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Mikhail Tikh

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Minneapolis Skyline Chess Set

Drawing inspiration from the city I live in and cherish, I designed a unique chess set featuring skyscraper pieces. The process began with digital modeling, followed by 3D printing and hand-finishing a set of masterpieces. I then created silicone molds and produced urethane resin castings. This project marked my first experience with casting, and I am thrilled with the outcome.

Tools Used: SolidWorks, Sketchup, 3D Printing, Resin Casting

In the News: https://www.spyder3dworld.com/the-city-of-waters/

The Finished Chess Set
The Finished Chess Set
The Inspiration
The Inspiration

Beautiful Minneapolis skyline. I love this city and wanted to create something that would capture a small element of it to share with others.

You can see most of the buildings I ended up using as the models for the chess.  The IDS tower on the left is the clear king as the tallest building in the state. Wells Fargo to the right of it is the queen.  The Campbell-Mithun tower with its pointed stepped roof made the perfect bishop. The Foshay, peeking out between the IDS and Wells Fargo is my pawn. On the right of the photo you can just see the Hennepin County Government Center peeking out, which made a great rook.  Not in this picture is are the Fifth Street Towers which I ended up selecting for my knights.

First test print
First test print

The buildings are approximately 1:3000 scale and scaled by height proportional to their real world counterparts.  I created the models in SolidWorks using photos, google maps, and Sketchup models for reference.

First print of the building concepts, sharing this photo over social media created a lot of positive feedback from my friends which gave me the motivation to keep the project going.

Printing Masters
Printing Masters

After a few rounds of iteration I printed the mold masters with the highest quality my printer is capable of, .1mm layers.

Printed Masters
Printed Masters

All of the masters printed and positioned on a chess board to check for final scale.

Finishing Work
Finishing Work

To get rid of all of he layer lines I sprayed the printed pieces with high build primer then sanded back down with increasingly fine grit sandpaper.  On the left is a sprayed pawn, and on the right is an almost finished sand job.

Ready for Casting
Ready for Casting

Many, many hours of painstaking sanding later I was ready to start casting.

Making the Molds
Making the Molds

I used Mold Star 15 from Smooth-On to make the molds.  It is a two part silicone you mix by volume then pour over the masters which are hot glued inside a foam core box.

On the left you can see a DIY vacuum chamber I hacked together for this project using a champagne bucket, plexiglass, pipe fittings and a bike tire pump on which I flipped the valve to pull air instead of pushing it.  With a little bit of elbow grease I can get down to 25 inHg of vacuum, not quite the ideal 29 inHg but good enough.

All of the Molds
All of the Molds

Here are all of the dump molds I created for the chess set.  Learning to get good casts without air bubbles was a bit of a process, the secret turned out to be baby powder! Dusting the inside of the molds with talc helps the resin to flow into all the crevices.

Casting
Casting

Here is an in progress photo of casting some pawns as well as experimenting with resin dye to find the right shade of black.

Casting
Casting

Chess pieces were cast using Smooth-On 321 Urethane resin, it is a two part resin that you mix one to one by volume then have just a couple of minutes to pour before it solidifies into a hard plastic.  Without coloring the resin a beautiful off white, and a special resin dye is used to tint the pieces black.

Once I got the process figured out I made castings of each piece to make a full white and black set.  A little over a pound of resin goes into the full chess set.

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Pawns - Foshay
Pawns - Foshay
Rooks - Hennepin County Government Center Building
Rooks - Hennepin County Government Center Building
Bishops - Campbell-Mithun Tower
Bishops - Campbell-Mithun Tower
Knights - Fifth-Street Towers
Knights - Fifth-Street Towers
Queen - Wells Fargo Tower
Queen - Wells Fargo Tower
King - IDS
King - IDS

Knucklebone Dice

Knucklebones, known as Shagai to Mongolians, Astrogaloi to ancient Greeks, and Tali to Romans, were crafted from the knucklebones of hooved animals and used for games of chance, skill, and divination. This oldest known form of dice was played across the ancient world, in medieval Europe, and is still played in parts of Central Asia.

HOW TO PLAY: Numerous ways to play exist, reflecting the` diverse cultures that used them. The core concept remains consistent: each bone can land on one of four unique sides, with unequal probability. For a comprehensive history and rules of various knucklebones games, see the Wikipedia entry. Jenna Mortensen's paper offers a great summary of their use in divination.

A perfect gift for enthusiasts of history, board games, or historical board games! Available for purchase on Shapeways.

For those with a 3D printer, you can create your own by finding the design on Thingiverse.

 Printed in white, strong and flexible nylon via Shapeways.com

Printed in white, strong and flexible nylon via Shapeways.com

 Roman Tali scoring system

Roman Tali scoring system

 Real bone master (left) and printed copy (right)

Real bone master (left) and printed copy (right)

 Real sheep knucklebones were scanned using 123D catch. Photographing against a black background then inverting the photos prior to processing improved capture quality.

Real sheep knucklebones were scanned using 123D catch. Photographing against a black background then inverting the photos prior to processing improved capture quality.

3D Printed Sheep Knucklebones

3D Printed Concrete Castle

In the summer of 2014, I had the chance to collaborate with Andrey Rudenko, a skilled engineer developing a 3D printer capable of printing with concrete. He required a design that was compact enough to fit in his backyard, yet intricate and visually appealing to showcase the potential of his machine and captivate the world's attention.

Starting from Andrey's initial sketches, I designed a 150 sqft play castle that incorporated a diverse range of architectural elements. The greatest challenge was designing for a completely novel manufacturing process, the full capabilities of which were still unknown even to Andrey.

For Andrey's latest projects check out his website. 

Tools Used: Sketchup, Solidworks

In the News: IBT UK, Popular Science, MAKE Magazine, 3DPrint.com

 Finished castle, photo by Andrey Rudenko

Finished castle, photo by Andrey Rudenko

 Photo by Andrey Rudenko

Photo by Andrey Rudenko

 Photo by Andrey Rudenko.

Photo by Andrey Rudenko.

 Castle model designed in SolidWorks.

Castle model designed in SolidWorks.

 1/50th scale model printed on regular 3D printer.

1/50th scale model printed on regular 3D printer.

 Printing process, photo by Andrey Rudenko

Printing process, photo by Andrey Rudenko

 Concrete layers detail, photo by Andrey Rudenko.

Concrete layers detail, photo by Andrey Rudenko.

3D Printed Concrete Castle

Project video by Andrey Rudenko.

Shaving Brush Handle

Having been a wet shaving enthusiast for several years, I decided to upgrade to a higher-quality brush. Silver tip badger hair is considered top-of-the-line, boasting soft yet springy hairs that are dense and retain the ideal amount of water.

Given the premium price of silver tip brushes, I opted for a DIY approach and ordered three knots from China—one for myself and two to sell to friends to cover the project's cost.

This brush features a turned curly maple handle. After shaping, Danish oil is applied to accentuate the wood's figure, followed by several coats of wipe-on poly to protect the brush in the damp environment it will be used in. Finally, the knot is secured with two-part epoxy, ensuring the brush is ready for many years of use.

Tools used: Wood lathe

 Three knots of silver tip badger hair, it is the top of the line in luxury of feel and water retention.  One knot is for myself, the other two I plan to sell to fund the hobby.  All badger comes from China, and these knots took over a month to

Three knots of silver tip badger hair, it is the top of the line in luxury of feel and water retention.  One knot is for myself, the other two I plan to sell to fund the hobby.

All badger comes from China, and these knots took over a month to arrive.

 Literal back of the envelope planning.

Literal back of the envelope planning.

 The wood I am using for this handle is an old maple table leg that has some curl in it.

The wood I am using for this handle is an old maple table leg that has some curl in it.

 The blank is rounded and put in a chuck.

The blank is rounded and put in a chuck.

 The brush handle slowly emerges from the wood. I wasn't following a set  pattern other than my concept sketch, the shape evolves until I am happy with the proportions and lines.

The brush handle slowly emerges from the wood. I wasn't following a set  pattern other than my concept sketch, the shape evolves until I am happy with the proportions and lines.

 A little bit of danish oil brings out the beautiul grain and curl.

A little bit of danish oil brings out the beautiul grain and curl.

 Dry fit, looking like a brush!

Dry fit, looking like a brush!

 Parted off the stock and mounted on a jam chuck.  This allows you to sand the bottom and apply the final finish.  I chose CA glue applied in about a dozen thin coats for durability.

Parted off the stock and mounted on a jam chuck.  This allows you to sand the bottom and apply the final finish.  I chose CA glue applied in about a dozen thin coats for durability.

 All done, the knot is glued in with two part marine epoxy.

All done, the knot is glued in with two part marine epoxy.

 Another handle made out of beautiful African padauk.

Another handle made out of beautiful African padauk.

 Side by side, padauk on the left, curly maple on the right.

Side by side, padauk on the left, curly maple on the right.

 Last brush in African blackwood.

Last brush in African blackwood.

Cookie Cutters

For the wedding shower of one of my closest friends, a bridesmaid requested my assistance in creating custom cookie cutters representing the bride and groom.

Fortunately, I received a vectorized illustration of the couple, which I then converted into a cookie cutter design using SolidWorks and printed using PETG.

Tools Used: SolidWorks, Illustrator, 3D Printing

Source Illustration
Source Illustration

Gavin Duffy, the designer creating the Save the Date for the couple was kind enough to share the Illustrator source file for the vector portrait he created.

From Illustrator I exported the paths as a DWG and imported that DWG into SolidWorks as a sketch.

SolidWorks
SolidWorks

The paths imported from Illustrator were thickened and extruded to various heights to create the cookie cutter shapes. 

Printing
Printing

Printed in green PETG.  Approximately 3 hours of print time for both cutters.

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Testing
Testing

Sugar cookie dough

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Chocolate Medal

A commemorative chocolate medal created as a party favor for my wife's grandmother's 90th birthday.

With an expanding arsenal of tools, I'm driven to tackle increasingly complex and interesting challenges. This project encompasses graphic design, CAD/CAM, CNC engraving, vacuum forming, and confectionery.

I began by commissioning a talented Fiverr artist (ruxandradraws) to convert a photograph into a vector line drawing. After receiving the drawing, I arranged the graphic into the final coin shape.

Next, I set up the engraving in Fusion 360 CAM and machined it with a v-bit on extruded plexiglass. I drilled tiny holes in every depression to allow air to escape during vacuum forming. Using a dental vacuum former, I created five flexible molds for casting the chocolate medals from the plexiglass buck.

The most challenging aspect of the project was tempering the chocolate. Despite several attempts with traditional methods and the sous vide technique recommended by Serious Eats, I only achieved successful pours half of the time. Eventually, I produced enough medals for everyone at the party, but I have yet to master chocolate making.

Tools used: Inkscape, Fusion 360, CNC Router, Vacuum Former, Sous Vide

 Vector portrait created by  Ruxandradraws  on Fiverr from a photograph taken at our wedding.

Vector portrait created by Ruxandradraws on Fiverr from a photograph taken at our wedding.

 Finished coin layout, I had to thicken some of the lines to get a deep enough engraving.

Finished coin layout, I had to thicken some of the lines to get a deep enough engraving.

 CAM layout in Fusion 360.

CAM layout in Fusion 360.

 It took two attempts to get a good engraving, the extruded plexi I was using is not the ideal material but it was what I had on hand.  The engraving was a little fuzzy and required quite a bit of manual clean up.

It took two attempts to get a good engraving, the extruded plexi I was using is not the ideal material but it was what I had on hand. The engraving was a little fuzzy and required quite a bit of manual clean up.

 I cut the coin out with a band saw and cleaned up the edges on a belt sander.  Next time I will adjust the angle of the sanding table a couple of degrees to add a slight draft.  The last step was drilling lots of tiny holes for the air to escape fro

I cut the coin out with a band saw and cleaned up the edges on a belt sander. Next time I will adjust the angle of the sanding table a couple of degrees to add a slight draft. The last step was drilling lots of tiny holes for the air to escape from every divot when vacuum forming the molds.

 This is a little dental vacuum former I have at work, it was the perfect size for this project.

This is a little dental vacuum former I have at work, it was the perfect size for this project.

 For the mold material I used 3mm dental grade vinyl.  It is the material that mouth guards are made from and you can get a pack of 25 for around $30 on Amazon.  Here you can see the buck and the finished mold, I made a total of 5 pulls to speed up t

For the mold material I used 3mm dental grade vinyl. It is the material that mouth guards are made from and you can get a pack of 25 for around $30 on Amazon. Here you can see the buck and the finished mold, I made a total of 5 pulls to speed up the actual candy making.

 After trying traditional methods of chocolate tempering, and failing repeatedly I turned to science and technology.   Serious Eats  has a chocolate tempering method using a sous vide circulator.  Step one is vacuum sealing the chocolate.

After trying traditional methods of chocolate tempering, and failing repeatedly I turned to science and technology. Serious Eats has a chocolate tempering method using a sous vide circulator. Step one is vacuum sealing the chocolate.

 The sous vide bath is used to precisely raise and lower the temperature of the chocolate to promote correct crystalline growth, tempering the chocolate.  Improperly tempered chocolate is soft and melts in your hands making a mess.

The sous vide bath is used to precisely raise and lower the temperature of the chocolate to promote correct crystalline growth, tempering the chocolate. Improperly tempered chocolate is soft and melts in your hands making a mess.

 The tempered chocolate was poured into the vacuum formed molds.

The tempered chocolate was poured into the vacuum formed molds.

 The result, a few small bubbles but overall a success.

The result, a few small bubbles but overall a success.

Challah Bread Board

An olive wood challah board with crushed turquoise inlay, crafted as a gift for my wonderful wife.

I sourced the wood from an eBay seller, designed the lettering in Illustrator, and carved the letters using my CNC. The inlay process, which I discovered online, involved the use of cyanoacrylate glue.

Tools used: Illustrator, Fusion 360, CNC

 A beautiful piece of olive wood I ordered from eBay, about 16" long by .75" deep.

A beautiful piece of olive wood I ordered from eBay, about 16" long by .75" deep.

 The inscription reads "Hamotzi lehem min haaretz" in Hebrew, it is a fragment of the blessing said over bread before every meal.

The inscription reads "Hamotzi lehem min haaretz" in Hebrew, it is a fragment of the blessing said over bread before every meal.

 CAM setup in Fusion 360

CAM setup in Fusion 360

 Inscribing using my home made CNC router

Inscribing using my home made CNC router

 The finished inscription is a little inconsistent in depth due to the wood not being perfectly flat.  A planer would have come in handy.

The finished inscription is a little inconsistent in depth due to the wood not being perfectly flat.  A planer would have come in handy.

 First course of inlay using crushed turquoise.  The crushed stone is piled into the engraved letters and soaked with extra liquid cyanoacrylate glue.  There are many great guides on YouTube on the process.

First course of inlay using crushed turquoise.  The crushed stone is piled into the engraved letters and soaked with extra liquid cyanoacrylate glue.  There are many great guides on YouTube on the process.

 Sanding down the first course of stone leaves lots of micro voids, to fix this I crushed the stone further using a mortal and pestle and repeated the inlay process.  This step is repeated one more time with stone crushed all the way to powder.

Sanding down the first course of stone leaves lots of micro voids, to fix this I crushed the stone further using a mortal and pestle and repeated the inlay process.  This step is repeated one more time with stone crushed all the way to powder.

 Last application of stone in powder form to fill the last remaining voids.

Last application of stone in powder form to fill the last remaining voids.

 The finished challah board after finish sanding and a few coats of cutting board oil.

The finished challah board after finish sanding and a few coats of cutting board oil.

 The reverse side showing the gorgeous grain and live edge.

The reverse side showing the gorgeous grain and live edge.

 Closeup detail of the wood and turqoise.

Closeup detail of the wood and turqoise.

Wooden Pull Toy

A gift for my nephew's first birthday.

The design is inspired by a toy I discovered online and instantly adored. I used my CNC to cut the rough shape from a single board of maple, and created the inlay for the ears and spots with walnut.

Countless hours of sanding went into perfecting this toy. I finished it with a food-safe lacquer.

Tools Used: Illustrator, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, CNC

 The direct inspiration for this project is the wood spaniel from this online retailer:  http://www.adventure-in-a-box.com/product/wooden-spaniel-wheels-pull-toy-dog-articulated-body/

The direct inspiration for this project is the wood spaniel from this online retailer: http://www.adventure-in-a-box.com/product/wooden-spaniel-wheels-pull-toy-dog-articulated-body/

 Design in Solid Works laid out to fit on a 1x8 board.

Design in Solid Works laid out to fit on a 1x8 board.

 The toy was modeled in Solidworks and cut on my CNC out of a single 1x8 board of maple.

The toy was modeled in Solidworks and cut on my CNC out of a single 1x8 board of maple.

 The board I bought was only 3/4" thick so I cut a mirror of each part and laminated them together.  Doing this allowed me to machine in pockets for the inlays and extended hubs for the wheels.

The board I bought was only 3/4" thick so I cut a mirror of each part and laminated them together.  Doing this allowed me to machine in pockets for the inlays and extended hubs for the wheels.

 I added a hub extension to push the wheels away from the body and give the toy a wider, more stable base.  In this photo you can see the sanding process on the rear of the toy. So, so much sanding..

I added a hub extension to push the wheels away from the body and give the toy a wider, more stable base.  In this photo you can see the sanding process on the rear of the toy. So, so much sanding..

 The ears and spots were inlaid with walnut.

The ears and spots were inlaid with walnut.

 For sanding I used a dremmel with a rough sanding bit to rough in the shape then went back with 120 and 220 grit sand paper to smooth out the form.

For sanding I used a dremmel with a rough sanding bit to rough in the shape then went back with 120 and 220 grit sand paper to smooth out the form.

 I drilled a hole for the center hinge and pull string.  If I was to do this again I would drill the hole from the bottom and stop short of breaking through the top.  The wood was finished with a couple coats of Danish oil to bring out the

I drilled a hole for the center hinge and pull string.  If I was to do this again I would drill the hole from the bottom and stop short of breaking through the top.  The wood was finished with a couple coats of Danish oil to bring out the natural grain of the maple.

 For a final protective layer I put on a few coats of food safe lacquer.

For a final protective layer I put on a few coats of food safe lacquer.

 The wheels are from the same board of maple.  The rear wheels have little inscriptions that will only be visible from the inside.

The wheels are from the same board of maple.  The rear wheels have little inscriptions that will only be visible from the inside.

 All ready to be played with!

All ready to be played with!

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Beskar Mezuzah

I've always been fascinated by metal casting, and I finally conceived a project involving pewter casting, which can be easily accomplished at home with minimal special tools.

Inspired by a prop from The Mandalorian series, I created pewter mezuzahs featuring an organic Damascus steel pattern.

3D printing continues to be a versatile force multiplier for me. In this project, although the final product is not printed, 3D printing served as a crucial intermediate step, enabling me to progress from idea to digital design to finished product in just a matter of weeks.

Tools Used: SolidWorks, 3D Printing, Pewter Casting

Beskar Steel
Beskar Steel

The inspiration for this project is the beskar steel prop from the Mandalorian series.

CAD Model
CAD Model

Creating the pattern was an interesting challenge, not only to make it look organic but add the right 3D depth. I ended up using a manipulated image of Damascus steel and the 3D texture tool in SolidWorks 2019

3D Print
3D Print

I sent the finished design to an Etsy seller that printed it in high resolution digital resin. The print took a little cleanup and manual engraving to get the finish I was looking for.

Silicone Mold
Silicone Mold

Using the 3D print as a master I created a mold using high temperature silicone, MoldMax 60 from Smooth-on.

I hand carved the feed and air vent holes into the mold.

Raw Casting
Raw Casting

The mezuzahs were cast with pewter which is easy to work with in a home environment. Each cast took a little post-processing: drilling the nail holes and removing the sprue..

Finished Mezuzahs
Finished Mezuzahs

To get more depth out of pattern I applied black wash then sanded back the high spots. The finished pieces have a nice heft and look great, I am very excited to do more metal casting in the future.

Toro Sling Chair Scale Model

A 1/3 scale replica of the Toro sling chair by Blu Dot, made entirely from scraps and materials I had lying around my workshop.

The model is crafted from 3/4" hardwood plywood, with repurposed leather from an old couch for the sling. I modeled the chair in SolidWorks based on images found online and cut out the pieces using my DIY CNC router. The leather, which I've been hoarding for a couple of years, was salvaged from a couch destined for the dumpster.

Tools Used: SolidWorks, Fusion 360 CAM, CNC router

 The Toro sling chair by Blu Dot and the inspiration for this project.

The Toro sling chair by Blu Dot and the inspiration for this project.

 I created the chair model in Solid Works based on images of the chair online.  I chose an approximate 1/3rd scale to match the 3/4" thickness of the plywood I had on hand.  I transfered the model to Fusion 360 for the CAM setup for the rou

I created the chair model in Solid Works based on images of the chair online.  I chose an approximate 1/3rd scale to match the 3/4" thickness of the plywood I had on hand.  I transfered the model to Fusion 360 for the CAM setup for the router.

 Cutting the chair pieces on my DIY CNC router.

Cutting the chair pieces on my DIY CNC router.

 Chair pieces cut out and gluing up overnight.

Chair pieces cut out and gluing up overnight.

 A roll of leather that I have been hoarding for a while knowing it would come in handy one day.  It was rescued off a couch that was going in the dumpster.

A roll of leather that I have been hoarding for a while knowing it would come in handy one day.  It was rescued off a couch that was going in the dumpster.

 Finished and sanded chair frame.

Finished and sanded chair frame.

 Painting the chair gray, of course the day I was painting was the coldest and rainiest day of the summer drastically slowing down the drying between coats.

Painting the chair gray, of course the day I was painting was the coldest and rainiest day of the summer drastically slowing down the drying between coats.

 Fitting the leather,  tricky to get the correct sling in the chair.

Fitting the leather,  tricky to get the correct sling in the chair.

 I attached the leather with furniture tacks I had on hand and rubber cement.  If I make a similar project in the future I'll look for smaller tacks that don't stick out past the width of the rail.

I attached the leather with furniture tacks I had on hand and rubber cement.  If I make a similar project in the future I'll look for smaller tacks that don't stick out past the width of the rail.

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 Finished chair model.

Finished chair model.

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Nautilus Gears

My first 3D printable design, these nautilus gears are based on logarithmic spirals.

Available for purchase on Shapeways, or if you have your own printer make your own at Thingiverse.

The gear profiles were generated using a Maple script for which full credit goes to the original author.

Tools Used: SolidWorks, Maple

In the News: MAKE Magazine, Popular Mechanics

 Nautilus Gears Printed via  Shapeways.com

Nautilus Gears Printed via Shapeways.com

 Nautilus gears render.

Nautilus gears render.

 Model avilable via  Thingiverse .

Model avilable via Thingiverse.

Model printed via Shapeways.

Animated mechanism.

Family Crest Ring

A friend requested that I design a family crest ring for him and his family members as gifts. The Hebrew letter 'shin' on the front of the ring represents the first letter of his last name, while other symbols, such as the book and motto on the back, were chosen by his family.

I initially printed the first prototype through Shapeways in a more affordable bronze material. The final rings and matching pendants were printed in sterling silver. Regrettably, I didn't have the opportunity to photograph the pendants before they were sent as gifts.

Tools used: SolidWorks

 First prototype printed in bronze via Shapeways.com

First prototype printed in bronze via Shapeways.com

 First prototype printed in bronze via Shapeways.com

First prototype printed in bronze via Shapeways.com

 After a few minor design refinements the final ring was printed in sterling silver.  The ring in the photo has been worn daily for months by the happy owner before I got a chance to get a photo.

After a few minor design refinements the final ring was printed in sterling silver.  The ring in the photo has been worn daily for months by the happy owner before I got a chance to get a photo.

 The family words.

The family words.

Challah Mezuzah

The first CNC project I am tackling is a mezuzah shaped like challah bread.  As the first foray into 3D carving I was looking for something small yet with enough detail to be interesting.

I modeled the mezuzah in Solidworks, the main challenge here was that I planned to use a 1/4" ball end mill for the entire cut without tool changes and had to design the piece in such a way that the end mill could produce. If all goes well and as I build more confidence in the machine and my CAM skills a 1/8" bit would have allowed for a more detailed design but also much longer machine time.

CAM work was done in the excellent Fusion 360 with three operations: a pocket to clear away most of material, a scallop to carve the 3D shape and then a profile to finish separating the mezuzah from the stock.

The first mezuzah was made out of oak I had laying around but I plan to explore other more exotic hard woods in the near future.

Tools Used: SolidWorks, Fusion360, CNC Router

 This is challah bread, the most delicious bread in the world and the inspiration for this design.

This is challah bread, the most delicious bread in the world and the inspiration for this design.

 3D design of the somewhat abstracted braid.  The design was done in SolidWorks.

3D design of the somewhat abstracted braid.  The design was done in SolidWorks.

 I have done some very basic cam profile cutting in the past but this is my first foray into 3D carving. The part is produced in three passed: first the material around the finished piece is removed in a pocket clearing operation, then a spiral scall

I have done some very basic cam profile cutting in the past but this is my first foray into 3D carving. The part is produced in three passed: first the material around the finished piece is removed in a pocket clearing operation, then a spiral scallop cut carves out the 3D surface, and lastly one more pass is made around the profile to separate the finished piece from the stock.

 The first cut almost finished before hitting an oopsie.  CNC oopsies are a little more dramatic than 3D printing oopsies and involve loud noises and smoke from burning wood.  It took a little time to find the cause of the problem but it was a b

The first cut almost finished before hitting an oopsie.  CNC oopsies are a little more dramatic than 3D printing oopsies and involve loud noises and smoke from burning wood.

It took a little time to find the cause of the problem but it was a bad connection of the z-motor to the board which caused it to keep plunging into the piece.  Thankfully nothing on the machine broke and the bit survivied.

Arc Reactor

Light-up, wearable Arc Reactor created for a Halloween costume.  3D printed clear plastic crystal is fitted with blue and white LEDs, with a battery box and switch hidden in a pocket.

Design available for download on Thingiverse.

Tools used: Solidworks

 Assembled costume.

Assembled costume.

 SolidWorks rendering.

SolidWorks rendering.

 Belt attached to slots in the Arc Reactor casing.

Belt attached to slots in the Arc Reactor casing.

 Assembly diagram.

Assembly diagram.

 Back of crystal showing wiring of LEDs.

Back of crystal showing wiring of LEDs.

Assembly video by Neek Lives

Engraved Gift Box

A birthday present for a friend who shares the love of India and specifically Indian spiced chai.

I bought a carved box from World Market and engraved our favorite masala chai recipe on the underside of the lid using my CNC and a v-bit engraving tool.

The box was filled with whole spices from a local Indian store.  Based on the following recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/indian-masala-chai-190932

Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator, Fusion 360, CNC

 Beautiful carved box from World Market, appropriately made in India.

Beautiful carved box from World Market, appropriately made in India.

 Test cutting on a piece of plywood, only one shot at the final box.

Test cutting on a piece of plywood, only one shot at the final box.

 Engraving the text on the underside of the box lid.

Engraving the text on the underside of the box lid.

 Finished engraving.  The depth of the engraving was a bit shallow in a couple of spots and deep in others due to the underside of the lid not being perfectly flat.

Finished engraving.  The depth of the engraving was a bit shallow in a couple of spots and deep in others due to the underside of the lid not being perfectly flat.

 Box with spices ready to be wrapped and gifted.

Box with spices ready to be wrapped and gifted.

DIY CNC

One of my passions is creating tools, and when I can use one tool to make another the fun is doubled.

My dad expressed an interested in getting a CNC for woodworking, and after a little research we decided to build our own.  We decided on the Mostly Printed CNC from Allted on Thingiverse primarily due to the great design and low cost.

Printing the components, assembling the hardware, and figuring out the electronics took approximately four months of very infrequent weekend work.  There is still a long road ahead learning a new software tool chain, but it will be a fun process.

Tools Used: 3D Printing

Printed Parts
Printed Parts

The CNC was designed by Allted and published on Thingiverse in 2015. It uses a combination of printed parts, steel conduit tubing, and roller skate bearings for the motion chassis.

All plastic components were printed in PETG for its strength and resiliancy.

Printing Parts and Collecting Hardware
Printing Parts and Collecting Hardware

All together the parts took more than 100 print hours and 3 kg of PETG.  Hardware was ordered online and conduit picked up at a local hardware store.

Due to having some components left over from building 3D printers, like lead screws, power supply, and a few stepper motors the total BOM cost came in under $250.

Central Carriage
Central Carriage

This is the central z-axis carriage for the MPCNC, it is a beautiful piece of engineering. 

Basic Frame Assembled
Basic Frame Assembled

Assembly of the frame minus the motion components.

Work Bed
Work Bed

To create the CNC work bed we used a side wall of an old oak cabinet.  We drilled holes on a 2"x2" grid and hammered in t-nuts to be used for clamping the work piece.

Motion Test

Moving around by hand to test for smooth motion and alignment.

Electronics
Electronics

The CNC runs on an Arduino Uno with a CNC Shield.  What you see in this photo is what happens when you accidently hook up the power supply backwards and blow the capacitors.

Assembly Continued
Assembly Continued

CNC squared and mounted to the work table. Cable chain was printed to hold the motor wiring.

Installed
Installed

CNC installed in it's final home, a corner of the garage.

First cut
First cut

Making the first test cuts in some soft pine.

A little more advanced
A little more advanced

Trying for something a little more interesting than circles.

Hello World!
Hello World!

With the build complete, the next challenge is learning CAM software and coming up with interesting projects to cut!

Painted Ketubah

A Ketubah is a traditional Jewish wedding contract, the signing of which by witnesses is an essential part of the wedding ceremony. In accordance with the Jewish tradition of hiddur mitzvah, ceremonial objects should be decorated and made beautiful.

I designed and painted this Ketubah for my own wedding.

Tools Used: Pencil, Adobe Illustrator, Acrylic Paints

 First step was to layout the design on a sheet of paper.  I drew one side, scanned it and finished the final layout digitally.

First step was to layout the design on a sheet of paper.  I drew one side, scanned it and finished the final layout digitally.

 I did not own a set of french curves, but I do own a 3D printer! A quick search on  Thingiverse  and an hour of print time saved me a trip to the store and $10.

I did not own a set of french curves, but I do own a 3D printer! A quick search on Thingiverse and an hour of print time saved me a trip to the store and $10.

 A paint study in acrylics on paper before attempting the final product.

A paint study in acrylics on paper before attempting the final product.

 The final design was giclee printed on canvas.

The final design was giclee printed on canvas.

 Canvas ready for painting.

Canvas ready for painting.

 Beginning the painting process using acrylic paint.

Beginning the painting process using acrylic paint.

 Finished painting.

Finished painting.

 Day of the wedding.

Day of the wedding.

Laser Cut Ketubah

A Ketubah is a traditional Jewish wedding contract, the signing of which by witnesses is an essential part of the wedding ceremony. In accordance with the Jewish tradition of hiddur mitzvah, ceremonial objects are decorated and made beautiful.

The design was a collaborative effort with my friend Fima as a gift for my brother’s wedding, and the final version was cut out using a laser cutter at a local makerspace.

Tools used: Hand-drawn, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Laser Cutter

Concept Sketching
Concept Sketching

Working with my friend Fima, based on feedback from the couple we came up with a design for the ketubah.

Hand-Drawn
Hand-Drawn

The trees were hand-drawn by Fima.  I scanned the design and traced the shapes to convert it to a vector.

Finished Design
Finished Design

The final design is a mix of hand draw and stock vector images.  The text in the arch is a line from the Song of Songs by King Solmon: "Ani L'Dodi V'Dodi Li" - “I am My Beloved’s, and My Beloved is Mine”

Laser Cutting Ketubah

Short clip of the cutting process.

Detail
Detail

Detail shot of laser cut paper overlaid on top of a sheet of gold paper.

Finished Ketubah
Finished Ketubah

Assembled with the text and ready for shipment to the wedding location.

Halloween 2014

Bob's Burgers inspired Halloween costumes. Spiceps and Spice-Rack!

Foam cylinders wrapped in colored vinyl tape accented with sharpies, taped to Velcro straps. Total cost of less that $15 and we won best costume at the Hell's Kitchen Halloween party!

Tools Used: Foam, Tape

Movie Making

We have a tradition in my group of friends to make a short film every time one of us gets married and show it at the reception.  By virtue of taking one video editing class in college I fell into the role of director/producer/editor for many of them.  The writing and filming process is collaborative, spontaneous, improvisational, and lots of fun.

Tools Used: Adobe Premiere Pro , After Effects, Photoshop

Wedding Video for Fima and Elina

Video is in Russian with English subtitles.  The couple participated in the shoot, but had no idea what was going on.  We filmed all three mini-movies out of order and mixed together for maximum confusion and they only saw the final product as a surprise during the wedding reception.

The Ultimate Guide to Married Living for: Cameron and Jane

We try to mix it up for every new video we make, this one was filmed as a silent movie with the score added by a friend who is an incredibly talented pianist.

Wedding Movie for Ilya and Joni

The most recent video created for my brother's wedding.  Our first musical!

Halloween 2015

Wet Hot American Summer inspired costume of Gene.  In addition to the costume I created a battery powered "talking" Can of Vegetables.

The Inspiration
The Inspiration

Gene from Wet Hot American Summer featuring Can of Vegetables.

Talking Can
Talking Can

The talking can contains a small servo motor controlled by an Arduino Nano. Four AAA batteries provide the power supply, all held securely in a 3D printed housing.

Can Internals
Can Internals

The electronics fit snugly inside the bottom of a standard 300 series can.

Lid Hinge
Lid Hinge

The lid hinge was 3D printed and attached to the can and lid with magnets for easy disassembly.   The hinge and actuator arm are black paperclips to reduce visibility.

Button
Button

I cut a small hole in the can so it can be discretely turned on and off. The button and hole will be hidden by the label.

Paint it Black
Paint it Black

Hit the inside with a little black paint so you can't see the magic while the can is talking.

Can Label
Can Label

Found on the Replica Prop Forum.

Finished Can
Finished Can
Talking Can of Vegetables Video

Simple Arduino code randomly varies the speed of the motion, number of "syllables" in each word and pause between words.

3D Settlers of Catan

Hand painted 3D prints of the fantastic design by JAWong on Thingiverse.

As a fan of the game I was excited to find some fantastically designed 3D Settler of Catan game pieces.  I printed out the pieces in clear PLA then hand painted each with acrylics.

Tools Used: 3D Printer, Acrylics Paints

 Game pieces printed in clear PLA. Design by  JAWong .

Game pieces printed in clear PLA. Design by JAWong.

 More printed pieces prior to priming and painting.

More printed pieces prior to priming and painting.

Wheat
Wheat
Wood
Wood
Sheep
Sheep
Ore
Ore
Brick
Brick
Desert
Desert
Complete Set
Complete Set

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous projects.

 Hedgehog teether/rattle inspired by similar ones available online.. A present for my new niece, made from olive wood and purple heart for the beads.

Hedgehog teether/rattle inspired by similar ones available online.. A present for my new niece, made from olive wood and purple heart for the beads.

 Key hanger present for a friend.  Maple inlaid with coral and malachite.

Key hanger present for a friend.  Maple inlaid with coral and malachite.

 Olive wood mezuzah inlaid with malachite.

Olive wood mezuzah inlaid with malachite.

 A cedar privacy fence for our backyard patio. Built over a few weekends.

A cedar privacy fence for our backyard patio. Built over a few weekends.

 Balancing wine bottle holder.  Curly maple engraved on the CNC.  Getting the right cut angle was a little bit of trial and error.

Balancing wine bottle holder.  Curly maple engraved on the CNC.  Getting the right cut angle was a little bit of trial and error.

 A house warming gift for a friend.  Engraved store bought cutting board with an old Russian proverb meaning: It is not the decorations that make a home beautiful, but how warmly guests are welcomed.  It sounds better in Russian.

A house warming gift for a friend.  Engraved store bought cutting board with an old Russian proverb meaning: It is not the decorations that make a home beautiful, but how warmly guests are welcomed.  It sounds better in Russian.

 Toy cameras made from maple and walnut. The bodies were cut on the CNC and the lenses and knobs turned on the lathe.

Toy cameras made from maple and walnut. The bodies were cut on the CNC and the lenses and knobs turned on the lathe.

Log to Foot Roller

After months of watching YouTube videos I broke down and got a used mini lathe on Craigslist. In an effort to save on lumber I got a cord of firewood at the gas station to practice on.  Here I turned a birch log into a foot roller.

Mostly this was an exercise in roughing down lumber, turning a symmetrical shape, and rolling beads.  I still need lots of practice but I am loving the process.

Tools used: wood lathe

DIY Mouthguard

Taking a swing at DIY dentistry with a custom fit mouthguard. Going to a dentist or an online service to get a custom fit mouthguard costs hundreds of dollars. With access to a vacuum former at work I purchased enough raw materials to make a couple dozen for less than the price of one that is professionally made.

The process is simple, you take an alginate mold of your upper teeth and make a positive using plaster. Then using a vacuum former you form a sheet of mouthguard material (EVA) over the master and trim to fit.

Tools Used: Alginate, plaster casting, vacuum former

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Back to Hobby Projects
IMG_20160313_134138.jpg
19
Minneapolis Skyline Chess Set
all_bones.jpg
5
Knucklebone Dice
 Finished castle, photo by Andrey Rudenko
8
3D Printed Concrete Castle
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12
Shaving Brush Handle
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7
Cookie Cutters
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11
Chocolate Medal
IMG_20170609_124520.jpg
11
Challah Bread Board
IMG_20170707_192016.jpg
13
Wooden Pull Toy
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6
Beskar Mezuzah
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13
Toro Sling Chair Scale Model
 Nautilus Gears Printed via  Shapeways.com
5
Nautilus Gears
IMG_20151204_201929700.jpg
4
Family Crest Ring
 This is challah bread, the most delicious bread in the world and the inspiration for this design.
4
Challah Mezuzah
 Assembled costume.
6
Arc Reactor
IMG_20170520_155052.jpg
5
Engraved Gift Box
IMG_20160410_151417.jpg
17
DIY CNC
andreamisha_wedding0401.jpeg
8
Painted Ketubah
IMG_20150919_173824205_HDR.jpg
6
Laser Cut Ketubah
960.jpg
7
Halloween 2014
Wedding Video for Fima and Elina
3
Movie Making
IMG_20151030_150528093.jpg
9
Halloween 2015
IMG_20130722_195816.jpg
9
3D Settlers of Catan
IMG_20171208_064722.jpg
6
Miscellaneous
IMG_20180106_135934.jpg
5
Log to Foot Roller
0
DIY Mouthguard

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