Show and Tell January 2024

ESmith · January 1, 2024, 6:03pm

Post a picture and description of anything you are working on this month at the 'Space (or elsewhere) here!

It can be anything from a small craft project to a large CNC router project to building a table to 3D printing to a science experiment and so much more. There are lots of people doing cool things at DMS all the time, but most of us don’t get to see it. Post it here and share the interesting things you are doing at Dallas Makerspace this month!

Posting here helps not only promote Dallas Makerspace, but could inspire others to make something. It will also help PR post a monthly look at what can be done here on a blog post or other social media (with attribution to each maker of course).

NOTE: Please try to include the following on each post, to help make for richer social media content!

a decent QUALITY photo
a notation about WHAT you’ve made
WHO you are (for attribution on the blog)
HOW you’ve made it
and WHY

ESmith · January 1, 2024, 6:04pm

CaryF300 · January 1, 2024, 10:29pm

I created an add-in for CorelDraw to create cut lines to laser-cut a jigsaw puzzle from a sheet of wood, acrylic, hardboard, etc. In my case I will be dye sublimating hardboard and cutting photo puzzles. You can specify the number of pieces across and down, the chaos factor for the angles and lines and whether you want a solid outside border or not. I’ve been looking for something like this for a long time, and finally just decided to write it myself. Once the cut lines are created, they can be exported as SVG, DXF, EPS, PDF, etc.

coloneldan · January 1, 2024, 11:04pm

Very cool. Are you sharing the programming or are you going to market it? Or just keep it to yourself?

CaryF300 · January 2, 2024, 12:28am

It works within CorelDraw, and was written in the most recent version, so 'm not sure about the compatibilty with previous versions. I’ll share it with any member that wants it.

CaryF300 · January 2, 2024, 2:57am

All of the pieces are printed for the Perler Bead Sorter. Next step, assembly and electronics. I hope to have it sorting by the end of the month. It has been and very productive 5 days.

John_Marlow · January 2, 2024, 7:47pm

Wow that is wicked cool! Very clever.

FWIW, Inkscape alleges to have something similar.

Anybody have one for Illustrator?

HankCowdog · January 2, 2024, 11:59pm

At the request of my wife, I welded up a red armadillo napkin holder out of horseshoes as a Christmas present for her. Yes, she requested an armadillo (and that it be painted red).

Chetan_Raj · January 5, 2024, 8:16pm

I welded up the steel frame at DMS for this shelf maybe 5 years ago, but never got around to completing it. I had completed a larger companion version but had used stained pine for the shelves, and while that older version looks nice, I didn’t think it looked great so I never bothered to complete the 2nd, smaller version.

From another delayed (and now officially dead) project, I had a bunch of 5/4 1S walnut laying around. I decided to go all out and build the shelf boards out of this solid hardwood. I’m very glad that I did, as I think the piece came out very nicely after being finished in a satin poly. The intent was to make this a shoe rack, but I now like the look of it too much to crowd it up with shoes, so only the 1st level will serve as a rack.

The original, larger version that has pine shelves and has been in service for about 5 years:

bd_simpson · January 7, 2024, 8:26am

I know several people saw me working on this, but here is the final product (for my Father-in-law, sorry about the choice of team)

Walnut panel glue-up, etched with the laser and inlaid with curly maple.

Anette_Henningson · January 7, 2024, 9:53pm

Dog bowl with “Gloop glaze” from Liam’s class.

Anachronite · January 9, 2024, 8:14pm

Made some Sterling Silver jewelry for Christmas gifts, just finished some late, but finally done! Thank you @Jcastanon for all your guidance and teaching me how to do this!! Ya’ll take her classes if you haven’t! Jolene is a great teacher!! I did the Turquoise rings and pendants with Jolene, and the Viking wire weave bracelet I started after taking a class with @Sean_Ellwood, he’s a great teacher also, thank you sir as well!

shamraqi · January 13, 2024, 11:42pm

Made a vinyl record “flip” holder for my wife’s birthday. Made from a 5/4 rough walnut board and finished with medium-walnut danish oil.

gsommers · January 15, 2024, 3:15pm

Needed a queen headboard for the guest room. Not too complicated of a design, but happy with how it came out. Made it from maple I had on hand so I’ll call it free.

Mrholthaus · January 16, 2024, 5:57am

Finishing up a glass storage rack for DMS. I was reusing a frame from another project so it’s a bit rough and ready but I really like how the Powdercoat came out. This is a good example of the metal fabrication that can be done at DMS.

Anachronite · January 16, 2024, 2:02pm

This is awesome. I really need to learn welding, fab, and power coating this year! This is greatness!

Can we do cerakoting at all in the powder coat oven? (assuming we have one)

keoliver · January 16, 2024, 4:02pm

This is more of a test or proof of concept piece than a project . I am setting up and testing the new nomad micro cnc in the plastics shop . It is perfect for soft metals like aluminum and brass . I was testing feeds and speeds in preparation for checkout classes and project classes and made the head of a brass branding iron. I finally got the right cutting recipe. The CAD and CAM will be a learning curve for new users but the machine does a beautiful job with the hour long cutting job. It will be more accessible than the Haas with a shorter entry level learning curve . Stay tuned for training opportunities once we get it integrated into the AD infrastructure .

mreynolds · January 21, 2024, 3:22pm

Thanks to @TBJK and @keoliver for helping me relearn tools and assisting in the Machine Shop so i could get my new hotend bracket built. It works a treat, is perfectly lined up with the extruder and looks great!!

Thank you Tim and Kevin!!