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What’s Happening Now – August 2021

08.15.2021 by rich // Leave a Comment

  • I’m taking a bit of time off in August – There won’t be as many updates as normal.
  • Working on a big improvement to the shop compressed air supply. A proper air dryer is in progress, as well as automatic tank drainage.
  • Working on tiles for the Quicktime project.
  • Bells are arriving, which is interesting.
  • Breadboarding a fairly complex Raspberry Pi Pico hardware system, and then to write some code. Excited to try MQTT on Raspberry Pi.
  • Updated the sign outside our studio: Make Art Every Day
  • Working on a silly little lamp. The Andy Lamp.
  • Writing a bunch of code these days.

Categories // Now

What’s Happening Now – July 2021

07.08.2021 by rich // Leave a Comment

  • People are liking our postcard dispenser! Nice to see whole families stop by to pick up some postcards.
  • Working on some interesting CNC pieces based on the Google QuickDraw dataset. 
  • We’re working on a video about how we made our Pride display. This should be out soon.
  • I got the letters off the big outdoor sign for my old company “InGenius” and I’m figuring out what to do with them!
  • We have put some letters on the roof of the shop – now just have to wait for Google and Apple to take pictures from space!
  • I took the little “Bonhomme” logo and mounted it on a piece of plywood. We’ll put that up in the shop somewhere. And by little, I mean 5 feet tall.
  • I’ve got a bunch of Python code running to process the Google QuickDraw dataset – creating GCode, SVG images, and a CSV File we can use to do a big mail merge. Still trying various techniques for how to reliably CNC carve, and then paint these wood pieces.
  • Working on a “Birds” piece for my sister-in-law, based on her awesome IG Channel “onehundredbirds” 
  • Updated the sign with the chemical formula CH3COOC5H11 which you can read about here.
  • Added lighting to our laser, and properly calibrated the USB camera that lets us view and align things on the cutting surface.
  • Made a “Fragile/This way UP” stencil for a large box we’re shipping soon.
  • Made a t-shirt using the UP stencil
  • Set up a water hose system with a hose reel. 
  • Changed the sign outside our studio: Lets Dance Like: Evan Finds the Third Room – which is a cool video we like.
  • Working on a large “In” sign that will light up when I arrive at work, and turn off when I leave.
  • It’s Gise’s last week! So, we’re filming a bunch of overdue video things.
  • Finished the In sign – it’s 6 feet square and completely ridiculous.
  • Got a video up about repurposing  the large letters from the old InGenius sign.
  • I started buying some bells for a new long term project, which I think is pretty interesting.
  • Cut some 3.5 inch disks for ReallyHorribleEnterprises
  • Bought some wood for making QuickDraw tiles.
  • A schaublin 102 lathe has arrived, and that is excellent.

Categories // Now

What’s Happening Now – June 2021

06.07.2021 by rich // Leave a Comment

  • Just finished off a few stools – basically playing around with various design ideas and fabrication techniques. Furniture is hard! Very picky to get something that feels the right size for multiple people.
  • Thinking about some ideas for Pride month.
  • Also thinking about some more public projects. Some outside, publicly available things. Probably longer term ideas.
  • Refinished and welded an aluminum outdoor bench. 
  • Building a banana-shaped holder for postcards which will be attached to the sign outside our studio
  • Helped a friend fix a kitchen drawer
  • Met with Daniel Marciano, an interesting woodworker here in Ottawa
  • Had a nice BBQ lunch with our good friend Jon
  • Finished and installed the postcard holder

  • Working on a Pride project…
Our Pride month project

Categories // Now

What’s Happening Now – May 2021

05.03.2021 by rich // Leave a Comment

  • The Clock video was released and got a lot of nice comments.
  • We updated the sign outside our studio – “Lets be effervescently strange.”
  • Completing a set of bookcases with a built-in sleeping platform – should be done this week.
  • Welded up a spike to hold a bird feeder in the front yard of our new house.
  • I got the camera working with our new-to-us X700 laser – so you can see an image of the item you are going to cut on screen in Lightburn and line up the cut quite precisely. I’m impressed by Lightburn.
  • Working on a new video for the Plasma Cutter. It will be nerdy video.
  • Working on a 3 foot by 9 foot live-edge walnut island for the kitchen in the studio. I’m welding up some legs for the island out of 2 inch square steel tube. This is a bit of overkill. I’m using a combination of MIG and TIG welding to weld all the pieces together. Gotta keep practicing the TIG! The photos below show the base with primer paint.
  • And, here’s the finished table!!

  • Also working on a stool. I’m starting with a design by Frank Gehry, and then I’ll see where it goes from there.
  • Finished that stool, and learned a lot. Too heavy. Impossible to sand. Add more alignment pins. Pin nail as assembling each layer. Hard to apply finish. All that said, I really like the looks of it. It’s pleasant.
  • Working on another stool, of my own design. I’m sure this one will also have it’s challenges! Photos soon.
  • I updated the sign – XYZZY which is a transporter command in an early video game. 
  • I plasma cut some address numbers for our cottage. I think they came out nicely!

 

 

 

Categories // Now

What’s Happening Now – April

04.11.2021 by rich // Leave a Comment

  • Chain Drive Clock is done!! Cleaning up the video of this project.
  • Working on a quick project – an Arch Light. Looking for a great big light bulb. (Found at 1000bulbs.com!)
  • Building some shelving for a bedroom.
  • Helped my Neighbour Laris with a quick maple/walnut live-edge table top.
  • Got the new laser running with Lightburn software. Also setting up a camera to work with Lightburn. I’m trying the model referenced here: https://lightburnsoftware.com/products/camera-mount-for-5mp-camera
  • 3D printed the camera holder for the laser. The design referenced above was perfect for the camera I got.
  • 3D printed a part for a ToTo toilet. One of those times where the project flowed so smoothly from concept, through design, and then came out of the printer and fits perfectly. Nice! I wish these things happened more often.
  • Built some table legs – some simple welding with the TIG welder.
  • Built some metal feet for the arch light – MIG welded it together
  • Updated the sign
  • Trying to figure out a recipe to spray latex paint with the Fuji sprayer. First results are so-so.

Categories // Now

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