Prototype assembly time!

We’ve been hustling to get prototypes made in time for testing in schools this Spring. I like using math to figure out how long things will take, but, as much as I believe in math, I never account for all those little things that can go awry quite properly so my end calculation is typically wrong. Very wrong.

Ironically, when I was in grad school, I used to joke that however long my advisor said something would take, you should increase the unit. If he thinks it should take 2 days, it will take 2 weeks. One month project? Try one year. This was often a surprisingly accurate predictor for the other graduate students and myself.

Back to the matter at hand. We’ve printed 5 sets of prototypes now. Not including sub-parts, just the main prints that take twenty-three hours to print (that is 23 hr. per top half plus 23 hr. per bottom half). They are not perfect. Nope. Had to let that one go.

Here’s some non-comprehensive photos, just for fun! Next time, I’m hoping to get some dry ice action shots… but for now just some assembly pictures so you can see how crazy the home office is going to be in the next few weeks since these are the photos where I’m just starting!

So it begins. The very first usable assembled unit in the back right (still unfinished).
Seven days of printing plus a down day for cleaning up the printer.
Buttons!
Plan: use up these connectors.