sandTable/README.md

sandTable

A 12" kinetic sand table that draws patterns in sand. A steel ball rolls under glass, pulled by a magnet on a polar arm underneath. The case is about 12.5" across and 5" tall. The parts are 3D-printed for a Bambu P1S and designed in SolidCraft.

Building one? Start with BUILD.md: parts to buy, what to print, assembly in order, wiring, the first run and troubleshooting.

• sand-table-v3.solidcraft: the printable design (latest). Bodies named REF_* are bought parts, modeled for fit only. sand-table-v2.solidcraft is the previous version.
• print/v3/: STL files for every printed part of the v3 build. Use this set. Print the two fit tests (00, 00b) first. print/README.md has the parts list, print notes and assembly order; the older folders are kept for reference.
• software/: the pattern player. Start it with python3 -m sandtable web for a web page with a library of designs; it drives the table from a computer over USB and erases between patterns. See software/README.md.
• pcb/: an optional custom controller board (ESP32 + 2× DRV8825, FluidNC) that fits the Uno standoffs, with PCBWay order files. See pcb/README.md.
• sand-table-v2-assembly.step: the v2 assembly, for viewing in any CAD tool.
• design-notes.md: how it works, dimensions, parts to buy, hardware list and print settings.
• sand-table-v1.solidcraft, mechanism-mockups.solidcraft: earlier layout and mechanism studies.

Licence

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0: you may print, change and share this, including the software and the board, as long as you credit it, don't sell it, and share changes under the same licence. See LICENSE.

The one exception is the GRBL firmware file in software/firmware/. It's the unmodified GRBL 1.1h build and stays under the GPL v3 (COPYING-GRBL).