String Art Machine

Started this project back in March when lockdowns started happening. String art seemed interesting to me and I did a piece by hand but it took forever and I have no artistic talent so it looked horrible. Thought I could just easily build a machine that does it for me instead and I can sit back and enjoy my coffee, should only take 1-2 months. Lets go! Actually it took 8 months to make something that worked reliably but I learned so much! This project had a fun mix of software, firmware, electrical and mechanical challenges. If you want to see some of the other patterns I made, you can check out my etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/TangledPerfections A few technical details for those curious... I didn't really mention the software/firmware flow. Basically, the designs I create can be represented via mathematical formulas/algorithms. I use python to generate 2 outputs, one with all the nail locations and one with the path to take. The software then takes this information and generates 2 g-code file, one that places the nails and the other that routes the string in a 3d space. These files are uploaded to an old 3d printer board i had laying around running a customized version of Marlin firmware. There is also an Arduino that it talks to that controls the nail placer and string routing mechanisms in the video. The mechanical frame was originally used as a CNC router. I needed something that could make big pieces (biggest size is 18”x18”) and BobsCNC Evolution 4 had a big frame and was pretty cheap for a CNC (and its on Amazon too!). It also has an open side that I could fit 10 different thread colors on. The mechanisms and spool holders are pretty much all 3D printed