4 quick Windows 10 Registry Tweaks That Remove Annoying Behaviors

Here are a few registry tweaks I'm using to help ease my own personal Windows 10 experience. Every installation is different and I can't make any promises or guarantees that these will work or won't cause your computer to immediately stop working. It might explode without warning and that won't be my fault. Back that thing up. Rigorously and with much aplomb. Disable (most of) Cortana and web results in search Cortana 2018 is the all-seeing blue-eyed cousin of HAL 9000. I hate it SO MUCH. There are a ton of tutorials out there and I read through more than a + Read More

Easy, Cheap, and Reliable Auto Z Height Setting

Disclaimer: This write-up is about what I am using personally with my equipment for Auto Z height setting. It may not work with other equipment or suit anyone else's needs. I make no guarantees, warranties, claims, nor promises. A lot of the information covered here is also covered by the CNCRouterParts touchplate tutorial (that I wish had been there when I made my gauge!). You may find that informative and may even wish to purchase that product instead of attempting a kludgery such as I have done. That + Read More

Teensy PSX MACH3 Pendant build

The Premise: I had been using a simple USB number pad as a pendant controller for my CNC router. This was somewhat cumbersome. A PSX controller that I got at a yard sale to make a MIDI controller for my son seemed like a good choice for an upgrade. I ended up making him the PACMOD MIDI DJ Controller instead so this had just been staring at me for the last 7 or 8 years. It can actually be made into any kind of USB controller you + Read More

Why reinvent the wheel?

Please bear with me as I reset and rebuild. I have had change in vision and direction and am beginning the process of implementing the new road map. Hopefully there will be interesting and meaningful things afoot soon. You can follow along in realtime through the standard online outlets: Ophelion on Instagram Ophelion on Facebook There's a little story behind the "Why reinvent the wheel?" tagline. Years ago - back in the Palm and ICQ days - a guy in my home town that was just starting out with programming used to message me a lot + Read More

Designing a replacement for an obsolete Electro Cam control system in a Maac thermoformer using a Teensy Arduino-compatible

A high-output count DIY Arduino industrial controller and interface on the cheap This story revolves around one of the workhorse machines in the company where I work: a Maac vacuum former. It is a solid, well-designed machine with a solid, well-designed control system that Maac contracted out to the Electro Cam systems group. As with any industrial equipment, as time goes by the OEM develops new products that replace their old stuff, + Read More