DIY Split Flap Display
mcuoneclipse.com
DIY Split Flap Display
1–10 of 16 posts
Re: DIY Split Flap Display
#2I want one of these, and I have absolutely no good reason to have one. I just think they're cool!
Re: DIY Split Flap Display
#3I've been tempted to make a large one of these out of some plastic panels lying around that were once part of an Ikea cube organizer thing. The cube shelf is actually a bunch of modular plastic panels and modular connectors, so there its just a matter of sticking them together tightly and then inserting an axle somehow.
https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/e528a8d0-6191-4472-adf5-935...
BTW the arduino is overkill. All you need is a few tracks along the wheel and some electrical contacts. Encode the position directly in the track connectivity. Select position by just sending the binary for the desired letter down the wires. When it reaches the correct letter, the powered contacts get cut off and the motor stops turning.
Re: DIY Split Flap Display
#4I want one of these, and I have absolutely no good reason to have one. I just think they're cool!
Yes, I love the sound they make and there is something very cool about controlling an analog display with software. I would love to make one, but this seems beyond my DIY skillset. I wish you could buy them for a reasonable price, but I couldn't find anything less than 3K (Vestaboard).
Re: DIY Split Flap Display
#5[deleted]
Re: DIY Split Flap Display
#6I've been tempted to make a large one of these out of some plastic panels lying around that were once part of an Ikea cube organizer thing. The cube shelf is actually a bunch of modular plastic panels and modular connectors, so there its just a matter of sticking them together tightly and then inserting an axle somehow. https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/e528a8d0-6191-4472-adf5-935... BTW the arduino is overkill. All y…
> All you need is a few tracks along the wheel and some electrical contacts. Encode the position directly in the track connectivity. Select position by just sending the binary for the desired letter down the wires. When it reaches the correct letter, the powered contacts get cut off and the motor stops turning.
... or use a $4 MCU. Even get Wifi capabilities for "free".
Re: DIY Split Flap Display
#7You can buy split-flap clocks at MoMA [0] for $650. Not cheap.
If you want to see a big one in person, the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport in New York has the original split-flap departures display made by Solari di Udine [1] (the same company makes the MoMA clock). Solari also makes other split-flap devices [2].
Not to get off on a tangent, but the TWA Hotel is a very cool place to visit [3].
[0] https://store.moma.org/for-the-home/home/clocks/solari-cifra...
[1] https://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/architecture/t...
Re: DIY Split Flap Display
#8You can buy split-flap clocks at MoMA [0] for $650. Not cheap. If you want to see a big one in person, the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport in New York has the original split-flap departures display made by Solari di Udine [1] (the same company makes the MoMA clock). Solari also makes other split-flap devices [2]. Not to get off on a tangent, but the TWA Hotel is a very cool place to visit [3]. [0] https://store.moma.org/for…
There’s also a company here in Philadelphia that makes custom split-flap displays: https://www.oatfoundry.com/
Re: DIY Split Flap Display
#9I want one of these, and I have absolutely no good reason to have one. I just think they're cool!
Yes, I love the sound they make and there is something very cool about controlling an analog display with software. I would love to make one, but this seems beyond my DIY skillset. I wish you could buy them for a reasonable price, but I couldn't find anything less than 3K (Vestaboard).
Projects like these are what push me to expand my DIY skillset. (I enjoy making things so much I want everyone to share my passion, not feel DIY is beyond them.)
Sure, the guy has some fancy tools, but what I saw looked like something you could have laser-cut by way of Shapeko (or similar online laser-cutting services). He in fact referenced an acrylic version that would laser up nicely.
I suppose the electronics would be a learning curve but I might just go with the KiCad PCB he provides and go from there. (Curious though about the acrylic version — how it handles the electronics.)
Vinyl cut letters... This is do-able but also points out to me that the author is something of a perfectionist. Someone just getting their feet wet in a split-flap display might start out lettering their flaps with a Sharpie.
As you say, if the fun is in driving an analog display with software you could do a lot worse starting out with matte board, hot glue, a Sharpie and a handful of electronics.
Re: DIY Split Flap Display
#10You can buy split-flap clocks at MoMA [0] for $650. Not cheap. If you want to see a big one in person, the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport in New York has the original split-flap departures display made by Solari di Udine [1] (the same company makes the MoMA clock). Solari also makes other split-flap devices [2]. Not to get off on a tangent, but the TWA Hotel is a very cool place to visit [3]. [0] https://store.moma.org/for…
Here’s a list with operational split-flap displays around the world: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-flap_display#Operational...