En/decoding box

[Wend]

Finally got this finished!

It translates between braille, morse code, semaphore and binary.

Probably the hardest and most time consuming part was just getting all the wood planed flat and square. Here's the top with the hole layout punched.

116 7mm holes for the LEDs and buttons on the top (fortunately both wanted the same size, which eliminates a whole lot of potential mistakes. Still pretty nerve wracking knowing that one hole in the wrong place takes me back to square one)...

...with the backs widened with a forstner bit to accommodate the components.

Some pyrography finishes off the top.

Sides dovetailed together. They're currently far too tall, as I wasn't sure how tall I needed so I just made sure to overshoot.

Some components are very close to the edge, so needed some space chiselled out for them to fit into.

Finally, just wire it all up!

Finally, glue the top to the sides. I only put glue on about an inch on the short sides, so the top is free to shrink or expand; hopefully those couple of inches will be enough to hold it together!

Many thanks everyone for all the advice over the last year and more; I'm sure I wouldn't have got there without you!

 

[Trainee neophyte]

It translates between braille, morse code, semaphore and binary.

Of course it does. What an astonishingly useful box! Why haven't I got one?

Can we see it in action, please?

Also the pyrography - is that just freehand? If so, you're not a doctor,are you! I couldn't possibly manage anything as well-spaced and even, but then I am barely literate. Is there a trick to it?

 

[Orraloon]

A nice project.
I had to learn morse and semaphore to get qualified in the merchant navy but they both seem to have gone by the wayside now. They were skills that you had to keep practicing or they got rusty very quick. A box like that would have been a good practice tool. I only ever did semaphore for the exam but morse still got the odd bit of use through to about the late 70tes.
Regards
John

 

[Wend]

It translates between braille, morse code, semaphore and binary.

Of course it does. What an astonishingly useful box! Why haven't I got one?

If you knew how long it had taken, you'd know

Can we see it in action, please?

I'm afraid I don't know how to put videos on here, sorry.

Also the pyrography - is that just freehand? If so, you're not a doctor,are you! I couldn't possibly manage anything as well-spaced and even, but then I am barely literate. Is there a trick to it?

The trick is low-res photos! Although sanding to 1000 grit definitely helped the iron not trip over the grain as much.