I’m not a member yet, but I plan on joining in January. I was trying to think of a project that would let me explore all the skill sets that I’m interested in, and I came up with: Whack-A-Mole!
Based on my 0% knowledge, I’m thinking that I’d need:
3d printing (to make the moles)
Electronics (to make, power, and control the platforms the moles sit on, as well as a hit counter)
Laser cutting (to make the actual case that the game lives in)
Maaaaaybe metalworking? (for a stretch goal where the whole thing has legs, is collapsible, and can be carried around like a suitcase)
I recognize this is VERY ambitious for a first project, but I’m thinking that if I can break each end goal down and start from the smallest possible piece (ex: “learn to solder” as the first step of building the motors), it’ll be a good “real world” learning experience.
That said, my ideas are chronically bigger than my capabilities, so I figured it would be good to get a sense of how realistic this would actually be for a total beginner.
Beginner, somewhere in between, or expert, i recommend to pick a challenging project or something you really want. It will keep you interested, and youll have a story to tell of your mishaps or tribulations (if any, some people are natural). Lately, i have seen many people in Asmbly with projects that they have been at it over a long period of time. I find myself admiring them for not giving up or returning to their project. Sadly the list of people that say “just a small project for me to practice” and give up is much longer that the people that say “i want to make this” and succeed. My mom always told to dream big you have to do just that, you dont dream little and practice to dream big. I have a little experience in complicated projects and can tell you when “shit happens” the solution is always back to the basics. So a resounding YES! you are not really a beginner. You already know what you want, you’re half way there, Make it happen!
I totally agree with Jose. Ambitious projects that stretch us are how we learn! Plus, Asmbly is full of folks who do have experience in all the areas you listed that would have a ton of fun lending their guidance.
If you’d like to talk about the electronics, I’d love to work with you and see what we can come up with.
+1 to the above two posts. One thing I think I’ve realized through my journey is that big projects and big goals aren’t really all that different from small ones. The only different really is is the total time it might take. But a big project is just a series of small projects, you just have to tune your mind to appreciate the wins on each smaller part of the project, rather than just being satisfied on the end goal. For example, the difference in making a cutting board and a nice bed, bookshelf, or table, is just the # of cuts and glueups.
The fact that you know what you’re getting into is already a good start. Where people start to get into trouble is when they go in thinking itll be easy and it ends up being 10x as many components as they expected
As far as order of operations, would it make more sense to start with the box and build the electronics to fit within it, or start with the electronics and design the box to fit around them?
The only limit I (currently) have from an execution standpoint is “can I, with my noodle arms, carry it around in its collapsed form”
Hey Ashlee, I love this idea, it is so cool! To further what others have said above, Asmbly has members that absolutely blow me away with their talents. If you want to get started on preparing before you join as a member in January, I would recommend taking a class in the areas you know you will need skills and access to for your project.
You don’t have to be a member to sign up for classes, so you could get a head start on the skills you need. It sounds like the best fits for your project would be Intro to Filament 3D Printing, Big Lasers, and LEDs and Microcontrollers.
A class in related areas would be a good way to kickstart your knowledge in each of those areas. A laser class would be required anyways to allow access. I think the Big Laser class might be what you want considering you’re looking to make boxes with it. Certainly you can do this with the smaller lasers, but I think the Big lasers might be better suited and more capable here.
If I were to try to make figurines (moles) resin printers would give the most clarity and detail (we have a class with an overview and teaches you how to get setup with these). Filament printers would absolutely work too. It might be cheaper to experiment with filament then switch to resin for a final copy?
John is a wizard in the electronics room.
Metalworking would be a great addition. It would require the metal shop safety class and I’d recommend welding, depending on how big your legs are going to be.
Lastly, you may want to consider wood shop safety so you have access to the woodshop. I can see the need for you to want to cut out small shapes for things on a bandsaw. Then again the things I’m thinking could also be tackled with lasers.
All in all, give yourself a realistic timeline for each piece, which I think you’ve done a good job of breaking out. Then double that timeline!
If it were me, I’d start with the internals. If sizes have to change at any point, it’s easier to build the enclosure around a known shape than try to cram complicated mechanical parts into a volume you’ve already built.
Plus, like you said, easier to lug around and store.
Second starting with the internals. Maybe build a cheap 1/8” box in a smaller scale to help. First you can get the pop up mechanism working, then maybe the hit detector, then lights or sounds, then when it’s working for one mole you can add a few more, then build a box to size and decorate it afterwards