12-14-09

Speaker Box documentation

Hand in prints of your pages at the start of this period for on time credit.

Need some help? Stay after and we'll work on it.

 

Mendo Motor parts

Use this link to get at the measurements of all the parts on the motor: Mendo Measurements

Assembly of the parts - MendoBaseAssembly

Once you have the parts of the motor, you will need to assemble the parts.

This page lists out how to make the first couple of parts and how to assemble them:  BaseAssembly

 

12-10-09

Speaker box documention

You should have two of the four pages done today

All four of the pages should be done by tomorrow.

Come after school today if you need help setting this up. 

 

Ning 

embedding a video from youtube

On the page of the video on youtube, there is a box with the embed code.

Copy the code and paste it into the top of your post for the video.

 

Mendo Sketchup

Assemble the base with grooves, upright and mirror

Design the mirror, ring magnets, dowel and block

 

Mendocino MotorMeasurements

We will make a number of the parts for the Motor this class.

Print your designs with dimensions

Email the files to yourself so you have a backup.

 

 

Add a post to your ning site with the parts you have designed.

Add a post to your site with the assemblies you make.

 

 

12-8-09

 

Speaker Box documentation

You should have two of the four pages done by next class.

Bring in prints of your pages at the start of class on Thursday.

Questions?

 

Mendocino MotorMeasurements

We will make a number of the parts for the Motor this class.

Print your designs with dimensions

Email the files to yourself so you have a backup.

 

12-7-09

SpeakerBoxDocumentation

MendocinoMotorOverview

 

12-3-09

This is the last class for working on the Speaker Box

Check in on where you are with the project.

If you are complete with the project, you can do a number of other things:

    Document your project with

        Text on your blog,

        Photos

        Video

Otherwise, you can work on other projects relating to sound, electricity, FM transmitters, design, etc.

These other projects will need to have some photos, or other documentation on your blog.

 

12-2-09

Hand in of packet of materials requested from last class.

Getting the project done

The last class we will work on this project will be the last class of this week.

If you are complete with the build, they can work on documenting the project on your Ning blog

Show what the project looks like

Photos and video

Explain what you have done on the project

Text and audio track in the video.

 

12-1-09

Are you up to date?

November09Checklist

 

11-25-09

Make an account on http://duxtech.ning.com/

Join the group for Principles Fall 09

Make a blog post with the response to the question of last class:

Assess your progress on the project so far.

Make a list of what you have done and what you have yet to do on your music player.

Look at the work that you have done on your project at this point.

Write out a description of what you have done on the project so far. 

Check with students who are more complete on the project than you and discuss the work you have yet to do.

Write out a description of what you need to do to complete the project.

 

In the class, work on your project. If yours is largely complete, assist your classmates to bring their work up to completion. You may want to bring the project home over Thanksgiving. If you do, bring it back to school the week after the holiday for more work on it and evaluation.

11-24-09

Make an account on http://duxtech.ning.com/

Join the group for Principles Fall 09

make a blog post with the response to the question of last class:

Assess your progress on the project so far.

Make a list of what you have done and what you have yet to do on your music player.

Look at the work that you have done on your project at this point.

Write out a description of what you have done on the project so far. 

Check with students who are more complete on the project than you and discuss the work you have yet to do.

Write out a description of what you need to do to complete the project.

 

In the class, work on your project. If yours is largely complete, assist your classmates to bring their work up to completion. You may want to bring the project home over Thanksgiving. If you do, bring it back to school the week after the holiday for more work on it and evaluation.

 

11-3-09

SpeakerBoxChecklist

• Cigar box is painted neatly and carefully
• Drawing of speaker box -Multiview drawing with measurements
• Designs for speakers done in Open Office and Gimp
• Two color sticker - at least two
• Stickers on top, inside, front, left and right sides
• Speaker cardboard insert
• Speakers attached to insert
• Speaker negatives wired together
• Amplifier circuit harvested from computer speakers
• Amplifier circuit prepped for installation
• Amplifier circuit installed in speaker box

 

10-27-09

This period, we are working on the decoration of the speaker box.

The requirements of the design are listed at this link Box decoration Checklist:

 

Email and printed reflection:

This period, answer these questions and email the responses to duxtech@gmail.com

Print out a copy as well and hand it in.

Reflection on the process of making their own custom designed stickers

• What can this technique be used for?
• How do you choose a picture for making a vinyl cut of?

 

10-20-09

weeding the sticker

Box sticker design requirements:

You will be designing stickers for your audio box with the vinyl cutter

You should restrict yourself to a maximum of One corporate logo, ideally, you should use none

Make designs for the top, sides, front and front and at least one on the inside

Measure the box and designs so that they will fit in the spaces

On your Open Office files, add your name to each file so that the print helps identify the person doing the work.

Print out the pictures actual size

Staple the prints together

Cut the images and weed them, then attach them to the box

 

Box decoration Checklist:

• Box is smoothly and completely painted, inside and out
• Top, front, sides and inside designs done
• No more than one logo
• Prints of the designs done with name in the open office file
• Images cut and weeded
• Images attached to the box 

 

10-16-09

Today you should be working on designs for your speaker box.

Follow the instructions on this page:

TwoColorSticker

Sending a file to yourself

Check your measurements against the box or against the drawings you made previously.

 

The drawings handed in already are in the folder on the desk.

Make possible designs for:

1. The right and left sides of your box
2. The front panel of your box
3. The inside of the cover of your box
4. Print a copy of each of the designs that you make

 

 

10-13-09

How to design a multicolor sticker with Gimp and Open Office

TwoColorSticker

Sending a file to yourself

10-7-09

How to design a multicolor sticker with Gimp and Open Office

TwoColorSticker

Take this brief survey; http://bit.ly/2sDt61

 

10-6-09

Take this brief survey; http://bit.ly/2sDt61

 

 

9-28-09

Junkbot Videos Link

 

9-25-09

Junkbot Video Homework Assignment Link

 

9-11-09

What do the parts of the CD drive system do and how can I find out?

Exploring a CD drive

 

9-8-09

How can we get project supplies from the useful but discarded objects around us? What are the techniques used to solve the manufacturing problems in modern devices?

 

Online version: 

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/08/how-to_cd_drive_scavenging_for_part.html

Mastery Objective:

Students and participants will know how to safely disassemble a CD drive or similar electrojunk for parts and project supplies so that they can name the parts inside the device, compare the varieties of manufacturing techniques to solve the same problem and organize the usable parts and components for future use in projects.

Process:

What do you have?

Probably the first thing to do is look at the exterior of the drives you have.

Make note of any markings on the drive. Some things you will likely find are the manufacturer, model number, read/write speed of the drive and my favorite: Date of Manufacture.

The date of manufacture will give you some context to judge the drives in your collection by. Often the older the drive is, the more "off the shelf" the components are.

Use your camera:

Take some photos with your camera or camera phone to show the process of taking the drive apart.

You can also have participants and students take pictures of each of the systems they find, and each of the types of components they find inside.

Case disassembly:

Put on your safety glasses.

Use a screwdriver to take the metal case off the drive. It will usually be 4 phillips screws on the sides that hold it together.

In taking off the metal case, try to keep it from getting deformed. The steel can be useful later. You may find that there are plastic tabs holding one of the pieces in place.

Try to get the case to just fall apart without having to be forced. Most of the time it will just come apart after you remove the screws and press on the plastic tabs.

If you do have to tug on the parts, you may have missed a screw under a sticker. If all else fails, make sure all of the eyes are protected, and pull it apart carefully, probably below the table.

Pop open the CD drawer by straightening out a paper clip and slipping it into the hole on the front panel. The drawer should open easily. You might even find a disc inside.

To remove the drawer, you may have to pry apart the plastic sides, or it might just come apart easily. Different models have varying designs. Be careful if you put force on it that the parts don't fly and hurt somebody.

Be careful not to Over-Disassemble!

You may find that there is a dc motor that is in a plastic housing that holds it in contact with a gear which could serve as a nice little drive wheel. Take it out, but secure it together so it can be used in a future project. If it doesn't stay together with screws or pressure fitting plastic, run a bit of tape around it to hold it.

You may also find that the CD reading eye moves nicely on its' slides. If it is controlled by a DC motor, this could be a neat system to use later.

Basically, look at the things you are taking apart, and see if they can be used as systems or components.

Securing the wires coming from the motor with a bit of tape will help keep them from breaking off later.

Motors and how to read them:

You should find two types of motors inside: DC motor and Stepper motor.

The easiest way to identify a DC motor is by looking at the number of wires coming off it. Most have just two wires. DC motors are controlled by sending electricity through the motor, causing it to turn either clockwise or counterclockwise. Sometimes you may find that there are several more wires going into another area of the case. These can be to an encoder that helps read the speed and direction of the motor.

Stepper motors have more wires coming from them, and often are built right onto a circuit board. These turn by receiving a series of pulses, each of which advances the motor one step. By controlling the timing and quantity of the pulses with a microcontroller, it is possible to precisely set the speed and even the number of degrees the motor will turn.

Save the good bits

As you go, put the useful parts into plastic bags or bins. Label the bags with scraps of paper for easy identification.

You should be able to find at least the following:

• DC motors, usually one will open the tray, sometimes you will find a second to move the eye.
• Gears to drive the mechanisms
• Switches, either momentary pushbutton or other mechanical contactors
• Headphone jack
• Potentiometer
• LED
• Screws

Desolder the components you want from the circuit boards:

The headphone jack, LED, momentary switches and sometimes motors will be soldered directly to the circuit boards. You can use a desoldering braid and an iron to free these items from the boards. If they have fittings, you may want to keep the fittings and instead remove the headers that connect them to the board. You should be able to scrape the coating off the metal traces to solder the fittings to a wire for future projects.

 

9-3-09

Welcome back!

Introduction to course

Handouts:

Course expectations

Safety rules

Course Overview