Robby the Robot: Fifth in the Tin Can Creation Series

Posted on May 20, 2016 by AZAtheist

Robby the Robot: Fifth in the Tin Can Creation Series

160520 Five TCC Robots160520 Robby160520 soup canThe fun continues…Yesterday I finished construction of Robby the Robot. As in the other Tin Can Creations projects, he is built around an empty Healthy Choice Chicken Noodle Soup can. It’s my activity and I make up the rules. So, I decided to build all my tin can robots using the discarded container of the soup I’ve eaten almost every day for almost 13 years.

 

Robby’s glass dome is a wide mouth canning jar. His antennas are screw eye bolts fastened to recycled radio knobs hot glued in place. Unlike the previous tin can robots, Robby has a brain under his translucent dome.

160520 Robby legsThe ATtiny85 microprocessor lights up Robby’s LEDs and activates his pager motor. When Robby is switched on his eyes light up along with the two flickering lights in his chest behind the discarded car air freshener. He buzzes in short bursts while at the same time his mouth lights up with blue LEDs. Then, all the lights switch on. Finally, only the three “brain” lights illuminate at the top of his dome and rotate as if he is thinking about something important.

Robby, the real Robby, first appeared in The Forbidden Planet, a science fiction movie in 1956. He was the friendly servant of his creator, Dr. Morbius. He is not the robot from the television series Lost in Space. They are easily confused; the B-9 robot from that show is similar in many ways. Both robots have retractable arms and a synthetic voice that modulates the light in the chest. Since both robots were designed by Rober Kinoshita, it is not surprising that they had some similar traits. However, there are major differences. Aside from being 10 years older, Robby’s legs consisted of stacked spheres and they moved independently. Both robots appeared together in the Lost in Space episode #20 “War of the Robots.” In that episode, Robby was definitely evil complete with laser weaponry.

This has been a fun project. The next step is to build up the capability to produce similar tin can robots at Camp Quest.

 

 

Posted in Repurposing Material, Retired--A Day in the Life, Science and Technology, Youth Activity | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Fourth Tin Can Creation—The Rocketeer

Posted on April 30, 2016 by AZAtheist

IMG_2738

 

RocketeerThanks to one of the members of Tucson Atheists, I have a couple of empty gas cartridges. They are cool and needed to find their way into one of the Tin Can Creation projects.

I built this one using the same soup can that formed the basis of the other Tin Can Creations. I found the head (Spider-Man) on the sidewalk. The fin on his head came from the top of a deodorant container. The back strap was also from the found object collection. The legs are made of small plastic bottles. The only things I had to buy include: two “L” fittings for ½” pipe (shoulders) and the fiber optic spray. There are two flickering LED lights right under the CO2 cartridges that are activated by a slide switch on the tuna can base.

Here is the ever growing collection:

Tin Can Creations (4)

Camp Quest isn’t for a couple of months so there is sure to be: More to come…

Posted in Freethought Community, Repurposing Material, Retired--A Day in the Life, Science and Technology, Youth Activity | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Camp Quest: Tin Can Creations

Posted on April 15, 2016 by AZAtheist

Camp Quest: Tin Can Creations

IMG_2670 In preparation for my program at Camp Quest AZ, I’ve created 3 prototypes (pictured on the left). Certainly, there will be more. The prototypes are being used to help design a viable program for the young campers because a month ago this was just an idea. Hopefully, the kids will see these and become as excited as I am to create robots out of recycled materials

The first one I created is on the far left. Dr. Who fans will recognize it as a Dalek “one of the most feared races in the universe.” The friendly robot on the right is R2D2 from Star Wars and in the middle is Rosie the Maid Robot from the Jetsons. She is my third prototype.

These robots all have one thing in commonsoup can. They are all based on the same empty soup can. The soup can is Healthy Choice Chicken Noodle. I have a large quantity of these cans. I have it for lunch every day. The rest of the robots are constructed of items found in my workshop and in the streets near my house.

My garage and workshop are stuffed with salvaged hardware. In fact, I’m about a cardboard box away from being eligible to appear on Hoarders. Many of those valuable treasures have found their way into the pictured prototype robots.

Why am I adding this program to the Camp Quest AZ 2016 curriculum?

Last year, I brought a pine car event very similar to the BSA Pinewood Derby. It was a great event but only 6 of the Camp Quest campers elected to participate. All six were very successful but this year I wanted to develop a program which would have a wider appeal and Robots are cool! To me robots made out of recycled materials are especially satisfying. An article on making a wobble bot out of upcycled cans gave me the idea. I could have the Camp Quest campers do something similar. However, the robots in the article are too complicated and require equipment not available to summer camp campers. Additionally, I have a limited time with the kids.

Robot kitThe kids will start with a “basic” kit of parts including a couple of cans and some electronics components. They’ll also have a supply miscellaneous hardware items available. Then their imagination can take over! Here is how the process worked for me…

 

Dalek Eye StockI needed to capture the essence of the Dalek. I started with the eye stock detail. All Daleks see the world through their eye stock. A piece of tubing, pony beads, and a blue LED were pressed into service.

 

dalek exterminatorFortunately I had an old dead pen with a flashing LED that would make a great “exterminator.”

 

 

dalek plunger

Dr. Who fans may not like it but I think the grappler arm on the Dalek looks like a toilet plunger. I made one out of an appliance rubber foot.

 

dalek bubbles

I actually had to buy the thumb tacks (47 cents at Walgreens) for the Dalek’s “bubbles.”

 

dalek skirtBlack foam insulation tape became the skirt at the bottom. Originally, I had wire nuts on top to simulate the communication antennae but I replaced them with spare LED Christmas tree bulbs.

DalekIt was a simple matter to add a battery holder and a slide switch to power all the LEDs and…”Exterminate!”

If you’d like to see the Dalek in action, click HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

R2D2

The first prototype was challenging and fun but I liked the way that R2D2 sprang to life.

R2D2 NakedHere the trusty soup can is flanked by two miniature plastic bottles. The dome comes off of the top of a laundry detergent container. The rear trucks are spent car deodorizers that clip on the AC vents. The front truck was made out of an empty dental floss container.R2D2 Black First coat of paint was black, followed by a coat of silver and a final coat of white. I cut out some blue vinyl tape, mounted the LEDs, the switch, and the batteries and it was time to shoot the engineer. R2D2 was done!

R2D2

Rosie

Rosie 2Remember the Jetsons? Here is Rosie, model XB-500 reporting for cleaning duty in the house of the future. Actually it’s another Healthy Choice soup can made up to look like something other than trash. Rosie has LED lights and fancy chrome antennae. Her armsRosie Naked are small water pipes and her base is a lug nut. Look into her eyes and you’ll see painted water bottle lids. Her collar came off of a greeting card and her hat and skirt are what’s left of a duster.

That’s all I have for now. Certainly, there will be more. Our Camp Quest summer camp begins in the middle of July.

Next build will be the “Spout Bot” (alternately called “Beetle Bot”).

There is still time to join the fun in the Prescott National Forest. Click HERE to check out how to volunteer.

Posted in Freethought Community, Repurposing Material, Retired--A Day in the Life, Science and Technology, Youth Activity | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Camp Quest AZ 2016

Posted on April 13, 2016 by AZAtheist

061915_0712_AnotherSucc11.jpgThis will be my third time attending as a programs counselor and this year’s Camp Quest Arizona is going to be great!

My first year was in 2014 and I wrote about it, after the fact. Registering at the last minute because they needed a male camp staffer, I packed up a bunch of stuff and headed out to contribute what I could. Preparations were made prior to my participation and this was the second year for the camp. I chose to help out where I could and also bring an introductory model airplane program along with a leather working activity. I had shared those experiences with children in the past and I had everything I needed at hand.

Last year, I was on board early and had more opportunity to prepare. Again, I was committed to helping with the programs where I could but also include something from my unique experience—Pinewood Derby. I wrote about those preparations in three parts, Part I, Part II, and Part III. As before, I wrote about the successful experience. That was almost a year ago…

Now I’m preparing for this year. The board has accepted my application; my online training is complete; this year’s proposed activity has been approved; and the hard work can now begin. Come back later and check out “Tin Can Creations.”

By the way, it’s not too late to get in on the fun. The week long camp will start on July 16th and run through the 23rd. Volunteers are still needed.

Posted in Freethought Community, Repurposing Material, Science and Technology, Skepticism, Youth Activity | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bye Bye Brother Jed

Posted on February 26, 2016 by AZAtheist

In the February 25th issue of The Daily Wildcat there is an article entitled “Campus Preachers: Do They Belong?” The article is primarily in response to Brother Jed’s annual appearance at the university but apparently the “street preachers” are an everyday event.

Brother Jed (Jed Smock) finished his visit to the University of Arizona campus a couple of days ahead of this article. His crew of 8 people invaded the U of A mall around noon on February 18th. The Secular Student Alliance uses his annual visits to bolster their membership by sponsoring an activity called Brother Jed Bingo. He has been doing his “confrontational evangelism” for quite a while and has visited every state at least once. His home is in Indiana and he follows the seasons. Spring time is an excellent time to visit Arizona and that’s why we see him about this time every year. I first saw him in the early 80s at my campus at the University of Colorado. He appeared there with his now wife Sister Cindy. Jed and Cindy have been married 33 years and have 5 daughters. Two of his daughters are married. There were times when his daughters would be with Jed and Cindy but not this year. This year they brought with them a couple of young interns, Joshua and Kirstan. Also in the Campus Ministry USA contingent were: Sister Pat—an 86 year old lady, Brother Mikhail—young and energetic preacher from Russia, Brother Ryan—a traditionally dressed young preacher, and of course Dean—a fixture of the U of A mall until he moved to Phoenix. (Most people that I’ve talked to on the campus don’t miss him.)

While the preachers tend to offend and insult passing students, there is little doubt that they are covered under the concept of free speech. Some of the most offensive slogans include: “You deserve rape”, and “You deserve hell.” The second one could be justified in their holy book but the first one is definitely extra Biblical. Personally, both statements can be taken as simply a matter of opinion but calling passing students whores or perverts crosses the line, in my opinion. Personal verbal attacks should not be tolerated on the campus.

Also, free speech is NOT blasting out noise that effectively stops all communication. A few students brought out an electronic noise maker that blasted out high decibel warbling sound. There was no point to it other than to disrupt. Free speech is important and necessary for exchange of ideas. Drowning out all communication with noise or pointless music does not fall within the spirit of free speech.

The SSA (Secular Student Alliance of the University of Arizona) uses the annual visit of the travelling preacher to their advantage. As the only student club on campus specifically for non-religious students, the club needs a constant source of new students. College campus clubs loose members every year and recruiting more members insures that it will exist the following year. It turns out that Brother Jed is the best recruiter that the SSA could hope for. Jed creates a crowd with his often ribald stories that appeal to the students. While Jed is entertaining the students, the SSA passes out their Brother Jed Bingo cards that encourage people to visit them at their table.

Brother Jed has been telling similar stories for a number of years and a few years ago some enterprising students decided to pull out key words from his rhetoric and create Bingo cards. To be fair, his presentations are entertaining and sometimes he uses words and phrases to color and keep the students engaged. For example here are some of the words you might find on your Bingo card: Grope, Cheap Thrills, Wicked, Margaret, Bedroom, Fear or Trembling, Squeeze, and Virgin. Some of the words might be considered rude in polite company. The SSA hands out the Bingo cards and the students listen for the key words. When they get a Bingo, they are rewarded with a piece of candy provided at the SSA table where they’ll get a chance to talk with the club members and sign on to their email list. It’s a good time.

Instead of trying to limit Jed’s free speech, the SSA is using it to their advantage. Check out the club at the following websites:

http://www.ssawildcats.org/

https://www.facebook.com/ssawildcats

See you next year Jed!

Posted in American Atheists, Atheist Action, Bible Story, Freethought Community, God, Religion, Youth Activity | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What is a Christian? Or you must be this high to be a Christian.

Posted on February 6, 2016 by AZAtheist

On January 12th, the board of directors of the Secular Coalition for America announced the appointment of Larry T. Decker (an unaffiliated Christian)  as the new Executive Director of the organization. I for one am not impressed!

If someone tells me that they are an “unaffiliated Christian,” I assume that they are someone who might not believe in religion or go to church but still believes in some wacky supernatural stuff.

I am an Atheist. All that is necessary and sufficient to be an Atheist is a lack of belief in gods. Notice that some Atheists go further and state that there is no God or gods but that is not necessary. An Atheist can leave the door open for evidence and most of my friends would start believing in a god if there were sufficient evidence that one exists. However, most would admit to a very low probability of the existence of a personal, creator god as depicted in the most popular religions on the planet—highly improbable. Richard Dawkins in his book The God Delusion (page50) proposed a scale from one to seven. A one on his scale represents a total belief in God 100%, in other words, no doubt. A seven on his scale is exactly the opposite—a person who believes there is no possibility of a god existing, in other words, an extremely strong Atheist. Dr. Dawkins doesn’t know many of these. In fact he puts himself slightly below a seven on his scale. He believes that the existence of a god has a low probability but not zero. Atheists do believe in some things but not universally. If you don’t believe in a god, you’re in the club.

Then what is a Christian? Are Mormons Christian? How about scientologists? I’ve heard some fundamentalists say that Catholics are not Christian! Full disclosure, I was raised Catholic. I was baptized when I was 4 years old and I have a vague recollection of the event. I also had nine years of CCD–Confraternity of Christian Doctrine–classes. When I hear someone saying that Catholics are not Christian I’m moved to correct them to this day. Catholic indoctrination is very lasting.

Perhaps, as a minimum, a Christian must believe in the Apostles’ Creed. While there are slight variations of the creed depending on specific Christian sects, the source dates back to about 390. There were multiple edits but essence remains—roughly twelve articles of faith.

  1. I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
  2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
  3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
  4. Under Pontius Pilate, He was crucified, died, and was buried.
  5. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.
  6. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
  7. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
  8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
  9. the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,
  10. the forgiveness of sins,
  11. the resurrection of the body,
  12. and the life everlasting.

The above list comes from the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church. Of course many Christians like many Atheists believe in other things but let’s take this list as a minimum set of beliefs to be called a Christian. Every Christian believes in at least these twelve things. A Deist can stop at the first article. A belief in a creator god would be sufficient. The “Christ” part of Christianity begins at the second article. Jesus existed and he was the son of God the Father. The supernatural belief intensifies with the third article. Jesus was born of a virgin impregnated by a “Holy Spirit.” There is nothing supernatural in the fourth article. People were tried, convicted, and killed in the past. However in the 5th article he came back to life and rising up after being killed doesn’t happen naturally especially after three days. Briefly, the Christian believes that Jesus “ascended” into heaven and sits next to God, his father and he’s coming back. In light of article 3 is article 8 even necessary? Christians must believe that there is one catholic (universal) church and that saints continue to exist after death and that sin can be forgiven. The resurrection of the body is a bit confusing and I’ll admit some ignorance on this article. Article 5 covered the resurrection of Jesus so my best guess is that a Christian must believe that his or her body will be resurrected. According to article 12, then enjoy everlasting life. So the articles specifically about the supernatural Jesus are: 2 through 7.

There is an Ecumenical version created in 1988:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic and apostolic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

It differs slightly but contains the same basic beliefs. The highlighted section corresponds with the Catholic Church’s articles 2 through 7: Divine man, virgin birth, died for three days, rose again, went to heaven, sits with God, and coming back sometime.

Therefore, being a Christian, unaffiliated or not, is prima facie evidence of believing in an irrational supernatural event. A belief that a living breathing human being died, was dead for three days, and came back to life. Outside of a story in an old historically inaccurate book of fables, there is absolutely no evidence supporting this belief. The only way someone justifies such a belief is through faith and according to Mark Twain, “Faith is believing what you know ain’t so.” Skepticism and a healthy measure of curiosity should be enough to overcome early indoctrination and force someone to look into such claims.

Larry Decker might be a great guy and an able administrator but as long as he claims to be a Christian he’s not the best choice to lead the Secular Coalition for America.

Posted in American Atheists, Atheist Action, Freethought Community, Religion, Secular Coalition for Arizona, Separation of Church and State | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

“I Believe in UFOs 100%.”

Posted on January 9, 2016 by AZAtheist

I just lost a member of the community today. Apparently, the subject of UFOs came up during a wine tasting party and she was upset that I dismissed the subject in such a mocking manner. Here’s her note:

I believe in UFOs 100%. There’s more than just one website that offers historical documentation, videos, pictures that prove we are not alone in this universe. It’s a difficult and scary subject to explore for most and easier to disbelieve than to go beyond ones “comfort zone”. Sorry, your very nice but it was a real turn off to see the group organizer mock the subject and be so close minded. All the best.

I was going to reply to her note directly but since she believes 100%, it would be unlikely for her to consider any response. In fact, it’s a bit hypocritical for someone to say that they believe something 100% then call someone else “close minded.” Also, Nancy was there at the party and remembered our conversation. She did not consider my response as mocking.

However, I did take the time to flesh out three rational arguments that someone might find convincing.

  1. The universe is vast.
  2. We are an evolved product of the specific conditions present on Earth.
  3. Many of the observations ascribed to alien activity have mundane explanations.

Here is the note (that I didn’t send):

So you believe in UFOs 100%. So what? Tucson Atheists is not about UFOs, although I also run the Skeptics of Tucson that is concerned with such subjects. As far as believing in something 100% that is something that is not really possible and to accuse me of being “close minded” is quite ignorant and hypocritical.

Over the many years that I’ve been around, I’ve believed in many things. I read all the Van Daniken books about alien visitation along with other material but as I learned more and more about the physical world and the scientific method it became apparent that it is not possible. I also follow SETI and keep up with the search for inhabitable planets in distant solar systems.

There are trillions of stars but our nearest star is Proxima Centauri 4.24 light years distant from us and the nearest exoplanet that we’ve been able to find that may be able to support life is a 13 light years away.

For just a minute, let’s assume that there is a space faring alien civilization 10 light years away. How long would it take to get there? For comparison let’s look at our most recent visit to Pluto. Pluto is about 4 light hours from earth. We sent our fastest space ship to Pluto. It traveled 36,373 mph and took 9 years, 5 months, and 25 days to get there. In terms of spacial distances, Pluto is fairly close, only 4 light HOURS.

A light year is 8760 light hours or about 6 trillion miles. The New Horizons spacecraft traveling at over 36,000 miles per hour would take 19,000 years to travel ONE light year or 190,000 years to go 10 light years.

Also consider that we are a product of this planet. We evolved from conditions existing here and nowhere else. We can’t assume that visitors from the stars would have any resemblance to our forms. Space travelers would not know up from down and actually have little need for solid ground.

The most damning evidence that there are no alien UFOs is the fact that with all the pictures being snapped around the world with the ever available recording devices on millions, perhaps billions, of people, there is no overwhelming evidence. Sure, you might be able to misinterpret a smudge or a bright light now and again, but I’d expect more.

Science has been able to find alternate rational reasons for many of the so called UFO sightings. For example, there are mundane reasons that the Egyptians built their pyramids which included Pi out to many digits. They didn’t need help from space travelers. They simply used rolling wheels to make some of their measurements. A wheel that is one cubit across when rolled would produce a length exactly cubits.

Early on, I wanted to believe but I’ve given UFOs a lot of thought and now I consider their existence improbable.

Feel free to check my math. By the way, I know that these aren’t the only reasons to doubt the existence of UFOs but it’s a start.

EDT: By the way, I believe we may not be alone in the universe. Odds are pretty good that there are others. However, I don’t believe they’re regular visitors.

Posted in Freethought Community, Science and Technology, Skepticism | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Secular Coalition for Arizona and David Silverman’s Book Tour

Posted on December 12, 2015 by AZAtheist

It’s been a week of driving for Nancy and me and our ’97 Thunderbird “Atheist Mobile.” Normally, our old cruiser sits in the driveway collecting dust and tree sap but we got a chance to clean it up, fuel it up, and drive it to and from Phoenix three times this week.

On Saturday, the Secular Coalition for Arizona had its first summit meeting at the headquarters of the Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix in Mesa. In general, it was a good meeting and the talks held my interest. There were a couple of our state representatives in attendance along with the coalition’s professional lobbyist. The presentation by a representative of the Arizona ACLU contained a historical perspective and new information to consider when thinking about secular concerns and the Arizona legislature. A young representative from Equality Arizona stressed the importance of a personal story when persuading legislators to consider the secularist’s perspective on pending legislation. Another board member covered the facts, data, and current trends that affect our goal of rational, reasonable, and secular based laws and regulations. Our lobbyist related her successes and near misses along with a prediction of where we might need to focus during the next legislative session starting in January 2016. Secular Coalition board members and the two state representatives then answered a few questions and a secular candidate for public office was introduced. After the general meeting, the liaison representatives from the individual organizations that comprise the coalition met to discuss strategy and set priorities.

It was a good meeting—except for some preaching done in the early going. Part of the introduction included the line, “We must respect other people’s beliefs.” In the words of Patton Oswalt, “No, you don’t!” For example last year the Arizona legislature passed SB 1062 that contained the belief that one person’s religious conviction should allow a person to discriminate against others. I don’t respect that belief! Even Justice Scalia says, “To permit this would make the professed doctrines of religious belief superior to the law of the land, and in effect to permit every citizen to become a law unto himself.” (If you’d like to view what Patton Oswalt’s has to say on the subject, you can view it HERE.) In order for a belief to be respected it has to be based on rational, reasonable, and scientific principles.

Dave Silverman made this point during his presentation at ASU on Thursday. He is currently on a book promotion tour and Phoenix was one of his early stops. His new book is: Fighting God: An Atheist Manifesto for a Religious World. The Secular Student Alliance of the ASU hosted the event. Dave’s 90 minute presentation started at 7:30 PM. Afterwards, he answered a few questions and then sat down to autograph the books as they were sold. (If you are interested in buying one of his books, I have a few signed copies left over. Contact me at AZAtheist@cox.net and I’ll give you a great deal.)

Dave loves data and results but he can also tell a story. He told a story about his Muslim friend. His friend told Dave that he respected his Atheism and his reasons for being an Atheist. He appreciated the fact that Dave supported his position through careful and rational thought. Then his friend asks, “Now that I’ve told you how I respect your position can you respect my Muslim faith?” Dave told him no. Now they are no longer friends. Dave explained to the crowd that he’d rather lose a friend than to be the President of American Atheists that reinforced unsupportable beliefs. Firebrand Atheism is not about disrespecting people but ideas are fair game. For beliefs to be respected they have to be supported. He’s not alone. Wikipedia also believes that just saying something doesn’t make it so. They call asserting something without explanation or demonstration an empty assertion.

Posted in American Atheists, Atheist Action, Freethought Community, God, Religion, Secular Coalition for Arizona, Separation of Church and State | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fun Stuff from this year’s Halloween

Posted on November 7, 2015 by AZAtheist

I made it! Sorta. This year I decided to take my Halloween adventures into the world of Arduino. I saw the “Talking Arduino Halloween Skeleton” on the Instructables.com website. Halloween is the best time of year for a retired engineer and tinkerer like me.

The young men in the Intructables article were quite energetic and their tutorial was wonderful. Instead of another skeleton I wanted to build up a talking witch. It would be a bit of a challenge and I was fortunate to have the “Talking Arduino Halloween Skeleton” to work from.

Naomi the talking witch started out as a standard Halloween hanging prop made in China. The original prop had a voice box and glowing eyes but the voice was hard to understand. I keep everything so perhaps the voice box will be used in a future project. I really wanted her face and hands but I ended up using everything except for the voicebox.

The project involved building an audio circuit board for the Arduino and making some special WAV files for her voice. The board went together rather quickly and worked well. My wife Nancy recorded the witch’s voice clips and did a great job. There were challenges. The witch’s face was a solid chunk of plastic and I wanted her jaw to move when she spoke. So I had to perform plastic surgery, for real! I used a hot knife which is a #ll Exacto blade mounted on the end of a soldering iron. This made the job easy. The hot blade works its way slowly through the plastic but doesn’t take a lot of force. Here is a video of the modified face with the servo to move the jaw. Building the frame came next along with a foundation. She came out very close to way I had imagined and was the first active prop in the graveyard this year.

To give credit where credit is definitely due, here is the original Instructables article on the Talking Arduino Halloween Skeleton. I used the Arduino code that was posted in the comments section without modification which made the project a lot easier. Thanks guys!

Naomi the witch and all my other props are all put away, except for the couple that I need to repair. Just think, only 358 days until next Halloween…

Posted in Halloween, Repurposing Material, Science and Technology | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A Retired Engineer’s Work is Never Done

Posted on September 16, 2015 by AZAtheist

I should have titled this blog, “Pulled up 4 stakes today” or “Another day in the life of a retired engineer.” On September 13, a couple of days ago, I wrote about pulling up a rebar stake out of my back yard. I received a bit of criticism from a few folks chastising me about how I may have gone overboard with the effort. That’s fair! More than fair, actually. I used to get similar criticism from my father. He used to say, “You just spent three days making something that saved you 20 minute’s work.” I think behind the bluster he actually admired my ingenuity so it didn’t bother me just as the criticism I received about the “Pulled a stake today!” article didn’t really bother me. The main reason it didn’t bother me is because I knew that I had 7 more stakes that needed pulling and the work expended in pulling out that first one wasn’t lost effort. It was more of an investment. I felt pretty good about the first one until today. Today I found out that the motorcycle jack, while it worked on a stake that was half dug out, didn’t have the necessary power. 1500 pounds of lifting capacity was not quite enough unless I first dug down about 18 inches and poured water down the pit. I needed more power! I just happened to have more power in an automotive floor jack but I wasn’t sure if I could make it work. The floor jack is rated at 5,000 pounds of lifting capacity.

It turns out that that is enough. The trick is that the first several inches of pull are done with the jack over the stake and the remaining extraction is done with the stake in front of the jack. I was able to pull 3 stakes completely out without digging in less than 45 minutes. The fourth one I pulled with the jack after the motorcycle lifted failed. It is the mangled one in the picture. (Pendants Pedants will notice a 5th stake in the picture…it was not extracted today but used as a tool.)

Hopefully, this is the last time I’ll mention pulling stakes in this blog but I hope maybe a couple are interested in some of the details.

The keys to pulling the rebar stakes include a 5/16th chain hook from the hardware store, some chain, a small bolt, a couple of washers, and a nut to fit the bolt. I made a small chain loop around the bar under the lift pad on the car lift using the bolt, washers, and nut. The chain hook was placed over the stake and the chain loop was placed in the open hook. The jack is positioned on top of the stake at first. Once the jack reaches its lift limit, the jack is lowered and re-positioned behind the stake. Upon reaching the lift limit the second time; the stake should be easily pulled out of the ground by hand.

The math says that I have three more to pull and now I have a method that takes only a couple of minutes and doesn’t involve digging a hole. I hope someone finds this useful. Not everyone has a motorcycle lift but I’ll bet more people have a floor jack.

Posted in Repurposing Material, Retired--A Day in the Life, Science and Technology | Tagged , | 1 Comment