MSRaynsford

It's time to share the result from my square pumpkin experiment. As you can see I definitely managed to get some flat spots on the pumpkin but I failed to achieve overall squareness (The first time in my life I haven't been square). I think I got to the pumpkin too late and was too optimistic about how large it would grow. I built a box just big enough to hold it when the pumpkin was pretty much at full capacity. I also let the vine grow a second pumpkin because I only have 3 pumpkins appear in total (very small patch). So the plus points, the box worked really well. 5mm perspex was the right material and anything thinner might have cracked. The slot and peg design held together well and actually needed a bit of a whack with a hammer to get them out after 2 months. And the best point is that I still have an interesting shaped pumpkin to carve. I'll be doing it again next year but I think I'll make some inserts to go inside the box and just reduce the size slig

As I mentioned in my last post I botched some lizard spirals. They didn't cut cleanly (despite looking like they had). I don't have time or the inclination to go back and cut the lizards apart by hand so I cut a whole new set. If anyone is interested I'm willing to pass this set of 3 on for £25 (normally £40 each), plus a bit for shipping depending on your country. Email me if you're interested, msraynsford+website@gmail.com

So what am I doing now that Project 52 is finished? Well the same as usual really this is actually a typical night of construction at my place where I'm catching up on orders, I was doing this all through Project 52. I'm still doing this amount of work 2-3 nights a week, but it's cool. If I was ever not doing something I'd be bored. 10x The internet , 6x Lizard Spiral (half botched), 6x Iron Man Plastics , 1x Assembled Arc , 1x Kit Arc , 1x Knotted Tile Game

A somewhat overdue end to my project 52 , I've been wanting to make an automata since the middle of project 365 . Also you'll have noted the complete lack of progress on Donkey Kong this year so it seemed a fitting end to the project to combine the two things into 1 item.  The main drive mechanism is provided by the laser cut bike chain , barrels roll round the girder as if thrown by Donkey Kong. A cam and follower make Mario jump up and down in the appropriate places. I got the gear ratio slightly confused and made my second gear twice as big as need be so I duplicated the jump pattern on both halves of the gear. It was a fun little project and I learnt a lot about what not to do on future projects. (file needs fixing) 52 Projects/ 53 Weeks :(