Project: Harry Potter Style Wand and Case

For my Harry-Potter-loving, soon-to-be sister-in-law's birthday, we decided to make a couple of magic wands.

I started with three pieces of 7/8" square walnut, each about 15" long.

That's a Glenlivet 16 year Scotch, if you're curious

I decided to try a couple of styles. I hand carved the first wand using the hatchet, chisel, and knife. The second wand was a bit more complicated. 

Improvisation

I don't own a lathe, but I do own a drill.

I drilled pilot holes in each end of the walnut, then drilled screws into each end. On the left side, I put a hex nut on the screw before driving it into the walnut. I tightened my bench vise on the hex nut, giving me a flexible, low friction rotation point. 

I clamped my drill to the bench at an angle so that the walnut would rotate smoothly. Then I tightened the chuck on the screw at the right end of the walnut. 

This worked surprisingly well. I didn't have a knife rest, so I opted to use a file for most of the work. I started with a rough file and gradually rounded out the piece.

After establishing the basic shape, I switched to a fine file and finalized the shape. Then I used 80, 120, and 320 grit sandpaper to get a smooth finish. 

Finally, I used a water-based protective finish to keep the wands in good condition but not detract from the natural color of the wood.

Enclosure

I wanted to make a case which felt like it could have been pulled from a thousand-year old shelf. I started by ripping 1/8 and 1/4 walnut planks.  

• Sides: 1/4x2x14"
• Top: 1/8x2.5x14"
• Bottom: 1/8x2.5x13.5
• Ends: 1/8x2x2.5

Using a table saw, I cut groves in the sides to accommodate the top, bottom, and ends.

I put Titebond wood glue in the grooves, then clamped it together (leaving out the top).

I sanded it with 80 grit sandpaper.

Finally, I used boiled linseed oil to protect it and give it a timeless look.

 Testing

Copyright 2016 Tyler Smith

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T.D. Smith's books on Goodreads

 The Siege of Abigail Beson

Project: Raspberry Pi Based Network Attached Storage

Objectives

My goal in this project was to establish low power, low maintenance, and low cost redundant storage. I was willing to compromise on speed in order to keep costs low. 

Components

I used a pair of 1-terabyte external hard drives connected by USB with external power. These were connected to a Raspberry Pi B+.

Software

I used Rasbian Linux on the Raspberry Pi with mdadm for RAID.

Security

For external access I have SSH access forwarded to the NAS. However, access is by SSH key only. 

Results

Performance 

Performance is pretty poor - I get about 3.5 MB/second when reading and writing data. Large file transfers take quite a while (12+ hours).

Cost

The whole setup cost about $165:

• Hard Drive x 2 = ~$110
• USB Hub = ~$20
• Raspberry Pi = ~$35

Power Consumption

Under load this setup uses about 12 watts. Not bad! That's about 105 kilowatt hours per year, or about $7 per year. 

Conclusion

This project met my objectives for low cost, high availability, redundant storage. It's slow, but it works just fine for seldom-accessed photos and videos and hosting git repositories.

Copyright 2016 Tyler Smith

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T.D. Smith's books on Goodreads 

The Siege of Abigail Beson

Technical Details: Tools for Writing, Typesetting, and Digital Publishing

Writing

When writing a draft, I like to use Google Docs.

Benefits

• It's easy to write from any computer
• Making comments and suggestions is easy
• Readers can follow along as I write
• Version history is tracked

Drawbacks

• Requires putting my trust in "the cloud"
• Formatting options are limited, though this has been improving over time
• Lacks precision version controls (e.g., taking snapshots)

Typesetting

I use LaTex for typesetting. It's open source (read: free) and widely supported.

After I've gotten a draft into reasonably good shape, I'll transfer the contents to one or more LaTex files. Then I create one or more top-level LaTex files which control the formatting of the book. This allows me to use the same content with different formats. 

Benefits

• Books can be split into multiple files
• Files can be version controlled, so I can track exactly what I changed over time
• Page formatting can be precisely controlled
• Compilers exist for all major platforms. I use TeXShop on Mac. 

Drawbacks

• LaTex syntax can be frustrating, but thankfully there are lots of helpful posts on the LaTex StackExchange page.
• Many LaTex options can conflict with one another. For example, the memoir class provides useful defaults for typesetting a printed book, but can conflict with options in other packages. 

Digital Publishing

I use pandoc to generate Markdown (.md) and EPub (.epub) files, and Sigil to edit the .epub files for submission. 

I've found it's easiest to use pandoc to generate a Markdown file, then make any necessary text tweaks in Markdown before generating an EPub file:

pandoc AbigailBesonForEPub.tex -s -o AbigailBeson.md --epub-cover-image=cover/cover1000x1600.jpg

pandoc AbigailBeson.md -s -o AbigailBeson.epub --epub-cover-image=cover/cover1000x1600.jpg

Benefits

• Pandoc and Sigil are both open source. 

Drawbacks

• I've found Pandoc's direct LaTex to EPub conversion loses a lot of detail.
• Pandoc's LaTex to Markdown conversion preserves most details, but can't handle some LaTex options. For example, I used the rlap option to avoid line wrapping (see below) and discovered pandoc simply deleted the affected lines.

\begin{vplace}[0.3]\begin{verse}From gray skies poured a \rlap{crushing flood} \\Through vengeance torn a \rlap{bond of blood} \\Strength alone won't stem the tide \\Yet peace was glimpsed, hold fast; abide \\\end{verse}\end{vplace}

Resulted in:

From gray skies poured a
Through vengeance torn a
Strength alone won't stem the tide
Yet peace was glimpsed, hold fast; abide

This type of error forced me to manually edit the Markdown file before proceeding to EPub editing.

Sigil is great for editing details like the table of contents. However, I've found that if I try to edit the EPub cover file in Sigil it gets lost entirely and iBooks can't find it.

Version Control

I used git for version control. I initially used a private github repository, but later switched to hosting my own on my Raspberry Pi based NAS. Similar to LaTex, git is powerful but initially daunting to learn.

Copyright 2016 Tyler Smith

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T.D. Smith's books on Goodreads 

The Siege of Abigail Beson

Homeschool Curriculum Guide to the Siege of Abigail Beson

Update! The expanded guide including The Subversion of Abigail Beson and The Forging of Abigail Beson is here.

The Siege of Abigail Beson is historical fiction aimed at young adults. The story takes place in rural Virginia the summer of 1865 and includes a variety of historical references which provide anchors for discussion and further exploration into the history of the American Civil War. This page provides a guide for instructors using the book as part of their curriculum.

Part One: The Siege of Abigail Beson

Vocabulary Words

• Avarice (Page 3)
• Antagonist (Page 23)
• Robber Barron (Page 33)
• Trepidation (Page 40)

Points for Further Exploration

• Conclusion of the American Civil War (Page 1)
• Quantrill's Raiders (Page 9)
• Mexican-American War (Page 12)
• Civil War era weaponry (Page 32)
• Living conditions and mortality rates in army camps during the American Civil War (Page 50)

Suggested Activities

Decode the hidden messages in these maps (click for large view):

Review Questions with Suggested Answers (Warning: Spoilers)

1. Who is the protagonist in this story? How do you know? 

A. The protagonist is Abby Beson. The story is told from her perspective and focuses on events as they happen to her. 

2. Who is the antagonist in this story? How do you know? Who did you think was the antagonist?

A. Vera is the antagonist. At the end of the story we discover that she has been stealing from banks and she threatens the family in order to make her escape. At the beginning of the story I thought the "bandits" in the woods were the antagonists.

3. Why does Vera say people are pursuing her? What do we learn about her story?

A. Vera says that there were rumors her husband had taken gold from a bank and that criminals wanted to steal it. We learn that Vera actually stole the gold and that the militia was pursuing her. 

4. Which part of the Beson house would you want to live in? Why?

A. Student should identify the eastern (used) and western (unused) portions of the house and provide a rationale for one or the other.

5. Why was it difficult for Abby's family to call for help? How would the story have been different if it happened today?

A. In the 1860s telephones had not yet been invented and most families did not have access to a telegraph. A family today would have been able to call for help with a cell phone. 

Part Two: The Excursion of Abigail Beson

Vocabulary Words

• Cooper (Page 60)
• Jovial (Page 62)
• Stoic (Page 63)
• Cache (Page 110)

Points for Further Exploration

• Storms of 1839 (Page 68)
• Conditions of the Confederate Surrender (Page 65)
• The physics of simple machines (Page 74)
• Civil war era cryptography (Page 85)
• Major General William Sherman (Page 87)

Suggested Activities

• Make your own cipher disk
• www.civilwarsignals.org provides a Guide 

Review Questions with Suggested Answers (Warning: Spoilers)

1. Why might mail have been slow to arrive shortly after the end of the American Civil War?

A. The Civil War put a major strain on infrastructure, especially in the Confederate South. Many men were away from their homes and jobs due to fighting.

2. Who is injured in the forest? How is he or she injured?

A. Abby's brother Emery is injured. A tree falls on his leg during a storm. 

3. Abby's brothers Jackson and Benjamin both fought in the war. How does each brother feel about the war and its conclusion?

A. Jackson feels angry that the Confederates lost the war. Benjamin feels indifferent about the war and is happy to see his family. 

4. Who does Abby encounter in the forest? Why is she surprised at who she meets?

A. Abby meets a group of Union soldiers. She is surprised because the soldiers do not know that the war has ended. 

5. Who is Kingsley? Who does Abby think he is when they first meet?

Kingsley is a Union soldier who rode the horse Abby meets in the forest. His name is on the horse's saddle, so Abby initially thinks the horse's name is Kingsley. 

Recommended Non-Fiction Reading

• Reflections on the Civil War by Bruce Catton

Goodnight Server Room (New Project)

Update: The KickStarter for this project is live now!

gsr.smithdtyler.com

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I read lots of books to my kids. We have plenty of books about trucks, trains, airplanes, and tools. We have no books about computers, software, or any of the work I do when I'm not at home playing with them.

I searched on Amazon and couldn't find any board books about computers which were aimed at eighteen to thirty-six month olds.

I aim to remedy this problem. The following is a first draft, illustration ideas to follow.

Goodnight Server Room

Stay bright, stay bright, green status light

Blinking, thinking through the night

Web apps, backups, plans, and maps

In the server room the packets zoom

Voltage going up and down

Is how the data gets around

It rides on wires far and wide

Ethernet’s got eight inside

The network switch’s a wild place

It handles routes run like a race

The IP field is how to know

Where each packet needs to go

Need a door from inner to outer?

Look no further than the router

From subnet one to subnet two

The router knows what should go through

A server rack looks like a stack

Cold air goes in, hot out the back

It holds computers way up high

Kept on by a power supply

So many computers, what to do?

The Domain Name Service knows what to do

Assigning names is crucial fun

Most centers have two, not one

A driver’s code that lets us see

Data sent to you and me

Send a stream or read a block

The driver is what lets us talk

A hard drive spins very fast

Put data here to make it last

If all you need is short term speed

R-A-M is what you need!

Each cache is like a secret stash

When crunching numbers in a hash

Stuck right on the C-P-Us

It’s always the first spot to use

The processor is like a brain

It thinks and thinks and won’t complain

No problem is too big or small

The processor solves one and all

Server room where packets zoom

Your admin team will be back soon

Keep working hard to send each byte

Keep blinking bright all through the night

Copyright 2016 Tyler Smith

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T.D. Smith's books on Goodreads

The Siege of Abigail Beson

Introducing Puppy Hotbox

I invented this game to liven up backyard fetch with our dog. The premise is pretty simple:

1. Stand about twenty feet from a tree with a dog and a tennis ball
2. Throw the tennis ball at the tree
3. Whoever retrieves the ball first gets a point
4. Whoever gets ten points first wins

I just lost 10-8 to this smug puppy.

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Don't forget to check out my book: The Siege of Abigail Beson! Available now on Amazon, Amazon Kindle, and createspace!

If I don't know you, do not touch my child

This keeps happening to me:

As a relatively new parent, I'm stunned that this is a topic which needs clarification. It's pretty simple: