3/16/2024 0 Comments 3d oval shape name![]() The slight air gap between the end of the pipe and the face of the digit creates a smooth, diffused glow when lit.Share on Facebook Share on X (Twitter) Share on Pinterest Figure F on the following page shows a close-up of the lens design. I found that super glue, hot glue, and even UV-cured acrylic resin failed to hold these pipes in place, so this friction-fit design saved the day. This helps to grab the pipe and hold it so it’s less likely to fall back out. They’re cone shaped, and the narrowest part is slightly undersized for the PMMA to push through. The cool part about this version is the holes for mounting the pipes. I guess I had to go the long route, but at least I can say I learned a lot on the way. Too messy!Īnd so, the last version - the simplest of them all - was my favorite (Figure E ). How could I suspend the digits, see the lights, and keep it as simple as possible? At this point I was tired of experimenting with acrylic. After a week or so my brain was back on the case, working to solve the problem. I didn’t want to just make something that didn’t serve my original idea: a functional clock that highlighted the beauty of the light pipes. This is the point where I gave up on the idea for a while. So, my next design focused more on contrast, and the possibility of encasing the pipes in acrylic for better visibility (Figure D ). This one was smaller and more printable, but as I quickly found out, the pipes weren’t very visible, and there wasn’t enough contrast in order to be able to see the digits clearly. So, I made a more compact version next (Figure C). This idea failed mostly because the block was too big to print on my machine. The intent was to run them through a block of 3D-printed clear PETG that would be a bit blurry, but you could still see the pipes. Figure Aįigure A shows the original idea I sketched out on the back of an envelope, and Figure B is the first digital rendering done with 123D Design.Īs you can see, my first ideas relied heavily on suspending the pipes in place. My goal from the start was to somehow turn these beautiful pipes into a digital clock, while still showing the pipes and how they change colors, to highlight the beauty of the light traveling to the digits. It evolved from several experimental versions, each one teaching me something new about the limitations and possibilities of combining the light pipes with a variety of different kinds of lights and materials. I am grateful to find the cool part of Twitter that celebrates people chasing their crazy ideas and sharing what they make. This project was inspired by the very cool fiber optic projects posted online by Martin Oehler ( on instructables), John-Paul Wenger ( on X), and others. I tend to favor the kinds of projects that combine art and function and require me to learn something new in order to complete. Years of 3D print and circuit hackery have led me to build some pretty crazy contraptions. Subscribe to the premier DIY magazine todayĬommunity access, print, and digital Magazine, and more Skill builder, project tutorials, and moreĪ podcast from Make: founder, Dale Dougherty ![]() Get hands-on with kits, books, and more from the Maker Shed Read about the latest maker projects, skills, tool reviews and more. Initiatives for the next generation of makers. ![]()
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