24Eng Portfolio Year 04

Before the blog
First year
Second year
Third year
Fourth year<<<<<<<
Fifth year
Sixth year
Seventh year
Eighth year
Ninth year
Tenth year
Eleventh year

I have a list of my Press STUFF.

The fourth year of this blog saw a different type of project. The previous years were filled with projects that were started and had a completion date. Year three saw ambitious projects which were not possible to define by a date. A podcast was started with Tim Shank of Twin Cities+ and an audiobook version of Charged: DesertIrish was started. While a book usually has a date where it gets finished, this story could safely be called a serial. The audio chapters add to the serial since they could be compared to a radio show.


A magnet was installed behind my right ear. The plan was to make a bone-conduction hearing aid without all the medical overhead and one that could be enjoyed by people with good hearing. The magnet installation was a simple procedure which used a scalpel to make a tunnel from the entry point to the final resting location of the magnet. This wasn't a gory implant.

Microphone stands are usually built to hold a microphone, but some days you need two mics for two people, or one person needs to be recorded in stereo. The SterMicSta allows a camera tripod to hold two microphones easily and it can be printed at home.

A more versatile but bulkier method of using two microphones was built. This time, it was two independent and identical systems. Each unit had a computer, a microphone adapter, and a studio microphone.


A specialty business card was made on PCB which combined an antenna, in the form of traces around the perimeter, and an LED. The antenna would harvest RFID waves, like those on NFC devices, to power the LED.

The durability of 3D printed parts is an issue that has spurred some companies to build printers with features like embedded fiberglass or specialty materials for strength. I just wanted to know if a regular ABS print could withstand the abuse of becoming a replacement stool foot for a year. It did.

gRemLen was a way to test my chosen laser tag lens and extend the range of an inexpensive remote control. The device was a simple holder modeled around a lens and cheap remotes which would allow the lens to sit precisely in front of the remote and focus the remote's beam.

Cats have minds of their own. Go figure. One, in particular, had become fond of getting himself into the living room. It wasn't a problem because he's a good boy, but my cat likes to scratch the vulnerable furniture there. The KittyKittyNoGo, aka, KittyCatKeeperOuter, was my laser cut solution, and I named it myself.

My oversize clipboard was an example of something that was created because it was valuable to me but not so much that I would pay for the commercial version. It was also a chance to teach myself laser cutting. It was not flashy, original, or unique, but it consumed a day of my time.

A whole lot of time was spent editing the first draft of Charged: DesertIrish. Editing has been a welcome change of pace. Writing the story has been tons of fun but going back through the story shows lots of room for improvement. Even after a complete pass, another round of editing is in order.


I made a bead roller model for a friend and with her permission, uploaded to Thingiverse. Since it was modeled in OpenSCAD, and meant to be adjustable, the customizer on Thingiverse allowed anyone to make their own sizes. Before this project, I didn't know what a bead roller was, but this off-kilter lady explains them perfectly.

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