Well, for the clock, I have a working prototype. I’ve purchased three (3) 3D printers, largely to support this issue, but my most recent Bambu Lab X1-Carbon printer is incredible, so I can stop bumming time on my company’s model. I’ll try to upload a video below to demonstrate it’s functionality as well as highlight some issues.
However, with the working prototype comes the glaring errors. The most major of which is a lack of positional feedback on the hands. I’ll explain.
My current mechanics involve using these 28BYJ-48 Stepper motors to drive the stack of gears. However, the mounting points are parallel with the drive motor, meaning I need to support them from below and making it difficult to stack the motors vertically. This means I have to space the motors around the central gear stack. There is really not much room left for access to the gear stack.
Also, the motor support towers are not stiff enough and flex quite easily, making the gears skip and de-mesh causing errors or failures in the movements.
Additionally, the program needs to know where the hands are, in order to know how much to turn them when a location changes. Right now, I have a rotary encoder that allows manual changes on startup of the clock, with the idea being that you would manually position the hands to a calibration point, making them all point exactly vertical for example, and then the program would know where they started and can just keep track of the changes.
However, small errors in positioning and tracking would compound and eventually the clock would read completely wrong. Additionally, it requires calibration every startup and upon every software error, which with my programming skills is currently often. It’s just not a feasible long-term solution.
I would like to use limit switches, gap sensors, or Hall Effect sensors to provide automatic calibration and feedback, however, there’s just no space to access the gearstack easily.
The idea
The key? Bevel gears. If I turn the motors ninety degrees, I can much more easily stack them vertically and contain them to maybe half the circumference of the gear stack. That leaves so much more room for activities and active feedback mechanisms. It has a slew of other smaller benefits as well. However, it will be more difficult to design, much more difficult to 3D print, and require a complete redesign of essentially every part. Am I willing to throw away all my design work so far, with my deadline of May approaching ever faster?
I guess so.
(It doesn’t look like much but I think it’s really cool.)
My friends and I started a book club recently! Such a pleasure to read and discuss books with some of my peers. For our first series, we chose Codex Alera by Jim Butcher, starting with The Furies of Calderon. A mix of Roman Empire and Pokemon to begin with, it quickly morphs into “Avatar the Last Airbender vs. the Zerg”. The general consensus was a 7/10 for the series, with everyone loving the characters and the action. The final book had some pacing issues, but all in all, a fun read and great start to our book club! Our next book is “The Poppy War” by R. F. Kuang, so I’ll try to post a similarly brief review after it.
I have some experience with 3D printing. I did some research in my undergraduate degree concerning the potential for novel biomedical applications of additive manufacturing, I took a graduate level course in education through 3D printing, and I’ve always had a bit of a fascination with hit. So when I was given a TronXY X5SA FDM machine for Christmas of 2021, I was excited.
However, I have struggled greatly with this printer. It seems to mostly be a derivative product from a Chinese company whose manuals have the tell-tale signs of being poorly translated. The quality control of the product was poor and I have been frustrated through assembly and early operation.
My X5SA is a filament based printer, meaning that it operates according to the above diagram. Plastic filament is melted then deposited in a pattern on a layer-by-layer basis. I struggled largely with the hotend, which is the part that melts the filament before it enters the nozzle.
Here you can see my stock hotend. It typically mounts through the heatsink, but as you can see, the bolts included were too short, and the brass offsets that they screwed to were too poorly made, and I had to countersink their bores to get it to mount. Additionally, I dealt with blobs of plastic from poor mating surfaces between the Bowden tube and the hotend, melted plastic from the heater, and other issues.
While I did have some successful prints, the surface quality was poor. I believe this was due to poor material flow through the nozzle and hotend. I was simply not confident in the printer’s capabilities.
Finally, I snapped off the thermistor which controls the PID heater of the block and I knew it had come time for an upgrade.
The Path Forward
After doing research online, I came to a realization: This printer was not capable of producing acceptable parts with its stock hardware. It’s firmware is apparently inadequate as well.
I found the communities of people owning these printers. The consensus is that the base kit for the machine is essentially the starting place for anyone wanting better prints. To hear many of them talk, the best results is from only keeping the aluminum extrusion frame that the printer comes with and replacing everything else.
With this new knowledge, I ordered replacements for the printer bed and the hotend. I ordered the E3D V6 hotend, the most popular out there, and an upgraded bed from TronXY themselves, which was magnetic and flexible, coated with a superior material for printing.
However, mounting my upgrades was going to be difficult. The new hotend needed a custom mount. The best way to get a custom mount that would fit on my X5SA would be to 3D print one, but I need my new hotend to print it. Catch-22
Fortunately, toxic fumes to the rescue!
A couple friend of mine decided to have a baby. To their loss and my gain, the resin used in SLA printing is potentially toxic and they wanted the printer out of the house while the wife is pregnant. As the good friend I am, I swooped in with a cash offer of well-below market value for their printer and I was off to the races.
The Elegoo Mars 2, the printer in question, is a MSLA printer. It uses a UV cured resin along with an LCD screen to cure the resin in pixelated layers. The effect is pulling a solid object out of the gloop that is the UV cure resin.
The benefits of this type of 3D printing is its precision, it is much easier to craft complex structures. Additionally, the print time is only dependent on the number of layers – you benefit from increased efficiency by packing the parts in.
After struggling with the filament printing, I was nervous about diving into a completely new style. However, for me, it instantly worked incredibly well. Within half an hour of setup, I had my first print going and it came out incredibly well. Another benefit of resin printing is the surface finish, it was much smoother and more professional looking. I was in business.
Results, at last
Here, finally, is the X5SA with a suite of new upgrades. The hotend is mounted with the resin-printed parts, in gray. I also mounted the new PEI coated bed magnetically below. And while you may see a little stringing, the quality of the prints are markedly improved. Putting the printer back on its sturdy workbench and tuning the temperatures will, I believe, finalize a great system.
(A funny story about the temperature. After replacing the hotend, which includes a new thermistor, the hotend was reading a temperature of 288 Celsius at room temperature. Turns out there was a short in the wiring, quickly resolved after hours of Googling then loosening a single screw.
My first few prints with the new upgrades have gone really well. Now that I have the compounding effect of two 3D printers, I have a list of mods to implement. Look forward to more posts!
This was a pretty nice, calm chapter for the most part. Erin wakes up at the inn, works out with Ulvama (who emphasizes the need for combat readiness, potentially more foreshadowing towards Erin being more of a fighter), then gets a nice bath drawn by the Antinium. There’s a lot of notes on how Erin is much more of a supervisor of the inn now as opposed to doing the actual work. I wonder if this is influenced by Pirateaba just rewriting Volume 1 and all the hard work Erin put in at the beginning of the story.
Erin has been telling her story nightly which has drawn big crowds. I don’t know how but I wish it was in the main story, even if that level of recursion would probably form a singularity of words and we all die screaming into the abyss. I’d be screaming in joy though.
Stargazer’s promise is still at the inn but most of the team wants to head to the new lands. Lehra Ruinstrider is dragging her feet. I think this is meant to show her youth, despite her rank. They mention she has been off since her rival, Wall Lord Dragial, was killed at the end of the last volume.
Ryoka meets with Hedault to try to get the wand with the Dryad seed back. He has recently created a very profitable business making living furniture with the wand, as well as levelled up and specializing his class at level 40. Hedault can see Shaestrel and invites her in, which is interesting, I feel like very few characters are allowed to see deeper into the nature of the fae.
After an explanation, Hedault arrives at the conclusion that he cannot conscionably keep the wand as it uses the magic of a living creature at its core. I liked how he is shown to be so decisive but you can’t help but feel bad for the guy. Ryoka offers him anything to make up for it, and they burn down his apartment and almost die when they experiment on the sci-fi blade. Fortunately, Taletevirion is nearby to save them, being the worst retired character since Teriarch.
We get a brief interlude of Ivolethe playing Meliodore in the game of Fate, an analog of chess with real-world implications. Ivolethe says she likes Ryoka because of the prophecy and because she muddies fate wherever she goes. Oberon is also watching their game.
Ryoka decides to build connections by going on dinner dates with several characters. Ysara, TTV, Tyrion, and finally Erin. She meets with Erin to ask her to forgive Tyrion because Ryoka has to still be a moron. Erin puts up Vietnam flashbacks on the World’s Eye Theater after trying to beat the shit out of Ryoka, says he can never enter the main inn, and says she will kill him if he opposes her on a similar battlefield again. Hardcore, I love it.
Then a brief date with Ryoka and Rags. Rags is more pragmatic than Erin and will take any allies for the future no matter their pasts.
Also at some point we got a better idea of the calendar. 15 months in a year, starting in the spring. 32 days in a month. Winter is 4 months.
Finally, a big kicker at the end of the chapter: Erin has just defeated Niers in chess again and is considering her day, and writing to her penpals when Shaestrel appears. They mention the Gnomes and Shaestrel offers to play Erin in chess, having apparently beaten the Gnomes themselves. If Erin wins, Shaestrel offers to teach her the game of Fate that Ivolethe and Melidore were playing.
This is a level beyond anything in this world and while I doubt it comes to pass, I hope Erin does it. I like when the main characters get unique powers. If you’re reading this, you’re 11 million words into an isekai too, so don’t judge me.
Recently, on a roadtrip, my family and I exchanged location sharing data on Google Maps, so we could track each other’s progress.
Example of the interface
After we got home from vacation, we kept up the location sharing because it was fun and useful. For example, before I called my brother I could check if we was working, because his work at the hospital has random shift times. Or, when my parents went on a trip to New Zealand, we could track their progress.
My parents in particular adored this feature. My mom would, every morning, check on her children to make sure that we were all OK and to see what we were up to. I got a lot of very specific questions about my activities: “I saw you were at XXX store for an hour yesterday, how was that?” Also, for me and my wife, it was pretty typical locations in general. We were at work, at home, or somewhere in-between. Really, to avoid the privacy breaches but still inform my parents, I would love to have something that just told them what category of place we were in. Also, with their 50th wedding anniversary coming up in a couple years(crazy, right?), it seemed like the perfect project.
The Inspiration
If you’re on this website, you’ve probably noticed my rampant nerdiness. Thus my inspiration: the Weasley clock, featured in the Harry Potter films and books. This magic clock tracked all the Weasley family members and identified their locations. While I don’t think we will use the “Quidditch” or “Mortal Peril” categories, this seemed to be the exact answer to my question. Now I just had to develop the software and mechanics to support it.
The Tech
Fortunately, we all walk around with microcomputers in our pockets that constantly spy on us while addicting us. So I knew if the NSA had this data, I could probably convince my siblings to give it to me as well, if I could just figure out how. Ideally I’d find a lightweight solution that would somehow convey latitude/longitude to some network location that my clock would eventually access.
Enter OwnTracks. The exact solution. This is an open source, lightweight location sharing app available on both Android and iPhone. All location data is private. It uses MQTT, a machine data transfer protocol, to send the data to a server. Also, it supports Regions, areas on the map that you can label and the app will indicate if it is inside that area. This is perfect to denote home and work locations.
However, OwnTracks needs to connect to an MQTT broker, software that will collect and distribute the messages typically run on a server. You can rent these servers very cheaply, but you know what is even cheaper? An IT buddy with a server in his basement. Thus enters Mosquitto, another open source software that acts as an MQTT broker.
The Plan
Thus we have our software picture all filled in. Owntracks will be installed on the phones, sending location data to the MQTT broker Mosquitto on my buddy’s server, and then my hardware will connect to this server to download the data. I just have to put it all together and pair it with the mechanics.
This is Kevin’s Cradle Series review. Cradle, by Will Wight, is one of my favorite series to read for exciting action without much overhead. The author himself says he is very strict on every scene that doesn’t advance the plot. Some may find this writing style lacks depth or rushes the plot but I think it reflects the story genre and keeps the pace exciting.
Cradle is a series in the xianxia/wuxia/cultivation genre. With roots in Asian martial arts, these stories typically involve endless training and meditation to gain physical and often magical power. The hero, Lindon, starts in Unsouled as the scum of his village. However, after a life-altering event, he is set on a path of training and combat that leads him to becoming the strongest person on the planet.
Most of Cradle is a fantasy, magical, martial arts action series. Lindon will have an opponent or obstacle. He will train and practice, make new allies, and at the end of the book or arc overcome this opponent or obstacle. From a top level this may seem formulaic, but then a hero’s journey often is, and the exact mechanisms are kept fresh enough to be entirely enjoyable.
The series is also carried by its characters. Lindon assembles a team of compatriots who are all marvelously distinct, even in their speaking styles, all of whom are my favorite. His chief companion and eventual love interest, Yerin, is a joy to read about. Even the character who speaks like Chewbacca, Little Blue, a spirit, has great moments in the story.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this story does not have any particular depth but is incredibly satisfying and enjoyable to read. The books are all individually short, the pacing is tight, and the plot and characters are quite fun. Highly recommend, 9/10.
(Also, the series is wrapping up this summer and Will Wight’s new series is coming out in April. Great time to get into it)
Dad’s Thanksgiving Birthday Dinner, with Lindsey’s Dessert
Flatbreads from the Pizza Oven
Chicken bacon ranch, barbeque chicken, and Margherita flatbreads. I did a relatively quick pizza dough (6 hours bulk, 2 hour proof) with 125g dough balls stretched into ovals. Used my sister’s Ooni Koda pizza oven which is the same one I own. I think they work great, though we had some trouble getting up to temp with charcoal today.
I topped the barbeque chicken pizza with just chicken and pickled red onion, though my dad asked for bacon as well on it. The pickled red onion was a perfect acidic contribution.
My favorite was the chicken bacon ranch which is just delicious. The Margherita also turned out well but I’ve made those many times before.
Brownie Sundae
Lindsey requested a brownie sundae bar. I used Brian Lagerstrom’s Best Fudgy Brownies recipe, though I struggled with my sister’s oven so it was a little underbaked. Still delicious, and I had a variety of toppings lined up to finish off the plate. Simple and yummy!
This chapter was extremely short, mostly serving as a way to shepherd in the Volume 1 rewrite that got posted simultaneously. I’ll be reading through it and I may post about it, but for this chapter:
Mrsha is a central character, spending time with Kenva, Watch Captain Venim’s daughter, as he interviews with Liscor’s council for the new Watch Commander position. Apparently, Captain Zevara doesn’t think she’s the right fit for the role. I agree with the cast of characters, if she isn’t give the job, riot.
A quick note is that Tyrion is now allowed to use the portal door and room to get to and from the Haven and Invrisil. Interesting but I guess it’s pragmatic.
The central part of the chapter is newcomers to the inn trying to get the story of the inn straight and learn all the major events that have occurred. I love the look back at the tumultuous history of the inn, but I could have done without the almost 4th wall break (not Rhir, more Deadpool) that was written. It was almost “Haha wouldn’t it be funny if someone wrote a story about the stuff that happens here? You could call it The Wandering Inn and post chapters twice a week on a story sharing network”
So many people being called to the inn just to listen to Erin tell its story was nice. I love the Antinium and their not-quite worship of Erin.
I don’t recall Ysara meeting or saving Ryoka at all, but I guess I’ll catch it in the reread.
Teriarch/Demsleth briefly censors the word Dragon from Erin’s story, which was comical.
The chapter cuts off right as Erin gets started. Kind of a bummer, I would love a Cliffnotes or in-universe story summary so far, though it’d be near impossible to condense to a reasonable chapter.
The story takes place inside a framework of 10 Events Occuring:
A convening of ships at sea
An execution
A boxing match
An accusation in scarlet
A hiring of an employee
An assassination
A fine
A duel
A delivery service opening
A crossing of borders
Teriarch and Valeterisa get some character development. Valeterisa attempts to create a teleport network to replace Erin’s door to House Sanito. There’s a lot of use of the [Parallel Thoughts] which gives her inner monologue a unique style to say the least.
There’s another framing device for Valeterisa with her remaining budget for the project, which slowly dwindles as she runs into issues.
Eventually her teleportation circles fail due to sabotage and incompetence, she blames Montressa and gets really mean about it, Larra of the Haven steps in for Montressa and slaps Valley and she flies off. There’s a chase to bring her back, with Ryoka almost getting electrocuted, but Ieka hires Fierre who uses Ieka’s Unmarked Coach pass to get the djinn who runs it to chase down Valeterisa. Valeterisa shows emotions and apologizes in a funny, train-of-thought dialogue section. She alters Valmira’s comet to launch herself and the cargo the hundreds of miles instead of teleport and it takes 4 mages to [Featherfall] her landing, hilarious. Also at some point Pirateaba mentioned a rival who alters time and memory in Terandria so that might be interesting.
Teriarch is desperate to prepare the world to fight the dead ____s once more. He takes Rafaema to try to teach her some things. This is a parallel to Valeterisa in that he tries so hard but fails time and time again. He meets with people who were spoken to by ghosts at the conclusion of Volume 8 and tries to inspire them. It has mixed results. The funniest bit was when he was trying to prepare the farmer with a magic sword and the tropes that were lampooned a bit there.
At some point, we get some insight into the Vampire attack on House Byres. Ylawes being so driven to just try to feed his people was rather touching. Delanay the Runner / Vampire Hunter shows up and is set to go hunting the Vampires, which Ylawes clues him into the Lischelle-Drakle family from his previous encounter with them.
The real highlight is Tolveilouka trying to plague the only remaining Byres farm. The way he has been stopped at every attempt to spread a plague is getting comical. For such a strong villain, I wish he actually accomplished some destruction to keep the stakes real. This time, it’s Taletevirion who stops him, dueling him almost to destruction at the same time. I like the unicorn.
Teriarch has another failure when he confronts Tolveilouka, who had sensed his presence and is ready with a weapon designed for dragonslaying, causing Teriarch to flee. Reasonable, but again, a villain who can make some of the strongest heroes flee but can’t even get revenge on the Horns or start the plague he’s designed for? Seems weak to me.
Teriarch drops some dragon lore, gets depressed, and meets with Magnolia. This was the most eye-roll section for me because she mocks him relentlessly, then gives him a couple lines about how he’ll always fly again, but the narration treats it like the combined worst roast and best pep-talk ever. I remember thinking that when she “slew him with a lance of words” that this might be my least favorite part of TWI, the over-dramatization of what’s almost a filler chapter.
Teriarch also is highlighted in being physically out of shape, which is what inspires him to box Alber at the end of the story. He gets the shit beat out of him which helps somehow, but then takes some fancy deep breaths and so watch out, world! Also Rafaema is living in the High Passes so I hope we get some exposition on the mysteries there.
Overall rating: 6/10. A lot of words on characters who aren’t my favorite, giving them small arcs that people that old shouldn’t need. “It’s OK to fail” jeez I’m 28 and I got that in spades.
