So there's one link today that makes my artistic soul happy - it is the laser-controlled Etch A Sketch. Although I never owned an Etch A Sketch (some smarty pants might say right here that in Russia we used rusty nails to draw on cardboard instead), but the idea to draw with a laser beam […]
Painted GraviTrack
Solar botics
March 5, 2018
We always enjoy seeing our products being modified, revamped and DIY-ed, as well as the results of these transformations.
Our customer Vera Kark provided us with some thoughtful feedback on adding mechanical tweaks to improve our Solar GraviTrack build and documentation. She also painted the brown MDF of the machine. She used tempera paint on the wood components still in panelized form, and the GraviTrack's performance seemed to be unaffected.
The GraviTrack looks great in vibrant jewel tone colours, however, we do not recommend applying paint to the hand mechanism itself. You can paint the base and the rails, avoiding the hand mechanism completely. The moisture and the thickness of the paint might affect the precise tolerances of the moving parts, and will interfere with its proper functioning. Another relatively safe option might be felt tip marker since the moisture from alcohol evaporates quickly.
Photos & video by Vera Kark
P.S. Also, a particularly bad idea is painting your GraviTrack after the assembly is completed. Even though we were using a very watered down acrylic paint, the mechanism seized up the moment the paint became sticky. Don't be like us. Take care of your GraviTrack.
A portrait of a sad stuck GraviTrack
MORE POSTS
Rainbow Brite Dress Project
Cosplay at Solarbotics We have a bit of a rule here. If there's a project we want to do, somebody has to have the passion for it. The drive, the dedication, the "kick-the-right-people-in-the-butt-to-get-it-done" drive. In this case, the project is a Rainbow Brite Dress, as spear-headed by our warehouse chief-elf Lyn Janelle (costume concept, design […]
New stuff!
Well folks, the BEAM Anniversary sale has officially come and gone. So many of you jumped on those awesome deals that we extended them an extra four days before taking them down. Anyways, we have tons of great stuff to get through, so let's plow through starting with the new stock we've brought in over […]
Tech Tip: Micro Terminal Blocks
We use many, many devices with 0.1" spaced holes, which are pretty much an electronics design standard. We're finding these 0.1" space terminal blocks incredibly useful for making solid, secure, yet serviceable connections to the rest of our designs. We'll often reach for a microcontroller board, then reach for a necessary handful of these parts […]
Solarbotics has been operating for more than 25 years, bringing electronics know-how and supplies to both the electronics professional and hobbyist. We'll be happy to help you too!
Solarbotics, Ltd. is not responsible for misprints or errors on product prices or information. For more information, please see our Terms and Conditions.
Warning: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov for more information. This item was manufactured prior to August 31, 2018.