Category: Uncategorized

I try not to make to much of a racket. This means little saying and drilling, more organizing and planning. I’m that regards, I’m working on getting my auto photo setup going, the only thing is, the damnable USB spec. I need one kind of cable, I think the Micro B, and I’m just finding every other cable under the sun. One specification with dozens of incompatible variations, from a physical standpoint, but identical on the inside. It’s like they’re trying to show the inherent flaw in racism or something. At least that would show reason.
Any way, once I find the cord I need, I finally root any of my android devices, strip everything. I need camera, WiFi and Cron. And that’s all I need. And some file transfer ability. And that’s all. Camera, WiFi, Cron, and fine transfer. And that’s all I need.
Of course, once I get it taking pictures, it’ll only get worse. I also need a mount, a place to put the mount, a way to do updates without moving the phone, ideally a way for the phone to pan itself. I’d need the hardware to verify this, but I think I know how is do it. Setup a track across the ceiling, camera is setup on the track in a carriage with a couple servos, one with the movement, one or more with the directional functionality. Use the headphone jack to feed data to an Arduino. I see how to do it, just never have.

Somewhere I got motivated for the minute. One of those oddities about me is that I’m cheap. Seriously cheap. I also like to know how things work, to the point that most of the things I use, I want to know how it works.
True story: I was with a group from work getting a demo on a copier. This was for a very specific project, so we brought our own files and paper, to make sure everything would work to our satisfaction. Their technical person for demoing stuff prints one of the files and it prints out jacked and I’m explaining to my boss what settings they had assed up. While the vendor was dicking around in an attempt to not look like idiots, my boss noticed all these little shiny dots in the white areas. This absolutely confused everyone, they were checking the paper for a weird finish, looking at the file, the works. I then pointed out that colour copier in the US prints a yellow dot pattern that the Secret Service can then use to look up the serial number of the copier forged currency was printed on. No one in the room knew that.
Back to the point. So I’m looking at building my handsaw, which I think I’ll dub AndSaw, and thinking of getting back on task, and I realize I have some nice stepper motors. I also have all sorts of other odds and ends. Maybe I should get building a 3D printer I think. If at first I just get down the 2D motion, I’m cool with that. I then get thinking of how I could also something together all ghetto. I think I can do it. First its get it to draw a picture with a pen. Replace the pen with a glue gun. Replace a glue gun with an extruder.
So now I’m getting all looking at stuff online during break. I see an article about a home electron microscope, which is totally out of my price range (and foot print). But I want one. So I think, hey, how hard is it, so doing more research and saw the most basic description of the physics in play. The actual concept basically sounds like a deconstructed CRT. In a vacuum chamber. So tempted…
Saw
Cat tree
Automated picture of work space
…

So I figured out what I’ll use fit the wheel. CDs are plentiful, lightweight and strongish. If I laminate a half dozen together, I figure they’ll provide enough stability. I’m still considering linkage. I don’t think the draw is as important as I was thinking based l on the saw design stuff I was reading on Wikipedia. I was figuring a slice side and a rip and toss side to each sawtooth, but it’s a lot more complicated than that. Changing from direct to indirect won’t be a problem if I turn out to be wrong.
The lame bit is the servo situation. See, I have a couple servos that I figured would be perfect. Unfortunately, they’re not servos, but stepper motors, which means I need to look at how to drive those. I’m not feeling the desire to build a gearbox, so I can’t just use a random motor, and a motor sans gearing will totally be short on the torque.

For some reason my photo of the mess I made didn’t upload. I’ll have to add that to the last post later.
Now I’m thinking of the saw. The bigger the radius of the motion, the more speed it well have, which also means less oomph. I don’t know if it would be appropriate to use the word torque here, but I want to. On the other hand, if I have a small wheel, I can skip most of the linkage. I could just bolt the blade to the wheel with enough room to avoid the end of the motors axle. The only thing is, I think I should look at saw blades more.

Salish Sea – Salish IPA
Kinda musty. The color is a happy orange, but the flavor is meh. I don’t think IPAs work for me. Assuming this shady they mean by IPA.
Elysian – Savant IPA
Rocking some citrus and floral flavors. Would definitely be well paired with roasted chestnuts. I assume. I don’t really like them either.
Green Flash – Le Freak Belg IIPA
What does the second I mean. IPA is India Pale Ale. So… really, its better than the Salish, but then again, so is the coffee at work.
Two Beers – Cascadian Brown Ale
Nutty. Maybe some hazelnut. Yeah. That’s what I’ll pretend my unsophisticated palette recognized.

To all things there are steps. I need to clean. I did some yesterday, need to do more today. Lots of sorting. Currently the Den of Inequity looks like a scrap heap. Like where the chute dropped then off in Episode IV. Not good.
Once the yeah its taken care of, literally and figuratively, I need to get documentation up. I have a old smart phone, which is to say a  WiFi enabled camera. I prolly won’t document it, as it’s moderately straight forward.
Once the camera is up and taking mostly continuous photos, I’ll start with the actual projects. Teddy being chief on the list. He has been quite a little trooper waiting for his surgery.
Of course, all this is based in nut current motivation level. I’m giving it a few days before I simmer down enough to not be totally manic.

My musing of the day was about getting my aquaponic garden up and going. Found a “local” fish die I want to check out, started making a list of what I need beyond a tank, but. I’m not doing this outdoors. I’m not eating my pets. I’m not going stupid small, nor super big.
I think 20 gallons sounds good. Freshwater, because I’m not eating seaweed this year. I want pretty. I want friendly. I think I just need to go to the aquarium store. Maybe the thing is, based on how I’m not dealing with eating the fish, just maximize my fish. Start with a handful of tetras. Risky add more until the tank his a maximized homeostasis. I think I’ll talk to the wife about going there in the next few days. Their website says they’re open on New Year’s day. That would be an auspicious beginning to the year.
But yeah. Most of the documentation on aquaponics is all about factory farming tilapia or done in white plastic tubs. I want to see my friends.

Still trying to decide how, and how big I want to go for my fish tank. Guessing 20 gallons which seems to be a good minimum for the fish being happy. Of course, those numbers may or may not end up being adjustable friending how well the garden half works. I figure if I go with tomatoes or peppers I could have a nice continuous harvest of fresh ingredients. I’d consider herbs, but out garden its already overgrown with everything but basil.
Now, in the interest of science, I’m shady considering what else should be going in the tank. Temperature is easy and obvious. Water height would be a good idea. How about acidity, dissolved oxygen, something more. I’ll have to get looking into how to do some of those on the cheap. Possibly some type of conductivity and capacitance test could give me the numbers for what I want.
Than its an issue of style. Style matters. What I’m thinking of is stripping down circuit boards, mounting electronics, and then potting everything in clear acrylic. I’d have to make sure everything off gases for awhile and check for change in thickness. I really don’t think the fish, nor myself, want to be eating some heavy metals.