Operation: Stick Figure Army » Dr. DePasquale

TCNJ Printer Update: We're getting there…

Peter DePasquale — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:10:28 +0000

Rather than continuing to post here on my building progress, I’ve created a number of video blogs of my adventure. These 10 minute entries are available on YouTube, but sadly are very visual in nature. Do check them out to hear/see my progress. I’m catching up to the girls – who I think at last report were building the dinos (part of the plastic extruder). Been there, done that. By the time next week is done and spring break starts (and I head to SIGCSE).

TCNJ Printer Update: Spray Paint

Peter DePasquale — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:19:23 +0000

From MakerBot Cupcake 3D Printer Assembly

So the body of the printer was spray painted over the last few days. I tried this first indoors in the basement with very bad results – angry wife, smelly house, etc. Over the weekend I moved the operation outside and hit he body with at least two coats of gold paint. It’s not perfect, but good enough. I don’t have that much time to make it so utterly perfect that it is a work of art. I hope to start putting the body together soon (tonight…)

TCNJ Printer Update: opto endstops and pulleys

Peter DePasquale — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 02:13:44 +0000

The opto endstops are soldered and just need some trimming with a pair of nippers that I don’t have. I’ve moved onto the insertion of the bearings into the pulley wheels (see http://wiki.makerbot.com/cupcake-cnc-0:cupcake-pulley-assembly). While most of this went smoothly, I am concerned that one of the bearings literally falls out of the wheel when the wheel is inverted and lightly shaken. I’m concerned that it needs to be glued. Did you folks encounter anything like this?

Building the TCNJ Printer

Peter DePasquale — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:45:02 +0000

A completed look at the OptoEndstops. I'm not quite there yet...

Given all of the snow, I finally took home the electronics kit for the 3D printer to work on while waiting out the blizzard(s). I did remember to get a soldering gun, as I know the first few steps involve soldering the OptoEndstop. Sadly, I went cheap with my soldering gun and bought a battery-powered gun which really only helped for the first board. It can’t really keep up with the soldering / heat demands needed to solder all of the resistors, plugs and the like, so I need to go spend some additional monies and get something based on real power.

The actually soldering took longer than I expected, but I didn’t have a vice or anything to hold the board in place. So, there’s something else to obtain. I think once I get a better gun and a vice, I’ll be able to get through all of the soldering in a few evenings. If I can dig out from the snow, I may try to run down to Home Depot and get each item so that I can continue to make progress ASAP.

Based on the Alleghany student’s photos, I’m looking forward to putting the body of the printer together. That looks like fun and something that seems to be a little easier than the soldering.

Photos from the OptoEndstops coming soon…

Intro to Computing and Programming in Python?

Peter DePasquale — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:05:05 +0000

The book

So I know you folks are using Python for the software to convert the images, and I understand you are using Introduction to Computing and Programming in Python, A Multimedia Approach (link) as a textbook of sorts to learn the language. I’m curious to know from each of you (students, that is), what you think about the text.

Next semester, I’m teaching a honors course called Creative Computing. This is basically a computing (programming?) course for non-majors, but more importantly, honors non-majors. I think I want to introduce them to programming, and I want to do some cool things like image and audio manipulation. (I think video is in there too…) Hopefully this will intrigue the students. It’s certainly better than just our normal CS1 (that’s 1st semester CS programming) course in Java, which they can take at anytime.

So you like the text? What don’t you like? Are you enjoying working with Python to manipulate images? Spill the beans, please!

Printer shipping…delayed

Peter DePasquale — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:56:37 +0000

Following up on my own posting, the TCNJ printer won’t ship until about 10/27 now. There’s a delay with some of the electronics.

Trying to play catch up…

Peter DePasquale — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:07:27 +0000

OK, so I finally found a few minutes to catch up and locate this blog. While I’m overseeing Cory’s work, Matt is the real driver here, and I figured before I tried to call Matt and Cory and talk about progress, I should read the blog. Here I am. Here’s my news. I’ve been swamped with a VP-level search committee on my campus, reviewing 200+ resumes. Additionally, I need to do some touch-up work on my promotion application and keep pressing ahead with some side work for a book company. Thus, I’ve been off the radar for this project for a few weeks.

However, I did want to post and say hi, and that I wanted all of you to know that I ordered our CupCake CNC printer (3D printer) last week. Sadly, it’s still in production. Additionally, at the time they were out of additional plastic for the printer. However, the other day they restocked their plastics, and I now have 2 orders in with MakerBot (the printer and the plastic).

My plan is to assemble the printer here at home once it gets here. Hopefully, this will take place in the next 2-3 weeks. My former roommate is intrigued by the printer and has volunteered to help assemble the printer. Does Alleghany have theirs yet? How difficult was the assembly?

Once assembled, I’ll be bringing it to campus. Two colleagues already want to see it, one wants to use it in the Architecture class next semester. We’ll see about that. I’m not so sure I want to give it up so quickly.

More later. Sorry for being so out of touch.