Turning a toy into a cyberdeck Attoparsec 2025-07-16 | I saw a educational toy from 1989 and had to turn it into a punch-card driven mobile computing platform.00:00 Introduction02:23 Hardware14:00 Comparisons17:08 Software29:58 Punch cards33:05 Conclusions
Hacker voice: Im in. Attoparsec 2025-07-13 | A sneak peak at the project I've been working on for the last few months, turning a 1989 punchcard-driven kid's toy into a working cyberdeck. The full build video will be out in the next few days, or come play with it yourself at Open Sauce 2025!
The waffle and the pantograph Attoparsec 2025-05-06 | Have you ever wanted a waffle so bad that you bought a literal ton of obsolete machine tool to make it happen?All about the Gorton typeface: aresluna.org/the-hardest-working-font-in-manhattan
A keyboard with ten hundred keys Attoparsec 2025-03-14 | I made a keyboard with one key for each of the 1000 most common English words. (It's not very practical.)Many thanks to PCBWay for making this project possible! If you want to make your own ridiculous keyboard, or maybe a slightly more sensible project, you can get $5 off your first order at PCBWay using this link: pcbway.com/g/n67Ubr00:00 Introduction06:11 Design11:47 Keycaps19:59 Electronics28:44 The case33:25 Assembly35:53 Results
Too many keys! Attoparsec 2025-02-20 | Making a keyboard with a key for each of the thousand most common words in the English language.
Making a working intercom system from some very old phones Attoparsec 2024-12-31 | I've always loved old hand-cranked magneto phones, so I set about setting up an intercom system using them.
Printing far too many keycaps Attoparsec 2024-12-06 | I found myself in need of 1000+ custom keycaps. So I figured out a way to print them in bulk.
Mirrors dont reflect left to right! Attoparsec 2024-11-25 | My attempt at a No Effort November video, exploring why mirrors seem to favor a specific axis.
Tasty little snack projects Attoparsec 2024-09-30 | I cooked up another batch of snack projects, yum!
Space trash: the video game Attoparsec 2024-08-02 | The first in (possibly) a line of unfun games, this explores the possibility of the Kessler Syndrome through the lens of a 1979 arcade game.
Making a d10 spinner Attoparsec 2024-06-25 | I thought about dice a bit too much and this is what happened.
Dice? Too simple. Attoparsec 2024-06-07 | Sneak peak of the flip-dot display d10 spinner I've been working on.
The greatest clock (and map) ever made Attoparsec 2024-05-30 | I needed to restore a Geochron World Clock, which first meant learning how they work.
5000 subscriber shop tour celebration Attoparsec 2024-05-07 | Happy 5000 Subscribers Day (Observed)!Also, I'll be at Open Sauce, look for me there!
Exploring an electromechanical marvel Attoparsec 2024-04-01 | An article from 1946 made me curious about turboencabulators, so I bought a microencabulator off eBay. Let's take a look!
The (kitchen) spice must flow (out of the cabinet) Attoparsec 2024-03-23 | My household had a spice problem, and I set out to fix it.
The satisfaction of small projects Attoparsec 2023-12-26 | Not every project deserves its own video, so here is another compilation of the stuff I've been work on between big projects.00:00 Introduction00:23 Vise handle detent03:54 Bench vise jaws06:12 Cargo bike lid gasket10:12 Bandsaw knob12:02 Oxy/fuel torch cart19:54 Upcoming projects
Turning industrial materials into art Attoparsec 2023-12-08 | A small kinetic sculpture built using math, roller chain and concrete.
Making a real Talkie Toaster Attoparsec 2023-10-16 | I realized that we finally had the technology to bring Talkie Toaster from Red Dwarf to life. Was this a good idea? No. Did I do it anyway? Yes.
Collets, collet blocks and more Attoparsec 2023-09-11 | I got way too obsessed with collets, and now you can too! Topics include: collets, collet storage, collet blocks, and experimental ways of using collet blocks.Collet storage collar model: thingiverse.com/thing:6212451
Custom font wheels Attoparsec 2023-08-18 | I got a Dymo labeller that could do katakana and hiragana... and it just left me wanting MORE.STL files available here: thingiverse.com/thing:61760180:00 Introduction2:15 Design process8:14 Old English10:20 Esperanto11:48 International Phonetic Alphabet12:36 Shavian15:14 Graffiti16:05 Tengwar16:51 Conclusion17:35 Cable cars!
I built a mechanical goose and it mostly worked Attoparsec 2023-05-30 | The making and installation of my latest large-scale art installation, a mechanical goose almost within line of sight from my childhood home.
An obscure machine tool and its history Attoparsec 2023-01-16 | I finally got a metal shaper -- time to dig a bit into its unexpected history, learn how it works, and make something useful on it.
The Two Thirds Keyboard (The worst keyboard in the world?) Attoparsec 2022-12-12 | I was inspired to create a keyboard based on an old letterpress type case. This may or may not have been a good idea.
Making a Fremen thumper Attoparsec 2022-10-10 | I wanted to build a thumper. Not a movie prop replica, but as real of a thumper as I could manage. One that I could actually imagine getting used. This is the story of how I went about that, and what I ended up making.
A (science) journal of the plague year Attoparsec 2022-05-03 | Episode #5 of Philosophical Reactions, an in-depth look at the world's oldest scientific journal. This is a double issue which covers both sides of the gap in publication caused by the London plague of 1665.
Random shop improvements Attoparsec 2022-03-25 | The Fremen thumper project has been taking up most of my time, but here are a couple random shop improvements I've been working on recently.
Hobby Collision Attoparsec 2021-12-29 | I needed some custom needle attachments for a knitting project. This ended up trickier than I originally imagined.
Gores, gores, gores! Attoparsec 2021-12-13 | I take a deep dive into the geometry of gores, the spear-shaped bits of maps used to make globes. This ends up with a generalized solution for any surface of revolution using just the tools of Euclid.The ellipsoid gore generation tool mentioned in the video: http://attoparsec.com/artifacts/misc/gores
Philosophical Reactions #4: Tides and Tirades Attoparsec 2021-12-06 | A detailed look at the Royal Society's Philosophical Transactions journal for June 5, 1665.In this fractious episode: Scottish tides, telescopes, Auzout and Hooke go at it, more telescopes, the Goldilocks Zone, Auzout and Campani go at it, a book review and an update on rattlesnakes.
Making Public Art: A case study Attoparsec 2021-11-29 | I just finished "Growing Together", a permanent installation in Liberty Lake, WA. This is an overview of how I get public art contracts, and what went into making this one.Table of contents:Introduction: 00:16Art calls: 1:09Application advice: 3:12Case study "Growing Together": 7:34Fabrication: 11:10Installation: 20:00Retrospective: 22:40
An unexpected band saw (and the mysteries of three-phase power) Attoparsec 2021-06-28 | I managed to find the exact band saw I had been dreaming of, at a surprisingly low price. But can I get it into the inner shop? And can I get it running on three-phase power? (Spoilers: yes and yes.)
Philosophical Reactions #3: May Dew and Subterraneous Damps Attoparsec 2021-06-07 | A detailed historical look at the Royal Society's Philosophical Transactions for May 8, 1665.In this episode: May Dew, more comet talk from Adrien Auzout, French canals, herbal rattlesnake cures, confined space tragedies, sulfur mining, more on Boyle's cold, and an update on the hydraulic blower mentioned in the previous episode.
Violating ISO 668 #3: Embumpening the roof Attoparsec 2021-05-06 | Learning how to emboss the stiffening features for the 1:10 scale shipping container project.
Philosophical Reactions #2: Mercury and Micrographia Attoparsec 2021-05-03 | A review of Philosophical Transactions #2 for Munday, April 3 1665.Snippy letters between Cassini and Auzout, the return of the monstrous calf, mercury mining, sericulture and Hooke's Micrographia.
Violating ISO 668 #2: The megafinger Attoparsec 2021-04-19 | Back to the 1:10 scale shipping container project, first resolving the sheet metal brake issues which prevented making the corrugated sides in the first episode.
Philosophical Reactions #1: A very odd Monstrous Calf Attoparsec 2021-04-05 | An in-depth look at the first issue of the first scientific journal, including: The first recorded observation of the great red spot of Jupiter, possible evidence for the Copernican hypothesis, a test of a pendulum watch for finding the longitude at sea, and a very odd monstrous calf. This covers Philosophical Transactions for Munday, March 6 166⅘.
Violating ISO 668 #1: Corners and corrugations Attoparsec 2021-04-02 | I start to build a 1:10 scale shipping container, AKA a Twenty-foot Equivalent Equivalent Unit.There is no reason for this.
Philosophical Reactions: A new history of science video series Attoparsec 2021-03-15 | Announcing the beginning of a new video series which will explore the earliest issues of Philosophical Transactions, the journal of the Royal Society started in 1665.
Quick shop upgrade: Making a better knob Attoparsec 2021-03-05 | Just a quick little video about making a better knob as part of some general drill press upgrades.
Eurorack DIY: The Node module and stochastic sequencing Attoparsec 2021-02-15 | A new kind of modular sequencer, where each module is a single Node in a Markov chain. Plus a whole bunch of interesting(?) tangents on why finite state machines are so cool.KiCAD project: github.com/attoparsec/Node (also has BOM and manual)Digikey BOM: digikey.com/BOM/Create/CreateSharedBom?bomId=83006650:00 Intro0:31 Finite state machines2:41 Regular expressions4:49 Markov chains6:38 Hidden Markov models9:14 The Node module: 14:48 Demos
Wilton vise restoration Attoparsec 2021-02-01 | I decided to put some new tools in the new new shop to use by restoring a massive G2 Wilton vise.
Eurorack DIY: Truth Table module Attoparsec 2021-01-11 | I've been making custom PCBs for my own modules, and some of them are finally getting to the point I can share them! This covers my Begriffsschrift and Truth Table modules, with an in-depth explanation of the logical concepts behind them.KiCAD project: github.com/attoparsec/TruthTable (also has the BOM as a CSV)BOM: digikey.com/BOM/Create/CreateSharedBom?bomId=8360212
