Instrumentation and control upgrades! 2 new digital counters, a more sensitive He3 tube/trigger, and power supply remote control (enabling holding a set grid current). Also whipped up a JavaFX app with a corresponding Arduino program. Side bar, Arduino’s Wire (I2C) library is a mess. I started work on a replacement wire lib that operates on a user-provided buffer. I haven’t gotten around to tackling a replacement for AVR which turned out to be even more of a mess, so SAM support only for the time being. Continue reading
Finally activated a sheet of silver (7x background)! This update also includes removal of the ceramic plasma limiting beads, the addition of plasma and x-ray viewport shielding, and low and high cross-section 2″ grids. Unfortunately both grids proved too hard to accurately control due to avalanche breakdown. I’m thinking a 1.5″ maybe the sweet spot… Continue reading
Long overdue post on the progress made on my fifth fusor buildout. Notable upgrades include a 6″ spherical chamber, 60kV 20mA supply, redesigned neutron oven, and borated HDPE and lead shadow-cone shield. Continue reading
A 2’x2′ walnut tray for use on our living room upholstered ottoman. Ended up ripping a 1″ thick plank in half to make the slats. Super happy with the result! Unfortunately I didn’t snap a photo of the fixture used to glue the herringbone itself (it involved lots of clamps). Update: So v1 warped like crazy… our low humidity probably didn’t help, but I should probably do some more reading on construction tech. Continue reading
Sitting on the couch messing around on the mandolin inspired Melissa to snap a few shots with the 24mm. Melissa’s getting to be a pro with Lightroom! Continue reading
A couple shots of a walnut fidget spinner I made for Melissa’s birthday. The body and holders are made from a leftover end of a 12″x1″ walnut plank and are finished with BLO. The weights are tungsten, made for pinewood derby boxcars. The bearings, axle, and axle retainers are 304 stainless steel. All parts are press-fit (i.e. no glue required). I admit the body took a couple of tries to get right. The secret ended up being to bore the holes for the weights and bearings out to their final diameter (21mm) before turning the body down to size and milling to shape by hand. FreeCAD again FTW. I included a photo of the drill press “farmers lathe”. If I end up doing more wood projects, I’ll look into a proper lathe. Continue reading
This Easter may have been a departure from the norm, and marks the first year we haven’t celebrated with family, but we’re healthy and safe and in the end that’s what matters. Today we explored Christman Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary in Delanson, NY. Below is a selection of my favorites, plus some bonus headshots! Continue reading
