- What’s Happening Now – July 2021
- 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.
- What’s Happening Now – June 2021
- 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 - What’s Happening Now – May 2021
- 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!
- What’s Happening Now – April
- 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.
- What’s Happening Now – March
- The chain drive clock is done! Now working on videos for it.
- Getting back to other projects, and a pretty major shop cleanup!
- Filming some footage about our Langmuir Crossfire Pro Plasma Cutter
- Adding some safety features to the chain drive clock
- Built a wall rack for various saws and tools. And then Giaco made a cool video about the same thing! His is nicer.
- We keep getting nice comments about our sign messages. Thanks!
- Darcy (@inventorartist) gave us a cool, 60W REDSAIL X700 Laser. Thanks Darcy! Great addition to our shop. We’ll show you more about that in some upcoming videos.
- Got in a new controller board for the laser. Should help modernize it.
- Finished Clock. Clock broke immediately. Clock maker annoyed.
- Made a “Recording” sign. Spelled most of RECORDING correctly.
- Installed new controller board, water cooler etc in X700 Laser. Got it up and running with Lightburn software, which is excellent.
- Redid the motor mounts for the chain drive clock. A shaft on one of the teknic servo motors snapped due to misalignment. Have now installed proper couplers on all motors.
- Reg built a seat that looks like a tractor. And then he added a power drive with a cordless drill. Cool Reg!
