Hackaday Newsletter 0xE2

Machine Builds Rise From the Ashes! [HACKADAY]( 3D Printing Nuclear Reactors For Fun And Profit [Read Article Now»]( Reincarnation Prototyping By [Elliot Williams]( I was enchanted by a failed project this week. [Andrew Consroe]'s CNC scroll saw doesn't work yet, but the emphasis is on the word "yet". Heck, even when it does work, it might not make sense, but that's not the point anyway. [cncsaw_thumb.jpg?w=250] A scroll saw table has a vertical reciprocating blade perpendicular to a table, a lot like a band saw but with a shorter blade. You push the wood sheet to be cut into the blade, and because it's thin, you can twist and turn all sorts of interesting jigsaw-puzzle shapes. [Andrew] automated this with an X-Y gantry and an innovative geared rotating ring, needed to keep the wood fed into the cutting edge of the blade. It's a crazy contraption, and a difficult and unique movement planning problem, and watching it move in the video is a joy. But it's not working either: errors in the motion add up over a cut, and he's ended up snapping a blade on every piece. And this is version three of the device! But here comes the inspiration. First, the only reason he's filming this is to keep a log of how the project looked at this phase -- he's already planning out the next one. Second, this is the soul of learning by doing. You don't learn anything unless you're trying something new. And finally, [Andrew]'s project reminds me of why I love machine builds in the age of rapid prototyping. Blazing through three entirely different machines cost him essentially nothing. Tearing apart version one left him with the same stepper motors, aluminum extrusions, and electronics as when he started out. Except that he now knew so much more about his particular problem space. So if you're at all robotically inclined, but you're looking at the cost of motors, belts, bearings, and steel, don't think of it as an expense for this project, but for years' worth of iterations, and maybe even fully different machines. Just be sure to take [Andrew]'s lead and get it down and documented before you take it apart! Heck, [send it in to Hackaday]( and it'll live forever. From the Blog --------------------------------------------------------------- [Vernier Calipers And Micrometer Screw Gauges, Measuring Without Compromise]( By [Jenny List]( When you want to measure something accurately, surprisingly low-tech tools might be all you need. [Read more »]( [Quantum Computing And The End Of Encryption]( By [Maya Posch]( Our modern world relies on public-key encryption. What happens if quantum computing kills it, and what can we do today? [Read more »]( [A Beginner’s Guide to Lithium Rechargeable Batteries]( By [Lewin Day]( Need to build up a battery pack? Considering lithium? Of course you are. [Read more »]( [Hackaday Podcast]( [Hackaday Podcast 071: Measuring Micrometers, the Goldilocks Fit, Little Linear Motors, and 8-bit Games on ESP32]( By [Hackaday Editors]( What happened last week on Hackaday? Editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams get you up to speed. [Read more »]( If You Missed It --------------------------------------------------------------- [Smart Home Meets Dumb Terminal]( [An Open Hardware Modem for the Modern Era]( [Sparklines For Your ESP32 Projects]( [Run Your Favorite 8-bit Games on an ESP32]( [Tic-Tac-Toe Implemented in Single Call to printf()]( [Hackaday]( NEVER MISS A HACK [Share]( [Share]( [Share]( [Terms of Use]( [Privacy Policy]( [Hackaday.io]( [Hackaday.com]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update preferences]( Hackaday.com · 61 S Fair Oaks Ave Ste 200 · Pasadena, CA 91105-2270 · USA