Evil Genius

Hey, hi, hello, people.
This will probably be a very short-lived thread, as people rarely feel the need to share their scientific research on comic-based forums, but I'm posting this anyway.
I'm currently building a clock (more of a timer, really).
An electric clock.
Based on the ones used in processors.
I know, I know, it's inefficient, inexact and very likely to explodemelt, given my very limited knowledge of electrical engineering, but it's both fun and the first thing I have ever designed (apart from that gravity wheel fiasco back in high school), which is why I'll never be dissuaded from building it.
But I'm not posting this so I can discuss the merits of my Death Watch (note to self: name needs work), but to ask you:

Are you building, designing, researching, or doing anything of that sort? Care to share your experience and, while you're at it, post a detailed set of instructions (preferably with illustrations) on the subject of building relays?
Not because I need help with that, oh no, nope, not at all.
I merely mention that because if you were, hypothetically, building a series of relays and needed specific instructions on how to build relatively accurate ones, the best thing you're going to find in google is this, which s totally ok if you're 9 years old and want to see the cool metal thingy move by science-magic, but not if you want to actually build something that uses relays.
But that's unimportant.

What's important is...are you doing science?

Wait, is this SCIENCE! or just regular old science? Knowing Rolos, it's probably somewhere in between (he'll analyze the various philosophic aspects of his construction)...

Anywho, sounds fun to make some relays by hand, although, as you stated, it won't be very exact. Most digital devices use crystal oscillators to generate a clock frequency. Also, you can use transistors as electrically controlled switches in place of relays, although that might take the fun out of building it?

Anywho again, I'm currently building one of those POV LED globes (look it up on youtube). I'll post pics once I get it operational and displaying a Berserk brand (of course). And thanks to Rolos, I'll have a thread in which to display them.

tsubaimomo wrote:Wait, is this SCIENCE! or just regular old science? Knowing Rolos, it's probably somewhere in between (he'll analyze the various philosophic aspects of his construction)...

I find that comment to be extremely offensive, on the grounds that I'm a total douche.
Grotesquely deformed etymology aside (showers were never meant to be insulting), I'm actually working on mere science right now. Are you familiar with the concept of a "universal computer"?
Well, I'm not. I just skimmed that article and decided it was a pretty cool concept, so I'm trying to build as many retardedly simple objects as I can, and then connect them and see if they explode, or develop patterns.
I need to familiarize myself with patterns (and explosions) if I'm ever going to try to make sense out of the brain. Or computers, for that matter.
I'm fairly new to the subjects of mathematics, programming, electric circuits and manual work, so I am, you know, just shooting in every direction, hoping to bring down a phoenix.
I just read this thing about "Bayesian Statistics" and they sound really cool. May be this can provide me with an opportunity to use them?

tsubaimomo wrote:Anywho, sounds fun to make some relays by hand, although, as you stated, it won't be very exact. Most digital devices use crystal oscillators to generate a clock frequency. Also, you can use transistors as electrically controlled switches in place of relays, although that might take the fun out of building it?

Yeah, they use quartz, I think. And the clock is used mainly to time the commands. Relays aren't very good when it comes to precision. They bounce. (is it weird that I've always thought of "bouncy" as a good thing? No, I don't think it is. No, I'm certain, it totally isn't. It'd be weird If I didn't think of "bounciness" as a good thing. Bounciness is awesome! You'd have to be a friggin' weirdo to not like bounciness. A creep. a deformed, insane monster, an aberration.)

tsubaimomo wrote:Anywho again, I'm currently building one of those POV LED globes (look it up on youtube). I'll post pics once I get it operational and displaying a Berserk brand (of course). And thanks to Rolos, I'll have a thread in which to display them.

Yes, thanks to me. I started this thread for that reason, and not because I need to know how to make home-made relays, lack the creativity to invent them on my own, and google search after google search have (has) proved fruitless in finding a ready-made solution that might exempt me of the dreadful task of having to actually think for once.

P.S. I may have invented the perfect mix of self-indulging egotism and dedicated self-loathing. I call it Egoathing (tm).
It sucks, but it's totally awesome.

Rolos wrote:Yes, thanks to me. I started this thread for that reason, and not because I need to know how to make home-made relays, lack the creativity to invent them on my own, and google search after google search have (has) proved fruitless in finding a ready-made solution that might exempt me of the dreadful task of having to actually think for once.

If you want to buy some relays, try these electronics sellers:
Digikey (scroll down to Relays section)
Mouser

Can I try some of that Egoathing stuff? No patent on it yet, yes? ...Ahem, so I made a POV LED globe, requiring quite a bit of intellectualism and hard work on my part. Though, I suck at mechanical things, so it turned out wobbly and wouldn't spin as fast as I would have liked, thus reducing the framerate. Also, this relay clock business of Rolos' is mere child's play compared to the extremely well thought out, spectacular sculpture of a device I made. Although, I've never made a relay either, and I'd probably just end up with a bent piece of dinged metal and lots of cuts if I tried...

Now for pics:

Firstly, I'll get this out of the way...


That's no moon...


Berserk fans must brand everything...


Well, hopefully that's enough science for one post. Now, Egoath (tm) away.

Congratulations! It looks pretty awesome. Why red, though? Is what you're showing us, as I suspect, part of the device you're planning to use to blackmail the government of the United States into giving you property rights over the moon (I presume they have the de facto, if not de juris, power to grant them), so you can then destroy it legally?
I honestly see no other use for a shiny red light interface. The thing screams "maniacal laughter" a mile away, and man, if you're going to hold the U.S. at gun point, I'd recommend discretion until you can actually pull it off.

It also looks remarkably expensive. If you don't mind me asking, how much did the materials cost you, where did you buy them, what's your credit card number and what was the name of that one girl you loved all through high-school but never confessed to?

As for the relays, I'm using paper clips.
I know it sounds crappy as hell, but you have to wait until you see the finished product.
And I can't just buy them, that'd defeat the whole purpose of this whole thing.

Rolos wrote:Congratulations! It looks pretty awesome. Why red, though? Is what you're showing us, as I suspect, part of the device you're planning to use to blackmail the government of the United States into giving you property rights over the moon (I presume they have the de facto, if not de juris, power to grant them), so you can then destroy it legally?
I honestly see no other use for a shiny red light interface. The thing screams "maniacal laughter" a mile away, and man, if you're going to hold the U.S. at gun point, I'd recommend discretion until you can actually pull it off.

I picked red because I wanted to display the Berserk brand of course, and it also looks more menacing.

Rolos wrote:It also looks remarkably expensive. If you don't mind me asking, how much did the materials cost you, where did you buy them, what's your credit card number and what was the name of that one girl you loved all through high-school but never confessed to?

Inexpensive. Internet. Don't have one. Internet.

Rolos wrote:As for the relays, I'm using paper clips.
I know it sounds crappy as hell, but you have to wait until you see the finished product.
And I can't just buy them, that'd defeat the whole purpose of this whole thing.

Buy them and say you made them. Or binder-clips (binder-clips they're called). Actually, I am interested in seeing your finished product.

Fuck.
The magnets lack power, but If I use too many batteries the damn things overheat and bend, or the cables go all "screw this" and randomly short out.
...
....
.....
This is so much fun!

Cool. Rolos the mad scientist it is.

P.S. I need more power!
P.S.S. I really do, but I don't want to plug it yet. I don't know what could happen. I should have researched voltage before assembling the base...

When dealing with electricity taken directly from the wall socket and using it at that voltage you should consult someone else about it, we're talking about life threatening power here.

Post pictures though, I really want to see what you're coming up with.

Construction's on hold until I leave the country for the holidays. No way they're gonna let me carry this contraption on the plane.
Pics will be up on January 1st.
Prepare for disappointment.