How to Finish Your Weekend Projects in One Weekend

[@ZackFreedman]

I've updated the Git repo with improved firmware, instructions, a BOM, and a wiring diagram. This project is ready for you to build! Clone, download, or fork at github.com/ZackFreedman/Big-Wheel

[@CarlesMateu]

Built it! had a free weekend, but it's easier following your guide that doing it for the first time, so, you doing this in a weekend amazes me !!!! Now to modify the firmware (I wanted it for OBS Studio), and software is my trade, so I guess I can add some improvements that will be my contribution back to the community. Ah! One detail, there's a typo on the electronics schematic, you state that bottom knob B goes to pin 10, but it should go to 14 (10 is already used by wheel_b) as it's stated on the firmware.

[@DEVUNK88]

is there a way to get fusion360 for free? I know at one time before they updated their subscription there was an option to use it free? it does not appear that is the case any more

[@ZackFreedman]

@@DEVUNK88 You can get an educational license for free, assuming you're using the software for your personal projects: www.autodesk.com/education/edu-software/overview?sorting=featured&page=1

[@DEVUNK88]

@@ZackFreedman Thank you this is the page I have been looking for but couldnt seem to find! Thanks Zack!

[@ZackFreedman]

@@DEVUNK88 It's my pleasure. Go build something cool!

[@ClokworkGremlin]

This channel has some of the most clickbait-looking videos that have turned out to be 100% worth watching that I have ever seen. It's like the complete opposite of Buzzfeed.

[@ZackFreedman]

Thanks! Hyperbole is pretty much necessary for KZbin, so I want to make over-the-top videos that live up to the hype.

[@Uzi3055]

Yeah I don’t even care about this topic but I’m watching cause I always learn something when I watch Zack

[@biozgamer5445]

There is this channel with clickbaity thumbnails, it's real... it's all real, but the thumbnails are just in one of the classic clickbait formats

[@peterbarnes3121]

Thanks. That was a semesters intro to desing in 12 minutes. Excellent job.

[@ZackFreedman]

Thank you very much! I wish more engineering schools had prototyping classes; building stuff in a hurry is a different set of challenges than traditional engineering.

[@illyau]

I agree, very well made video. I'll actually use these prototyping tricks on the projects I'm currently working on for my study!

[@yiyang4445]

@@ZackFreedman I'm a sophomore in Purdue, and every engineering project is kind of rush lol

[@BeefIngot]

Desing?

[@HvV8446]

@@BeefIngot he’s studying engineering or design or something, not english I do however somewhat disagree with zacks mindset of: finish it before a certain time. For harmless weekend projects? Go for it, but for big projects like heavy machinery, ships or buildings, DO NOT DO THAT. Im studying safety and security management and a lot of accidents happen because people are running out of time, corners are cut, stuff goes wrong and people end up hurt or dead

[@Michele-ue5eu]

Liked because you are a bro and commented your code and not just threw spaghetti at us

[@Mourdraug]

I'll take clean code over spaghetti with tons of comments any day.

[@syriuszb8611]

@@Mourdraug Yeah, writing summaries is important, but if you need to write a ton of comments that probably means you have block of code that should have been collapsed into new function or method.

[@oasntet]

@@Mourdraug Not everybody can churn out clean code for a weekend warrior project. Some vague notes about what each bit does is worlds better than most hobbyist projects.

[@Mourdraug]

@@oasntet writing an extra line or three for each bit of code instead of writing short, single purpose methods with meaningful name speeds up coding how exactly?

[@cinnamonkittamon]

@@Mourdraug probably less thinking. Time spent organising and thinking about names is time spent not typing. Then again, maybe that doesn't actually have any effect.

[@balobreached]

I came for vague keyboard tech. I stayed for the beautiful curly haired prince. 👏😤

[@MorganToDOPE]

"a project that is really rough is better than a project sitting in a box in your back room that you'll finish 'someday'." THAT'S MY PREROGATIVE OKAY!!! I'm sorry, that one just cut real deep...

[@coreyroberts3342]

"...and I had an entire weekend to myself", annnnnd there it is, just gotta find these unicorn weekends.

[@tseawell90]

you cant find a free weekend?

[@coreyroberts3342]

@@tseawell90 Not an entire weekend, there always seems to be other stuff that needs to get done.

[@MykKessler]

You just not have kids or be married lol. Enjoy your freedom.

[@tseawell90]

@@coreyroberts3342 ok whatever

[@kevinyoussef9821]

69 yeeee

[@obiomachukwuocha4918]

This honestly is great intro vid for any engineers working on a senior project. Two days somes up the plans for the first semester. Research ahead of time, Test as you go, something's better than nothing are prolly the best advice you can have. - Senior Mechanical Engineer Student, 2021

[@handdancin]

i love the philosophy / mindset tips. identifying "finishing" as an overriding design consideration is revalatory! "design for finishing" > "design for manufacture"

[@oasntet]

Or worse, "design for perfection" or "design for feature completeness". I need to cut most of my unfinished projects down to maybe 25% of their scope so I can just get one dang version finished. Then maybe I can think about V2.

[@andrew2004sydney]

Good suggestions on project timing and thanks for sharing your designs. I have a few suggestions. 1. Could have used a PCB for the project - if not a custom designed one, then a piece of strip board. 2. Could use much thinner wire to connect between switches. 3. With code comments, write the comments first. Then just write the actual code based on what the comments say that each section should do.

[@hippie-io7225]

The nice thing about using a PCB (besides faster assembly) is that you have a product when you are done. I have been using Diptrace for my PCB designs for over 7 years. Diptrace gave me far fewer errors than when I used a high-ticket PCB systems costing 20x more! (Besides being more feature-rich , easier to use and no yearly update fee) Concerning code and comments: The best code has NO comments. Instead of epagab(void); // Eat pizza and grab a beer.... do this ..... EatPizza_And_GrabaBeer(void); no comment needed. I've been programming since the late '60's. The comment thing started as a necessity due to very poor hardware availability (small memory/storage) It has since then, become a bad habit substitute for better code writing. Writing your project as pseudo code (outline form) is a great idea.

[@aitchpea6011]

Dude, you've barely started on KZbin yet you've got some amazing builds and breakdowns. Can't wait til I get to say "I watched him back when...."

[@chainfire95]

Do you have any advice for restarting those half finished projects that are just boxes in the back room?

[@UanoCraff]

I have no background on the subject, but from 29 years as an expert procrastinator (30+ forgotten browser tabs per week) - if you haven't been actively developing or redesigning it for a month, go the Nintendo route: Take it apart, then reuse the components, design ideas and/or gained knowledge in your next project. EDIT: Hopefully you've been keeping documented backups of your projects for future reference

[@racketman2u]

@@UanoCraff yes! it's amazing how often a new project takes shape really quickly as you realise that if you clip this part of that project onto that part of another project, you are 80% there already!

[@LizardPilled]

Speaking of weekend projects; what's the deal with your HMD?

[@ZackFreedman]

It’s a modified Epson Moverio that I use as a teleprompter. One of these days it’ll get its own video...

[@digistruct0r245]

I know the point of this was to make it in a few days, but is there a chance you're going to iterate on it with a custom PCB design?

[@rampage_sl]

Yess please

[@KnightMirkoYo]

Why though? For this kind of project (keyboard), just wiring it like this is probably the most logical approach.

[@Timbofett28]

@@KnightMirkoYo as someone who has never mapped and hand wired circuts, that's definitely the most intimidating part. It was my first thought, too.

[@kendarr]

@@Timbofett28 it looks complex but isn't, think of it as 2 lines, one horizontal and one vertical, that's all Those wires were doing, but there are a few rows, so it looks like a mess but it's not difficult to build

[@GridDweller77]

I feel like I'm learning things that I never even knew that I should know as rock hard fact and rules. I think I found one of my new favorite youtubers

[@jacobm2625]

Most of it is things that are obvious once you’ve done rapid prototyping. That’s why more job experience = more pay most of the time. 80% of grasping any field of work is knowing how to avoid all the dumb mistakes and have a streamlined workflow.

[@Sholto_David]

This was just straight up good advice. I'm not even going to build anything this weekend and I'm already feeling on track.

[@JAYTEEAU]

Fantastic job Zack. Also "I got up at the crack of noon" is now my thing 😂Cheers JAYTEE

[@sethtrey]

"Always make test prints" prevents much plastic waste. I have learned this by trial and error several times, and will probably learn it a few more times before I know it. Thank you for all these wonderfully practical insights.

[@Hellsong89]

"I gotta get this done by sunday evening, if i wont project will end up sitting in storage room for ever" Huh? Never had this issue. Sure some of my projects are years old and not finished, but that is more of lacking funds to get all needed parts or need to make tool projects to get those steps done. Thankfully i sometimes over time manage to get needed parts for free being patient and keeping my eyes open.

[@Nathendov]

I find myself coming back to this every couple of months. This is a must watch for new engineers or experienced procrastinators with boxes of unfinished projects like me. Thanks a lot for making this informative repremand I never knew I needed.

[@uint16_t]

Stop the callouts!! I'll finish that project!

[@Max_Arjona]

Well. Time to see if I can’t finish swapping the automatic transmission in my car to manual by Sunday.

[@Max_Arjona]

The answer was yes. Yes I could. And I did.

[@bricogeekcom]

Hey, really great project and great mindset on how to get things done. Keep the good work!

[@andrewlhoover]

I came here from Instructables for the device; I'm staying for the presentation. Nice work all around!

[@ishigamiyu1991]

He's just William Osman but smarter

[@AW_DIY_garage]

My weekend project is a Datsun 510 that has been off the road for over 2 years. You crushed this dude and these are amazing tips.

[@ZackFreedman]

Thank you! Good luck!

[@phrebh]

This speaks to a project I have coming up. Parts are in place, but my knowledge is light in some areas for it. But instead of starting another never-ending project, I think I can give myself a week (a weekend really won't do). Thanks!

[@ZackFreedman]

Awesome! That's a good outlook; you'll move faster if you have a goal to hit. Try to break your big idea down into standalone mini-projects that you can combine later - that way, if you run into trouble, you've still finished something usable.

[@ronwhite7089]

A better title would be “How to finish your weekend project in the weekend”

[@knexpert100]

Finally finished swapping out and upgrading the motor, speed controller and throttle control on my decade old Razor E300.

[@ZackFreedman]

Nice! There’s no feeling like finishing a project.

[@Manofcube]

1:30 Mans can't afford the $200 unit because he spent $400 on Teensies.

[@sarowie]

well: he can spend more money on teensies and make the money back by making a video about essentially making a video about video production. Increasing his efficiency of making content while making content. Brilliant.

[@seejjordan]

So many good tips in this. ty. Keep' em coming Zach!

[@qmey]

Man, that's awesome! It kinda remember me everytime I use ZOOM and have to use hotkeys to control the mic, de camera on/off and some other little s...t.

[@philhario3640]

I think this is really excellent advice, but I think it is worth noting here that a lot of this advice does require a great deal of specialism. By now, I assume Zach has tens of thousands of hours of experience doing these projects, to the extent where technical hurdles are taken in stride. For example, at 3:08 "You need to aggressively cut out all tedious tasks like manually changing dimensions..." This is great, except for many people new to the hobby, learning how to automate tasks in Fusion 360 might, itself, take entire weeks. Similarly, the idea of prototyping and printing a complicated 3D project might take weeks or months of spare time if you're new to the hobby. On the other side of Zach's advice is the idea that you need to realistically budget your time and to take things step-by-step, regardless of how many weekends it may take. The advice here is equally applicable to things like woodworking. An experienced woodworker can knock out a project in a weekend. A beginner is confused what tools are available, what plans are required, and how to assemble everything properly. So in a sense, the video is preaching to the choir --- other specialists. I think a lot of the advice is still good, though, like setting strong limitations on your time, or understanding that "it's better to have a crappy complete version than an incomplete version that sits in a box indefinitely".

[@SteveBakerIsHere]

The problem is with a project that doesn't end on Sunday night - and continues to steal bits of time during the following week. Instead, better to steal bits of time pre-preparing in the preceding week - so you have a lot more stuff done before the weekend starts. Also, large projects are just collections of smaller projects - just divide it up so that each weekend is a complete sub-task that can be designed, built and tested by itself.

[@kikdtd]

this is quickly becoming my new favourite channel

[@erebostd]

These controllers are around 10-30 bucks from china. But nothing beats a selfmade one 😁👍

[@kalgrandy2101]

I really liked this. I really have a hard time finishing my projects (now that I’m actually deciding to build them) and this was helpful. Love the channel!

[@timmurphy4844]

Parametric design yeah, planning yeah i can do that, take a low risk project that you have previous skills in errrrrr nope i'm out

[@Paul-ty1bv]

Whoops. I came here for "Finnish" weekend projects. My mistake.

[@HippyHouse]

Plot twist...he’s right handed but writes mirrored like Da Vinci

[@ZackFreedman]

It’s true. I need to mirror the whole video so you folks can see what the hell I’m doing.

[@HippyHouse]

@@ZackFreedman haha awesome

[@Masterrex]

Step 1... don't have kids.

[@LTVG.]

I'm happy that its not just my design sketches that look like crap.

[@darth_dan8886]

Remember, the number one reason for running out of time is having a deadline.

[@ColinJWiens]

I really like your advice about test fits and redundant screws. That part about soldering the diodes backwards was hilarious. I made a similar macro "keyboard" for 2D animating. It's 4 dip switches and 1 encoder so far... because that's the bare bones that I need. I've been using it on a breadboard for 6 months since I can't be bothered to make it look good. Eventually I'll finish designing a slim keyboard with 3 encoders and custom dampers to silence the downstroke AND upstroke of the mechanical keys.

[@jacobkruse1495]

Holy shit I was designing something very similar to this for use in Resolve. Thank you for doing the hard work sir!

[@paullee107]

Don’t get offended, but this is the best thing you’ve made! (I like the glasses too!!) it’s using an arduino teensy? I don’t know that one... I love this. Is there any GitHub or better howto??

[@paullee107]

How much was this build? My 3D printer arrived today!

[@the_ultimo]

thanks for the vids, really helped me focus, keep it up please!

[@HenriBorov]

Love that I found your channel, all your content seems to entertain me enough to put off studying for my exams

[@Paintballman251]

I get strong Dudeist vibes from your vids and I love it! Abide brother, abide.

[@ZackFreedman]

That’s just, like, your opinion man

[@djSpinege]

a DIY stream deck with knobs and maybe faders would be Rad.

[@EasyMac308]

What screwdriver is that you're using? It looks handy.

[@ZackFreedman]

I’m using the ES120 electric screwdriver. The manual driver and bits are a kit from iFixit. I highly recommend both, even if the screwdriver’s torque is limited.

[@RobinGerritsen1995]

Why using a diode? You just need a pull-up or pull-down resistor. Many microcontrollers have a pull-up built-in.

[@ZackFreedman]

The diodes prevent ghosting. They aren't strictly necessary, but I didn't want to do the math to figure out which keys could be held down simultaneously.

[@jmspaceR]

I am making a model rocket and I am far away of finishing it, although I am already a year out of my schedule!

[@1NIGHTMAREGAMER]

how about custom 5-10 key light up sound board

[@qazimashhood]

its a wonder that u got it working in 2 days. Job well done

[@ZackFreedman]

It’s all down to solid project planning and careful fabrication. You can do it too!

[@Kr-oy2bo]

I don't know how you showed up on my feed, but I am happy you did!

[@B1GTOBACC0]

I tend to take on larger projects (4-6 weekend stuff), but this is still great advice. I used to come into the weekend and think "I'll just finish what I can this weekend." Now I have a plan by Friday about exactly what I want to do by Sunday evening. I'm better at estimating my time, get more done, and manage to put my tools away each weekend instead of leaving them out because "I'm still using that."

[@thiloswift8035]

i always enjoy your videos, thanks dude!

[@arctic_angel7408]

i clicked to watch you build it and i stayed because you taught us how to build a weekend project not just this specific thing. (i may or may not have an unfinished RC boat behind me right now)

[@binitshah]

Pretty solid advice for hackathons too. Throw in travel to another university and turn-in deadline by Sunday noon, and pretty much no one attempts hardware projects. Of course, that's what makes the hardware projects that much more impressive.

[@ZackFreedman]

Oh, yeah. Hackathons were the crucibles where I really tightened up my process. I love making hardware at hackathons; it relieves a lot of the pressure to build a gorgeous UI, and sponsors love the photo ops.

[@binitshah]

​@@ZackFreedman Haha yes they really do. Good stuff man, I'll show this video around when the next hackathon happens.

[@pazka]

I can't thank you enough for the amount of extra work you put in to explain to us the amount of extra work you put into your project to avoid the amount of extra work you would have to put in if somehting had gone wrong. Thank you !

[@Bakamoichigei]

Hey, I've got a tip for you for making a cool wheel for the encoder... Model it with a shallow groove around the outside, and glue in a length of MT2 timing belt, with the teeth out. It's awesome. 👍

[@ZackFreedman]

That's a really cool idea. My hackerspace has a bunch of surplus timing belts hanging somewhere; maybe I'll cut one up when I have some free time.

[@Bakamoichigei]

@@ZackFreedman Yeah, I still don't know why it occurred to me...but I was working on a big dial to add to a control panel and just thought "Hey, y'know what'd be cool..." and I had a bunch of loose timing belt for 3D printers and stuff. Sure beat _printing_ the ridges into the design, _and_ it's rubberized!

[@GreyDeathVaccine]

Watching your movies, I am more and more convinced of buying a 3d printer. What budget , best bang for a buck, printer should I buy?

[@ZackFreedman]

Ooh, this is a loaded question. The design decisions needed to make a printer budget-friendly also make it more finicky and higher-maintenance - IE, less appropriate for beginners. I always recommend my printer, the Prusa i3 Mk3S, which is more midrange in price, but is one of the best consumer printers available. Consider buying the kit - Prusa's instructions are clear and easy to follow.

[@GreyDeathVaccine]

@@ZackFreedman Maintenance - I didn't take this factor into account. Thank you for pointing this out. I will add your printer to the candidate list.

[@OctaMagOS]

Zack, will you ever do a video on how you got to where you are today, like your education, job experience and such, I would love to learn the things you have.

[@williamkavanagh9734]

i am an ABSOLUTE beginner to electronics and coding. where do i start? would love more intel on keyboard wirings and micro controllers and all that.

[@ZackFreedman]

This is a super complex question because it depends on what you'd like to build. I recommend finding a project that gets you excited, and searching for resources that will help you solve problems along the way.

[@andrewlhoover]

You need one killer project that you absolutely NEED to build. This fire will maintain you while you're learning. After that, I would recommend learning about the topic - KZbin articles, Facebook Groups, discord channels and just good ole' fashioned Google. This will give you the language to learn more. Then take some online classes so that you can get some structured training, saving time on 'discovering' what you didn't know you needed to know. Udemy is a good place to start there. Cheap and tons of topics. Lastly, tinker. Get kits, some basic tools and instruments, and go to town. Don't spend a boatload on stuff you don't know how to use yet. Let your education advance your toolset. Just my two cents.

[@MatSmithLondon]

This is excellent. I have just built my multisensor (pretty ceiling mount thing with ESP32, various sensors, ventilation for temp sensors, adjustable baffles for PIR to block certain angles etc...) - NOT a weekend project! Spent way too long modelling the nubs that lock the sensor housing onto the backplate (like 5 days of testing and printing) and almost ran out of steam, tonnes of testing for various sensor holders, pretty patterns for ventilation holes, projected onto cylindrical sides... eugh! Tried to cram the whole lot into a 40mm deep housing and almost failed. Problem is that I'm a perfectionist and it does not come as second nature what you said about "a rough job is better than no job"! I'm still going at it. Anyway your video was highly relatable and applicable to me and my projects too - so I will try to take note of your points and work on them next time. (If interested, theres a vid on my channel showing my sensor after first prototype)

[@KnightMirkoYo]

Your advice is applicable to many more things than prototyping. E.g., just finishing a song based on a self-imposed deadline is infinitely better, than trying to make it perfect and never releasing it as a result.

[@xxbongobazookaxx7170]

Building a tiny ESP8266 RC forklift over my birthday weekend next week to break in my first 3D printer, ill try to keep this stuff in mind. Plan is for the forklift to eventually become a hungry hungry hippos style family friendly chaos game but the only thing next week will be getting an initial PLA prototype build done as quickly as possible to replicate 4 times with more suitable materials and manufacturing methods over the next week while I have access to the uni workshop

[@MechMX]

This is one of the best projects I have seen on KZbin! Even if this was just a weekend project, you still taught applicable lessons for larger projects. The video deck looked awesome and you showed us how to make it too, nice work!

[@padmalayarawal3091]

That's amazing. I always look for such out of the box content instead of arduino doing something. 🤩

[@ho0t0w1]

Ive been a) looking at macro boards like the ones you mentioned, AND b) I've been steadily building all my electronics if possible, and had THIS idea this morning. I didn't search anything even close to giving the algorithm hints, this just... Happened. Wild. Im putting 6 knobs on mine 😅 *Edit: just got to the github upload bit and the someone else's project comment. I just... Is this real life?

[@Timbofett28]

1. I'm absolutely obsessed with your videos! I've never subbed so fast. 2. As a wedding videographer and broke keeb enthusiasts, i have been wanting to build a macropad for editing!!!! I would love to see this puppy in action! Does it help your workflow??? What are your keys/knobbies bound to?? I NEED ANSWERS. K thanks. Love you bye

[@R3N0T3]

Those rainbow assortment boxes are so beautiful! Where i can get them?!?!?!!!!!!!!(edit: i just found the video where you make the organiser :D ) ....... Also nice video, nice content easy to watch , informative, well recorded. Subscribed - thanks for your time!

[@JimmyKeeseeJr]

This is one of the best build videos I've ever seen. You focused on the process, not the knitty-gritty. Sharing this with our engineering students. Thanks for the thought and energy you put into this. you have a bright future on the tubiverse!

[@taspatspro]

Got an ender 3 pro, I guess I found my first project ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ After I configure/setup the printer of course 😒

[@zappedcustomdesigns788]

I would never make this ( I dont think haha) but your content is fuckin gold man. Absolutely love your humor and wit. GRIDFINITY FOR THE WIN!

[@eugenechang]

This is AWESOME! Found this video and project yesterday, and Voila! photos.app.goo.gl/yygD6euVFzcRPJtx5 Now just wait for other components to come.

[@moiquiregardevideo]

That is a multiple engineers work. Mechanical, PCB and schematics, firmware, high level windows/Linux interface, field tester. But you prepared for three weeks before, so one weekend is enough. Reminds me of a school project: controlling a 6 axis robot arm. Got the entire project in a weekend. Starting from step motor with S curve acceleration up to menu selection, real time keyboard interaction. The code in 6809 assembler was 30 pages long. Electronic class teacher not impressed by two chip parallel port interface to trs80/coco2 computer.

[@paulpease8254]

So, uh, how do you deal with the unexpected setbacks? I know I have no skills and leave myself plenty of time to learn as I go, but then there is always something that stumps me. Like why does my accelerometer controlled LED work fine when powering the MCU through USB but it locks up when running off other power supply? That project won’t work unless it works on a battery 😢 Speaking of which, please do a video or series of videos on best ways to power different MCUs and projects. Bad juice = failure.

[@thespencerowen]

I love it, more please. I want more insight into your methodologies. I’m rethinking how I build to be faster like you.

[@av3ng3r-49]

I thought I couldn't do these projects because I don't have a 3d printer, but the PCB places have printing options now, maybe you could test a few? Thanks for the files, I'm going to get making!

[@TriconPOE]

Did you figure out why 14x14mm didnt work for your switch holes? Kailh box switches have different dimensions or something? Or was the plate too thick? I've printed 14x14x1.5mm holes and they fit surprisingly well for me.

[@stevemazza]

Loving your videos... consistenty awesome content! Note: in the same way you sketch your diagrams before soldering, you might consider commenting your code before writing any of it. Just saying... Did I mention I'm loving your videos???

[@oasntet]

Yikes, this video is like you're directly calling me out on my unfinished projects. Yes, that's my back room, too. And my closet. And my basement. Problem is, they're all projects too big for a weekend, at least without a bunch more exploratory work to test for viability... Maybe a video covering exploring the unknown as a followup?

[@angeloslikos1167]

I was trying some little different, the project is, a 1024x768 screen in linux, and i want to program a encoder to control a mouse wheel action, but with the courser to move to a specific spot (900 x 200) on the screen before scrolling the mouse regardless where on the screen the courser was. I don't know if that makes senses. In plain, when you turn the encoder, for the courser to move to 900x200 pixels on the screen and then scroll the mouse wheel every time regardless where the courser used to be. I use a Teensy 3.2 I hope that makes senses. Any help will be appreciated. Angelos

[@specialfred453]

I know I'm probably a bit ridiculous for this, but I wouldn't have even considered building this device without a PCB. I just love PCBs.

[@devcybiko]

Time traveling from 2022… Another component to your build or buy decision is whether you are willing to spend your time as Capital on this project… If you calculate your time is worth $100 an hour now it's a question of whether the 16 hours you spent building the device is worth more than the $200 you would've spent buying one off the shelf

[@datanchovies2507]

has this been shared with Taren from LTT, I'd like to see what he comes up with

[@bluephreakr]

Taren just uses pre-fabbed keyboards with his own caps and software. THis man _built his own controller._ Not everybody is a teensy ninja like Zack.

[@WernerBeroux]

I'd actually not recommend most people to follow such pressure and risky approach. For such projects, I'd make the first iteration complete with everything at least for the Mark I: Use cases, CAD, circuit, software, simulations, planned materials and components... Might look like taking more time but it's often saves time by avoiding to redo completely some aspects.

[@KX36]

so what you're saying is... in order to finish my project quickly, I should buy a 3D printer. Thanks, I'm off to start researching which one to buy, how to tinker with it for hundreds of hours to optimise its efficiency, and how to 3D model ;-)

[@kylergeston]

I really like this video deck project. I have not seen anything else like this one and I'm interested in one. Since I don't own a 3D printer or laser cutter (and don't plan on purchasing) is it possible to purchase these custom designed parts directly from you? Also could you make this project available as a complete kit, with everything included, ready to assemble? If Yes, provide link in comments where to order. Thank you.

[@Nazarus007]

You have any issues with Teensy devices not working after a computer wakes from sleep? Struggling to figure out what it's getting hung up on. Had to install a powered USB Hub to so I could power cycle the board.

[@dimasbka]

Gorgeous project, thanks for publishing! 0 - oh yes, grinded from datasheets is a pain in the ass :) 1 - fill balls under the encoder, you can, it will stop wobbling like now 2 - I would make the seat of the board differently, leaving space for the wire on the sides, perhaps I would even add grooves or wire clips on the board itself

[@durururururururu]

my first project was Translation circuit for PS2 controller to USB using Arduino pro micro. It worked like a charm. Except a few bugs.

[@Equality7-2521]

While a strategy is fine for completing/achieving goals, whether that be a major construction job, designing and building an electronics project, or learning to play a guitar, but if your inner mind is not aligned with your goals, it will sabotage the results. If you reprogram your inner mind, anything is achievable, obstacles and excuses cease to exit. "As a person thinkth, so it will be done".

[@JayFJones]

I rarely comment, but when I do it is for items that I find perplexing. At 1:25 you describe the concept of having an entire weekend to yourself. How does that work? Is there a committee you go through? Is there a process you follow? How often does an entire weekend to yourself happen? Who is your advocate? How? I need to know HOW??!!?!!!

[@Armadurapersonal]

Worst thing for me is the shipping and supply issues. If I'm missing a critical part I didn't foresee in the design phase it's either 1-2 months of wait from Aliexpress/Banggood with the possibility of not getting it at all because it got lost in the post or 1-2 weeks but 2-3 times the price due shipping from US Amazon.

[@familyguy0398]

Do you have any tips about ongoing projects? Right now I have an automated garden to which I consistently improve, build upon and add new features. Because of the nature of the project there will always be room for improvement. I devote a decent amount of each day to this project (granted, a lot less time than if I weren't automating everything) so, where do I draw the line? If I put less time and work into the project it will require more maintenance, but if I work on it too much, I will waste time and the project will stagnate. Any tips are appreciated by you or the community!

[@talongrayson]

The only thing I would add to this is: don't drink all your power-up potion on Friday night as recovering from the hangover will eat into your time on Saturday (and possibly Sunday). Maybe limit yourself to 8 beers per day, and use them as a reward for hitting milestones.

[@commenter4799]

I've been drinking White Russians all night. I can do that because Ohio doesn't sell real booze on Sundays. This video makes me want to make an Age of Empires type games hotkey controller.