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“Superformula” print series using DIY wall plotter

June 3rd, 2012 – A few months ago I began working on a wall plotter drawing machine as part of an independent study in my graduate program at UNK. The goal was to not only create the machine, but to also use it to produce some artistic prints, and eventually even install it in public on campus. Fast forward […]

Real-time location tracking for Der Kritzler wall plotters

May 26th, 2012 – Contributed modification for tinkerlog's Der Kritzler wall plotter project that includes support for real-time progress tracking while the machine is running. This update was committed (and accepted) to the original Der Kritzler project on Github!

Wall plotter update #10: switched to belts and pulleys, distortion problem solved!

May 26th, 2012 – After months of tinkering and testing with fishing line and sewing machine bobbins and being unable to fix some pretty bad distortion issues, I finally made the switch to precise timing belts and pulleys! Immediately the majority of the distortion stopped, and I can already tell by watching the pen carriage that the lines are […]

Wall plotter update #9: calibration and testing + Mother’s Day print

May 12th, 2012 – Although the semester officially ended last week, I find myself making more and more rapid progress on my wall plotter – funny how that happens sometimes! This week I found the cause (or a cause) of the distortion issues I mentioned in my previous post, and relied on my intuition to test out different ideas […]

Wall plotter update #8: pulley hack, first prints and acquiring better parts for new plotter

May 7th, 2012 – After my previous post, a couple of relevant Instructables popped up offering more alternatives for various aspects of this project, some of which work quite well! After a few setbacks, I was able to fabricate a set of wooden pulleys, but they failed very soon after installation, leaving me to wonder what the next steps […]

Wall plotter update #7: semester in review, major problems, solutions and important lessons

April 24th, 2012 – As the semester comes to a close, I have to evaluate the status of my projects and decide whether or not I want to continue pursuing them. My intention was to create a wall plotter this semester to explore alternative media for art, as well as to excite students and faculty about the new possibilities. […]

Wall plotter update #6: testing platform built, few small hurdles yet to overcome

April 3rd, 2012 – In my previous progress update, I described the pulleys and wall mounts I created to get my wall plotter up and running. Even earlier, I successfully tested the electronics and got them working. At this point, I felt the complete system was ready for testing, so I began looking for a place to install it […]

Wall plotter update #5: pulley and wall mount fabrication, ready for installation

March 21st, 2012 – In the last couple weeks I have been working on actually fabricating the pulleys and motor mounts to move my wall plotter project forward, but have been hitting more than a few roadblocks in doing so. After looking into several departments on campus, I have realized that very few people actually make anything anymore, and […]