MSRaynsford

Parametric Design  is the generation of files from an initial series of variables. The pattern is described in terms of these variables and when the values are changed the whole design is adjusted. These variables can typically be used to store things like the material thickness and object size. Something like this tabbed box maker  offers true parametric design but it's an extension that is written in python so you require some programming skills before you can write your own. For something like this mini catapult design where we only want to change one variable a full blown extension would be overkill so there is an easier way. I spent a lot of time working on the variants of this catapult so forgive another post centred around it. When I scaled it down to half size a lot of the press fit joints no longer fitted together because the material was a little bit more than 3mm so I realised there was a quick and easy solution to changing thickness. When the design consists...

Both children are elsewhere and I'm sat waiting for someone to arrive so I thought I'd have a look at my inbox. I had a request asking if it was possible to make some wooden disks for a catan game (I have to admit I'm not sure which one it is) because the game now ships with plastic tokens instead of wooden ones. A quick download of the desired tokens from Board Game Geek , a doodle and 10 minutes later, I now have the appropriate disks, 25 in diameter and 6mm thick. In fact it's taken me far longer to reply to the emails and blog about it than it did to make the tiles. Lasers are awesome (methinks I could sign off many of my posts like that)

A batch of group identifying tokens done as a custom job for Vale LRP

Matt Brailsford  wanted to cut some keyfobs for Barnsley IO . AFAIK he had some assistance cutting a sample wooden one and then came back to cut a bunch of plastic fobs. After we left him hanging round the village for an age waiting for assistance I let him play on the machine on his own, with a few little hints he came up with these nice green key fobs.

The Tilda Badge  is widely regarded to be one of the most technologically advanced badges given out at any conference. It was only a matter of time before someone turned up in our camp asking for a case to go round it. I think the files were already online somewhere but the case wasn't quite thick enough so the battery had to be taken off the back of the badge before it would fit.