WIP 002: Flexy Tree

Here is another Work in Progress post. Text file is filling up with ideas. I’m using iA Writer to post a draft directly into WordPress which is pretty cool. Saves a step or two though I do need to work on learning markup.

Question: What DigiFab device should I take on vacation? Answer: Othermill CNC

Ideas:
-Scratch art using Othermill?
-Milling craft foam?
-Laminate colored card stock together then mill?
-Glue card stock to wood then engrave/mill through?
-Makerspace rules signatures ala Declaration of Independence?
-Flexible 3D model template

Need: Source for decent Aluminum dog tag and other millable items.

Flexy Design Experiment: Reading Computer as Material: Messing About with Time http://www.papert.org/articles/ComputerAsMaterial.html and wondering if flexible 3D printed objects could be an open-ended project idea. Some interesting questions about bend angles and effect of number, length and width of each spoke that should be solvable with geometry. Could you program a customizer to make flexible designs? Could you create a design that creates the graph of an equation or any arbitrary shape? How could you use design software to create design? What are the limits of different materials as far as bend angles? I did a quick 2D design in Illustrator then dimensionalized in Tinkercad. Published prototype on Thingiverse http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1990816. Didn’t bring a 3D printer on holiday so don’t know if this design will work.

Video Experiment: Testing different camera setups and general screen test. Tested MacBook Air webcam, iPhone 7 w/ Filmic app and Vixia Mini X. Use videos for flipped Professional Development of maybe a YouTube channel. Video is a form of making and an important tool in our toolbox. I have a Design – Make – Share model of educational makerspaces and making, I think sharing is the most undervalued element in most makerspaces. Note that there is some pushback from friends about value of creating MakerEd videos. Seems like a whole untapped market to me.

Book Pitch Outline: Some of my maker friends are encouraging me to pitch a book. Publisher possibilities McGraw-Hill DIY-Tab imprint, Construction Modern Knowledge Press. Are there others out there? I have a list of 16 Digital Fabrication projects for the Makerspace/Classroom.

–Article Idea: Heart Mountain – using digital fabrication as a tool for exploration of identity through personal narrative. Hard to explore this idea without going through the process.

–Article Idea: FabLearn Primer: FabLearn philosophy for makers of all ages.

–Article Idea: Give Away Your Shiny Scales: Stanford Design Challenge, empathy, service learning, eNable.

–Article Idea: MakerEd Wickets. SVG, STL

–Article Idea: gimbal tolerances: Its you not me.

Idea: Teachers must be good learners. https://www.c-span.org/video/?67583-1/technology-education&utm_content=bufferdfad4&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer 1:21

Idea to Test Flexy Circuit Boards. Both in X – Y and in Z with undercuts using engraving/Vbits. How flexible is the copper layer in a circuit board?

Making Hope Happen blog post: Is there a way to convert these lights into more permanent installation pieces using makerspace tools? How can we go from makerspace prototypes to community art work? http://fellows.fablearn.org/making-hope-happen/