Background Process
Well it’s been a while. I stopped posting here over two years ago because I founded a CNC machine company called Other Machine Co. and got sucked into a vortex of long hours and other large life changes. Updating the blog became a chore, Wordpress would frequently collect spam and malware and cleaning it up took time and energy away from writing.
Adventures on Two Wheels
I’ve thought about getting a motorcycle for the longest time. Every time I got the urge to purchase a motorcycle, I would go to youtube and watch crash videos for a few minutes. This one is particularly sobering. After a few years of watching these videos, you notice a few things. Like how deadly left-hand turns are, or how Russia is not a place any sane person should drive a vehicle, of any kind really.
Hello World
It’s cold, rainy and green as an emerald outside. A fascinating and welcome change of pace from this native Californian’s usual scenery. I’m getting breakfast at Peter’s Yard, sweet herring and a cappuccino, off the Middle Meadow Walk in Edinburgh.
The last time I was in Scotland was almost 4 years ago for the The Fringe Fest. Since then a lot has happened. Fringe came and went, I picked up some robotics contracts, learned a lot about design and manufacturing, started a company, and fell in love. Twice. ‘Busy’ doesn’t quite begin to describe it. As such, I’ve let this space languish for a while now, and it’s time to pick it back up again.
Confessions Of A Hardware Startup
(This post was originally published on Medium)
It has often been said that the hardware business is hard. Over the last two years, my team and I have been learning just how hard it can be. Our company makes a portable, precise milling machine for the maker, DIY, design, and small-batch manufacturing markets. It’s called the Othermill, and it’s our first product. For most of us, it’s also our first adventure into the world of manufacturing.
Vacation Engineering
For my day job, I help design CNC machines. Sometimes that looks like running around wearing a lot of different hats, and I don’t get to do much actual design, or actual engineering. That’s where Vacation Engineering comes in. Flying machines make for great vacation engineering projects. They have a nice beginning, and a clear and concise end. Usually that end is punctuated by a good solid impact with the ground.