Tag: Improvements

Making the world a better place, one piece at a time

Improved Sony AS30V Helmet Mount Adapter Plate

Last week a wind gust blew my Tour Easy over while resting on its kickstand at Mary’s garden; I rarely depend on the kickstand for that very reason, but some days are like that. Anyhow, the mount for the Sony AS30V helmet camera did exactly what it should by releasing the camera, rather than grinding it into the ground.

Calling it a “mount” may be overstating the case:

Sony HDR-AS30V camera on bike helmet - inverted — Sony HDR-AS30V camera on bike helmet – inverted

I was still using that helmet, albeit with a better mirror mount, but it was getting rather crusty and the hook-n-loop straps were definitely sun-faded, so I built a better mount with an adapter plate matching a new-old-stock helmet from the stash:

Sony AS30V Helmet mount - side view — Sony AS30V Helmet mount – side view

The white slab atop the helmet curves to match the helmet contour, with the ridge fitting into the vent slot:

AS30 helmet mount - solid model - show view — AS30 helmet mount – solid model – show view

OK, the helmet isn’t orange, but you get the idea. The sphere has a 153 mm radius, calculated from the Official Sony helmet mount’s bottom curve, minus a ring shaping the central groove:

AS30 helmet mount - solid model - tab ring — AS30 helmet mount – solid model – tab ring

This upside-down view shows the interesting parts:

AS30 helmet mount - solid model — AS30 helmet mount – solid model

The flat side sticks to the camera’s holder with a custom-cut sheet of craft adhesive shaped like this:

AS30 helmet mount - glue — AS30 helmet mount – glue

The overall outline of those things comes from a scan of the bottom of the Sony camera holder, passed through Inkscape and LightBurn to generate the curves:

The large notches in the sides pass hook-n-loop straps intended to break away when the helmet hits the ground again. The front tunnel (of two, because symmetry) passes a cable tie preventing the camera from parting company with the mount during normal riding and holding the yellow latch in the Locked position:

Sony AS30V Helmet mount - rear view — Sony AS30V Helmet mount – rear view

It is just barely possible to slide the cable tie over the front of the camera to release the latch.

The camera rides upside-down to protect the lens from scuffs and scrapes. Fortunately, there’s a setting to invert the picture.

For completeness, the front view:

Sony AS30V Helmet mount - front view — Sony AS30V Helmet mount – front view

The furry patch covers the microphone pores to kill (most of) the wind noise.

The sharp ventral angle matches the helmet’s midline ridge in the back, but obviously isn’t needed over the vent hole in the front. I decided to not bother making a comprehensive model of the hole, not least because I didn’t really know the camera’s exact front-to-back location.

Works fine where it sits, though:

Burnett Signal Timing - 2025-04-23 — Burnett Signal Timing – 2025-04-23

NYSDOT’s signal timing at Burnett Blvd and Rt 55 remains bicycle-hostile, same as it ever was.

The OpenSCAD source code and baseplate shape as a GitHub Gist:

	// Sony AS30 helmet mount
	// Ed Nisley – KE4ZNU
	// 2025-04-20

	include <BOSL2/std.scad>

	Layout = "Show"; // [Show,Build,Ball,Tab,Glue]

	Gap = 5; // [0:5:20]

	/* [Hidden] */

	HoleWindage = 0.2;
	Protrusion = 0.1;

	WallThick = 1.0; // enough stiffness against flat pad

	HelmetRadius = 153.0; // from chord equation on curved pad = magic number
	Groove = [30.0,100,3.0,]; // roughly the groove along helmet midline

	Pad = [38,53,10]; // baseplate size, thick enough without fancy trig

	Strap = [3.0,15.0,10*Pad.z]; // hook-n-loop strap holes, double-thick

	Tie = [100,6.0,2.0 + Protrusion]; // cable tie around camera
	TieOffset = 14.0; // … from end of pad

	$fn=96;

	//———-
	// Define shapes

	module Ball() {

	difference() {
	sphere(r=HelmetRadius);
	Tab();
	}

	}

	// Rough approximation of the helmet groove

	module Tab() {

	m = 2.0; // roughly the chord height beyond the tab

	rotate_extrude(convexity=10) {
	right(HelmetRadius)
	zrot(180)
	polygon([
	[0,0],
	[0,Groove.x/2],[Groove.z + m,Groove.x/2],[m,0],
	[Groove.z + m,-Groove.x/2],[0,-Groove.x/2],
	[0,0]
	],convexity=10);
	}

	}

	// Baseplate with all the cutouts

	module BasePlate() {

	difference() {
	linear_extrude(height=Pad.z,convexity=10)
	import("AS30 Baseplate layout.svg",layer="Baseplate");
	up(WallThick + HelmetRadius)
	yrot(90)
	Ball();
	for (i = [-1,1]) // strap clearance at edge of helmet hole
	right(i*Groove.x/2)
	cube([(Pad.x – Groove.x)/2,Strap.y,Strap.z],center=true);
	for (i = [-1,1]) // cut through edge of pad
	right(i*Pad.x/2)
	cube([(Pad.x – Groove.x),Strap.y,Strap.z],center=true);
	for (j = [-1,1])
	fwd(j*(Pad.y/2 – TieOffset)) up(WallThick)
	cuboid(Tie,anchor=BOTTOM);
	}
	}

	//———-
	// Build things

	if (Layout == "Glue")
	projection(cut=true)
	BasePlate();

	if (Layout == "Tab")
	Tab();

	if (Layout == "Show") {
	xrot(180)
	BasePlate();
	down(WallThick + HelmetRadius + Gap)
	yrot(90)
	color("Orange",0.75) Ball();
	}

	if (Layout == "Build")
	BasePlate();

	if (Layout == "Ball")
	Ball();

view raw AS30 helmet mount.scad hosted with ❤ by GitHub

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view raw gistfile1.txt hosted with ❤ by GitHub

2025-04-25

Bird Box: Rotating T-Nuts

A bird box from long ago emerged from the heap and took its place in an upstairs window:

Bird Box window mount – installed

That big open back held an acrylic sheet letting us watch wrens raise their family; snugging it against the window makes that sheet superfluous. We’re hoping to lure the Wreath Finches from their preferred spot by the front door, but we’re open to any birds in need of a nesting spot.

The aluminum angle formerly securing the box to various wood window frames wasn’t going to work here, so I conjured a pair of rotating T-nuts to fit the track in the plastic window frame:

Bird Box window mount – nuts

They’re made from a 5/16-18 T-nut and two layers of 3 mm plywood, all glommed together with E6000-Plus adhesive because it did not scamper out of the way when I opened the Adhesives Cabinet.

Some doodling convinced me a pair of quarter-circles welded back-to-back, minus cutouts for the metal T-nuts, would suffice:

Bird Box window mount – nuts

The radius must be a little less than the width of the opening into the channel (20 mm) and the diameter must be a little more than the width of the channel behind that opening (32-ish mm), so I picked 17 mm. The metal T-nut flange is just over 20 mm, but the spike cutouts (omitted from the LightBurn layout) let it slip through the opening.

A random block of wood positions the box away from the frame enough to clear the outermost flange carrying the screen. Drilling oversize ⅜ inch holes countersunk the top of the T-nut into the block and eliminated excessive alignment fussiness.

Slicing 20 mm off the bolts fit them into the space available, with a pair of stainless washers covering the gaps.

A doodle with measurements you won’t need, but surely handy for mounting something else around here:

Bird Box window mount – size doodles

Now, to see who takes up residence …

2025-04-23
Champion Hose Nozzle: Needs a Washer?
An email discussion suggested the Champion hose nozzle might, once upon a time, have had a washer between the conical and cylindrical sections.

So I made one:

Champion hose nozzle – rubber washer

The details:
- OD = ½ inch
- ID = 9/32 inch
- 2.5 mm stamp pad rubber
It sealed perfectly, but, just before shutting off, the washer vibrated in the water flow and gave off an ear-shattering (even to my deflicted hearing) howl.

Perhaps a stiffer and thinner washer with a slightly larger OD would work better.

A quick check of similar nozzles in the Box o’ Hydraulics shows none of them feel like they have a compliant washer in there, but any sufficiently old rubber will have long since fossilized.

This seems like a good job for a 3D printed washer with a conical face, made from slightly squishy TPU plastic to ease it past the nozzle’s internal threads. All I need is the ability to print TPU …
2025-04-22
HQ Sixteen: Handlebar Control Button Labels

The recessed faceplate on the new handlebar control caps for Mary’s HQ Sixteen puts the label flush with the rim:

Control Button Caps – solid model – show view assembled

The current version of the labels isn’t much to look at:

HQ Sixteen control caps – new caps

The OpenSCAD code produces an SVG outline of the faceplate, surrounded by four alignment targets:

Control Button Caps – face view

Import the SVG into Inkscape and tart it up:

Control Button Caps – Inkscape

The alert reader will note the labels are swapped left-for-right.

The black characters on the left get printed on heavy white paper and laminated; feel free to add artistic embellishments. You must delete the cyan-ish shapes showing the faceplate and switch openings, which just show where the characters will end up, but you must print the four corner targets for alignment.

The red and orange shapes on the right define the outlines for laser-cutting the laminated paper and adhesive sheet after you import the Inkscape SVG file into LightBurn. The Inkscape colors will automagically put the shapes on separate LightBurn layers, with the cyan-ish shapes going onto non-cutting Tool Layer T2.

Set the cutting speed & feed to match your machine, lay the laminated labels on the platform, use Print and Cut to align two diagonal corner targets with the corresponding printed targets, then Fire. The. Laser.

The orange shapes have half a millimeter inset to leave a slight non-sticky margin around the edges:

HQ Sixteen control caps – adhesive layer

Although those shapes have the same four targets, you align the adhesive by hand and eye. Cut them out, peel one side, stick adhesive to the label, peel the other side, stick adhesive to the faceplate, and you’re done.

Now, to figure out the switch wiring …

2025-04-21

HQ Sixteen: Handlebar Control Button Caps

Each of the HQ Sixteen’s handlebars has a cap with control buttons:

HQ Sixteen control caps - side view — HQ Sixteen control caps – side view

The left cap:

HQ Sixteen control caps - left — HQ Sixteen control caps – left

The right cap:

HQ Sixteen control caps - OEM right — HQ Sixteen control caps – OEM right

The membrane switch overlay has textured bumps, although both of us have trouble finding them.

The Start / Stop switch gets the most use and, as you’d expect, has become intermittent after two decades of use.

Mary thinks a Start / Stop switch on both caps would be an improvement, letting her position quilting rulers with her right hand and run the machine with her left hand & thumb. I don’t know how the switches are wired, but the wiring suggests either simple single-bit inputs or a small matrix.

She also finds membrane switches difficult to press, so I’m in the process of replacing the control caps with something more to her liking.

The current concept goes a little something like this:

HQ Sixteen control caps - new caps — HQ Sixteen control caps – new caps

Stipulated: my art hand is weak.

Those are little bitty SMD switches:

HQ Sixteen control caps - new caps overview — HQ Sixteen control caps – new caps overview

They’re easy to locate by touch, with a stem length chosen to “feel right” when pushed.

They have been grievously misapplied:

HQ Sixteen control caps - switches — HQ Sixteen control caps – switches

The solid model has three main pieces and a lock for the ribbon cable:

Control Button Caps - solid model - build view — Control Button Caps – solid model – build view

Those pockets keep the switches oriented while the glue cures.

Two screws through the handlebar secure each cap. Handi-Quilter drove sheet metal screws into their OEM caps, distorting them enough to jam solidly into the handlebars. I’ve been reluctant to apply enough force to loosen them, so they remain frozen in place until the current quilt is done.

The new plugs have recesses for M3 square nuts to make them easily removable. As with the handlebar angle adapters, I’ll glue the plugs into the caps.

A slightly exploded view shows how the pieces fit together:

Control Button Caps - solid model - show view gapped — Control Button Caps – solid model – show view gapped

The switch plate sits recessed into the cap to allow room for the label (about which, more later):

Control Button Caps - solid model - show view assembled — Control Button Caps – solid model – show view assembled

The OpenSCAD source code as a GitHub Gist:

	// Handiquilter HQ Sixteen handlebar control button caps
	// Ed Nisley – KE4ZNU
	// 2025-04-05

	include <BOSL2/std.scad>

	Layout = "Show"; // [Show,Build,Grip,Body,Face,FaceBack,Plug,CableLock]

	// Angle w.r.t. handlebar
	FaceAngle = 30; // [10:45]

	// Separation in Show display
	Gap = 5; // [0:20]

	/* [Hidden] */

	HoleWindage = 0.2;
	Protrusion = 0.1;
	NumSides = 234;

	WallThick = 3.0;

	ID = 0;
	OD = 1;
	LENGTH = 2;

	Grip = [19.7,22.4,15.0]; // (7/8)*INCH = 22.2 mm + roughness, LENGTH=OEM insertion depth
	GripRadius = Grip[OD]/2;

	FoamOD = 34.0; // handlebar foam
	FoamRadius = FoamOD/2;

	SwitchBody = [6.3,6.3,4.0]; // does not include SMD leads
	SwitchStemOD = 3.5 + 2*HoleWindage;
	SwitchOC = 10.0; // center-to-center switch spacing
	LabelThick = 0.5; // laminated overlay

	FaceRim = 2.0; // rim around faceplate
	FaceThick = 2.0; // … plate thickness
	FaceDepth = FaceThick + LabelThick; // inset allowing for faceplate label

	CapOD = 38.0; // overall cap diameter
	CapTrim = FoamRadius; // flat trim on front
	CapBase = 5.0; // bottom thickness
	Cap = [FoamOD – FaceRim,CapOD,CapBase + CapOD*tan(FaceAngle)];
	echo(Cap=Cap);

	TargetSize = 4.0; // laser alignment targets
	TargetsOC = [40.0,40.0];

	Cable = [10.0,2.0,WallThick]; // aperture for cable lock

	ScrewAngles = [-45,45]; // mounting screws
	Screw = [2.0,3.0,7.0]; // OEM = sheet metal screw
	ScrewOffset = 6.0; // from top of grip tube

	SquareNut = [3.0,5.5,2.3 + 0.4]; // M3 square nut OD = side, LENGTH + inset allowance
	NutInset = GripRadius – sqrt(pow(GripRadius,2) – pow(SquareNut[OD],2)/4);

	PlugOA = [(Grip[ID] – 2*WallThick),(Grip[ID] – 1.0),(CapBase + ScrewOffset + 10.0)];
	echo(PlugOA=PlugOA);

	//———-
	// Define objects

	//—–
	// Handlebar tube

	module GripTube() {

	difference() {
	tube(3*Grip[LENGTH],GripRadius,Grip[ID]/2,anchor=TOP);
	for (a = ScrewAngles) {
	down(ScrewOffset) zrot(a-90)
	right(GripRadius)
	yrot(90) cylinder(d=Screw[OD],h=Screw[LENGTH],center=true,$fn=6);

	}
	}
	}

	//—–
	// SVG outline of faceplate for laser cuttery

	module FaceShape(Holes=true,Targets=false) {

	difference() {

	scale([1,1/cos(FaceAngle)])
	difference() {
	circle(d=(Cap[OD] – 2*FaceRim),$fn=144);
	fwd(CapTrim – FaceRim)
	square(Cap[OD],anchor=BACK);
	}

	if (Holes)
	for (i=[-1:1]) // arrange switch stem holes
	right(i*SwitchOC)
	zrot(180/8) circle(d=SwitchStemOD,$fn=32);

	}

	if (Targets)
	for (i = [-1,1], j = [-1,1])
	translate([iTargetsOC.x/2,jTargetsOC.y/2])
	square(2.0,center=true);
	}

	//—–
	// Faceplate backing sheet
	// Switch bodies indented into bottom, so flip to build

	module FacePlate(Thick=FaceThick,Holes=true) {

	difference() {
	linear_extrude(height=Thick,convexity=5)
	FaceShape(Holes);
	up(SwitchBody.z/4)
	for (i = [-1:1])
	right(i*SwitchOC)
	cube(SwitchBody,anchor=TOP);
	}
	}


	//—–
	// Cap body

	module CapBody() {

	$fn=48;

	up(CapBase + (Cap[OD]/2)*tan(FaceAngle)) xrot(FaceAngle)
	difference() {
	xrot(-FaceAngle)
	down(CapBase + (Cap[OD]/2)*tan(FaceAngle))
	difference() {
	cylinder(d=Cap[OD],h=Cap[LENGTH]);
	fwd(CapTrim) down(Protrusion)
	cube(2*Cap[LENGTH],anchor=BACK+BOTTOM);
	up(CapBase)
	difference() {
	cylinder(d=Cap[ID],h=Cap[LENGTH]);
	fwd(CapTrim – 2*FaceRim)
	cube(2*Cap[LENGTH],anchor=BACK+BOTTOM);
	}
	down(Protrusion)
	cylinder(d=Grip[ID],h=Cap[LENGTH]);
	}
	cube(2*Cap[OD],anchor=BOTTOM);
	down(FaceDepth)
	FacePlate(FaceDepth + Protrusion,Holes=false);
	}

	}

	//—–
	// Plug going into grip handlebar

	module CapPlug() {

	$fn=48;

	difference() {
	tube(PlugOA[LENGTH],id=PlugOA[ID],od=PlugOA[OD],anchor=BOTTOM)
	position(TOP)
	tube(CapBase,id=PlugOA[ID],od=Grip[ID],anchor=TOP);
	for (a = ScrewAngles)
	up(PlugOA.z – CapBase – ScrewOffset) zrot(a-90)
	right(PlugOA[ID]/2)
	yrot(90) {
	cube([SquareNut[OD],SquareNut[OD],SquareNut[LENGTH] + NutInset],center=true);
	zrot(180/6)
	cylinder(d=(SquareNut[ID] + 2*HoleWindage),h=PlugOA[ID],center=true,$fn=6);
	}
	}

	}

	//—–
	// Lock plate for ribbon cable

	module CableLock() {

	difference() {
	cuboid([2*Cable.x,PlugOA[ID],WallThick],rounding=WallThick/2,anchor=BOTTOM);
	for (j = [-1,1])
	back(j*Cable.y) down(Protrusion)
	cube(Cable + [0,0,2*Protrusion],anchor=BOTTOM);
	}

	}

	//———-
	// Build things

	if (Layout == "Grip") {
	color("Silver",0.5)
	GripTube();
	}

	if (Layout == "Face")
	FaceShape(Targets=true);

	if (Layout == "FaceBack")
	FacePlate();

	if (Layout == "Body")
	CapBody();

	if (Layout == "Plug")
	CapPlug();

	if (Layout == "CableLock")
	CableLock();

	if (Layout == "Show") {

	color("Green")
	up(CapBase)
	CableLock();

	color("Orange")
	down(Gap)
	down(PlugOA[LENGTH] – CapBase)
	CapPlug();

	color("Cyan",(Gap > 4)? 1.0 : 0.2)
	CapBody();

	color("White",(Gap > 4)? 1.0 : 0.5)
	up(Gapcos(FaceAngle)) fwd(Gapsin(FaceAngle))
	up(CapBase + (Cap[OD]/2)*tan(FaceAngle) – FaceDepth)
	back(FaceDepth*sin(FaceAngle)) xrot(FaceAngle)
	FacePlate();

	down(3*Gap) {
	color("Silver",0.5)
	GripTube();

	down(Gap)
	color("Gray",0.5)
	tube(3*Grip[LENGTH],FoamRadius,Grip[OD]/2,anchor=TOP);
	}
	}

	if (Layout == "Build") {
	right((Gap + Cap[OD])/2)
	CapBody();
	left((Gap + Cap[OD])/2)
	zrot(180) up(FaceThick) xrot(180)
	FacePlate();
	fwd(Gap + Cap[OD])
	up(PlugOA[LENGTH]) xrot(180) zrot(180)
	CapPlug();
	fwd(Cap[OD]/2)
	zrot(90)
	CableLock();
	}

view raw Control Button Caps.scad hosted with ❤ by GitHub

2025-04-18

Inkscape: LightBurn Layer Color Palette
Inkscape is not a CAD program (neither is LightBurn), but for my simple needs it works well enough, with the compelling advantage that OpenSCAD can import named layers and extrude them into solid models.

LightBurn can import Inkscape SVG images to define the patterns for laser cutting / engraving and will automatically put the vectors into layers corresponding to their colors if and only if the SVG image uses colors from the LightBurn palette. Regrettably, picking those colors from the default Inkscape palette is essentially impossible, but you can have Inkscape use a palette file that displays only the LightBurn colors corresponding to its layers.

I conjured this GIMP / Inkscape palette file based on the table in a LightBurn forum post, plus tool layer colors from another post:
```
GIMP / Inkscape Palette
Name: LightBurn Layers
#
  0   0   0 BLACK
255 255 255 WHITE
  0   0   0 LBRN #0
  0   0 255 LBRN #1
255   0   0 LBRN #2
  0 224   0 LBRN #3
208 208   0 LBRN #4
255 128   0 LBRN #5
  0 224 224 LBRN #6
255   0 255 LBRN #7
180 180 180 LBRN #8
  0   0 160 LBRN #9
160   0   0 LBRN #10
  0 160   0 LBRN #11
160 160   0 LBRN #12
192 128   0 LBRN #13
  0 160 255 LBRN #14
160   0 160 LBRN #15
128 128 128 LBRN #16
125 135 185 LBRN #17
187 119 132 LBRN #18
 74 111 227 LBRN #19
211  63 106 LBRN #20
140 215 140 LBRN #21
240 185 141 LBRN #22
246 196 225 LBRN #23
250 158 212 LBRN #24
 80  10 120 LBRN #25
180  90   0 LBRN #26
  0  71  84 LBRN #27
134 250 136 LBRN #28
255 219 102 LBRN #29
243 105  38 LBRN T1
 12 150 217 LBRN T2
```
Plunk that file (which I named Lightburn.gpl) into /home/ed/.config/inkscape/palettes/, restart Inkscape, then select it (the Name line defines its mmm name):

Inkscape – selecting LightBurn palette

Which lays a row of the LightBurn layer colors along the the Inkscape window:

Inkscape – LightBurn palette

The text after the RGB triplet in each file line appears as the tool tip for the color swatch:

Inkscape – LightBurn palette

Because LightBurn uses only the vector Stroke and ignores its Fill, you (well, I) must become accustomed to Shift-clicking palette colors.

You can fetch a similar palette file directly from the LightBurn doc, although minus the tool tips. GIMP and Inkscape have many palettes available, should you make artsy drawings where subtle color shading matters.

I generally use only a few cheerful primary colors, because I have trouble distinguishing (heck, in some cases even seeing) the more subtle colors against LightBurn’s light (or dark) workspace background. I assign the layer cut settings using the Material Library: reds for cutting, blues for marking, and grays for engraving.

When I need more than maybe half a dozen colors, I (eventually) realize I’m trying to be too clever and split the project into separate LightBurn files.
2025-04-11
Piping Yubikey TOTP To xclip
Rather than fiddle with the GUI program for my Yubikey, I use the ykman CLI program for TOTP authentication, because there’s always a command prompt / terminal open on the portrait monitor:
```
ykman oath accounts code -s ama
161413
```
Double-click to select the number in the terminal, then either copy-n-paste or middle-click into the target field of whatever needs convincing I am truly me, myself, and I.

I finally got a Round Tuit and piped the output into xclip to put the number into the clipboard:
```
ykman oath accounts code -s ama | xclip
```
Which lets me go directly to pasting or middle-clicking.

The command history is big enough that I now type only:
```
Ctrl-R ama
```
Which brings up the most recent version of the command, whereupon I whack Enter to execute it. Similar abbreviations extract the commands for dozen-odd companies / banks / institutions / whatever I deal with.

When I need a hint:
```
ykman oath accounts list
```
Should’a done that long ago.

For reference, a treatise on Yubikey config and usage.

Bonus! A cat:

Gray Cat – 2023-05-23

Because SEO demands a picture.
2025-04-10