Ring-Based Message Board

January 4, 2022Technology & SteampunkDavid WertheimerComment

Leveraging a bit of the electromechanical experience I’ve garnered on past projects, and scratching that ever-present itch to do some interesting programming, I’ve worked thru much of the design and math for a “ring” messageboard or clock. This steampunk-esque design builds on the principles of a combination lock, can be extended to a message board of arbitrary length, and yet can be set with just a single precision-controlled motor. Read on for the what, how-to, and wherefore!

Kinetic Art Ceiling Sculpture

December 10, 2021Technology & Steampunk, Personal JourneyDavid WertheimerComment

Taking some time to refocus on a few personal projects that allow me to scratch my analytical itches, I’ll delve into the inspiration, math, engineering, and artistry behind a potential kinetic art sculpture, based on a BMW Museum installation in Munich, Germany.

Upgrading from Steppers to Servos

October 1, 2021CNCDavid Wertheimer6 Comments

I swapped out the drive motors on my CNC from steppers to servos; in this post, I go into the details of all the troubleshooting I’ve done over the months before making this costly upgrade. Though it is not necessarily justified for everyone, the improvements I’ve seen in accuracy and performance have made it worthwhile for me, providing the foundation to tackle much more challenging jobs (and to lower my stress level when doing even simple jobs).

Marriage of Electronics & Craftsmanship

September 10, 2021Technology & SteampunkDavid WertheimerComment

My personal projects are often one-of-a-kind combinations of electronics and craftsmanship. In this post, I describe the steps in taking a “word clock” from rough idea to finished product, with many of the messy intermediate steps and lessons learned exposed.

Design for Manufacturing

August 27, 2021How To & Calculators, CNCDavid Wertheimer2 Comments

There is a world of difference between designing a one-off product for a commissioned job, and designing something to be manufactured by the dozen (or by the thousand) - those hard-to-reach corners or peculiar material choices might not be a big problem for one creation, but they can add real production costs and potential support problems when done in volume. In this post I touch on a few of the many considerations a product designer needs to consider when manufacturing something in wood.

Analytics & Woodworking

July 9, 2021Personal JourneyDavid Wertheimer5 Comments

Precision woodworking requires a sound understanding of math, angles, and geometry. But beyond that foundation that all good woodworkers possess, I also pursue - both for my own satisfaction and to meet client requirements - projects that have at least some elements of deeper analytical or mathematical elements at their foundations. In this post, I’ll touch on a few examples of these projects.