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Ross McSweeney

@ross.mcsweeney

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I design wooden automata that you can cut and build yourself at home! I'm always open to hearing your ideas. Files are available now!

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Another update!

It may not look like much but my dog is now happy!

I am very happy to have solved this design problem caused entirely by myself as I didn't think this far ahead when designing. I am one very big step to having this model finished!

#lasercutting #lasercutfiles #automata #dogs by @ross.mcsweeney

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a day ago

I had some free time today so decided to go in and work on my newest machine. I put it aside for a few weeks which was a terrible idea as I have forgotten what I was doing with it all. Thankfully I didn't leave it too much longer or it all would have been gone!

I pupped it all apart and added a new spinning bit that you can see in the bottom left. That might be enough to solve all of my problems!

#lasercutting #automata by @ross.mcsweeney

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a day ago

Sorry, I couldn't stay awake the last 2 nights so I didn't take any videos 😢

Here are 2 of the Halloween pumpkin designs 🎃

Files are on my Etsy page now~

#flux_inc #lasercutting #lasercut #digitalfiles #cnc by @ross.mcsweeney

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8 days ago

🐈🐈
I couldn't decide on one cat design so I played it safe and went with 2 different designs.
#halloween #lasercutting #lasercutfiles #flux_inc #candle by @ross.mcsweeney

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11 days ago

Happy skeleton design!

Here I wanted to show the difference between the 2 base designs (they are both included in the download). The long one shows more detail but the shadow is smaller. The shorter version (my favourite) just makes giant shadows but you lose a tiny bit of detail. This is only really obvious in this skeleton design.

More designs tomorrow night!

#halloween #lasercutfiles #lasercutting #halloweendesign #woodworking by @ross.mcsweeney

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12 days ago

Here is my third favourite candle, the bat! The silhouette on this one is massive and I couldn't fit it on this tiny little desk here. For the next video I'll try and find a bigger wall! 🦇

And I just realized I'm missing the gate decorations from the base... Off to bed for me! 💤

#candle #halloween #lasercutting #etsyshop #flux_inc by @ross.mcsweeney

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13 days ago

Happy Halloween!

For this month's STEAM project I made Halloween Silhouette candles~ They only take a few minutes to cut and assemble and look really fantastic if I do say so myself. I am actually kind of excited now when it gets late at night so I can try out a few designs. You can use regular tea light candles or LED ones so kids can safely play with them.

There is a regular version which makes large and impressive shadows as well as a slightly longer version which makes clearer shadows but with a slightly smaller shadow.

I cut these out on my Flux Beambox II laser cutter using MDF. These ones were made using 2.5mm (there is also 3mm, 1/8" and 4mm included)

Files are up now on my Etsy page if you want to give them a try yourself!

See you for the next project soon!

#halloween
#lasercutting
#lasercut
#candle
#silhouette
#flux_inc
#beamboxii by @ross.mcsweeney

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16 days ago

And here are the other 5 designs!

#flux_inc #lasercutfiles #halloween by @ross.mcsweeney

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17 days ago

I have a new STEAM project coming out tomorrow!
Science, Technology, Education, Art and Math.

Here are 5 of the 10 designs. I'll put the other 5 up later!

See if you can guess what it will be? 🎃

More to come!

#haloween #lasercutting #lasercutting #flux_inc by @ross.mcsweeney

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18 days ago

Hello everyone, just a quick update so you don't think I have disappeared! My newest model has come mostly to a stand still whilst I try and make time to work on it whilst doing my regular teaching work. I did make this tree though which is not bad for a first try. I will fix it up and probably add some more layers and things as I go along. There is one mechanical problem with the model which is entirely my fault. That linkage that I made works well but it doesn't move fast enough so I will attach something else to it and add a new cam somewhere inside the model to get the movement that I want. It's not too difficult but I need to pull it all apart to test it out. I have a day off coming up so I am dreaming about how to use the hours to get more done 💕

I also worked on my next STEAM project. It was going to be a model made out of mirrored acrylic but I will put it off for 1 month as I had some requests for something Halloween themed. Stay tuned, a simple Halloween project is coming!

That's about it for now. I willl hopefully have something new to show you soon!

Good luck with whatever you are working on!

#lasercutting #flux_inc #wip #lasercutfiles by @ross.mcsweeney

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a month ago

Summer is over for me 😔 I have to get back to regular work life again so it will take me a bit longer to have this model finished sorry. All that being said though, I am very happy with it so far! I have a boy for my model now and I am wondering whether to give him a face... I often like to let people imagine the face and keep it blank like I did with Sisyphus but I'll see how I go. I also made a girl so you are not locked in and have a bit of a choice.

Actually just looking at this photo now, I think he needs socks so I will do that next.

Now it is mostly finished I get to do my favourite part, which is decorating. I love trying to make the models come to life by adding detail everywhere. I do actually have one more important part of the model which I have been putting off as I don't know how to tackle it yet.

I'll keep showing some progress shots as I work away on it over the coming weeks. See you again soon!

#lasercutting #lasercutfiles #automata #boy by @ross.mcsweeney

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2 months ago

STEAM project No 5 is friendship bracelets!

I recently made this simple contraption for a large group of kids and it was a big success. I cut out a few different colours from acrylic just to make it look a bit more exciting, let them choose their own colour string and after a quick explanation everyone was sitting around quietly weaving away!

For younger kids, wood works better as the string doesn't slip like it does with acrylic, but no one wanted to use the plain wooden versions. Acrylic was very popular and a great choice.

I used the FLUX BEAMBOX II as well as the matching air filter as I never like the smell of cut acrylic.

If anyone is interested in making their own I will put up the files soon (free 😊)

If there are any eagle eyed viewers out there, you may have noticed that the last video said it was project number 3, it was actually number 4 sorry!

#flux_inc
#fluxbeambox #lasercutting #weaving #friendshipbracelet by @ross.mcsweeney

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2 months ago