Carving Braille into a simple wood coaster introduced a lot more design and usability complexity than I initially expected; this post shares a few of the design considerations, and the implications of those issues on machining time.
How Moisture Resistant is that Finish?
How To & Calculators2 CommentsApplying those multiple coats of finish can quickly get to be tedious. But beyond bringing out the beauty of the natural wood grain, it also provides an essential moisture barrier. Just how effective is that moisture barrier? And is that third coat really necessary? This post illuminates a great resource for understanding the moisture retardance properties of different finishes, and based on how many coats you’ve applied.
Seven Amazing Transformations
Products & Shows2 CommentsHonoring my Commitment to Clean Energy
Sustainability3 CommentsI have committed Branching Out Wood to dedicate at least 10% of revenues to net new solar projects. In the years since opening up shop, I wanted to provide an update on how I’ve followed through on that commitment, as well as provide a few pointers to resources you might find useful in helping to evaluate whether solar would be useful for you.
Four Nifty Steampunk Display Technologies
Technology & Steampunk4 CommentsI love incorporating old technologies in bespoke designs, so let’s check out a few old display technologies. You’ve probably heard of the Nixie tube (or seen it in one of my creations), but have you heard of the one plane display? And you may have seen flip dot or split pane displays on a bus or at a ferry terminal, even though both are electromechanical display technologies of yore, yet available in new form factors. These are just a few of the ingenious devices that would allow display of complex information, and fit perfectly in a “Steampunk” aesthetic. And as an added bonus, check out the display made out of 6400 spools of thread!
Semi-Affordable 5 axis CNC Milling
CNC4 Comments3-axis CNCs are very accessible now to a small- to mid-size shop. But how might one go about upgrading that to a 4-axis or even 5-axis machine? And what are the limitations or barriers along the way, in hardware, in work area, in software, and of course, in cost? Join me in the journey as I pull together all my research of the last few months on how to upgrade my Inventables X-Carve.