LunettaRingModulator.jpgproto1.jpg
OK so I'm happy with the notion that I can now make circuit boards, having tested the most basic features and imagined the practicality of others (like crossover wires and multiple layers, 3dism, etc). Next Up I'd like to make a demonstration project that illustrates 3d circuitry in action, preferably with some actual 3D involved rather than just flat circuit boards. To that end I have decided to reach into my bag of tricks and pull out: "Electronic Music Circuits!".

As it turns out I have somewhat of a hobbyist background in electronic music circuitry, both in software and in hardware development. One circuit I've been really wanting to build someday is a one-chip-wonder, where you get whatever krazy sounds (and they may be harsh) from a single chip. That chip, of my choice is the ATtiny85, a miniature Arduino-compatible beauty that sells in quanity one for only $2.00 at Jameco Electronics (www.jameco.com). Jameco also sells everything else I need for this little gem so it's a one stop shopping experience which saves on shipping.

Anyway back to 3D-ism and wouldn't it be nice if i could make a hand-mounted sort of a curved band that fits in the palm snugly and holds all the circuitry on the periphery? That way the instrument could be operated with one hand and i could use the other hand for another of it's kind and do performance art at amateur music festivals such as the electro-music festival which I attended in 2009. OK, TMI but you get the idea, the author is going to make a music box thingie all three-dee-ified on a form that fits his hand.

Now to the photos. Form follows function and the main function here is to fit the hand so I thought I'd take advantage of the rapid prototyping nature of 3D printing by printing up a hand band of sorts. Well as it turns out I got it sized wrong at about 70% of the full size needed for my mighty meat hooks of a pair of hands! Rather than resize and print again, I took this proto and marked it up to approximately designate where the circuitry is to go. Next I'll go back to CAD (in OpenSCAD) and put in approximations of the circuitry but without the wire containment channels (that's a lot of work that is to be done later). As a matter of fact, I'm off to go do that right now so pardon me for making my escape right now!

Les