Tools Hack Daily: August 2021

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

3D Hangouts – Ratcatcher, MacPro Grill and Star Trek Visor @ecken @videopixil

Livestream starts Wednesday, September 1 2021 at 11am ET

3D Hangouts – Ratcatcher, MacPro Grill and Star Trek Visor
https://youtu.be/obD-TDuwGI4

This week @adafruit we’re checking out Ratcatcher’s communicator device! Prototyping a CNC milled panel for Raspberry Pi case inspired by the MacPro. 3D printed Visor Kit from Star Trek TNG for Timelapse tuesday and a handful of goodies for Community Makes, groovy! YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/obD-TDuwGI4

Ratcatcher Communicator Guide
https://learn.adafruit.com/ratcatcher/

CNC Milled Keycaps Guide
https://learn.adafruit.com/cnc-milling-keycaps

Circuit Playground Express
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3333

2200mAh Battery
https://www.adafruit.com/product/1781

JST Extension Cable
https://www.adafruit.com/product/1131

Kailh Switches
https://www.adafruit.com/product/4955

MacroPad RP2040
https://www.adafruit.com/product/5100

3D Parts Library on GitHub
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CAD_Parts

Timelapse Tuesday

Star Trek Visor – Michael Jones
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4934474
https://youtu.be/mZy4xB3TYRI

Community Makes

https://www.thingiverse.com/make:963801 MacroPad RP2040 Case
https://www.thingiverse.com/make:963434 MacroPad RP2040 Stand
https://www.thingiverse.com/make:963604 Darksaber
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4944170 Octoprint Rig Remix
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4945336 STEMMA lego compat plate for SCD-30
https://twitter.com/Gavin02639495/status/1431368282188177411 Star Trek Visor Stuart Remix

Rare Works from First African-American Photo Studios #ArtTuesday

Smithsonian has acquired the works.

via ArtNews

In an acquisition that has the potential to significantly expand the way the story of photography in the United States is told, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. has added 286 works from Larry J. West’s photo collection to its holdings. Dating between the 1840s and around 1925, the works acquired include pictures by some of the most prominent early Black photographers in the U.S., among them James P. Ball, Glenalvin Goodridge, and Augustus Washington.

Every Tuesday is Art Tuesday here at Adafruit! Today we celebrate artists and makers from around the world who are designing innovative and creative works using technology, science, electronics and more. You can start your own career as an artist today with Adafruit’s conductive paints, art-related electronics kits, LEDs, wearables, 3D printers and more! Make your most imaginative designs come to life with our helpful tutorials from the Adafruit Learning System. And don’t forget to check in every Art Tuesday for more artistic inspiration here on the Adafruit Blog!

Hung Liu’s Portraits of Promised Lands at National Portrait Gallery August 27 – May 30 #ArtTuesday

If you’re anywhere near the National Portrait Gallery we hope you get a chance to visit Hung Liu: Portraits of Promised Lands! From National Portrait Gallery:

Often sourcing her subjects from photographs, Liu elevated overlooked individuals by amplifying the stories of those who have historically been invisible or unheard. Having lived through war, political revolution, exile, and displacement, she offered a complex picture of an Asian Pacific American experience. Her portraits speak powerfully to those seeking a better life, in the United States and elsewhere.

Read more and checkout the exhibition catalogue here and here

Tiles from Herr Schmidt #ArtTuesday

Tiles, or Show Me the Way — excellent GIF art from Herr Schmidt.

Tina M. Campt’s A Black Gaze: Artists Changing How We See

In A Black Gaze: Artists Changing How We See Tina M. Campt examines Black contemporary artists and the dismantling of the white gaze. From Bookshop.org:

Campt shows that this new way of seeing shifts viewers from the passive optics of looking at to the active struggle of looking with, through, and alongside the suffering–and joy–of Black life in the present. The artists whose work Campt explores challenge the fundamental disparity that defines the dominant viewing practice: the notion that Blackness is the elsewhere (or nowhere) of whiteness. These artists create images that flow, that resuscitate and revalue the historical and contemporary archive of Black life in radical ways. Writing with rigor and passion, Campt describes the creativity, ingenuity, cunning, and courage that is the modus operandi of a Black gaze.

Read more from Bookshop.org. If you’re eagerly waiting for your copy of A Black Gaze: Artists Changing How We See, Hyperallergic published an excerpt here.

The Illusory Sculptures of Li Hongbo #ArtTuesday

What do you have when you cross a Rodin with a slinky? You have the work do Li Hongbo. That doesn’t really do the astonishing sculpted paper sculptures justice. Here’s more from JUXTAPOZ:

Li Hongbo’s paper sculptures can accommodate all sorts of shapes. They can bend. They can stretch like accordions. Their flexibility is key to challenging and engaging the viewer. “When you change the external form of an object, people will reconsider the material itself and the creative motivation behind it.” To reconsider, to muse over the materials and the artist’s motives is part of the aesthetic experience proposed to the viewer. Uncertainty and ambiguity become a playground where information can be shared, where emotions can be felt.

See more!

The Mechanical Art of Lukas Milanak #ArtTuesday

Lukas Milanak make art out of unlikely machines. Here’s more from Art the Science:

Perhaps my work most consistently aligns with the evolution of science itself. All knowledge is built on the wisdom of what came before. Influences of biology, geology, and physics become more apparent in the work as my awareness of the world around me grows. I also find a strong connection to the spirit of 18th-19th century alchemy. It was the wild west for experimentalists, and groundbreaking discoveries – and follies – were happening faster than ever before. I study and adapt glass forms and techniques from the age of alchemy in the hopes of stirring the same feeling of scientific urgency in my work.

See more!

Sunday, August 29, 2021

Meet Atlasminx, the 4863 Piece #3DPrinted Puzzle

Thoroughly enjoyed watching this video from corenpuzzle on YouTube, but ooof, we’re still trying to wrap our brains around trying to solve this best. via Gizmodo:

The design of the puzzle was inspired by Matt’s yottaminx and Oskar’s 17×17. The biggest change I made to the floating anchor mechanism was to change the direction of the “hooks” each part has. That allowed for the parts to be printed in an orientation that minimized the need for support material in FDM printing. I also added a kind of foot to 25% of the center pieces that prevents them from twisting in place and also helps with sorting.

3D Printing Coffee Stuff

Coffee connoisseur James Hoffman recently got a 3D Printer. In this video he starts down the rabbit hole of Thingiverse and printing coffee accessories. Via YouTube:

Links to the 3D prints featured:
1. Wall-mounted portafilter holder by jimhigson: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:253…
2. 9 prong espresso distribution tool WDT by jkim_makes: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:481…
3. Bialetti moka stand by Jayuk: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:132…
4. Espresso dosing ring by theblankness: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:460…
5. Niche Zero portafilter holder by schubes: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:395… as well as a newer version improved for the Decent Espresso portafilter

See more!

Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister Releases Image of Completed Vermeer Restoration

Art restoration is one of these processes that might as well be controlled, patient magic and we are totally here for it. Especially when it means the world gets to see a restored Vermeer Cupid. From Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister via The Art Newspaper:

Since 2017, this early masterpiece by Vermeer has been undergoing restoration following careful scientific investigation. Recent research has shown that the extensive area of overpainting in the background was not done by Vermeer himself. Removal of this overpainting has revealed a depiction of a standing Cupid (god of love) as a “painting within the painting” on the rear wall of the room, thus radically changing the overall appearance of the work. The spectacular result of the restoration will give viewers a different perspective on the painting.

Friday, August 27, 2021

Touchscreen Music Streamer #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

via Raspberry Pi Blog

If you liked the look of yesterday’s Raspberry Pi Roon Endpoint Music Streamer but thought: “Hey, you know what would be great? If it had a touchscreen,” then look no further. Home Theater Fanatics has built something using the same RoPieee software, but with the added feature of a screen, for those who need one.

Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!

Pi Data Clusters as Space Heaters? #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

Thermify HeatHub wants to utilize excess heat from data processors for home heat. This could cut back on heating needs and not waste energy for cooling. Its an interesting idea for sure.

VIa Current:

The HeatHub includes 450 Raspberry Pi processors, which collectively sit in a box the size of a combi boiler. The heat generated by undertaking cloud computing tasks contracted to the company will be used to heat a water tank over the course of about two hours.

“In the early days, we heated a radiator, and a small bucket of water,” explained Felgate. “So that was really the gestation of the company, and we haven’t moved very far from it.”

Learn more!

Building a fun front panel with Raspberry Pi Zero #PiDay #RaspberryPi #AdafruitForums @Raspberry_Pi @kf_rookie

Adafruit Forums user brer_rabbit (Twitter @kf_rookie) posts a really fun panel design:

I’m not sure what I’m making, but it’ll have a ton of LEDs, switches, knobs, etc. etc. with a Pi Zero under the hood. At least it’ll look cool!

You can see all the easter eggs in the control names!!

Here are the electronics: I spy an Adafruit Pi T-Cobbler, Pi Zero with headers, Yellow LEDs, and 4 digit displays!

The Project blog had many more details: https://ultratroninator3000.wordpress.com/

New Life for Proto-PDA #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

Before smartphones there were PDAs or Personal Digital Assistants. One of the first incarnations was the Psion Organiser. Updated by A Menadue on YouTube. Via Hackaday:

Like many of the early attempts at putting a computer in your pocket, the Psion II had removable modules, which were dubbed “Datapaks”. The earliest versions of the Datapaks were little more than an EPROM chip on a small PCB, and the technical limitations of the day plus the quirky way of addressing the memory made it possible for [Amen] to mimic a Datapak using a modern microcontroller.

The Simpsons TV Made IRL with Raspberry Pi @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

Here’s a cute little working version of the Simpsons TV. Here’s more from Kotaku:

On Reddit, buba447 promises a how-to guide but provided this explanation for how it works in the meantime, explaining that inside was a Raspberry Pi Zero with a 32 GB and card. The Pi was connected to a 640×480 display and powered by a USB cable. The episodes were all compressed specifically for the screen. They were then loaded onto the SD card and then begin playing episodes at random. The speaker is a cheap, one-incher that buba447 salvaged from a dead piece of old hardware. The whole thing is impressive. Well done!

See more!

Raspberry Pi Plex Media Player #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

via PiMyLifeUp

Using the Plex Media Player, you will be able to play media files delivered from your Plex Media Server.

One of the most significant advantages of Plex is that it can transcode video files to your devices. Transcoding allows even a device like the Raspberry Pi to play a vast range of video files.

The Brassberry #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

via von Heddernheim on instructables

Some weeks ago I found an old and empty watch case on a scrap yard. The brass case weighs more than 5 kg.
Battery acid had nibbled (eaten away) at the case and it was green in many parts (acid & copper rust). The remaining parts were nearly black. After I had cleaned the case, I thought, this becomes a Multimedia centre for videos, pictures and music and I built a Raspberry Pi in this case.

Recycle Your old Raspberry Pi Boards with OKdo @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

Your old Raspberry Pi boards now have a home. OKDo can get your old versions or no longer used Raspberry Pis to folks who’ll make good use of them. Here’s more from the Raspberry Pi Blog:

Raspberry Pi boards are manufactured at the Sony Technology Centre in Wales, and that’s where OKdo returns all the hardware you donate. When it gets there, it’ll be tested, reconditioned, and repackaged, ready to be sold to its new home. OKdo will be offering the refurbished boards at a lower price than new boards, and they all come with a twelve-month warranty.

See more!

Raspberry Pi Powered Algorithm Visualizer #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

This algorithm visualizer was posted on imgur and we’re particularly enjoying how much the kitty in the last video is loving the visualization!

This project of mine features a 32×32 LED board that endlessly loops through a number of self-programmed algorithm visualizations, including maze generation/solving (Djikstra’s shortest path) and various sorting algorithms.

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Raspberry Pi Temperature and CO2 Monitor @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

OT3PjaQh1r blob

Great looking project from agxies up on Hackster.io.

This project is ideal if you already have a Raspberry Pi running 24/7, e.g., as web server, printer server, pi-hole etc. Then you can easily add extra functionality like air monitoring, which will be achieved by realizing this project. At the end, you will have a small status screen displaying temperature, humidity, TVOC and CO2 values.

Make Your Own Pet Food Monitor #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

Learn how to make your own pet food monitor to make you that much more prepared for your office return from Raspberry Pi Projects:

The targeted outcome for this project is to build a system that can monitor how much food is
inside a pet food bowl in real-time. The system will be interfaced with a camera that will be
aimed at the bowl at all times, so that it can take a picture of it and use it for analysis. After the
picture is taken, the system will run an image processing algorithm using OpenCV to determine

Castles of Tuscany Insert/Organizer #3DPrinting #3DThursday

Patella shared this project on Thingiverse!

Basic insert. Should be lots of space if any expansions come out — but might need some redesign if so. It passes the shake test, but if you’re going to store it flat, you can avoid printing out some of the spacer pieces.

As shown in the photos, you will need to print the following. (Again, you can avoid printing most of the spacers if you’re storing it flat.)

Download files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4885413

Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers!

Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D!

Water heater drip pan hose adapter #3DThursday #3DPrinting

Shared by TinyTraders on Thingiverse:

The drip pan in around my water heater in the basement had a fitting for a large PVC pipe coming out, but I needed to run a hose to my sump pump. I have no idea how much of a leak this will support, so I may be sorry about that but I designed an adapter so that I could use a garden hose.

There is a parametric bolt module in Blender that can be used to size bolts and nuts. You may want to make the adapter a bit thinner to fit your gasket-mine was a bit tight

Download the files and learn more

Airtag/SD card wallet holder #3Dprinting #3DThursday

lfras shared this project on Thingiverse!

Wanted to put the new apple tracker in my wallet and had already been using a printed SD card holder. Went ahead and designed this for both. Fits 3. Printed in TPU with 10% – only 2 bottom layers and 0 top layers

Download files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4878121

NES Max Dpad #3DThursday #3DPrinting

It would be pretty hard to come by an original Dpad. If you need a replacement check out this print from Riverbottom on Thingiverse:

The Cycloid ruins a perfectly good controller, so I designed an insert to fit into the cycloid and replace the slider, turning it into a D-pad.
There are 2 versions the shallow (which is closer to flat, similar to a Nintendo D-pad) and a Deep version closer to a Genesis or Xbox one D pad. I find the deep version works a little better.

Download the files and learn more

Gamecube Pi Case for Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (RPI4B) #3DPrinting #3DThursday

IXPatch shared this project on Thingiverse!

I’ve previously remixed this case for the RPI3B and decided that I wanted to make it for my RPI4B, too – and while remodelling it to fit the 4B, I also fixed a lot of mistakes that I made on the 3B version.

Download files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4894419

Star Wars: Fallen Order chests #3DThursday #3DPrinting

Print your very own model loot boxes from the Star Wars universe. From vagrantgallery on Thingiverse:

The basic and scomp link chest variants from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Scaled to go with 1:12 action figures.

Download the files and learn more

split 89-key mechanical keyboard with QMK Config #3DPrinting #3DThursday

jurassic73 shared this project on Thingiverse!

This keyboard build was inspired by the Microsoft Ergonomic 4000 keyboard I used for roughly 12 years or so. I broke my left wrist twice over the years so an ergo keyboard is a must for me to type comfortably all day long else my left wrist starts to burn after a few hours of typing on a regular keyboard. This is a real bummer since there are so many amazing keyboards out there. I could not find a split TKL like this layout so I designed one. This has a 6° tent and a 3° incline. I designed this to sit as low as possible with these angles on a table. One key switch is actually in a recess in the baseplate with a few mm of material below it.

Download files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4888932

Infinite Corridor Key – Netflix Castlevania Season 4 #3DThursday #3DPrinting

Glowing magic key ICosplayInsanity on Thingiverse:

Infinite Corridor Key – Netflix Castlevania Season 4

The key, charged with many deaths, used to access the infinite corridor and to power up *redacted. After being gifted this apparatus, St. Germain keeps it on a cord hung around his neck.

Download the files and learn more

Motorized Iris Cover for Noctua Fan #3DPrinting #3DThursday

Axaroz shared this project on Thingiverse!
Designed it for use in my 3d-printer enclosure to control temp/airflow but could be used for any kind of enclosure.

Materials:

5xm3 screws for Blades/Ring

5 wide washers for holding Ring.

4xM4 screws for attaching the whole thing to wall. Use the length you prefer for your use. I used 70mm ones.

2x 2x10mm screws for sg90 mounting (optional if wanted a secure attachment to base)

1x sg90 with continuous/360 rotation.

Download files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4934335

Star Trek TNG VISOR Kit #3DThursday #3DPrinting

Really nice looking visor straight out of the next generation from UnimatrixRed on Thingiverse:

I wanted to make a TNG VISOR prop with an easy-to-print one-piece grill instead of installing a lot of rods. This has a flexible grill that prints flat and fits nicely in grooves to secure it. This makes painting easy but also lets you print in color if you want. I used silk PLA for the metal parts which came out shiny but paint is probably better looking.

There are 2 versions of the grill: grill 1 is modeled after the jagged ‘banana clip’ style in season 1, grill 2 is the full tooth style most commonly seen. To make sure it fits, the rounder side of the grill faces the top. Use color swap function to use black and gold for the grills with screens.

Download the files and learn more

Star Wars Custom Vibroknife #3DPrinting #3DThursday

Machinimax shared this project on Thingiverse!

A custom designed vibroknife model inspired by the Star Wars universe. Use for display purposes or as a cosplay accessory!

The model can be fully printed in three parts: the grip, the blade guard, and the blade. There are mounting holes for two 8-32 screws of each side of the blade guard if you wish. If not, there is also a variant with no holes. Simply use your favorite adhesive to keep it all together.

Download files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4934713