Tl;dr - I didn't figure out what was wrong with Blender 2.8 and 2.81 on Ubuntu. So I upgraded to the 2.82 alpha version, which works great. You can also go back to the 2.79 version, which also works great.

So, I've enrolled in a great …

So, my good friend, the Libre Hacker, sent me a link to a new e-paper display that is pretty cool and completely open source! It is the new Inkplate 6. It's build on the ESP32, which means you can use the Arduino suite to program it, which is really convenient …

Well, I finally finished it! The pinewood derby timer is done. Check it out!

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First, I had to finish the wiring for the lights and the sensors, and then I had to finish the arch.

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Then …

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Now that I have the displays mounted on the pinewood derby timer, it was time to wire them in. I still don't have lights or sensors in yet, but I thought I could just hook up the displays for now. It seemed to …

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Well, I decided to print a few display covers to go around the LED displays. This covers up the unsightly hole that I cut from the box, and seems to "class up" the displays a bit. I like the way they turned …

O holy night
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appeared and the soul felt it's worth

The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder brinks a new and glorious …

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As I have been constructing this Pinewood Derby Timer, I needed some sort of box or enclosure to make the top of the arch. So I took apart a junk piece of equipment and cut out holes for the LED displays to …

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So one of the driving components (pun intended) of the derby timer is the LED displays. I went with the smaller ones from Adafruit, as we wouldn't need a second power supply if we go this route, and I'd like to keep …

A local church group that I attend needed some help with an Awana project. They use a pinewood derby track for racing cars, and they needed a timer built for it. I don't attend the Awana club usually, and I was not present for the races last time they held …

Somewhat of a break from the norm, but today the dryer quit drying. The clothes stayed damp, and there was no heat inside the dryer when you opened the door.

At first, I disassembled the dryer, expecting to find a problem with with the controls or main electronic boards. However …