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concept: 3d print a dumpster, put LEDs in there to simulate fire. Bonus points: internet & use current events to drive intensity.

Dumpster:

  • https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:950602
  • print all parts at 140% scale
  • compensate -0.02mm "bin"
  • use green PLA (Matter Fiber HTPLA is great) for bin, hinge, sleeves
  • use black TPU for wheels & lids
  • use piano wire for "bar" (hinge pin); bend one side

Tea lights:

Bonus:

  • Particle Photon (fave IOT platform)
  • APA102 or WS2811, high density, 10 LEDs
  • 128x64 OLED display for stats

The intensity feed:

  • IFTTT: if "user posts on twitter" then "publish an event to Particle". It's a public event, the data is entirely the contents of the tweet. The device subscribes to / receives that event and uses the number of characters to drive the intensity. Over time the fire dies down to a relatively low smolder.
  • In the video below, the unit starts at minimum intensity and reacts as if to a 45-character tweet. Over the next ~48 minutes the intensity will die back to the lowest value (unless there's more tweeting).

(notes to future self)

HTPLA from Proto-Pasta is reallllyyyy good in the kiln. Other PLA (lookin at you, Jessie) kinda sucks.

200F / 2h: no warping, good result

210F / 2h: warped, layer separation

205F / 2h: warped (but not as bad as 210)

200F / 2h: wood PLA + HTPLA, minor warping in wood (barely noticeable), no separation

Instructions

Remove the cover to expose the "guts". There are two buttons near the USB jack labeled "SETUP" and "RESET". Press and hold SETUP for about 3 seconds; the LED by the buttons will start blinking blue.

If you start sintering a bunch of crap, or otherwise start running a kiln a lot, you may wish to know what the *actual* interior temperatures look like.

I rigged up a thermocouple on a Particle Photon, to independently measure and record temperatures. The kiln has an independent digital display based on its own thermocouple, but I can't record those values beyond pen/paper (which is obviously tedious)... and I'd still want some way to independently verify the internal temperatures.

Having an external thermocouple also lets me bury it in refractory to get some sense for heat penetration and transfer delays.

There are a few common ways to age or force "natural" patina onto bronze and copper alloys.

  • Bright green verdigris: copper carbonate
  • Dark green verdigris: copper II acetate
  • Dark brown or black shading: ?? (some sort of copper sulfide?)

The verdigris can form spontaneously just from cleaning, and will "stick" best to very clean (polished) bronze. They can be prevented with light waxing, and can wipe off with a soft cloth.

The darker color, as an "oil-rubbed bronze" finish, is an integral part of the surface material and can only be removed with aggressive wire brushing, sanding, or other surface removal.

skulls with various finishes

Note: this is an addendum to the 3rd step of a print / sinter / polish process.

Solid bronze can be finished and polished to a bright luster, not unlike jewelry. It's a very hard, beautiful metal with some cool properties. It cleans up similar to metal-filled plastics, but there are a few steps specific to solid metals.

tl;dr: pickle, brush, shape, tumble, maybe brush again, polish, buff, wax.