We love seeing hacks that involve salvaging parts from what you have on hand to make a new project work, and this project is a great example of that. [Simon], in a quick weekend build, created an automated blinds opener using parts he had available.
The project began with the desire to have his blinds open slowly and silently, gradually letting in more light. To accomplish this, a few key components were needed, including a motor with a gearbox to provide the torque required to actuate the blinds and a magnetic encoder to track their progress. To isolate vibrations and keep the system silent, the motor is mounted using a silicone motor mount that he salvaged from a broken water flosser.
To mount the motor to the wall near the window, he used some 3D printed parts. A clever combination of surgical silicone tubing and silicone tape attaches the motor to the window blind shaft while limiting vibration transfer, keeping things quiet. [Simon] advises against using magnetic encoders as he did, noting that while he had them on hand and made them work, the magnetic shaft’s misalignment with the encoders makes it a less-than-ideal approach. Nevertheless, he got it working.
Automating blinds is a fairly common project around these parts, made all the more accessible with clever 3D printed mechanisms. We’ve even seen variations that can be used in rentals, dorms, and other places were permanent modifications need to be avoided.
Mechanical integration is the hardest part. Electronics is easy, you could even use an RC car internals!
Maybe true for much of the community here.
But a good machinist in a well-equipped shop might say the exact opposite: Why depend on far-off suppliers, fragile electronics and arcane software toolchains, when you can just build something to suit out of raw stock?
Nice work!
I’ve made a similar project which uses a cheap stepper motor (28byj-48) and a micro controller, integrates with most home automations (HA, mqtt….)
Please have a look and comment: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4889111
Uses ESPHome and all code (yaml) is on github
Also have an updated version in the works, but life keeps getting in the way…
Neat, but on the cheap is to reach up and ‘open’ the curtains by hand :) when you want them open. Completely reliable too! Ha!
Doesn’t work when you’re asleep. Seems like this was made with the aim of a “gentle wake-up” alarm that lets the room get gradually lighter…
Thx. Might help if I read the ‘whole’ article instead of skipping .
That said our pull down blinds aren’t completely opaque. So sunlight naturally brightens the room gradually anyway.
Ages ago I had to get up before daylight and I found a timer of some sorts and connected the dial with a rubber tube shaft to a pot and light dimmer. Sunrise anyway. It had to be dialed back each day before bedtime but it worked. DST has many in western sides of time zones doing this twice during a year to go school. Deep winter then again in spring.