Last Thursday Shadowcat hosted the first Maker night of the Lancaster Lab (I like to call them Lune Lab) Maker/Craft group.
I was there not just to represent the company but to try and get some more technical skills and abilities. I love making things, love tech, love toys, have no measurable skills whatsoever at the construction side of this, and little knowledge. So this is a chance for me to learn and to perhaps gain some skills so one day i can play with this stuff with ben and Elliott.
My first project is a brush bot. A relatively simple device made from a motor (pager/vibration), a battery and the head of a toothbrush. I wanted to add the extra component of a switch so the battery could be permanently attached in a holder at some point.
On the way to building this I learned about a 3 stage switch, and how to solder – I have to thank Ian Norton for patiently showing me these skills. So now I know about switches, flux, solder and sticking them together.
The first test was successful but the battery drained pretty quickly. So for next time we investigate current restricting resistors and the idea of having multiple batteries to hold the power for longer.
I’ll get to learn about them as well, and maybe construct Brush Bot Mk II.
Pictures follow:
Testing stage of components
My setup
Close up of a circuit – LED to test current
Temporary blue tak version
Brush Bot Mk I
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