Originally we wanted to make the raft how most people do, wood and barrels. However, after settling on a size, we quickly realized that wood and metal barrels are quite heavy.

Eventually, after tossing around ideas ranging from aluminum square channels and dock pieces, we settled on 6 premade plastic pallets and 8 plastic food-grade barrels. The combination left us with a very sturdy initial platform to build our raft on.

Prior to settling on a pontoon orientation, we experimented 4 sets of 2 side by side barrels but determined that the water resistance and transportation would be a challenge.

The first task was to secure each pallet together over the length of the raft and then the width. To accomplish this we took 12 foot pressure treated 2x4s and hammered them into the fork spaces of the pallets.

Hammering the 2x4s into the pallets proved to be difficult so clamps plywood cutoffs were used to align the pallets.

Once hammered through the length, the 2x4s were hammered as close to the edges as possible and screwed into place with long wood screws through the bottom of the pallet. This processed was repeated for the other set of three pallets.

The two sets of three pallets were then secured together by drilling holes through the 2x4s and running cut lengths of 3/8 inch threaded rod between them. These were secured with nylon lock nuts and washers.

Another experiment with mounting the barrels, this time with steel strapping to the hammered 2x4s, this ended in abject failure.

Our raft now needed a way to get around, for this we went with a small 3.5 HP outboard off Amazon.

Being a 2 stroke that runs off a gas-oil mix we had to break-in the motor per the manufacturer manual, very loud in a suburban driveway…

The project was then moved to a different location and sat for a while before being picked back up this year. We discovered that the threaded rod held the pallets together, but didn’t stop them from flexing and coming loose. To address this we added 2x4s along the top and bottom short edges and bolted them together.

We also added a ladder off the front for swimmers to get back on.

No raft is complete without carpeting and shade! This pavilion off Amazon with mounting holes in the feet was able to bolt with nicely through the pallet deck. We also tested a few types of carpeting and turf before settling on marine “boat bunking” carpet.

Using leftover 2x4s we built a motor transom off the back.

The end result was too large for our trailers and had the barrels attached on-site. Due to the motor, the raft had to be registered as a boat with the DNR and required a licensed operator.

IT FLOATS…always knew it would…

The Wisconsin River is quite shallow in some places and requires the use of our high-tech stick.

When the river was deep enough, the small motor had no problem moving the raft at a blistering 5 MPH!

To say the raft was a hit with friends on the trip would be an understatement, the 8 of us spent most of the time enjoying the sun as we floated down the river.

Unfortunately, the trip was not without incident. As we were disassembling the raft at our take-out point, a strong gust of wind blew over the decking and crushed our plastic light and fire extinguisher mounts. Luckily, no one was hurt and we got the raft and barrels back on the trailer.

That’s likely it for this year, river levels continue to fall in the summer months and would make the trip much harder. We’ll likely revisit this project next year and make improvements on the weight and transportation side. 

Written by Michael Reichard

For the past 2 months a team of makers has been frantically designing and building a glider for Redbull Flugtag.  It was one of the most fun projects I have ever had the privilege of working on.  Thought we did not place in the competition I wanted to share what we have learned and share some CAD files for future Flugtag builders to find and reference if they wish.

Team Flies at All:

When I put up the call to see if other members where interested in participating I was shocked when almost 20 people came to the first meeting.  At that meeting two opposing directions were posed for our entry.  One was a craft that would be as crazy as possible that would just be fun to look at and not attempt flight in a meaning full way.  The second was “team flies at all” who thought the fun part of the project would be the challenges of making a craft that would generate lift.  As the next weeks went on that second team was the only group that kept meeting and planning.  

Material choice and testing:

At one of the first design meetings Jon Drayna brought in a sample that he had worked on that week that would become the structure of our design.  It was 1 inch pink insulation board laminated on either side with 2mm strips of wood.  This made the normally flexible material very ridged while still being extremally light weight.

With this structure in mind I went to work in Fusion 360 and modeled up a craft.  Using a paper added to a google drive the team was sharing I was able to design a parametric air foil that would in theory provide high lift at low speed.  I even devoted the weekly Fusion 360 class to making an airfoil.  Below is a link to that class and the parametric airfoil Fusion 360 file will be in the link at the bottom.

We chose to cover our wings with window cling film.  I think this is one of the best choices we made.  Even though the film required lots of care it was cheap and light weight compared to alternatives.  On the day of the event we saw boat vinyl and lots of other materials but I stand by our window film.  Another decision that I was happy with on our craft were the ridged supports in the front and back of our wing.  Lots of teams chose not to do this and their air foil shapes were lost due to the shrinking material. 

Our biggest lesson:

If you have ever attempted to do something for the first time before you know that it usually doesn’t work.  We all had lots of optimism about our chances to “fly” but it takes practice to learn new things.  You can’t make an omelet with out breaking a few eggs.  On Flugtag our point of failure was the cart.  We knew that if the back of the cart were to push up on the back of the glider it would push the nose down right into the water.  We had taken care to design a two part cart that would we thought drop away from the craft with the use of a one way hinge mechanism.  The idea was as the front of the cart holding the glider went off the edge it would fall down bending at the hinge and not creating leverage lifting the back of the glider.  Maybe it was swelling due to humidity or jus the paint being sticky but this was our point of failure.   You can see in the video the cart breaking part of the tail as it forced it up and as soon as it fell away the wings started to work.  It was too late at that point though.

I use used a bad word in that last paragraph, failure.  At least most people think of it as a bad word.  Lets reframe that right now.  Failure is what happens on the path to success.  Failure is what happens when you are pushing your self far beyond your current capabilities and knowledge.  No one has ever learned something from success it is failure that teaches us and failure that motivates us.  

We failed to fly but we succeeded at working together to build one of the coolest projects to ever come out of this building.  It was so much fun working with everyone that pitched in for an hour or two or for weeks on end.  The bravest member of the Makerspace, Faith, got to stand on a stage in front of 50,000 people and answer questions about what a the Milwaukee Makerspace is.  I have zero regret except for maybe not jumping of the edge of the ramp…

Open Source Everything:

We learned so much.  You can take a look at our CAD files and build images and learn with us.  All are at the link below for you to copy and improve.

Open Source Project Link.

Ever get excited after seeing an YouTube video?  It happens to me all the time.  When I was Thomas Sanladerer‘s video on using an MSLA printer to make PCB’s I knew I had to try it.  In fact I have worked it into February’s Model Monday project.  This month we will be designing an Addressable LED strip control box electronics and all.  You might not know that Fusion 360 can do electronics design but after a few classes you’ll be up to speed and ready to design.

I have been looking for an excuse to learn more about the electronics design work space in Fusion 360 and I had a member request it as a project.  It’s great to be able to have electronics parts and cad design all in the same software.  This is going to be a fun one with lots of new things to learn for all of us.  Join us Mondays @7pm live or watch the recordings on YouTube at your convenience.

A few weeks ago a friend asked if I could help with a project for his wife’s new salon and I jumped at the opportunity.  I had been looking for a project that would mean using the big new 100W laser since it was donated.  My friend sent over a design and I got to cutting.

This is by far my favorite laser we have.  The software is easy to use and the laser makes aligning the uncut piece in the laser bed a breeze.  This project was also a chance to show off some of the new things I am learning in Blender to make a nice rendering of the final product.

Are you a boat or home owner?  Do you wish paying your bills was more fun?  Do you have stacks of cash sitting around just taking up space?  Well this is the project for you!  Over the next month we will be designing version 2 of the Rain Maker.  It’s a tool that you load with cash and then launch at about the speed most of my project eat cash lately.  Version 2 you ask?  That’s right most of the longer projects we model in class take me several attempts to get right.  Here is a link so you can see it in action. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYP6pMlIizE/

The first draft lets me work out the ideas and see if I can get a working prototype.   In this case I knew I wanted to try over molding like our favorite tool company here in Milwaukee and I was not sure if my cash accelerator device would work.  About a hundred hours of printing later I can tell you it does and I learned a lot of do’s and don’t when over molding on 3d printed parts.  I do really like the feel of the urathane rubber in my hand and it is so much fun to see money shooting our the front of the tool.  This is going to be a fun one so join us Mondays @ 7pm or watch the series on YouTube.

Sparks!  The VDG produces about 400 kV.

Then I found a plastic bucket and the fun really started.  We had kids and many adults who were definitely much too heavy, standing on the bucket and making their hair stand up with moms, dads, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, partners all taking pictures.   I had to move one gentleman who was breathing oxygen from a tank away from the machine.  Fortunately, no one fell off the bucket or caught on fire, and next year we’ll do it right and take a block of styrofoam for people to fall off of  to stand on.

Kylee was ready to join the Makerspace just for this… and with that shirt, she’d fit right in!

Blondes really do have more fun!

Even Gordon couldn’t resist!

Last year Son of MegaMax (a 3D printer built at the Milwaukee Makerspace) went to the Faire.  This year he had two companions to keep him company- an extra-beefy printer being built by Erich Zeimantz: MiniMax XY.  MMXY isn’t complete yet, but promises to be a super high quality, high speed printer.  He’ll be operational at next year’s Maker Faire.  SoM also brought his big brother, Ultra MegaMax Dominator, named that because he is ultra, mega, maximum, and he dominates.

MiniMax XY at Milwaukee Maker Faire

Ultra MegaMax Dominator and Son of MegaMax at the Milwaukee Maker Faire

UMMD and SoM rotated between the booth and the dark room where the both printers’ UV lighting and fluorescent filament was a big hit.

UMMD in the Dark Room at Milwaukee Maker Faire 2017

We had a few things besides 3D printers at the booth.  Tony brought in some Bismuth crystals to give away, and surprisingly, they didn’t all disappear in the first hour.  Tony thinks people left them because the Makerspace logo on the info board on which the crystals were sitting looked a lot like the skull and crossbones that usually indicates poison.  The crystals do have an other-worldly toxic look about them.  Oh well…

Bismuth Crystal

Marcin’s LED signs on the table at the booth and hanging above the entrance to the Dark Room were also very popular and hard to miss, though I managed not to take any pictures of either.  The one above the Dark Room was so bright that if you saw it, you’ve probably still got its image burned into your retinas.

Everyone involved had a great time and we’ll be there again next year with even more cool stuff!

The photo above was taken in March of 2013, just two months after we moved into the building that is now home to Milwaukee Makerspace. Before January of 2013 we were located in the Chase Commerce Center, and Royce was the President, and Willie came to Royce with the idea of using the space to build a boat.

On the left side of the photo is the frame that Willie would build his boat upon. For the next (nearly) five years, anyone who came through the space for a tour, or showed up for an event, would at some point be told “And this where Willie is building a boat.”

Every week, or month, you’d see some progress. Willie would be working diligently on the boat. He thought it would be done in 2015, and then he thought it would be done in 2016, and finally, In August of 2017 the boat (named “LOY”) was ready…

And on September 2nd, 2017 Willie, along with his family, and friends, and members of the space, celebrated, and launched the boat into Lake Michigan. It was a beautiful day, and I’m not just talking about the weather. It was the culmination of years of work, and a testament to what Milwaukee Makerspace can be.

Royce, one of the Founders of Milwaukee Makerspace, said a few words about Willie, LOY, and the space. Royce doesn’t get to the space as often as he used to (kids, life, etc.) but it was great to see him talk about Willie and the boat, and how it all came together to happen at the space.

Willie pours champagne on the wreath at the bow of the boat. Much better than smashing a bottle against the hull!

It’s nearly in the water! Wolfgang mans the lines and keeps things steady for the moment LOY touches the waters of Lake Michigan for the first time.

It floats! Willie made a joke that most boats only sink one time. He then got to work doing all the rigging necessary for a sailboat. There’s a lot of setup involved for the masts, sails, rudder, etc.

Captain Willie in command! Ready for the maiden voyage of LOY.

And they’re off! Seeing LOY sail away was an emotional experience. Many of our members know what it’s like to build large and complex projects, and some members know what it’s like to work on a project for years, but seeing that beautiful boat, and knowing all of the hours Willie put into it… it was something to behold.

Also, check out Carl’s video of the launch. It does a great job of compressing the morning into a few minutes, and hopefully you get a feel for the excitement of the day.

Finally, if you want to see LOY in person (and you should!) Willie will have his breathtaking creation at Maker Faire Milwaukee on September 23 & 24, 2017.

There are many possible solutions.  I can add a heater to the exit port to prevent formation of ice, or dry the air going into the box using a dessicant cannister or maybe just use water ice instead of dry ice if the higher temperature will still cool the chocolate adequately.   Maybe using an old miniature freezer with an air hose coiled inside would do the job.  It would be really interesting if I could use the waste heat from a freezer to keep the chocolate liquified and flowing.  Back to the drawing board!

A couple weeks ago I got a blower from American Science and Surplus and this week I got it running by using a model airplane ESC and servo tester to drive its brushless DC motor.  It appears to be capable of blowing much more air than I’ll need.  There are many unknowns yet to test.  How much chilled air/CO2 will it take to solidify the chocolate after it leaves the extruder?  How long will a block of dry ice last when used this way?  Will ice build-up inside the chiller box adversely affect its performance?

I designed and printed three parts for this system- a mount to attach the blower to a foam box up to 1.5″ thick, a hose coupler to allow delivery of the chilled air/CO2 to the print, and a hole saw to cut holes to fit the other two parts.   The printed parts fit as if they were designed for the job!

3D printed hole saw

Hose connected to hose coupler

Hose coupler parts

Blower mount for air chiller box