South Carolina Datasets

 There are a good number of datasets available online for mapping and gis applications. Here is a list of a few I have used:

1) SCDNR GIS data: https://data-scdnr.opendata.arcgis.com/

2) Data.gov: https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/?tags=sc

3) Most counties have GIS sites, such as: Greenville County SC: https://www.gcgis.org/

These datasets can be used as layers in QGIS or other GIS software.

LuLu Publishing Review

 Lulu offers an economical way to print one offs. I have printed several books, both in B&W and color and have been extremely pleased with the results. Lulu offers many options for printing books. The options I have used so far are as follows:

Book, >500 Pages (so far)
Print Book: US Letter (8.5 x 11 in / 216 x 279 mm),
Print Book: Digest (5.5 x 8.5 in / 140 x 216),
Standard Black & White,
Premium Color,
80# White,
60# White,
Paperback,
Glossy Cover - cover created using Lulu's cover designer
Perfect bound

I generate my content with a python program that I wrote. This program produces print ready pdf's with the exception that it does not embed fonts. Fonts must be embedded for pdf's used on Lulu. This is easy to accomplish - simply open the pdf in a pdf viewer, like FoxIt and print to "Microsoft Print to PDF" in Windows or something similar for MAC/Linux. I have also used Affinity Publisher to generate content as well.

The pricing is very reasonable. The quality is high. I used MagCloud at first but switched to Lulu and saved $$. You can easily find coupons/promos as well to save even more. I highly recommend Lulu for publishing the type of books described above.

Book Cover Example

Correct spelling mistakes in SQLite

 I have used the following method to check for and fix misspelled words in a SQLite database.

Note: This was for a database with less than 500 records 

1) Load the database into DB Browser (SQLite)
2) Select the columns you want to perform the spellcheck on and copy
3) Paste into a blank spreadsheet
4) Do a spellcheck in the spreadsheet
5) Make a note of the records with misspelled words.
6) Correct those records in DB Browser

3D Printed Pinhole Camera

 Here is version II of my 3d printed camera with the telephoto extension.

Here is the 50mm front piece. It uses a Skink pinhole.

Lithophane Holder Remix

 I liked the look of this Lithophane holder   but I did not like the 100mm x 100mm square lithophane size. So I used TinkerCAD to enlarge the design for 120mm x 100mm  lithophanes. I eliminated the hole for the on/off switch. I used several LED blocks I had to create the lighting. Based on something similar to these. I glued up 6 of these blocks to make the light source.

Adding a drag chain to xTool D1

While the xTool D1 is a decent laser engraving/cutting machine, it lacks some features that are useful - like drag chain for cables and homing switches. I decided to add drag chain for both the X and Y cables. Rather than reinvent the wheel I 3d printed the system deigned by Vidarh and available on Thingiverse here: . One thing I dislike about the xTool company is that they have not released much info on the controller board and associated cables - making it difficult to make mods like this.

 This mod requires longer cables for the X axis stepper motor and the X axis laser connection. For the X axis stepper I ordered a 1m 4 pin to 6 pin stepper cable which is pretty common, from Amazon. However, the pinout on the 6 pin connector was not correct. I was able to use dentil tools to disassemble the connections, rearrange the pins and assemble the connection. Using this 1m stepper cable kept me from having to lengthen the existing cable.

 I ordered drag chain, ribbon cables and other hardware from Amazon. The assembly of the Y drag chain went pretty smoothly. The end of the Y chain attaches to a 3d printed part attached to the X axis. This part clamps on to the X axis assembly with one bolt to secure. The clamp did not really work for me. There is not much material for the clamp. I decided to drill a hole through the 3d printed part and use a tie wrap to secure the part in place. This has worked fine for me.

The real challenge was lengthening the 8 pin laser cable. For this you have to cut the ribbon cable and slice in a length of new ribbon cable. The added ribbon cable gauge should match the existing cable gauge. In my case it did not - so I put two cables in parallel which just added to the complexity of this mod.

 

Latest Image on xTool D1 and Laserburn

Here's an image I engraved on 1/16 basswood plywood.

First experience on xTool D1 laser cutter/engraver

After much deliberation I ordered a xTool D1 with 5W laser. It arrived promptly (from Amazon) and was well packaged. All parts were accounted for and assembly took a little over 1/2 hour. My first project was to print some photos on basswood plywood. I used Laserbox Basic software for this. My first images were a little dark. With some experimentation I got a good idea of how to set up my images to get good results. I was anxious to do some cutting. I tried cardstock at first. This cut easily and the detail that is achievable is amazing. Next I wanted to do some line art on plywood. I printed a couple of mandalas that I had downloaded for free. I set up the laser to generate deep contrasty lines. These turned out well. Then I moved on to cutting plywood. I found some nice mandala templates and cut the designs. I was surprised and happy at the result as there were some small details that cut out well. The images below show some of my results. These were all cut from 1/16" basswood plywood. I use a hex mesh as a panel to place the work on. For paper and thin woods I use magnets to keep the work in place and flat. I purchased Lightburn software. This gives me a lot more functionality than the Laserbox Basic that comes with the laser. I have 3 suggestions for new users. I made a sign and put above my laser. Remember to: 1) Set the laser height (focus) 2) Position the work away fromthe edges of the work area 3) Use something (Magnets) to hold work items flat.

Statue of Liberty Lithophane

 Here are a couple of images of my Statue of Liberty lithophane made on Ender 3 Pro. 

No Backlight

Backlit

I think it turned out pretty good.

Lithophanes (LPs) on the Ender 3 Pro

My son bought an Ender 3 Pro sometime ago and printed a few toy figures and then it collected dust for a while. I got the printer and set it up in my mancave to try and print lithophanes. The printer had been upgraded with a glass bed.

As this was the first 3d printing of any kind that I had attempted I knew it was going to be a learning experience. First attempts were with the LP flat down on the bed. I had serious issues with sticking to the bed and the edges curling up. I later learned this wasn't the best way to print LPs because of loss of detail. 

Next I tried printing with the LP standing up in the X position. I added a brim in hopes of getting the LP to stick. But I was unsuccessful. After about half way through the LP toppled over. Still had a sticking problem. 

After cleaning, leveling and applying glue to the bed I tried again. This time I oriented the LP in the Y position. I could not successfully finish a print due to sticking problems.

I decided to put the original bed plate on top of the glass plate and try printing this way. After leveling and cleaning the surface I gave it a go. I printed in with the LP long edge in the Y position with a 8mm brim. And it WORKED! I was elated to have printed a LP of one of my photos. But there was one issue. The bottom edge was bowed down in the center. Since I had a frame around the LP it didn't affect the image but it was distracting to me. I set out to try an fix this anomaly. However, after checking the bed for flatness and leveling again, I still had the problem.

Note: I used a small rabbet plane to straighten this edge.

I happily printed many LPs using this setup.