secondsuitor

I think I’m changing some of the baseline big refresh thoughts I’ve had. While I’ve previously been all in on node.js I’m starting to lean towards python. I’m not sure why I’m thinking that way, so it’s still in the air. Lately I’ve been doing a lot of looking at both options, for a home-rolled blog that is, and something just keeps on making me lean away. Not that I’ve actually done any work of course. It might be that I’ve always disliked anything that goes full monolithic. This isn’t to say that JavaScript is any more prevalent than python. I think it’s more that I don’t want to have anything be that prevalent in my own world. The majority of code I do at work is still JavaScript, but I’ll be branching into a bit more python in the next few weeks, and some Perl as well.

I’m kinda dreading the Perl as the syntax doesn’t currently work for me, and the system I need to do it for is a production server that has custom scripts written ten years ago, the comments are the documentation, and any upgrade takes six out of state engineers to do because of those scripts. Once I dig into it though, I assume it’ll be awesome. Mainly, those scripts give us more headaches than a box of worms for what like they seem to do at times, and I’d really like to clean that whole deal up.

Python would be for new and maintained PageDNA templates work wise. While I won’t be the one doing the heavy lifting on this, I’ll be training the person who will be. The comedy value, and my skill, is I’ll be lessoning what I train. The way they’re using python is fairly clean, though again, there are a lot of the older templates that have some pretty janky anachronisms. It’s the curse of having vendors write custom stuff over the years in that things that work don’t get updated, for good reason, but that lack of refreshes makes future updates more difficult. People bandy about the word refactoring, and that might be what I’m talking about, but going back in and cleaning or streamlining old work I think is an invaluable process.

I’ve instituted a change log process at work for PReS Connect, because reasons. As I get older my systems plasticity seems to be sliding away. Rather than having everything in my head, I want notes where they’re easily reviewed. Code has to be commented because I never liked the whole “good code is self-explanatory” trope. If you don’t need to document the why and what, did you need to do it to begin with? That sentence made sense when I wrote it a month ago, seemed gibberish five days ago, and read naturally five seconds ago. It’s a bad sentence.

I’ve been reading my book on Perl for the last few days. So far everything makes sense. We’re talking to the point that I’m tempted to look at throwing Perl on a few other systems for ease of log processing. I had come up with a surer ghetto process out of PReS Connect to get decent error emails, but it’s only good about half the time. This of course is a current feature request in PReS Connect that’s totally in the works. Seems stupid it wasn’t built in from the start, but whatever. I’m not sure how much of a prepress tech I am anymore. I mostly do coding and documenting. It paid decent though.

So, Python? The Stack Overflow annual survey came out, and it seemed like I should think Python. The only reason I keep doing second looks at node.js, is it means I can keep the front and backed all in one system. Spinning up a server is a dozen lines, and… I have to use JavaScript all the time anyway? Python send a little less janky, I have to keep everything separate, and it’s not a language I know as much of. At the end of the day though, I don’t like pre-built modules. I want to see the secret sauce. I want to see the nuts and bolts. There only real bump is I dislike the bigness that is Apache. It’s huge. It has features that only add attack vectors for me. I can mitigate this though. If I switch over to a custom server, I can turn off a lot of that stuff. I don’t need PHP. I don’t, need?, a database. I don’t need what they’re selling. I could look for a smaller box to serve my code, or I could just block all the box parts I don’t want. At the end of the day, Apache mostly just had to be kept updated, with the updates being verified. With that as the server, I can then focus on the language. I could mix and match, or go only Python. It’s up to me.

I think this post has rambled long enough over paragraphs and days.

Last night I did a little wrecking house as the dwarves. I then had a little house wrecked on me, but I’m back to a good place again in that I got the Vampire Counts to chill for a minute so I can take down one enemy at a time. The Von Carsteins are going to be invited over for some… stake.

This morning I almost got up at my new wakeup time. I totally woke up half an hour early, so I slept for an hour more. Seems legit. After I got up and everything, I still had a few minutes, so yes, yes I did start walking through that OpenSCAD tutorial I found. I didn’t get far, but I did get.

While I expect it’ll take some time for me to train this new normal for myself, I feel it’ll have more reliable results. While I can easily stay up all night when I need to, and I still will irregularly work twelve hours straight if I have to, my better cognition is in the morning before the world gets overwhelming.

I’ll at least keep this experiment going until we go to NC for those few days.

I just had a four day weekend. I had a lot of things I was going to do, but didn’t do any of them. I napped a lot, watched some Total Warhammer live streams, and drank a couple beers. Mostly though, I started realigning my sleep with the Wif’s because her new schedule is that it of sequence with my old sleep schedule. I’m pretty okay with my progress.

I’m totally killing it with my Dwarf army now.

As my schedule finished realigning, I’ll probably start working on quiet projects before work. At a minimum I need to start building the tools I need to build the tools I need. Things like making a paper template for the box design I’m going to start cutting out of that nice piece of plywood I payed too much for, or learning enough OpenSCAD to be dangerous (because parametric/programmatic design feels right to me), and getting my BeagleBone loaded up and doing a bit of motor turning. I can do the louder things on the weekends. Except the weekend I’m in NC.

I started my starter finally and it’s going well. Unfortunately, the going well is based on the fact that I’m doing all the work which is why I never felt the need to do sourdough before.

Really, it’s just a few key step though. I need to remove roughly half and toss it. I need to add water and flour. I need to stir thoroughly. Repeat.

Could that be easily machines at home though. In reverse order, because that’s the way I roll. Or maybe it’s because I feel the knead to do it like this. Have stir bars added to half of a threaded rod. I could use those for the stirring. Maybe two or three rods so I can get a really good churn. These would normally be left in the dough, so I’d have to look at food safety and durability. The ingredients being added is easy as it’s a any number of automated cat feeders. Last wild be the removing half the starter, which is just a beefier cat feeder amalgam.

I think I’m underestimating the gooey factor’s impact on the works.

I had a thought.

I keep thinking of a rover, because wheels are efficient and easy. Then I think stairs. Then my wheeled river idea has a lot more motors, motions and the like. We’re talking a quadruped with motorized wheels on it’s feet or some even more complex motion because I’d be having it skate.

Why not just build a biped? Well, except that particular balancing act is even more of a hastle when we get talking stairs. If I went with a biped that could climb a normal stair, like a person, we’re talking something the size of a, what, three year old, bigger? I don’t know. That balancing act would be a pain. That got me thinking of other things that can do a wicked balancing act though. One of my favourites is the cat. Walking the tightrope of the top of a fence with a rolling shoulder gait, combined with an oscillating tail to be a counterweight. Still, that’s a lot of motors. Even more than a quadruped. How about a biped with a tail? Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Now that’d be wicked. Especially when I do the whole litter bit thing, because who wouldn’t want to watch a T-Rex reach down with it’s maw and
take a bite of litter. Locomotion wise, something like 11 motors. This might be reducible. Two hips, knees, feet, one pelvis, and a few for a tail. Probably could do it with two hips and knees, one pelvis, one tail. I think once I get to that point, I should build a highly articulated prototype, put it on a rail and have it walk back and forth. Have it do things like cut out motors or whatever.

The how of fixing.

I started watching Thomas Sandlander’s video series on a Prussia mk2 clone cheap as heck hand sourced build from scratch. While the p802 is obviously from a kit, it feels rough enough for horse shoes. Watching the video mages me think the jacked bearing and couplings probably aren’t the issue. It’s more likely that it’s parts not lined up right. I was leaning that direction anyway, but this mages me feel better about my lean. So how do I fix this? I need a flat surface to sit on. I’m thinking cut and plane some scrap wood and build a mini table. I might then take one of my beaten metal computer cases and make a surface out of that. I think I’ll setup away from the work table as the work table is pretty shit. Maybe I’ll go on top of a milk crate as an interim.

If I go about rebuilding the printer, it’s on the idea plate. Though, really, if I do it, it would probably be after the printer I have is working good enough to print the parts for the printer I want. That gets back to where the idea came from. So I was thinking that it’d be wicked if I printed parts. But prints take awhile. It’s be trick if I could print multiple things at once. Well why not? I mean if you have a strong enough gantry, then why not put multiple print heads on it. We’re talking multiple print heads to print multiple of the same part at once. In general it’s not like anyone is usually doing a full on “hey is this print I’m printng, printing right?” process. So what if we just have an attachment bar where we can attach multiple print heads. You place a part on the slicer, and then just make sure you have the gap right. Boom two prints for the time of one. Limits only on how many parts you can safely place of the build plate. I’ll have to think about how is want to do the z-axis. Overall, I’m pretty sure this is a bad idea. Sometimes, a bad idea is a good idea waiting to happen.

Today’s project day, so I got a early, for a day off, start. First and foremost, I’m posting this on my computer, rather than my phone and this editor is balls. The bad version of that word. I use it both ways, so I should clarify. The web version of this editor sucks so hard. Soon I’ll move away from this particular format, so I guess its cool for a day.

Step one, clear the table, moving hot things and clutter are bad. Good enough.

I re-attached the bed heater. It won’t hurt, but it’ll be good to run it like it’s live.

It’s currently out of level, but not enough that I’m starting off concerned.

I had to raise the z-axis to get at the board with the right angle. When I moved up the z-axis I saw that the screws on the far motor were all sorts of loose. Those have been tightened. While manually move the z-axis up and down, I’ve taken the opportunity o fire up the bed heater. I’d really like to get a crap print off of there without too much work.

I just did some crappy masking tape flags and am running the printer up and down a it. in straight up- only movement, everything seems fine. Next I’ll send it down bu… right. I just lost steps. Th flags are still aligned, so it’s not happening at the coupler. That’s good, because I never got around to ordering couplers. Also, how the heck is coupler not in this dictionary. Using a level, it looks like the far side is the one that went higher? That surprises me because it’s the near one that seems to run smoother over-all. Watching it, and it totally was the near one, right about the same height as last time. Lets drop it and raise it a few more times. Going down to zero, seems to not lose steps on either end, and going up to 80mm seems fine as well. I’v started marking the rods with marks for where they’re at.

I’ve now adjusted the feed and acceleration rates on the printer down in general. Yes’ll I’ll lose some speed, but that’s okay with me. Currently it’s the homing speed that’s causing me issues. Where the hell did I change that and why?

Right. I’m just going to do the firmware.

Board definition:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Lauszus/Sanguino/master/package_lauszus_sanguino_index.json

Firmware download:
https://www.gearbest.com/blog/download/tronxy-acrylic-p802-mhs-3d-printer-firmware-and-guide-2550

Well that was a bust. Everything kinda looked good to go, start printing, and boom. I didn’t manage to do the firmware either. I did get a plan of action though.

I’m thinking the issue is that I have my lead screws a little low. This needs they’re not hitting the holes they go into at the top of the other. Since they’re not connecting to anything on the top, and the lead screws and accompanying rods are in a line, I think that the entire assembly is twisting. Add in my never leveling anything originally, and the shimmying of the table when printing, and we’re looking at a bunch of issues. Do step one will be building a platform for it to stay level and stable. Then I’ll fix the lead screws height. I don’t actually want to do that, because I think I’ll have to drill the set screws out on at least one. Not my idea of fun, but I kinda knew I’d have to do this.
I should also did into that while firmware thing.
Now, not to get too crazy, but I do kinda want to say to hell with it, to it all apart and build something from the parts. Of course, swap out everything I think it’s complete shit. I’m thinking the power supply, main board and drivers would be first against the wall.

The new me is getting stuff done. Not at some stupid fast rate, but motion on things.

Speaking of stuff to get done, the Wif is going to NC next week. I think that means it’ll be time to build some proper cabinets. I’m thinking about the design I want to go with. Off the cuff, it’ll be about a foot deep slices of plywood. Support them across the top, bottom, and back. Unless I just sold boards. I think boards. Use the router to grind grooves at whatever interval. Mix it up. I’ll mix then up as I want to pre-grind grooves on the outside edges also to add extensibility. Or not. Drawers will be a flat that fits the groove with a box built on the top. In the box, as spacers for compartmenting, use thin slats in more grooves. I kinda want to add a velvetine drawer liner, but that’s the way I roll. I should draw all this, and start adding up some base costs. Do I want to work with the tools I have, or do I need to look at more tools? Did my mom ever clean up enough garage to use her table saw? Is there still a router table up there for me if I want?

How am I going to use something like 80 glass insulators? I’m currently leaning on small presents for people. The nightlight things I did were well received. I could also take another ok at drilling them and then make small planters, which would be fun. Air cactuses wouldn’t even need to be drilled. I could get the sizes sorted and then get hole saws to match for doing drop in things.

Back to cabinets. Gonna use boards, not plywood. Well maybe plywood for the back and some parts of the drawers. It’ll be a lot easier to have eighth inch thick wood from plywood. I need to nickle and dime some clamps and a plane.

Here’s a very late update. Since I never posted this one previously, it’s not an update for anyone else, just to me. I got the lumber. Lots of it in fact. At least lots in dollars. And by lots, I mean more than I want to spend. That’s an easy number to reach though, what with me being a stingy bastard and all. After I got the lumber, I held off on construction and did some cleaning instead. That was a poor choice, though that’s a different post. Maybe. Some of that post I’ll have to dance around pretty aggressively.

I decided I’d start blogging what I’m thinking at work. Not my deep thoughts, but more my surface work thoughts. I’ll of course be circumspect and vague. I started at a random number, so if I ever get to it, I can back fill easily.

Today’s theme is verification. I have limited band width at work, but I have a lot of moving parts that I put in motion months ago. Well that sounded corporate didn’t it. My phone also autocorrected corporate as Christ…

Back to verification. I work under the assumptions that those that are doing the steps before me make mistakes, my work is a solidly pretty strong unless otherwise declared at which point I’m watching it or having others watch it, and people after me just need to make sure the wheels are turning. Well that last assumption seemed to be wrong, and the first assumption was justified. So today looks like I’m going to dig into automatic emails going out for my own peace of mind. I might have to stop gap this for today, but soon.

Or not. That went easier than I thought it was going to. Problem down, next problem. If only there weren’t a bunch of problems. It’s giving me trash for email formatting, but it’s internal biz, so that’s cool. I should clean it up sometime. Now would be the time to make these be print’em when you get em.

I should add email to every process I’ve ever made, which is going to take a few, but that’s the cost of business I suppose.