This week Maker Update: Vintage Gaming for your tree,
a snowflake made from LED noodles, making for fun,
and the Alpakka open source gamepad.
Hey, everybody, I'm Donald Bell.
And welcome back to another Maker Update.
I hope you're all doing well and feeling festive.
We've got a fun show for you.
Let's get started with the project of the week.
I like to think I've got some pretty nerdy ornaments on my tree this year,
but nothing holds a candle
to Jeroen Domberg's miniature 3D printed retro IBM PC.
Not only does it have a tiny working screen,
but it boots into a fully working version of the classic video game DOOM.
On his website SpritesMods.com,
He includes schematics and breakdowns of how he pulled it all together.
The heart of the project is an Espressif ESP 32 C3 module, which met the speed
and RAM requirements needed for the DOOM version he was working from.
Best of all, the module also includes Bluetooth,
which means that he can connect a wireless controller and actually play
this micro version of doom on his Christmas tree.
There's even a speaker inside.
To add that dash of rampaging mayhem to your holiday soundtrack.
You can find links to the schematics, code and 3D printing files
all in this blog post.
Also included down in the description.
More projects!
for an awesome ornament with no code required,
Check out this 3D printed led snowflake by the Ruiz brothers.
All you need for this one is four strands
Adafruit’s led filament and a coin cell battery holder.
Ideally with a switch built in.
The LED noodle strands just press right into the Ruiz Brothers’ 3D printed design
with a little space on the back to solder the ends of the strands together.
A snap on plate covers the soldered connections
and offers a spot to mount the battery pack.
Over on her channel,
Simone Giertz turns this old fire alarm into a key holder
and a dog poop bag dispenser.
Really, though, the video is a reminder that any of us can tap
into the satisfaction of making stuff just by putting our hands
to work on fixing something up or hacking it to fit our needs.
I've yet to meet a creative person who doesn't have a pile of cool crap
in their workshop just waiting for the right use.
I've got so much of this stuff around me,
I barely notice it’s there anymore.
But as Simone shows us here, until that next big project comes along,
why not pull something out of the bin and just find a way to polish it up
and integrate it into your life?
Or better yet,
make it gift worthy and set it free.
Now for some tips and tools.
Lots to share this week, including this open source game controller
design called Alpakka by Input Labs.
This universal game controller is built around the Raspberry Pi Pico Board,
combined with a custom PCB for all the buttons and joysticks.
The project page includes everything you need to build your own,
including the 3D files
bill of materials code and even a step by step assembly video.
And because it's open and hackable,
everything can be customized and remapped at a core level.
Not only is the project obviously great for gamers, but it's also fertile ground
for making custom accessible controllers for a broader range of people.
On the Tindie blog, Jeremy Cook has a fun write up on the Soldering Kit by Patchr.
It's called The Cat Cat Walker.
It uses a vibration motor to scurry around on the wire legs that you solder on.
The kit sells for a stocking stuffer price of $15 and includes
online instructions that are better than they have any right to be.
You can find a link down in the description.
Do you have some IKEA furniture that's not working
right because of some specialized missing or broken piece?
In his free time, industrial designer Pete Szucs has created a catalog of his own 3D
design replacements for commonly broken or discontinued IKEA parts.
He even has a tied into Shapeways so that you can get that 3D printed
version shipped out directly to your cousin
whose IKEA cabinet won't close all the way anymore.
It's worth a look.
On BoingBoing, Gareth Branwyn has a roundup of his favorite maker
tips of the year
from finding the perfect pair of scissors,
creating water effects with UV resin or tying better knots.
There are some gems in here.
Also, I just want to give an unsolicited plug
to Gareth’s Tips & Tales from the Workshop Volume two,
which came out this year and includes some contributions from the show.
I've been flipping through my copy all year and it makes a great gift.
On Tested, Adam Savage and crew have been releasing
their year end favorite things videos over the past few weeks.
I always find great tool ideas from these and gift ideas, too.
Hunting all the videos down can be a pain though, so I've included a link to a playlist
that collects them all.
In this week's Digi-Key spotlight,
Check out this episode of Electronics with Becky Stern.
Becky shows how to make some simple circuits
for light and sound without the need for any programing.
These really are easy projects for beginners, but what makes the video
so great for anyone starting out is how Becky takes the extra time
to explain details that often get glossed over.
What's the deal with current limiting resistors?
How do you test for continuity with the multimeter?
What do the internal rails of a breadboard look like?
It's the kind of fun, casual,
welcoming video that I wish I'd had access to when I was starting out.
All right.
And that does it for this week's show.
Be sure to subscribe, leave with thumbs up.
Leave a comment if you like.
We'll be off next week. Enjoying the holiday.
I hope you enjoy yours, too.
Thanks for watching and I'll see you soon.