We’ve probably all seen some old newsreel or documentary from The Before Times where the narrator, using his best Mid-Atlantic accent, described those newfangled computers as “thinking machines,” or better yet, “electronic brains.” It was an apt description, at least considering that the intended audience had no other frame of reference at a time when the most complex machine they were familiar with was a telephone. But what if the whole “brain” thing could be taken more literally? We’ll have to figure that out soon if these computers powered by miniature human brains end up getting any traction.
If you are sitting on a horde of negatives, waiting for the digital photography fad to die off, it may be time to think about digitizing your old film. [Kinpro1024] can help with the PiDigitzier, an open-source film scanning solution. The build centers around a Pi Zero 2, a Pi HQ camera, and a diffusing LED lighting fixture. Of course, there’s also some miscellaneous hardware and a camera lens; the example used a Pentax 50 mm f1.8 lens.
Half of the project is mechanical. An MDF tower provides a stable 250 mm workspace and decks that can slide up and down using threaded rods and curtain rods. Apparently, leveling the platforms is important not only for the optics but also to allow the MDF to move along the rods without binding.
[Baptiste Marx] shares his take on designing emergency structures using PVC pipe in a way that requires an absolute minimum of added parts. CINTRE (French, English coverage article here) is his collection of joint designs, with examples of how they can be worked into a variety of structures.
Basic joints have many different applications.
PVC pipe is inexpensive, widely available, and can often be salvaged in useful quantities even in disaster areas because of its wide use in plumbing and as conduits in construction. It can be cut with simple tools, and once softened with heat, it can be re-formed easily.
What is really clever about [Baptiste]’s designs is that there is little need for external fasteners or hardware. Cable ties are all that’s required to provide the structural element of many things. Two sawhorse-like assemblies, combined with a flat surface, make up a table, for example.
Every time we check in on [Project326], he’s doing something different with X-rays. This week, he has a passive X-ray imager. On paper, it looks great. No special tube is required and no high voltage needed. Actually, no voltage is needed at all. Of course, there’s no free lunch. What it does take is a long time to produce an image.
While working on the “easy peasy X-ray machine,” dental X-ray film worked well for imaging with a weak X-ray source. He found that the film would also detect exposure to americium 241. So technically, not an X-ray in the strictest sense, but a radioactive image that uses gamma rays to expose the film. But to normal people, a picture of the inside of something is an X-ray even when it isn’t.
When it comes to FDM 3D prints and making them stronger, most of the focus is on the outer walls and factors like their layer adhesion. However, paying some attention to the often-ignored insides of a model can make a lot of difference in its mechanical properties. Inspired by a string of [Tom Stanton] videos, [3DJake] had a poke at making TPU more resilient against breaking when stretched and PLA resistant to snapping when experiencing a lateral force.
Simply twisting the TPU part massively increased the load at which it snapped. Similarly, by removing the infill from the PLA part before replacing it with a hollow cylinder, the test part also became significantly more resilient. A very noticeable result of hollowing out the PLA part: the way that it breaks. A part with infill will basically shatter. But the hollowed-out version remained more intact, rather than ripping apart at the seams. The reason? The hollow cylinder shape is printed to add more walls inside the part. Plus cylinders are naturally more able to distribute loads.
All of this touches on load distribution and designing a component to cope with expected loads in the best way possible. It’s also the reason why finite element analysis is such a big part of the CAD world, and something which we may see more of in the world of consumer 3D printing as well in the future.
Typeface (such as Times New Roman) refers to the design that gives a set of letters, numbers, and symbols their signature “look”. Font, on the other hand, is a specific implementation of a typeface, for example, Times New Roman Italic 12 pt.
‘Q’ is a counterpoint to the idea that typography is just one fussy detail after another.
Right about this point, some of you are nodding along and perhaps thinking “oh, that’s interesting,” while the rest of you are already hovering over your browser’s Back button. If you’re one of the former, you may be interested in checking out the (sort of) interactive tour of typography design elements by the Ohno Type School, a small group that loves design.
On one hand, letters are simple and readily recognizable symbols. But at the same time, their simplicity puts a lot of weight on seemingly minor elements. Small changes can have a big visual impact. The tour lays bare answers to questions such as: What is the optimal parting of the cheeks of a capital ‘B’? At what height should the crossbar on an ‘A’ sit, and why does it look so weird if done incorrectly? And yet, the tail of a ‘Q’ can be just about anything? How and why does an ‘H’ define the spacing of the entire typeface? All these (and more) are laid bare.
USB-C as the “One Cable To Rule Them All” has certainly been a success. While USB-A is still around for now, most of us have breathed a hefty sigh of relief with the passing of micro-USB and the several display and power standards it replaces. It’s not without its minor issues though. One of them is that it’s as susceptible as any other cable to a bit of strain. For that, we think [NordcaForm]’s 3D-printed USB-C cable strain relief is definitely a cut above the rest.
Waxing lyrical about a simple 3D printed model might seem overkill for Hackaday, and it’s true, it’s not something we do often, but as Hackaday writers travel around with plenty of USB-C connected peripherals, we like the design of this one. It’s flexible enough to be useful without resorting to exotic filaments, and since it’s available in a few different forms with curved or straight edges, we think it can find a place in many a cable setup. Certainly more of an everyday carry than a previously featured 3D print. If you want to learn more about USB C, we have a whole series of posts for you to binge read.
