Dangerously Explosive

If I wanted to supply a prize for a particular contest in the future, where do I go to sign up?

A "Flying Extruder" as it's called minimizes the distance between extruder and hotend, so it can print flexibles better, but also minimizes the actual moving mass associated with a direct drive extruder, allowing the printer to print faster. The counterweights are to minimize the amount of force the motors need to move an axis in any given direction, reducing the workload and therefore the overheating problems associated with long prints.

If you flip your blades around the other way, you might be able to get it to spin faster (and therefore generate more voltage).

This is why I use the "Normalize Volume" feature of my video editor, it does all the balancing for me, and then I can still go back through and use ducking to make the music quieter while I talk or demonstrate the noise made by something, or whatever. Note that I use iMovie '11 because my "cr@p" 2007 MacBook doesn't support anything else, and my other computers are too slow to run video editors. And if it had that feature 7 years ago I'm fairly sure modern editors should too.

Any idea if you can use the F-row keys, i.e. F12? Or the function key combos, like FN+F7 (play/pause on my computer)?

Nice! I'll definitely make one when my printer arrives. And I'll likely expand it to include other features (look at all those open I/O pins!!) like lights and buttons! I share your opinion that potentiometers are better than encoders for these sorts of things, but I personally prefer the linear sliders to rotating ones. That way I have a very clear picture of where my volume is, no fiddling around with rotation and all.

Oh, great. Now I'm gonna have to make this. Of course, I don't have a smartphone, so I'll have to hack it to work with a tablet or Raspberry Pi. Who knows, maybe I can make the displays and controls actually function, with real data? Wouldn't that be cool. And now I have the crazy idea of using this to house a flight control panel for a custom drone. Anyways, thanks for the awesome project and inspiration, I really like it!

You can use electroplating/electroforming on any conductive surface. If your gravestone isn't conductive on the outside, coat it with something that is (that's what the graphite paint is for). For stone, I don't think the acetone or chloroform is a necessity, because you won't be able to dissolve the outer layers of the stone anyway, so you could probably use another, safer substance like Isopropyl Alcohol instead, because it should still evaporate and leave a graphite coating. (I think. I haven't tried it, so I can't say for sure.) Hope this helps, and Happy Making!

Nice job! I like the amount of detail you go into, not overwhelming but certainly enough to figure out how to do it yourself. You mention that you used Carbon Fiber PLA. Was that just the name of the color or is it actually PLA infused with carbon fiber? Just wondering because if it does have carbon fiber in it, it should last a heck of a lot longer in the same conditions as compared to standard PLA. Especially in an aquarium (where fiberglass - a similar compound - is optimal).Anyway, I like the simple elegance of your design, and I might consider making it when my new 3D printer finally arrives. You got a vote from me!

Nice job! I like the amount of detail you go into, not overwhelming but certainly enough to figure out how to do it yourself. You mention that you used Carbon Fiber PLA. Was that just the name of the color or is it actually PLA infused with carbon fiber? Just wondering because if it does have carbon fiber in it, it should last a heck of a lot longer in the same conditions as compared to standard PLA. Especially in an aquarium (where fiberglass - a similar compound - is optimal).Anyway, I like the simple elegance of your design, and I might consider making it when my new 3D printer finally arrives. You got a vote from me!

Or you could 3D print the flaps, and switch the color while printing the layers with the digit. Takes longer than a laser, but IMO it'll look cooler and there's a lot more color choices.

In a textbook situation, yes, they will. In real life, no, not really. I don't typically use resistors because it significantly affects how much light I can put out, and while using PWM, the damage, if any, is minimized as half of the time the LED is actually off. I actually did have a resistor in an early stage of the project (you can see it in some of the pictures) but I removed it due to its diminishing effect on output. Most of the time, not using a resistor just leads to a slight build up in heat over time, which can damage components, and on 5V, this will take quite a while. The only other effect is to slightly shorten the LED's lifespan. For me these are not a concern as I only use the torch as a prop and not continuously as a lamp.If I were to use the torch for long periods or a...

In a textbook situation, yes, they will. In real life, no, not really. I don't typically use resistors because it significantly affects how much light I can put out, and while using PWM, the damage, if any, is minimized as half of the time the LED is actually off. I actually did have a resistor in an early stage of the project (you can see it in some of the pictures) but I removed it due to its diminishing effect on output. Most of the time, not using a resistor just leads to a slight build up in heat over time, which can damage components, and on 5V, this will take quite a while. The only other effect is to slightly shorten the LED's lifespan. For me these are not a concern as I only use the torch as a prop and not continuously as a lamp.If I were to use the torch for long periods or as a lamp, I would switch out a couple of my yellow LEDs for white ones, and add a resistor between the LEDs and GND.

Says on Thingiverse that these have even been whittled from wood... I wanna see a picture of that one! Why? 'Cuz I'm doing that too!I really like this, but I don't have the parts, tools, or hardware. Solution? Make it anyway! I already scaled up and printed out the templates for the parts, I'll be hand cutting them from MDF and/or plywood and modifying the design a bit to fit some 28YBJ-48 steppers on the base (don't have enough servos) and other such stuff. Hopefully it'll work! Anyhow, thanks for the inspiration and awesome design, and most of all for going Open Source!

If the paint and polyurethane stick, then it will work. I think this method is pretty universal for smoothing just about anything, I used to use a very similar method while staining and finishing wood.

Y'all know that the PLA is "toxic", too, right? In the right quantities, anything can be. The point of the project is to show an easy way to smooth PLA with readily available materials, without the need for anything other than a backing surface (to keep the paint off everything else) and perhaps a fan. It is less labor intensive than sanding, and some would argue that sanding creates toxic PLA micro-particles that could potentially damage your respiratory system if inhaled. So really, toxicity has nothing to do with it (as far as the point goes), but rather this project is about reducing labor and pointing out easily accessible everyday fixes for a common problem so that everyone can get slightly higher quality prints.

Mine flicker as well, and I think that is simply due to the frequency at which the LEDs operate. Even dim-able overhead lighting does it, because it is essentially flashing on and off very quickly, appearing dim, but occasionally our eyes will detect the 'off' cycle, making it appear to flicker. So I don't really think that this is a problem, and I have no idea what I could do to fix it even if it was. As for the rev2.0 I'm still having trouble configuring the interrupts, but I'll post it here as soon as I get it working.

Thanks! I'm glad you found it useful and not too dry!

Cool project, and nice use of 3D printing to add aesthetics as well as function. So many people just make a boring design that fulfills a function, but has no good aesthetic qualities, but you seem to have gone the extra mile. Kudos for that! As the other person said, I really like the Wall-E eyes. Just wondering, but did you intentionally name your robot the same as I named mine? (ROB: The Ultimate R/C NeoPixel/WS2812B LED Display Platform) I don't think you did (nor do I particularly care, it wasn't very original in the first place), but it's just kind of funny to think that my robot now has a twin...

Alright, I published a version of it. It ended up a lot more diesel-punk and a bit less flamboyant than expected, and after some fiddling I rejected the idea of moving gears and switched over to a "tank" design. I might try again in the future when I have a proper welding kit, and do something a bit more coppery and bronze. Here's the link:https://www.instructables.com/id/Recycled-Pocket-S...Oh, and I did credit you as part of my inspiration, I hope you don't mind... :-)

I mention this in Step 3. The first button on Analog pin A1 switches the operating mode. The second button has no function. In the original iteration it changed the color of the lights in Standby Mode, but that function introduced numerous bugs and glitches so I removed it in the final version. You actually only need one button to make this project work. If you want to spend some time on it, you could develop your own bit of code to give the second button a function, but I found that the processor on the Uno can only take so many commands at once and when you start adding more it slows down other functions like distance alerts and tracking.

I found mine in the hardware section of a local shop. It was 75 cents (EUR) for a pack of 8 long sticks, same price per volume as the clear stuff. I never looked for it on Amazon, though. With a quick search for "black hot glue" I came up with these, which I think are decently priced per volume:https://www.amazon.com/Mangocore-11mmx190mm-Sticks...https://www.amazon.com/Sticks-Gliston-Paintless-Re...https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Diameter-Crafting-Mo...Black hot glue does seem to be more expensive, but that is to be expected as there are additional compounds in the glue making it black, and if I'm right about it working better, that makes it more proprietary compared to the clear stuff.

Thanks for the comment and tips! The stiffening trick with glue is always good, but I don't use it much so I didn't include it this time around. Yes, waterproofing cardboard is quite tricky, the problem is that over time paints and sealants tend to wear out, and the cardboard will become soggy if even a little leak occurs, which means you have to replace most of it to avoid mold, mildew, and other water-related problems like warping. I mentioned above in the questions about the fiberglass, that's the only method I've consistently seen work over long time periods with little problems.

Amazingly well done. Have you considered making a motorized version? That would definitely be something I would like to make.

Very cool. I really like the LEDs, I'll definitely be making my own version once I get a 3D printer. Thanks for sharing!

Very well done. Nice use of orange LEDs.

I always like these projects with the glowing bits and fluorescence... I should stop torturing myself looking at things I know I don't have the tools to build :-) . But still, very well done.

Oh yeah, the green LEDs definitely do the trick, especially on the brass finish.

I love the lights in the eyes. Very well done!

Darn, now I want one. Very well done, I especially like the green one.

Very nice. Wouldn't it look a bit pure steampunk with a warm white LED, though? Perhaps an orange or yellow? The white is a bit brilliant and looks a little too modern in my opinion.

Very cool. Any idea what each of the bulbs are called? Like, part numbers/types?

Amazing. I always wanted to know how to do the liquid light thing (there are a couple versions on Pinterest) and this is the first good how-to I found. Thanks!

Very nice. It would be very cool if you made the goggles flip-down or slide-down so you could actually use them on windy days.

Amazingly well done, but the description of each step is a bit lacking. Would be cool if you put LED lights and a smoke/fog maker in the engines.

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Would be cool if it auto-adjusted to light levels, maybe with Arduino?

You're welcome. Thank you for the comment. X-Acto knives are pretty cheap, less than $10 for a decent set, but you could also use a box knife or a utility knife if you have either of those.

I've never gotten my CA glue to the point where it will cure, I'm too impatient. Mine supposedly has a 30 second dry time (and an additional 2 hours to full strength) but I gave up trying to get it to stick after about 5 minutes. Works fine for anything else, but not cardboard.

Nice. I did something similar a while back for a presentation. Mine was hot pink and bronze, and had LEDs down the side.

Thanks for the comment and the tips!

The best version for seeing through utilizes Arduino and Neopixel rings, but I agree that the best look is worn on the forehead or on a top hat.

I like the coiled wire on the sides. Too bad making it a tesla coil would destroy the music quality from the speakers...

Beautiful aesthetics. Well done, my friend!

Brilliant. Just brilliant. I'm thinking of doing something similar, except with moving gears and a wire wrapped body.