THE INVENTABLES WORKSHOP

Many photographers have suggested that MakerSlide is a good material to make a camera slider.  A camera slider is a linear motion control system for a camera.  A stepper motor is used to smoothly move a camera along a linear rail.


We decided to make a simple starter project of the basic items to create one.  An Inventables Project is a quick, one click way to add all the parts you need to your shopping cart.  You can modify or delete items in the cart if you already have them or need additional items.


This project only includes the basic motion components.  It does not include the motor controller, the motors drivers or the method to mount the camera.  The design is for lighter camera systems of less than about 8 lbs.  Some basic free controller software for Arduino is available on GitHub, but this provided "as is", and is not an officially supported Inventables item.
Camera Slider
The basic camera slider is quite easy to build and well documented on the project page.  Step b…

I recently had the opportunity to share some email correspondence with Chicago-based designer Samantha Alaimo. Her work can be found on her project profile on the Inventables website as well as on her personal website.


Elliott Mickleburgh: I’d like to begin by speaking about your Artist Palette Cutting Board. How did you come up with the exact shape for the design? Did you base it on one specific palette you might have seen or did it come from a remix of several palette shapes? Or perhaps the shape is entirely original, something you concocted purely from imagination?

Samantha Alaimo: The bamboo plywood material inspired the design. It is a material commonly used for cutting boards, but I wanted to both show off the beauty of the wood as well. I borrowed the standard ergonomics from a classic artist palette and merged with a modern cutting board shape.

The Artist Palette Cutting Board

EM: Using the image of the painter’s palette for a cutting board is a very interesting gesture I think…

Picking the right laser cutting settings can be the difference between a beautiful finished product and a piece of material in the scrap bin. At Inventables, we think that everyone should be able to find the perfect laser cutting settings quickly and easily. That is why we are building a laser cutter settings calculator: an interactive chart that gives you suggested laser cutter settings based on machine wattage, material density, and material thickness. Right now the calculator works for Full Spectrum Hobby Lasers and over 100 kinds of acrylic. We are currently adding settings for different brands and wattages of laser cutters and settings for our plywood, hardwood, and wood veneer. Keep an eye out for new machines and materials to be added to the calculator!


Give it a try (embedded below) and let us know if it helps!