Sometimes when writing an article for Hackaday, there isn’t a clear hack. Sometimes, it just a fascinating build with some flair from the builder. This marble machine was mostly the second factor, but clever use of optical sensors also made it a hack. If nothing else, it’s an enjoyable video.
Some hacks are so ingenious that they get passed over. They are obvious when you see them, but until someone spreads the word, they’re buried. Some clever fellow used free printer templates used for stylus alignment and printed them on transparency sheets instead of paper then placed a mirror underneath everything. The result was a mirror protractor like the ones used professionally. Bonus points for creative use of a 2D printer.
When we need a solution, we can only rely on our resources and experience. To that end, when a former library worked need to organize his comic book collection, he turned to the hardware he was most familiar. Namely, the brass drawer pulls used on index card boxes which had seen countless time at his old job. Since they weren’t meant for use with cardboard, he also had to print up brackets at home.
For a fun single-day project I outlined a plane and added holes in the shape of airfoils. The idea was that paper put into those holes would take the shape of the airfoil and make a paper airplane a little more robust than folded paper. Getting the exact length of paper wouldn’t be easy so I measured the circumference of the airfoil holes and made a straight line on the bottom of the plane the same length. In this way, the body itself was also a ruler. The same idea was applied to the horizontal elevators and a straight line on the tail. It was meant to be cut from a lightweight board, but I used wood just to try it. Once some weight was added to the front, it glided across a room. It should definitely be cut from something light like foam core. This was the first project completed in this blog’s fifth year.
TineBox went through three playable iterations, and two non-functional iterations before them. The sound quality evolved from dry wooden thuds to a twangy metal with plastic hums somewhere in the middle. A video was finally recorded using a combination of the recorder’s microphone and an inexpensive contact microphone.
The rest of the weekly summaries have been arranged by date.
Disclaimer for http://24hourengineer.blogspot.com/
This disclaimer must be intact and whole. This disclaimer must be included if a project is distributed.
All information in this blog, or linked by this blog, is not to be taken as advice or solicitation. Anyone attempting to replicate, in whole or in part, is responsible for the outcome and procedure. Any loss of functionality, money, property or similar, is the responsibility of those involved in the replication.
All digital communication regarding the email address 24hourengineer@gmail.com becomes the intellectual property of Brian McEvoy. Any information contained within these messages may be distributed or retained at the discretion of Brian McEvoy. Any email sent to this address, or any email account owned by Brian McEvoy, cannot be used to claim property or assets.
Comments to the blog may be utilized or erased at the discretion of the owner. No one posting may claim property or assets based on their post.
This blog, including pictures and text, is copyright to Brian McEvoy.
Some hacks are so ingenious that they get passed over. They are obvious when you see them, but until someone spreads the word, they’re buried. Some clever fellow used free printer templates used for stylus alignment and printed them on transparency sheets instead of paper then placed a mirror underneath everything. The result was a mirror protractor like the ones used professionally. Bonus points for creative use of a 2D printer.
When we need a solution, we can only rely on our resources and experience. To that end, when a former library worked need to organize his comic book collection, he turned to the hardware he was most familiar. Namely, the brass drawer pulls used on index card boxes which had seen countless time at his old job. Since they weren’t meant for use with cardboard, he also had to print up brackets at home.
For a fun single-day project I outlined a plane and added holes in the shape of airfoils. The idea was that paper put into those holes would take the shape of the airfoil and make a paper airplane a little more robust than folded paper. Getting the exact length of paper wouldn’t be easy so I measured the circumference of the airfoil holes and made a straight line on the bottom of the plane the same length. In this way, the body itself was also a ruler. The same idea was applied to the horizontal elevators and a straight line on the tail. It was meant to be cut from a lightweight board, but I used wood just to try it. Once some weight was added to the front, it glided across a room. It should definitely be cut from something light like foam core. This was the first project completed in this blog’s fifth year.
TineBox went through three playable iterations, and two non-functional iterations before them. The sound quality evolved from dry wooden thuds to a twangy metal with plastic hums somewhere in the middle. A video was finally recorded using a combination of the recorder’s microphone and an inexpensive contact microphone.
The rest of the weekly summaries have been arranged by date.
Completed projects from year 1
Completed projects from year 2
Completed projects from year 3
Completed projects from year 4
Completed projects from year 5
Completed projects from year 2
Completed projects from year 3
Completed projects from year 4
Completed projects from year 5
Disclaimer for http://24hourengineer.blogspot.com/
This disclaimer must be intact and whole. This disclaimer must be included if a project is distributed.
All information in this blog, or linked by this blog, is not to be taken as advice or solicitation. Anyone attempting to replicate, in whole or in part, is responsible for the outcome and procedure. Any loss of functionality, money, property or similar, is the responsibility of those involved in the replication.
All digital communication regarding the email address 24hourengineer@gmail.com becomes the intellectual property of Brian McEvoy. Any information contained within these messages may be distributed or retained at the discretion of Brian McEvoy. Any email sent to this address, or any email account owned by Brian McEvoy, cannot be used to claim property or assets.
Comments to the blog may be utilized or erased at the discretion of the owner. No one posting may claim property or assets based on their post.
This blog, including pictures and text, is copyright to Brian McEvoy.
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