3D Printing

3D Printed Banana Jack Inset Speaker Plate

In Nov 2018 I took on the adventure of finishing my own basement.  I'm now at the point where I'm wiring my AV system up and focused on the audio part.  When looking to find banana jack wall plates for the speaker connectors, I was surprised to see that most are flush mount with the banana jacks sticking out.  You can find some that are wall mounted, but they can be pricey and don't fit…
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3D Printing

3D Print: Electronics Soldering 3rd Hand

After years using my reliable PanaVise, it was time to step it up with some extra help for soldering and electronics work.  I had this idea over a year ago, and pick-up some 3rd hand arms. They then sat on my   Now that the weather is cooling down, there's more time for hobbies.   That, and my eyes are not what they used to be, so this has become somewhat of a necessity.   Given MCUs…
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3D Printing

3D Printer Raspberry Pi stand & case for OctoPrint Rig

Now that I'm done adding a TFT to my OctoPrint Pi rig, next step was to make a cradle mount for the LulzBot Mini.  I also integrated a power switch into the build.   The cradle is a remix from the Adafruit guide, while the shell are direct prints.  STL files for the remixed cradle are here.  The power switch holder is printed separately then glued using Goop (best glue ever!).            
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3D Printing

How To: TFT LCD with TouchUI on Raspberry Pi OctoPi Rig

I recently ventured into adding a " TFT to my LulzBot ; I already have OctoPrint running, but there are times (usually during filament failure events) I need to directly control the printer (heat the filament, move axis motors etc).  After 3 painful days of messing around with different tutorials, I finally figured it out and it works dammit!  I haven't found a single source that has all steps in one place, so I decided to…
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3D Printing

USB Dial

This is another one of those "did it because I can" projects.  It's a USB dial that uses a Teensy Arduino unit at it's core and allows me to emulate my mouse.  I use TinkerCAD avidly to design my 3D printed models.   I wanted to have both this and my mouse at the same time.  The mouse would be used for some activities ( object selection/rotation/editing) while the dial would fill in to perform rotate/zoom in/out…
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LEGO

Lepin Baja Trophy Truck (23013) Build / Lepin vs LEGO Comparison

Let's start by clearing the air.  I'm fully aware of what Lepin is up to.  I'm an AFOL and have been a dedicated LEGO fan (mostly Technic and Minstorms) for over 40 years.  I have spent more $ on LEGO than I want to know.  Am I a purist?  Somewhat.  I didn't really pay much attention to knock-off LEGO brands as I just assumed they were crap, so I ignored all the media about them. …
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3D Printing

3D Printed RC Hex to LEGO Hub Adapter

After building BluCrawler, I wanted to see what other possibilities there were with builds using RC crawler tires.  LEGO is not there yet with similar tires (closest are the Claas Xerion tires - but they are not crawler tires).  Anyway, it's challenging to mate a LEGO hub to an RC tire.  There are aftermarket adapters out there, but they are expensive, so I decided to design and print my own. The STL file is available on…
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HiTech HS-225BB LEGO Servo Mate

I'm looking at alternate steering options for BluCrawler as the LEGO PF servo motor doesn't cut it, and I'm not satisfied with other LEGO-based approaches I've tried.  So, I'm headed into unconventional territory that may cause my AFOL brethren to shiver.   I'm looking at integrating a HiTech HS-225BB Servo to manage steering.  If it works, I'll add one to the front and rear to give me the throw I need for a tight turning radius as well…
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Arduino

BTBox – LEGO Power Functions Bluetooth Controller

I've been on a bit of a LEGO Technic/Mindstorms hiatus for a while - ok, it's been 7 years!   I have an I've been spending much of my hobby time making my own DIY projects / IoT stuff all while mastering Arduino.   That changed a few weeks back when I came across THIS.  I've been thinking of getting an RC crawler for some time, but it struck me that I have 95% of the…
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