage.

We (humans) are all different.  I consider myself an artist and I define a piece done ‘when my heart is satisfied’.  This is not a tangible, definable situation.  It’s a ‘state of being’.  So the trick to all of this is to not get frustrated and not get angry.  Instead, I try to learn.  Each automaton that I create is easier and better than my last.

The second image shows some of my waste pieces.  These pieces were created as part of the slat turning mechanism.  In the end, they were discarded.  Lots of little lessons in the pile.

Note the French curve.  I have three of these and use them often.  My preference is to have few straight lines in my art.

Hopefully, my next post will be able to report that Five Slat Message Board #1 has been completed.

June 2, 2021: Why “Created”?

I was asked recently why I use the word “created” in place of “construct”, or “assemble”, or words with similar meaning.  I must admit that I needed to stop and think about it.

Bottom line, the automata that I ‘create’ are to me…creations.  I envision them.  I fabricate many parts…with each part being a creation.  I do utilize store purchased things, such as motors and ball bearings and stainless steel shafting.  And I use all of these parts and pieces and I create my vision.  So, yes, I do use the word ‘create’ often.

I’ve mentioned my 3D printer in past blog posts.  It’s time again.  I’ve been using a high-quality PLA (Matterhackers Tough PLA).  It has been very satisfactory for me with one exception.  I created an accessory that I used in my car.  It warped in the heat.  Not good.  So I did some research and find that I should have expected the PLA to warp.  PETG, however, should not warp.  One of the things that I’m afraid of is one of my automata experiencing a ‘melt down’ while showing off in a store window or something.  PETG is a bit more complicated to print with, in particular, the first layer.  I’ve bitten the bullet and have my first roll of PETG (Matterhackers Builder series) in my printer.  I have printed just one item (the one that warped in the heat in my car) and I must say that I’m impressed…it seems like an excellent filament.

May 15, 2021: Getting Connected

I’m sure that you are not wondering where the magnets (that I referred to in my last post) are.  The postal service is now reporting that they have come as far west as Los Angeles.  Day 16.

Five Slat Message Board is coming along nicely.  I’ve published a video of its ‘First Life‘.

The last few days I’ve been integrating Proximity Sensor Mk 2 into Five Slat Message Board.  It’s an interesting process…fitting electronic things in between and around mechanical things that make it all work.  The little bits and pieces, though, are fitting in.  I’ve got all of the low voltage wiring completed and am in the process of finishing the 110v wiring.

I’ve been working with prototyping PCB board and am having success…but am also learning a lot.  For example, before I create my next assembly on a PCB board I am going to order a set of 22AWG solid core wire spools.  The 20AWG wire that I’m presently using is stranded, and it’s just a tiny bit too big for the PCB holes.  I spend precious time trimming it down.

I’ve updated two project sheets this past week and have added a video:

• Five Slat Message Board project sheet
• Proximity Sensor Mk 2 project sheet
• Automata Video page.

May 10, 2021: The Post Office is Constipated (it seems)

My wife and I sell wooden name tags.  We have noticed delays recently when shipping via USPS Priority Mail.  Last week I ordered two separate items.  The 3D printer filament order took 6 days to move 150 miles.  My order for magnets is currently on day 11 of its trip from the east coast and the status being provided by the postal service is vague.  Not good.

Currently, I am creating 5 Slat Message Board.  The image shows its progress as of today.  On the bottom side, the motor and right angle drive is mounted and functioning, with the electronics shelf just below.  On the upper side the pedals are installed and the ring gears are sitting in place waiting for their bearings.  I suspect that I’ll have this completed near the end of May.

Project sheets updated since my last post:

• 5 Slat Message Board

67: End of Spool Prints

I’ve had my 3D printer (Prusa Mini) for about 7 months now and have developed a sort of rhythm with the thing.  As I’ve worked with the 3D printer I’ve printed ‘one off’ items…things that I’ll never print again.  And I’ve printed things that I’ll use again and again.  So earlier this week I realized that I was near the end of my 4th spool of filament.  I know that I don’t want to run out of filament while a job is in progress, and I also know that I want to use up as much of the filament as I can.  No sense in being wasteful.

It’s interesting…I have found myself manufacturing parts that I need.  This week I started keeping track of the 3D printed inventory.  And because I am at the end of a spool of filament I am printing small inventory items to use up the filament.  I quit with 3-1/2 feet remaining on the spool…and I’ve got a nice little stash of parts.

Thus far I’ve printed with just Matter Hackers Tough PLA.  It’s a nice strong filament that prints easily.  I’ve learned,  however, that its ‘service temperature’ is not high enough for some things.  For example, I cannot print clamping hubs for the motor shafts…the shafts get too hot.  One of these days I’ll try using a filament with a higher service temperature.  One of these days.

April 26, 2021. The Biped is Seated

Yesterday evening my wife and I attended a small party of friends (three other couples).  It sure did feel good to be around other people again.  Cheryl and I have been very careful, making extreme attempts to stay safe.  We have not wanted to become sick, and more importantly, we have not wanted to infect her Mom.   All is well, and the party was a wonderful treat.  Many thanks to Kim and Tom for hosting.

During this pandemic, I’ve had more time to think.  I tend to get caught up in big picture things…for example, “What is Life All About”.  Without boring you with the details my conclusions are:

• In my lifetime I won’t ever learn the answers to the ‘big questions’.
• I am in control of an extremely small portion of my life.
• Bottom line…Enjoy the moment while contributing positively to the bigger picture.

I am presently working on Five Slat Message Board.  I’ve been doing a lot of boring, behind the scene stuff and am pleased to be able to get my hands into things again.  Pictured you see the biped resting in his new ‘sort-of recumbent seat.  Next up is the pedal assembly.

Project sheets updated since my last post: Five Slat Message Board.

16 April 2021, The Head is Done

It’s been a good week.  Most of the time has been spent creating the biped for the 5 Slat Message Board.

Pictured is a completed head.  It has yet to be painted.

Not much else to report.

This past week I’ve updated these Project Sheets:

1. Proximity Sensor Mark 2
2. 5 Slat Message Board