{"id":37024,"date":"2020-09-24T09:00:17","date_gmt":"2020-09-24T16:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=37024"},"modified":"2020-09-22T14:56:30","modified_gmt":"2020-09-22T21:56:30","slug":"getting-data-out-of-digital-calipers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/getting-data-out-of-digital-calipers\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Data Out of Digital Calipers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like one of the tips in this issue? Share it on social media and\u00a0link back here<\/a>. It really helps in spreading the word. Thanks!<\/p>\n

Getting Data Out of Digital Calipers<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Measuring

Measuring up.<\/p><\/div>\n

I love my\u00a0iGaging digital calipers<\/a>. They\u2019re amazing for the under-$40 price and they even come with a digital data port that allows you to export readings right into CAD programs. Unfortunately, the cable to do that costs three times more than the calps. This has inspired many hardware hackers to create their own output cables and wireless solutions.\u00a0This well-documented version<\/a>\u00a0uses a SAM32 board and code available online. There\u2019s even an .STL file for printing out a plastic cover for the circuit board. Fancy. (Sadly, my iGaging calps do not allow for this hack. I would have to go with a\u00a0solution like this<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Waterslide Transfer Paper<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"AFTER

AFTER drinking this giant mug of coffee.<\/p><\/div>\n

Reader\u00a0Martin R.<\/strong>\u00a0wrote to me to recommend this\u00a0waterslide transfer paper<\/a>. As a game crafter, I\u2019m definitely interested in making my own decals for gaming miniatures. I\u2019ve heard mixed reviews on some products in this category, but this brand has over 4K positive reviews on\u00a0Amazon<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Gesture-Messaging for Video Conferencing<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Peace

Peace out, homies.<\/p><\/div>\n

I\u00a0wrote about this<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Boing Boing<\/em>. Cameron Hunter came up with a way of using gestures to signal cartoon-like word-balloon messages in video conferencing.<\/p>\n

Tactile Marking with Hot Glue<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"A

A little dab’ll do ya.<\/p><\/div>\n

If you find yourself forever plugging in a USB cable upside down, holding your Apple TV remote backwards, or otherwise dealing with a device with an ambiguous orientation, you can add some tactile feedback by placing a spot of hot glue to indicate orientation.<\/p>\n

Creating a Masking Tape Measuring Template<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Masking

Masking tape templates. Smart.<\/p><\/div>\n

In the opening moments of Jimmy DiResta\u2019s\u00a0latest video<\/a>, where he builds a set of gates for his farm, he demonstrates several great tips. First off, he lays the gates out directly onto the concrete floor of his shop with chalk. Yes, he has a huge warehouse shop space to do this. Your mileage may vary. He also uses masking tape to mark off the board layout on one side and then peels up and repositions the tape on the other side to transfer the markings.<\/p>\n

Maker Slang<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Image

Image and text from wildernessfolk.com<\/p><\/div>\n

I have always had a soft-spot for knot-tying and rope-handling terms. Here are some basics.<\/p>\n

1. Standing Part:<\/strong>\u00a0The body of the rope not used in the knot.<\/div>\n
2.\u00a0Round Turn:<\/strong>\u00a0A single wrap around an object, another rope, or just a single coil.<\/div>\n
3. Eye:<\/strong>\u00a0A simple loop secured in a line, tied or spliced.<\/div>\n
4.\u00a0Bight:<\/strong>\u00a0A simple loop in a line where the line is doubled back on itself.<\/div>\n
5.\u00a0Bitter End:<\/strong>\u00a0The end of a rope or line.<\/div>\n

Shop Talk<\/strong>
\nSeveral people wrote in to say that some of the terms I used in my first \u201cMaker Slang\u201d piece were actually established technical terms, not slang. Indeed. \u201cMaker Slang\u201d is just the name of the column. It will include slang, jargon, and long-standing technical terms. Similar to the \u201cJargon Watch\u201d column I edited for Wired for 12 years. It was a combination of jargon, slang, and industry terminology.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

In my request to hear about unusual and unusually-useful tools, Doug B<\/strong> writes:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was moving shops last year, someone left a small shopping cart in front of the old shop. It sat there for weeks (honest!), so I drafted it into the move. Now it holds a position of honor in my new studio. It moves all of the tools and supplies that I need for a project out of my tool closet. It holds cut parts to move from station to station. I can get all of the stuff out of the truck in one go. And it\u2019s a great temporary place to put junk that isn\u2019t a work surface, then wheel it around to put all that junk in its proper place. Indispensable!\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Reader\u00a0Joe P.<\/strong>\u00a0wrote in to remind us of the shop utility of scalpels: \u201cSeeing\u00a0Mike M\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0forceps in\u00a0issue #59<\/a>\u00a0reminded me of a repurposed medical tool I use in my wood workshop: a scalpel.\u00a0100 blades<\/a>\u00a0plus a free handle, for just $8.25 on\u00a0Amazon<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gareth’s Tips, Tools, and Shop Tales – Issue #62<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13684,"featured_media":37030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[2371],"tags":[2372],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37024"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13684"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37024"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37024\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37031,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37024\/revisions\/37031"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}