Improvised Dynamics

Troubleshooting

This is the cornerstone skill of all the skills illustrated below. It is often difficult to put to pictures because troubleshooting is not very visually interesting – it’s usually just me staring at the problem with my brow furled and a frown on my face in an expression of deep contemplation.

Reassembling a robot kit after some troubleshooting to determine why the robot wasn’t rolling straight. Turns out the trim pots on the continuous rotation servos had come out of tune.

Machining

Machining is perhaps one of my favorite activities. The act of carving and sculpting a piece of metal (or other material) to size within a few thousandths of an inch demands a focus and such meticulous methodology as to border on the ritual. The arcane dance requires presence of mind and as such has a meditative effect.

Mill
Lathe
Manual + CNC
Wire EDM
Band Saw
Drill Press
Hydraulic and Arbor Press

Below are a few examples of things I’ve cut.

Hot-Bar soldering tool work holder for a microOLED display breakout board Cut on CNC

Variance indicator extended reach mounting post

The machined components for Ryan the robot’s arm mechanism

The Elbow Engine Project was a team effort cut on manual mills and lathes. See project page for details

Power Tools

In addition to machine tools, I’m proficient in the safe operation of a wide variety of stationary and handheld power tools including powered saws, drills, grinders, and pneumatic tools

Compound Miter Saws, Band Saws, and Table Saw

Hand Tools

The cornerstone of any technical crafter is the ability to build stuff using the most common hand tools (i.e. pliers, wrenches, drivers, hammers, and similar).