iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Tom Wardill @tom.theclacks.cloud.ap.brid.gy · 29/06/2026

@tom that’s more like it. Pi Zero 2W with a CYD screen. Now I have a web interface, a way to save schedules and a much clearer indication of what it’s doing.

A hacked together kiln controller with lever connectors visible as the cover is missing. The front of the control box is a white box with a visible status screen.

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Tom Wardill @tom.theclacks.cloud.ap.brid.gy · 14/06/2026

@tom turns out the pop was one my welds on the stand I made for the kiln. Looks like the thermal expansion of the top plate was enough to break one of the tack welds keeping the top down. All survived!

A small selection of home made mugs, espresso cups, and a butter dish tray on a wire cooling rack. The glazes are uneven and the walls are wobbly.

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Tom Wardill @tom.theclacks.cloud.ap.brid.gy · 13/06/2026

The kiln has made an ominous pop noise while it was in the final stages of glaze firing. Place your bets on how many pieces have survived. Updates tomorrow…

A small kiln with visible cups and trays ready to be fired.

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Tom Wardill @tom.theclacks.cloud.ap.brid.gy · 24/05/2026

After a bunch of iterations and learning and experimenting, this morning I drank my coffee out of the first watertight cup that I made myself via slipcast pottery and fired in my own kiln. It’s objectively not very good, but each iteration is improving. Pretty happy with that.

A mostly yellow espresso cup filled with coffee. The cup has visible clay working marks and an uneven glaze. It is not leaking coffee.

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Tom Wardill @tom.theclacks.cloud.ap.brid.gy · 12/04/2026

It’s been a while since I both acquired this fabric, and since I used the #ProjectorSewing setup, but project for the next EMF is underway at last. The incredible #solarpunk fabric from @moraghickman and recycled sail cloth to make a bag to carry my stuff at the event. #seeing #emfcamp.

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Tom Wardill @tom.theclacks.cloud.ap.brid.gy · 21/11/2025

Last year my partner ran Dragons Back and did very well. I built a lamp using her GPS data, elevation profile and route. Really quite happy with how it turned out.

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Tom Wardill @tom.theclacks.cloud.ap.brid.gy · 14/09/2025

Packed my travel weaving kit for a weekend away. Enjoying the small frame for trying to get my head around some simple patterns.

A small square weaving frame with 2 colours of weft, and one colour of weave, in a staggered offset pattern.

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Tom Wardill @tom.theclacks.cloud.ap.brid.gy · 04/09/2025

Via the power of the mighty mighty Honda Jazz, I am packed up and heading to National HamFest. Come find me on the RSGB stand talking about how you should make things. #hamfest #amateurradio #satellites

The boot of a car filled with boxes, bags, and flight cases for the transportation of various technical items.
The lower right has a special Space themed project.

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Tom Wardill @tom.theclacks.cloud.ap.brid.gy · 04/08/2025

Prototypes are continuing. Scaled up a bit as while the ‘life size’ twist-lite replica was fine, I don’t actually have a whole console of them so it looked a bit lost. Increased the size by 50% and redesigned the top cover to be a bit more printable. Fitment […] [Original post on theclacks.cloud]

A hand holding a 3d printed prototype switch in front of a work bench.
The switch is a mix of grey and yellow, and is obviously 3d printed.

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Tom Wardill @tom.theclacks.cloud.ap.brid.gy · 29/06/2025

I need some analog gauges for a project and I couldn't find any I liked, so I made some. blog.howrandom.net/37g-servo-analog…

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Tom Wardill @tom.theclacks.cloud.ap.brid.gy · 25/06/2025

Spent the morning playing with lasers and my analog dial project. Got something that I’m happy-if-not-overjoyed with, which is Good Enough. Then spent the afternoon transcribing a schematic and PCB layout for a Secret Project.

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Tom Wardill @tom.theclacks.cloud.ap.brid.gy · 22/06/2025

Had a mild-but-annoying cold all weekend, but worked on some projects. My ‘connect your Morse Key to Discord’ boards are now with JLCPCB for assembly. And I designed a servo controlled ‘analog dial gauge’ for the CubeSatSim project.

A grey 3d printed square snaking style gauge with no value indications on a workbench.

A messy protoboard layout of a Morse key related project with cables hanging off it.

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Tom Wardill @tom.theclacks.cloud.ap.brid.gy · 27/05/2025

The RSGB lent me a CubeSat simulator. First job was to take it apart and reflash it so I’ve now got root on a (simulated) satellite. Tomorrow’s job is to work out how to decode its telemetry

A partially disassembled CubeSatSim showing solar panels and surrounded by tools and cables, next to a laptop showing an ssh window to the satellite.

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Tom Wardill @tom.theclacks.cloud.ap.brid.gy · 25/02/2025

Minor quest for the last little while has been to capture a weather satellite image. This is fairly easy to do, but I decided I might as well go for the harder option and I built this: www.thingiverse.com/thing:6436342 to try for the higher quality […] [Original post on theclacks.cloud]

An upside down satellite picture of the UK and Ireland, Western Europe, and a part of Northern Africa, showing clouds and weather movements with some interference lines.

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