I’m glad you like it, and would be happy to help if we could figure out how.
The trouble is that the wooden parts, the electronics, the firmware and the mechanical parts all come together just so to make it work. Lots and lots of picky steps, any one of which could trip a person up. I fear it would be a frustrating experience, but if you’d like to give it a try, DM me and maybe we can figure out how to proceed.
Hello to Bellingham!
I chose the ball-chain workings because I needed something that won’t slip when it drives. For bigger devices I’d use something like toothed belts, but with such a small space, I cast around for something smaller that still wouldn’t slip. The light switch ball chain happened to be available at the local hardware store.
Yes, the pulley wheels are actually sprockets with little pockets around their circumferences that the balls fit into when the chain wraps around them. When the chains are under a bit of tension, all of the moving parts on the water level display are pretty much forced to move together.
That’s my kind of a solution!
Very nicely done! I appreciate your mix of electronics and Glowforging. The rising and falling tide in the lower portion is clever.
I’ve made a tide clock also (Glowforge, electronics and real walnut pieces cut on the Forge). Mine looks like a 1950’s era RCA TV with a 4" display driven by a RPi Zero W. No moving parts. The display has a sine curve that represents tide state that moves right to left across a fixed reference line to show current state of tide. Carefully placed text provides details.
I like your approach a lot more.
I really like the idea of modeling something after a 1950’s RCA TV. It would give it an interesting vibe, for sure. I’ll have to give it a try on my next project that needs an enclosure. I’m thinking “living hinges” for rounded corners.
Another Bellinghamster here. Really nicely done! I love projects like this, I make a lot of inter.active exhibits for the Spark Museum ( have you visited?). I’m just finishing one now and will post it here soon.
Oooh! Interactive exhibits. I’ve definitely put the Spark Museum on my list of places to visit. It looks like my kind of place. Please do post your latest once it’s ready.
As it would happen, I’m developing an interactive exhibit for the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. It’s my first such build and a bit of a stretch for me. I worry about all the things that could go wrong with it once the target audience gets to interacting with it. Vigorously, I’m sure. It’s now reached the completed prototype stage and ready to move into user testing.
[I worry about all the things that could go wrong with it once the target audience gets to interacting with it.]
You are right about that! you can never make museum interactives bullet proof enough! I never cease to be amazed at the extent to which kids (and even adults) will go to break things.
Murphy’s Eleventh Law: It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.