Andy Colborn
@acolborn.bsky.social
mechE and maker - excited about materials, design, nature, electronics
Open source DIY soldering kits -> learntosolderkits.com
Currently spending too much of my free time designing a robotic dragonfly (anisopter?)
Open source DIY soldering kits -> learntosolderkits.com
Currently spending too much of my free time designing a robotic dragonfly (anisopter?)
We're heading to an educator conference at the end of the month, hoping to teach some STEM teachers to solder at our booth.
After being inspired by what other's have done with @oshpark.bsky.social's after dark, I threw together the design for a sick new soldering badge with twinkling LED stars.
After being inspired by what other's have done with @oshpark.bsky.social's after dark, I threw together the design for a sick new soldering badge with twinkling LED stars.
June 14, 2025 at 12:17 AM
We're heading to an educator conference at the end of the month, hoping to teach some STEM teachers to solder at our booth.
After being inspired by what other's have done with @oshpark.bsky.social's after dark, I threw together the design for a sick new soldering badge with twinkling LED stars.
After being inspired by what other's have done with @oshpark.bsky.social's after dark, I threw together the design for a sick new soldering badge with twinkling LED stars.
Reposted by Andy Colborn
When learning something, one of the most important resources is a person who will tell you "no, you are wrong, you are not making sense, what you are saying is meaningless," to keep you from going further and further wrong without knowing it.
Chatgpt tells you what you want to hear.
Chatgpt tells you what you want to hear.
May 21, 2025 at 6:27 PM
When learning something, one of the most important resources is a person who will tell you "no, you are wrong, you are not making sense, what you are saying is meaningless," to keep you from going further and further wrong without knowing it.
Chatgpt tells you what you want to hear.
Chatgpt tells you what you want to hear.
Now that we've been shipping the deluxe version of our soldering kit for a while, I wanted to share some of the messy, joyful practicality involved in bringing a product (even a simple one like this) to life.
learntosolderkits.com/blogs/news/d...
learntosolderkits.com/blogs/news/d...
Designing a Deluxe Kit
One of the most common questions we've had from people over the years was if our soldering kits included all the tools they needed - to which we had to answer a shameful
learntosolderkits.com
May 13, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Now that we've been shipping the deluxe version of our soldering kit for a while, I wanted to share some of the messy, joyful practicality involved in bringing a product (even a simple one like this) to life.
learntosolderkits.com/blogs/news/d...
learntosolderkits.com/blogs/news/d...
When we buy raw materials that go into a finished product, we're not required to pay sales tax since the product will get taxed when it our customer buys it.
Can someone ELI5 why nobody has talked about doing this with tariffs? You can't actually make stuff in the US if you can't afford parts.
Can someone ELI5 why nobody has talked about doing this with tariffs? You can't actually make stuff in the US if you can't afford parts.
May 8, 2025 at 9:40 PM
When we buy raw materials that go into a finished product, we're not required to pay sales tax since the product will get taxed when it our customer buys it.
Can someone ELI5 why nobody has talked about doing this with tariffs? You can't actually make stuff in the US if you can't afford parts.
Can someone ELI5 why nobody has talked about doing this with tariffs? You can't actually make stuff in the US if you can't afford parts.
Reposted by Andy Colborn
Everyone in the past was neurotypical, which is how we got things like this single-author, eight-volume encyclopedia of ferns
May 6, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Everyone in the past was neurotypical, which is how we got things like this single-author, eight-volume encyclopedia of ferns
My first ever flex board has arrived from @oshpark.bsky.social! Not sure I've ever been this excited for the inevitable discovery that I've made a series of mistakes.
May 6, 2025 at 11:47 PM
My first ever flex board has arrived from @oshpark.bsky.social! Not sure I've ever been this excited for the inevitable discovery that I've made a series of mistakes.
Component day for a new prototype PCB!
It's pretty overwhelming to try and keep track of 40 or so bags of such teeny tiny things. How the hell do EEs manage?
It's pretty overwhelming to try and keep track of 40 or so bags of such teeny tiny things. How the hell do EEs manage?
April 28, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Component day for a new prototype PCB!
It's pretty overwhelming to try and keep track of 40 or so bags of such teeny tiny things. How the hell do EEs manage?
It's pretty overwhelming to try and keep track of 40 or so bags of such teeny tiny things. How the hell do EEs manage?
Reposted by Andy Colborn
Black Mirror pitch: POTUS destroys democracy in 90 days.
Everyone watches it happen on their phones.
The opposition party leaders are 85 years old and post "Hey, stop" once a day.
Toiletries are locked behind glass.
An evil online bookstore sends Katy Perry into space for feminism.
[fin]
Everyone watches it happen on their phones.
The opposition party leaders are 85 years old and post "Hey, stop" once a day.
Toiletries are locked behind glass.
An evil online bookstore sends Katy Perry into space for feminism.
[fin]
April 17, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Black Mirror pitch: POTUS destroys democracy in 90 days.
Everyone watches it happen on their phones.
The opposition party leaders are 85 years old and post "Hey, stop" once a day.
Toiletries are locked behind glass.
An evil online bookstore sends Katy Perry into space for feminism.
[fin]
Everyone watches it happen on their phones.
The opposition party leaders are 85 years old and post "Hey, stop" once a day.
Toiletries are locked behind glass.
An evil online bookstore sends Katy Perry into space for feminism.
[fin]
Anyone else have packages in flight and are not sure what's actually gonna happen when they show up?
We ordered some components on 3/17 - $583 - under the de minimus so we were assuming no tariffs
They've gone in and out of customs in this craziness. Do we pay UPS $729 to liberate $583 in parts?
We ordered some components on 3/17 - $583 - under the de minimus so we were assuming no tariffs
They've gone in and out of customs in this craziness. Do we pay UPS $729 to liberate $583 in parts?
April 10, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Anyone else have packages in flight and are not sure what's actually gonna happen when they show up?
We ordered some components on 3/17 - $583 - under the de minimus so we were assuming no tariffs
They've gone in and out of customs in this craziness. Do we pay UPS $729 to liberate $583 in parts?
We ordered some components on 3/17 - $583 - under the de minimus so we were assuming no tariffs
They've gone in and out of customs in this craziness. Do we pay UPS $729 to liberate $583 in parts?