As you can see, I have completely overhauled the layout of my webite for this semester just "cuz". Really it just makes my website look more profesional and cooler. Now onto the reason why my wedsite hasn't been updated for 4 and a half weeks. The answer consists of just 5 words: "The Kickoff of FRC STEAMworks". This event took place on January 7th and since then, I have been very, VERY busy with that. Again, the short anwser would be simple, I am the CAD Co-lead with my good friend Tony, but its not just that. Below you will find the game video animation, watch it and then come back here when you are done... Have you watched it? If you have then you will understand why I have been so busy. Maybe you don't know, well I'll tell you. Basically, on the 7th, we are given that video, a 130 page game manuel, and 6 weeks to design, build, and make a fully functional robot work.

So to keep things in order here, my photo from my winter break is a photo of me at the kickoff at USC on the 7th, shown after the game video. Thats really all I did over my winter break, nothing much else.

So, what else is there... oh yeah, the cardboard square wednesday challenge on January the 11th. In pairs we had to make a square that was as close to 1 ft by 1 ft as possible. I was with Tyler, I drew things out and he cut, photo below of final square along with form.

Test Thing with old robot

first draft of CAD completed and turned in on time 1/26/17

Now moving on to, again, my lack of updates. For the past 16 years, every year that team 589 has existed, the CAD of the robot had never been finished, mostly it was nearly done, but the build season ended before that happened. CAD was always behind schedule by a lot, and it was usually CAD's fault that the robot wasn't done on time. But this year, Tony and I broke that tradition. For the first time in 589 history, the CAD was actually finished in its entireity. Actually, we were only behind schedule by 3 days. This only happened because for 4 weeks straight, I spent 5 hours CADing every day of the week and on weekends. Usually I would only have 2 and a half hours every day of the week minus wednesdays, but because I was able to start CADing at lunch and not finish until the end of school, another 2 and ahalf hours, everyday, I actually got the CAD done. As you can tell, this no lifing that I did resulted in the complete and utter abandonment of my website. My day would be: wake up, go to school, start CADing at lunch, go home at 3, let my brain cool off for a few hours, go to the meeting at 6, CAD until 8:30, then go home and go to sleep. So I didn't have much time to be a human being at all. This went on for 4 weeks from 1/7/17 until 2/2/17 when I actually finished the CAD. But actually, on the 2nd, I only finished the CAD itself, for the next week I spent all of my time making drawings for the Fab people to actually build the robot. So I actually finished everything that CAD needed to finish for the robot on 2/8/17, hence the reason why my website started to take form on the 9th, but more on that later.

Did drawings and stuff

Did drawings and stuff

completed all drawings for fab, made lame wrender on laptop

Started building website, put together winton parts that we got today, made final wrender of the robot

something robot related during class and meeting

not a school day but robot photos

drive system put together, almost heart attack (photo)

Managed to squeak out of WC, worked on robot, aligned tracks, installed majority of ball function, added last minute polycarb, stayed late at the shop only with ryan and ally

Robot drives, its really fast, needed churros, added churros, recieved majority of remaining ball mech parts, didn't assemble, named it Athanatos (maybe)

Utter Hell storm outside, scrimmage moved to monday, ball function finished, and works (video)

Scrimmage, t'was fun

Bag and Tag of robot, added signal light (Photos)

Wednesday Challenge make an A, judged with Sam, set up metric and excel sheet, printed all of the drawings for the CAD drawing book (photo)

continued wed chall from yesterday, measured CADs and real ones, graded all A's that were present

Finished Excel sheet and showed class, worked on website

Today the Houston crew talked to the class about what happened, all of the ups, and a majority of the downs from the championship. It was fun to see all that we did again, and also not fun because of all of the bad things that happened, but lets not talk about that because thats not important. Thats all we did though, talked to the classed, showed some stuff off, and thats about it.

Today we did a wednesday challenge that I didn't participate in because I was unloading the van that the Gordons drove back from texas in carrying all of our stuff. It was nice to see Athanatos again, not in a bag at least. Not much else happened thats of extreme importance to my site so there we go. This is a short entry, but it fits a short day.

Today we didn't do much, we just worked on stuff, I think I started working on my website again, but I dont remember because I am updating this in May. I've been really lacking on everything lately because of a lot of personal stress thats taking its toll on me, so just give me some time please.

Today we did the same as yesterday, I think I worked on my skateboard design because CAD is all that I am now a days, and when there is no CAD to do, I feel empty and useless. Its all just really annoying to deal with right now. APs are not fun to deal with after your body and soul have been through the grinder, but lets ignore that right now, because thats not important. Thats all we did though, not much, but I have to update everyday so here we are.

Today we worked more on our skateboards and stuff. My design is comming along pretty good, but its not done yet, I actually have to do a lot with the wheel wells because I am using tandum trucks, you'll see what those are soon enough when I finish the design.

Today I finished my skateboard design and I think it looks pretty cool. Here are a couple photos of the thing, you'll see what I mean by tandum trucks when you see it. That eye shape in the center is a core that I will make out of the plywood siding that I have left over from the Kevin Arm itself, I'm going to have a bunch of robotics people sign it, then inlay it in my skateboard as a memorial, hence the name, the Memorial Skateboard. You can see how the tandums work, you basically just mount these things on the end of a normal set of trucks, buy twice the amount of wheels you need, then put it all together. I plan on printing it out on thursday because I don't have time tomorrow due to my AP Physics 2 Test that I have to take. Oh and also, Ally finally finished the LEDs on Athanatos, they look pretty cool so here is a video of them. The cool thing is that they run off of an Arduino, so she can make them do anything from the sensors on Athanatos or anything that she wants really.

Taking AP Physics 2 Test

I'm just so burnt out and sad, I don't know how I'll recover, but I have to.

Today I printed out my design from the really old printer in the shop that takes an extremely long time to print. Cole and Sam and such actually caught me singing while my board was printing, but thats ok, I'm a changed man now, and if thats weird to them, then I agree because its weird to me too. But I can't do anything about that now, what's happened has happened, it can't be changed, I just have to move on from it, it's just hard. I'm going off on a tangent, back to skateboards. I printed it and then brought the pages home, then painstakingly taped it together which was really annoying. Below is what my design looks like with the tandums and LEDs in real life, but just in paper. Thats all I did today, didn't mean to talk about my singing, but what is a journal except for therepy? And don't mind my entry from yesterday, something bad happened to me that I don't want to talk about here, just know that that is what I was talking about being hard to get by and move on from, just FYI.

I don't think I did much today because just getting through the day was hard enough. I actually printed out the outline for the shape of the core I'm going to cut out for my board, then I had to redraw it by hand because the printer didn't print it dimensionally accurate at all. No more explaination needed, I didn't do much because I was not doing okay mentally, thats all.

Today I did a lot. It's strange to finally get back to normality when it comes to just robotics things, I never thought that anything would ever feel normal again, and to a point, it's still not normal, but its closer to normal than it has been in months. Anyways, I managed to go from just having my papers, to cutting out my plywood, and then gluing the first two layers so that tomorrow I can cut out the center, fit the core, and have it all ready to be installed when I get the core all signed and stuff. It'll make sence to you as time goes on, no one really understands it when I explain it to them, so you'll just have to trust me that it'll work. Below is a photo of my plain design on paper and some of my wood in the press.

Taking AP Calc AB Test

Today I brought my plywood from home that was from the Kevin Arm and cut it out so that it could be used as the insert for my board. I didn't take a picture of it because I'm lame, but it looks pretty cool, now I just need everyone to sign it. I was also taking my AP Calc AB Test today during 1st through 4th period, so that all I had to do the rest of the day was hang out and work on my skateboard. I also pulled my two boards out of the press and traced everything out on it, the board shape, and center that needs to be cut out. Since the insert isn't symetrical in any axis, I have to be very carful with how I cut it out tomorrow since I have no time today.

Today I got a lot of signatures on my core, which is ccol. I still need to have a few people sign it that haven't yet, but I'll do that tomorrow, I also have to wait until tomorrow to move forward anyways because I still have a few things to gather before I can do the final gluing. Below are a few photos of stuff, the first being the core cut out, but sill sitting there, then next, the actual core that is mostly signed, and then the core sitting in the board. The fit between the coare and the board is so amazing I can't even explain how happy it makes me. It slides in better than I ever expected and when its in, it doesn't budge, which is really cool. Also, I realized something about my board, it is a Memento Mori. For you loyal website readers, some of you may remember that I worked on a CAD for a gun more than a year ago for Destiny and I called it Memento Mori. For you non-Latin scholars, a Memento Mori is an object serving as a warning or reminder of death, such as a skull, a reminder of death or mortality, a reminder of human failures or errors. What I realized about my board is that its not a Memorial Board, its a Memento Mori Board because it has a core made out of a device that didn't work with words written on it that tell me to move on and be happy, so it reminds me of my own mortality and my failures, especially because of what I'm putting as the REAL core beneath it, but thats not important and I'm not going to say what it is, because you don't get to know. But thats it for today, not much else happened.

Today I finished having people sign my core, then went to gluing the rest of it together. The hydrolic press was taken by Hunter, so I used the origional wood ones instead. I spent a while assembling the thing because it wasn't level, and that was annoying me. So when I got it all together, I layed my first board, put glue on it, placed the second board, glued that one, then placed my previously glued boards on top of that, and layed the core and true core inside. Tighening the thing gave me some nice memories, but thats not what I was concerned about at that moment, I was concerned about making the board a true memento mori by laying the true core, but thats not important. You know, I only talk about this stuff on my website because I know that no one really reads anything, so its completely safe to do. Below is a photo of the thing in the press for the final time. I am concerned about the core's adhesion because it is 1/32" of an inch thinner than the top two layers, I don't think it'll do much, but it should be fine. Yay, I now have a talismen board that I will carry with me for as long as I can, a Memento Mori of everything that I have done.

Today I pulled my board out of the press which was pretty cool, but not really because a large amount of glue seeped out of the cracks in the wood and covered the face with all of the signatures on it in wood glue, which i then had to painstakingly pull off all after noon and at home for a long time, but not much happened other than that, I'm just really tired and need some sleep. My mind just needs to do some recovery.

Over this week, all I did was work on my long board and get stuff done. The robotics crowd worked on preparing for banquet and I helped a bit. basically I just cut out my board's final shape and such just to get it all done with, but I still have some stuff to do. I did some sanding on it too, but only some because of time constraints. But its not what happened this week that made me really happy or, it was what happened in the weekend before this week and the weekend after. Basically, if you guys haven't figured it out already, I went to prom with my girlfriend Erin Russel. We spent the 20th at prom together which was one of the best nights of my life because I could spend it with her, and prom plus was amazing too because we got to see the sunrise at the YMCA, almost.

Today I did more sanding on my board, nothing much to report here except that I may actually finish it on time this time and not be pushed to finish. Sorry this is short, but it was a short day.

Today I finished sanding and then drew out my design that I want to paint onto the bottom of the board. As you have seen it is a stripe pattern that has my logo integrated onto the bottom of it. That all for today though.

Today I taped out the design so that I could paint it later in the period. Thankfully, it only needs two colors with a lot of unpainted wood, so it will most likely look really good. I managed to paint both colors by the end of the period, blue and black, but I didn't have time to uncover it, which I will tomorrow.

Today I uncovered the paint and it looks amazing, exactly how I wanted it to be. Then I sanded down the exposed wood because the tape pealed up some of the wood, making it rough, but that was a quick fix. Then I drilled and chamfered the holes for the LED bow that I am going to be mounting to the bottom of my board. The holes aren't drilled at the time of the photo below, but they work really nicely.

Today I coated my board in many coats of spray coating at that it is sealed and protected from everything. This alone took the whole class period and basically an entire can of the stuff. I probably used way too much on it, but I want it to be safe for college, so I think I'm good. Thats all that happened today, but thats fine, I'm on track to finishing the things on time.

2nd and 3rd Period

Today was my last day of the engineering class ever. After fours years of being in the same fifth period, I walk away a changed man. I went in not knowing what I wanted to do with my life, and I came out one of the best CADers 589 has ever seen with three long boards that I made in that class, as well as all of the memories that made me into the person I am today. This is the very last entry I will ever make on my website for Dr. Neat. I will never again edit this website for my grade. I am no longer a high school student, and I couldn't be happier with my life. Thank you Dr. Neat for being the best teacher I have ever had and I'm glad that I was able to spend my time for four years in your class.