MAKER MOVEMENT PROJECTS

CNC SIGN PROJECT – DESIGN DILEMMA

Written By: Bill Griggs - Aug• 02•12

CNC SIGN PROJECT Lightened

Lightened image

Part 2

When I began this CNC Sign Project design I had a dilemma. Ashlee originally requested a  sign with a generic picture of a Holstein cow. She did not have a really good grasp on exactly what she wanted she just wanted a sign. I think that not knowing what you want is probably a big problem for most sign customers. They know they want a sign but they expect the sign maker to be able to create the design and know what looks good. For me my real dilemma is that I am not a graphic designer. Sure I have a little art skills but no formal training. Lack of training seldom stops a Maker from giving it a shot. But a wise maker knows how to get just in time training with the help of the Internet.  There are several great website about sign making which can help you learn some basic skills.  Here are a few: (more…)

CNC SIGN PROJECTS

Written By: Bill Griggs - Aug• 01•12

CNC SIGN PROJECTS

Part One

 

CNC Sign Projects

Margarita and Bolton The Cows

I have been working on a new CNC sign project for my neighbor Ashlee. Ashlee wants a sign with a picture of one of her registered Holstein cows on it. This has been a fun project so I thought I would try something new. I will blog about the project every day till it’s finished. And you can share in the progress and setbacks.

I have been doing a lot of experimentation on different techniques to make the cow look good both up close and at a distance. I have been using MDF for the test material because it is cheap and easy to come by.   Anyway what I would do is try a technique in my CNC Sign Projects and if it didn’t work I would just cut the next technique over the previous one. Usually I could get two or three tries before I had to change the wood.

WHAT KIND OF STAIN TO USE

I have also been experimenting with different  color stains and paint to get the look I wanted. Here are some picture of the  attempts. (more…)

Students Won Best CNC Learning Project Award

Written By: Bill Griggs - Jul• 31•12

`

 Students Won Best CNC Learning Project Award

Htec Best CNC Project 2012

The winning Display Included a CNC Endplate made on a Haas Machining Center

Morrisville State College Mechanical Engineering and Technology program students won Best CNC Learning Project Award at the 2012 Americas H.T.E.C. Conference. As I recently blogged, the Morrisville M.E.T. class senior Capstone project was to build a working CNC Router table.  After the project was competed, Educators John Giess and Michael Reeve decided to enter the project in the Haas Best CNC Learning Project competition which was held at the H.T.E.C. annual conference. (more…)

Flying Robots Musicians Play James Bond Theme

Written By: Bill Griggs - Jul• 15•12

Flying Robots Musicians Play the James Bond Theme on Piano, Drums, Cymbals, guitars and more. A team of Scientist at the University of Pennsylvania programed a swam of flying Robots to play music by flying into the pads mounted to a keyboard. Other QuadCopters (four rotor flying vehicles) strummed guitar

strings and banged drums. This demonstration was part of a project from Grasp Labs at University of Pennsylvania. The Robots are called QuadRockers and are developed by KMel Robotics. Quadcopter flying robots have been steadily gaining in popularity lately since the technology has become available at low cost. Thanks to the efforts of websites like DIYdrones and Aeroquad and the opensource release of Ardupilot hardware makers are easily able to create new flying robots. Using quadcopters in performance art is just a natural next step. Kmel Robotics also recently performed at the Cannes film festival using Quadcopters to direct a laser light show . Multicopters are being used in a variety of other ways including building Surveillance, photography, science and power generation station. One artist even turned the body of his dead cat into a flying robot. Talk about gruesome!

The spread of autopilot technology into the hands of makers all over the world is causing explosive growth in flying robot development.  Wide use of GPS and accelerometers in smartphones has made the cost of drone autopilot hardware affordable.  The Apple Ipad

(more…)

3D Carving an Eagle – Warp Drive Project

Written By: Bill Griggs - Jun• 30•12

3D Carving an Eagle – Rough Cut

 

3D Carving an EagleI recently designed a new Z axis for my CNC Router table which I named the Warp Drive Project. One of the members in a CNC Forum I belong to asked me how the Warp Drive would do with a 3D Carving project. The truth is I had never done a 3D project with the Warp Drive up till that point. I originally designed the Warp Drive Project to make cutting 3D projects faster but the Warp Drive worked so well I got busy making other projects instead. So I decided to take a file that folks were familiar with and try to cut it. I chose a free file that came with Vectric Aspire  3D CNC software. Vectric includes lots of free files with their software including a 3D Carving of an Eagle. If you haven’t tried Vectric products you don’t know what you are missing. The 3D Carving of an Eagle file is one of the many free tutorials included with the demo version of Aspire. The demo files that are included can be machined on your router table so that is an added bonus. I will show you how to get your free Demo copy of Vectric Aspire later in this post. (more…)