Allegheny Catfish

My goal, was to create an item that would allow me to stand out in a club setting. Being a native of Pittsburgh, it needed to have a northern angle to it. With this in mind, I created My Allegheny Catfish. Named in honor of my Grandfather who would take us fishing down by the river when I was a child. The original sketches had the Steal logo in it as well. That seamed a little too obvious, so I went with just the fish.

Step 1: Items Needed

1. Arduino Neo

2. Kuman WS2812b Addressable LED's

3. Max9814 Microphone module

4. Stainless Medium conductive thread

5. 9V battery

6. Glue sticks / Glue gun

7. Hats (2, one that is twice the size of the one that will be worn).

8. A razor blade or cutting devices.

9. Needle and thread

Step 2: Fish Preparation

I needed a material that could be anything, while also being flexible and translucent. I eventually settled on Hot glue sticks. What you do next Is cut up the sticks to various sizes. Set your oven to 350 degrees. Set a glass, oven-safe pan in the oven. it is important for the pan to heat slightly before you add the glue, so that it sticks immediately without rolling around. let heat for 6 minutes then move the hot pan to the refrigerator for 5-6 minutes. Makes sure that you make several different sizes of scales, to make the fish more realistic, and give yourself options. I formed the whiskers by melting full sticks, and cutting them to shape before they fully dried. The fins were shaped larger, given a distressed ragged look by slicing them with scissors after they had cooled. I then assembled them into the shape of a fish. Once satisfied, I carefully lifted sections and hot glued them together. Adding the fins and whiskers last.

Step 3: Electronics

The first step was to cut the brim from the larger hat and discard it. simply start cutting at the edge of the brim, just under where the top part of the hat meets it. it should come apart cleanly. Next solder the conductive string to the LED's. Sew the LEDs into the top (brim-less) cap. Connect your Microphone module and the LED's with your Arduino. Test to ensure that it is still functional.

Step 4: Assembly

Now You just have to take your fish, and glue thread to the underside. Sew the thread tightly over the electronics so that the are not visible. Once secure, place the cap onto the other hat, and sew the two together. Thats it. You now have a sound-responsive hat.