That changed when I got a 3d printer and laser cutter, opening up a myriad of potential enclosure ideas. A couple years ago, I saw a Kickstarter project that showcased the perfect housing: something that looks so decorative that you'd never know it was a clock!
I purchased a vector file from Etsy and used my CNC software to nest the vectors so they'd use less material. I cut it using my new craigslist find: a laser cutter.
It used roughly a sheet and a quarter and was kind of fun to assemble together! I wouldn't have thought to put pieces together so artistically, so I'm glad I purchased the vectors for this.
I milled a PCB on my CNC machine. I realize now that I've never showcased this process outside of a brief mention on my weather station, so I'll need to remember to go into detail on a future project. The brains are a simple microcontroller, watch crystal, and buttons for setting time/configuration. The windows are covered with vellum paper.
All assembled, it looks great! To the casual observer, it's a cute little house with lights that occasionally change. To the geek, it's also a clock. If I ever make another one, I'll probably paint it before assembling it.
For festive occasions, I added a variety of color combinations: pastels for Easter, reds for Valentines Day, etc. You can see the Christmas and patriotic (July 4th, Flag Day, etc.) displays below. The colors are randomized and sometimes change when you're not looking.
Technical Specs for Geeks
LEDs are a simple WS2812B (IP30) strip cut into pieces.
MCU is a PIC24FV16KA301, which is 5-volt tolerant and supports my PIC24 WS2812B code. Firmware & buttons allow for brightness control, clock calibration (so it runs the right speed), and color schema selection.
Color schemas include
- warm white
- Valentine's (reds/pinks)
- Easter (pastels)
- patriotic (red/white/blue)
- St. Pats (greens)
- Halloween (orange/purple/green)
- Thanksgiving (fall colors)
- Christmas (red/green)
- "unicorn barf" (random colors)
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