My Creations

MY CREATIONS

Here's some of my projects

This is a model of a jet engine (scale 1:24) that I made with an electric motor that moves, besides the fan, a set of gears and a flywheel that spin in 16:1 ratio, which I took from a flywheel-driven toy car.

The cool thing is that because of the flywheel, it makes the model react and sound similar to a real full-size jet engine.

Of course I know there are a lot of real homemade jet engines out there that are cooler that my humble model, but keep in mind that I made this just for fun, with only junk that was hanging around, and I spend just a few months (on and off) to made this. Besides there are a few advantages of having an electric model instead of a real jet engine model, like: is cheaper, is safer, is not too loud, etc.

I wasn't thinking in replicate any real jet engine in particular but as you can see is a model of a high-bypass turbofan for airliners, comparable to the CFM56 that is used on the Boeing 737.

At maximum speed the fan goes at 3600 RPM, and the fly wheel goes 16 times faster (57600 RPM).

Since I was a kid a plan to make this jet engine but I never accomplished, so the main purpose of this project was to fulfill that old wish, although it was also for fun.

Instructions on how to build it in here: https://www.instructables.com/id/Electric-Working-Jet-Engine-Model/

Digital Spool Holder (with Scale)

This is my DIY filament holder with an integrated scale for my 3D printer, using arduino, a load cell and an OLED display.

The main difference between this and a common scale is that this device has the possibility to add multiple profiles to store different Tare values so that way we can measure only the weight of the remaining filament excluding the weight of the empty spool, because each brand of filaments has a different weight and material for the spool itself.

Features:

It can measure weights from 10g to 9999g.
There are 3 buttons (LEFT, ENTER, RIGHT) that can be used for scrolling through different profiles and navigate through the menu system.
You can add, edit and delete profiles using the menu system. It can store up to 20 profiles, with their own name and Tare value. Maximum 21 characters for the name of each profile.
You can do a full calibration for the load cell using the menu system, so there's no need to edit the sketch in any way.
Configurable deadzone with real-time reading on the display. The deadzone helps ignoring the fluctuations of the constant pulling/pushing of the filament in the 3D printer so we show the most realistic estimate of the actual weight left in the spool.
All the settings are stored in the EEPROM so it's going to remember all the settings after powering the device off.
There is an option in the menu to FACTORY RESET arduino for clearing the EEPROM (user data).
Auto-center the tittle text in the main/normal screen ignoring spaces to the right.
When adding a new profile, it's going to save the new profile after the current profile so the order can be arranged in a predictable way. To make this work it required a lot of effort so even though you might take this for granted, it's not a trivial feature.
When powering ON, changing profiles or returning from the menu, it shows the weight starting at the lower edge of the deadzone so the device is ready to measure the decrease of weight of the filament immediately.
No timeout for being on the menu. Yes, that's right, this is a feature. Why? I hate timeouts that will exit the menu if no operation is done after a few seconds, but I think that is a bad design that causes stress and frustration because you feel like you need to rush things with the threat of having to start all over from the beginning. You are not going to find anything like that in here.

Instructions on how to build it in here: https://www.instructables.com/Digital-Spool-Holder-with-Scale

Useful Household 3D Prints

After 3 years of having a 3D printer and using Fusion 360 to make my own models, I thought about sharing the things that I made which I use in my everyday life, and maybe you can consider making your own.

V8 Engine Working Model (1:8 scale)

This is a small model I made from scratch to look and run like a real engine, even though is electric.

It has:

Throttle pedal with full control of the engine speed.
Engine stall at very low speed.
Analog tachometer.
Battery light.
Solenoid starter to look and sound like a real starter.
Auto-start timer to run the engine after holding the starter for a set period of time. If you release the starter too early the engine will not run.
After-start speedup to increase the speed in a very short time after starting.
Ignition switch with lock after starting to prevent starting the engine while running.
Internal flywheel to simulate more mass and make some noise.
Real screws on the back of the engine and the flywheel to be able to install a transmission.

426 Hemi Working Model Engine (1:6 scale)

Here's my model engine modified to run like a real one, even though is electric. It has a starter solenoid, speed sensor, temperature sensor and a DC motor to move the pulleys and the flywheel.

The idea of this project is to simulate a real engine but with electrical parts, instead of fuel, so is safe to run indoors and is easier to build. It's controlled by an Arduino with some basic electronic components.

I took the engine model "Revell 1/6 Dodge 426 Hemi Street Engine" and did a lot of modifications:
Make holes to fit the DC motor to reach the water pump pulley.
Put ball bearings on every single spinning part, except the water pump since it uses the motor’s bush bearings.
Fit a solenoid on the starter so the small gear can go in contact with the flywheel teeth when the solenoid is powered. Originally was always engaged to the flywheel.
Put several cables for decoration and to connect all electrical components.
The exhaust manifold originally was half-open so I fill it with epoxy putty.
Paint and did some detailing to a few parts to look more realistic.
Re-position the distributor to be in the correct place and to avoid interfering with the fuel lines.

There were a lot of challenges to complete these modifications. For example, some pulleys are not center correctly so they wobble and were hard to try to compensate. The major wobbling part is the fan, but is like this originally. Not much I can do about it. Also, some plastic parts are very brittle.

3D Model Of 6 Speed Allison Automatic Transmission

This model was made for 3D printing base on the Allison 1000 automatic transmission. Is not an exact replica, but the basic design and functionality is the same. Most significant difference from the real transmission is the C1 and C2 clutches that I design to work with 3D printed parts.

Download link for the 3D model: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1094616

Gear ratio:
1st 3.20
2nd 1.86
3rd 1.43
4th 1
5th 0.70
6th 0.60
R 4.41

YouTube Subscriber Counter

I always wanted a YouTube Subscriber Counter that look good and clean. With the availability of e-paper displays for hobbyists like us, this idea became a reality and I've seen many people doing it, but I want to take my own approach and make the process as easy as possible for anyone that wants to build their own.

Main Features:

It shows the amount of subscribers and views of your YouTube channel.
You can select to show the complete numbers or an abbreviation (1,234 → 1.23K). On 2019 YouTube started to abbreviate the subscriber count so even if you select to see the full amount, it's going to show a bunch of zeros to the right depending on the value (1,234,567 → 1,230,000).
It shows the date and time from the last update, using NTP servers.
Optimized to use as little power as possible, in case you use batteries. This includes turning OFF Wi-Fi when not in use, reducing CPU speed and going to deep sleep mode when waiting for the next refresh. Also, we can control the power of the display with a NPN transistor to be able to turn ON the display only when updating.
You can set to wake up and refresh the data every X amount of seconds or set the time of day (example: 3AM) where you want to update the screen. It uses the data taken from the time server to calculate for how long to stay sleep, depending on the set interval.
Warning Indicator - Connection:
- No Wi-Fi: The icon is 4 bars with an X over it.
- No Internet: The icon is a globe with an X over it.
Warning Indicator - Battery (optional):
- Low Battery: The icon is a battery with a small line, as almost empty.
- Battery Empty: The icon is a battery with nothing inside and an X over it.
The ESP32 will permanently sleep if the battery voltage is too low. This is to prevent draining the battery beyond the safe limit, and to avoid having an unstable situation where the ESP32 would crash for lack of power.
Compact design.

It can be hang in a wall or stand in a flat surface using the retractile leg.
Since we use a e-paper display, it doesn't produce light so it's not intrusive in the room is at

Instructions on how to build it in here: https://www.instructables.com/id/YouTube-Subscriber-Counter/

DIY Breadboard Power Supply

This is a DIY power bank especially made for breadboards, with a 18650 battery, charger module, boost converter and a simple battery indicator with a bi-color LED (red-yellow-green).

Features:

Outputs 5V 1A.
Plugs on any standard 400 or 830 point breadboard.
Charger with overcharge, overdischarge and overcurrent protection.
Battery indicator with bi-color LED (green 50-100%, yellow 20-50%, red 0-20%).
Low ripple/noise output with suppression diode.

Instructions on how to build it in here: https://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Breadboard-Power-Bank

Battery indicator PCB gerber - Bi-color LED common cathode
Battery indicator PCB gerber - Bi-color LED common anode

Battery indicator EasyEDA project - Bi-color LED common cathode
Battery indicator EasyEDA project - Bi-color LED common anode

Audio Latency Meter

I hate audio latency, but I also like wireless devices so over the years I’ve been trying several Bluetooth headphones, earbuds and speakers and I always noticed a considerable amount of delay. However, knowing exactly how much latency one device has is very hard, making a comparison too subjective.

I couldn’t find a device that measures audio latency so I decided to create my own. If you want to make one, all the files and instructions are in this instructables article: https://www.instructables.com/Audio-Latency-Meter/

DIY Automatic Blinds

I show what you can do with arduino and 3D printing.

Remote Control RGB Light Strip with Arduino

I show how to hack/mod the RGB light strip DIODER from Ikea to work with any remote control, using Arduino and an IR receiver.

Actually it’s cheaper if you start from scratch and buy the parts separately, but I already had this RGB light strip from Ikea so was easier for me to re-use that.

Stand for my Digital Piano Kawai ES100

I own a digital piano (Kawai ES100) and wanted a sturdy stand that doesn't move when I am playing, so I bought a few cheap materials and spend a few hours building it.

Stand for my old Mobile Phone

When the cell phone vibrates, it turns on a red light to notify me that I received a message or call.

It was very useful because my (old) cell phone didn't have any light that indicates a message is waiting in the inbox. The only way was to turning on the screen to see.

I note that the vibration cause the cell phone to move a little when is standing in a table, and this was the way I can tell if I receive a message. Now with this device I can easily look if my cell phone needs my attention, if I don't hear the ringing (specially the text messages).

It works because my (old) cell phone (Nokia 6276) could stand vertically in an inclined surface. This angle makes possible to turn the switch on, only with the weight of the phone. Of course the vibrations decrease the traction between the phone and the metallic surface in the bottom so it can slip.

I made this with: aluminium plate, sensitive (but simple) switch, LED, 2 AAA batteries, and an old case from my damage USB hard disk (Maxtor OneTouch III Mini).

Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Joystick Mod

I convert a Xbox 360 wireless controller to a joystick, using parts from an old joystick. Works also for PC using a USB receiver.

Specifications:

4 axis
10 buttons
Hat switch (DPad)
Wireless (10 meters)
Dual force feedback
Doesn't need calibration
Base: Genius F23

Sustain Pedal for my Keyboard

This is a pedal that I made for my (previous) keyboard to use it as a sustain pedal. Works simply with a switch. The case is from an old joystick; the switch is just from a tape recorder; the cable is from an old speaker; I only buy the jack plug. I made this in 2004 so it was pretty old when I recorded the video for youtube. I made several pedals previews to this one but they where not very durable and they look awful. This particular pedal works great and looks good enough to make other people think that I bought the pedal. By-the-way my keyboard was a Casio WK-1300. A few years after I recorded the video, I sold the keyboard to buy a new digital piano. I still keep my pedal, although I don't use it anymore because my digital piano came with one which is much better.

Piano Action Model

This is a model that I made to show the basics of the mechanism that grand pianos has to play the strings.

Obviously is not perfect compared to the real thing so don't criticizes me for the discrepancies. I never expect to make it look good.

I made this in 2 days, without much planning. I recorded the video one year after I build it just to share this curiosity to everyone.