Super Make Something

The DDR pad project lives! 🤘

After some testing, I made a small redesign to the 3D printed parts so the pressure sensors activate exactly how they should. In the old design, the custom CNC brackets were bottoming out a little early (completely my fault 😅) but the fix ended up being super simple: printable spacer blocks that make the pad work fantastically while also increasing the stiffness and giving it an even more arcade-like feel.

All redesigned parts are now complete, the next build video is in progress, and I’m getting ready to release the 3D files so people can start building their own pads too 👀

This thing feels AWESOME.

First playtest with the brand new DIY dance pad bar complete! (Just in time for according to ! 😅) Overall, I’m pretty happy with the results! Need to add some damping, increase the sensitivity a bit, and adjust the debounce code on the Pico, but I can finally get started on the next entry in the video series! 🥳 Stay tuned! 🕺

Proof of life… if you know, you know. 😉

If you're into model trains, you probably know my friends at ! They needed test stands to make repairing model engines easier, so I was happy to lend a hand. It's awesome when helps bring back to life!

After 227 hours on my H2D, I’ve filled up my first bucket of printer p**p! 😅 This was heavier than I expected! (I probably should empty it more often.) I wish there was an easy way to recycle this into new filament (it’s all PLA) — it would be great for prototyping!

Milestone unlocked! Picked up an old PC that was destined for the junkyard and repurposed it to host a local on my network. With an + combo running qwen2.5-coder:7b (runs pretty great on a 1070!), I now have a local coding helper I can run in ! 🥳

Yesterday marked my last day at ‬.

After almost a decade of learning, building, and exploring space, I’ll be forever grateful for the adventure! 🚀

Throughout my time I got the chance to work on incredible projects and to meet incredible people, including astronauts, athletes, STEM educators, classrooms of kids who absolutely love space, and even Derek and Emily from !

Now it’s full speed ahead on content! Watch out ‬… another NASA engineer has entered the chat! 😜

Traveled to work HQ last week for a pilot study where users finally got their hands on a project our team has been building for a long time. The setup ended up looking a lot like Mission Control, so I leaned in and decided to 3D print NASA-style name tags for the whole team. It added just enough attitude to the room and made a long day an absolute blast! I definitely recommend it for marking special occasions!

While the catalog is still their best piece of official merch, this unofficial pen holder bucket is going to look great next to it on my desk! Thanks to for the inspo from his Mini Storage Bin video! This was a really fun and quick project!

The pumpkins turned out GREAT! 🎃🔥 These lasercut gourds are the perfect finishing touch to our IT-themed Halloween setup, glowing next to Georgie on the lawn (yes, he’s holding the red balloon 🎈). Between my clown costume and the cotton candy machine we’re renting, I think we’re guaranteed to scare a few kids this year! 😈

Big thanks to the legends and for all the nightmares I had as a child! 👏 (I probably shouldn’t have watched the original series when I was little! 😅)

Self-Portrait — 1930s Fleischer Cartoon Style

With remakes like Wicked () and Disney’s Snow White () recently hitting theaters — both following in the footsteps of the originals that introduced audiences to color movies — I started thinking about the other studios shaping animation back then. One of the biggest was Fleischer Studios, known for its wildly creative and iconic art style. Their work still inspires artists today, including modern hits like ’s Cuphead and !

I couldn’t help but wonder — what would I look like as a character from that era? So, I decided to find out.

What is your favorite cartoon style?

Happy weekend, everyone!