Ben Strano
@benstrano.bsky.social
Maker and musician. Friend of 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🇵🇸🇺🇦🇨🇦. Roboteer. Wannna be inventor. Woodork.
My newest build lives. There is still some setup and tweaking to do, but it sounds and plays one step above good (can't bring myself to say great), better than any of my previous ukes at this point.
September 20, 2025 at 3:12 PM
My newest build lives. There is still some setup and tweaking to do, but it sounds and plays one step above good (can't bring myself to say great), better than any of my previous ukes at this point.
Do it. You know you need to do it. You just have to do it. It won't be nearly as bad as... oh... ANYTHING ELSE GOING ON!
September 20, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Do it. You know you need to do it. You just have to do it. It won't be nearly as bad as... oh... ANYTHING ELSE GOING ON!
Turns out I post this every time we go. I'll stop now.
September 7, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Turns out I post this every time we go. I'll stop now.
As I dive deeper into learning machining, @ericrimel.bsky.social made sure this drawer in my Gerstner chest was used for its intended purpose.
Thanks Eric!
This drawer used to hold bandaids and cash for my shop fund. This is better.
Thanks Eric!
This drawer used to hold bandaids and cash for my shop fund. This is better.
September 6, 2025 at 3:26 PM
As I dive deeper into learning machining, @ericrimel.bsky.social made sure this drawer in my Gerstner chest was used for its intended purpose.
Thanks Eric!
This drawer used to hold bandaids and cash for my shop fund. This is better.
Thanks Eric!
This drawer used to hold bandaids and cash for my shop fund. This is better.
Thrive in spite of him.
Seen last night in Connecticut, on a Subaru. Of course.
I needed that vibe.
Seen last night in Connecticut, on a Subaru. Of course.
I needed that vibe.
September 4, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Thrive in spite of him.
Seen last night in Connecticut, on a Subaru. Of course.
I needed that vibe.
Seen last night in Connecticut, on a Subaru. Of course.
I needed that vibe.
Robots are something I do with my kid, so naturally they're going to be the priority. But I just glanced at a spot in our CAD and had a moment of "holy shit, you've been busy and come a long way".
Look at how complex the guts of this bot are! Every mm has a reason for being that way. Kinda proud.
Look at how complex the guts of this bot are! Every mm has a reason for being that way. Kinda proud.
July 31, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Robots are something I do with my kid, so naturally they're going to be the priority. But I just glanced at a spot in our CAD and had a moment of "holy shit, you've been busy and come a long way".
Look at how complex the guts of this bot are! Every mm has a reason for being that way. Kinda proud.
Look at how complex the guts of this bot are! Every mm has a reason for being that way. Kinda proud.
I finally threw out my old Mac Pro. I kept the side panel—same as I did for my old G5. Ya, it wasn’t gonna run ever again after years in the basement of an old house.
Still, it’s sad to me. This machine was so important to my existence as a professional recording engineer.
Still, it’s sad to me. This machine was so important to my existence as a professional recording engineer.
July 19, 2025 at 3:11 PM
I finally threw out my old Mac Pro. I kept the side panel—same as I did for my old G5. Ya, it wasn’t gonna run ever again after years in the basement of an old house.
Still, it’s sad to me. This machine was so important to my existence as a professional recording engineer.
Still, it’s sad to me. This machine was so important to my existence as a professional recording engineer.
No. What is next we scrap all agreed upon norms and insert cards diagonally?
June 25, 2025 at 7:00 PM
No. What is next we scrap all agreed upon norms and insert cards diagonally?
Ref selfie with @icastbrick.bsky.social !
June 7, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Ref selfie with @icastbrick.bsky.social !
I've been dreaming up a neck carving jig/vise for about a year. I've probably spent more time on this than actually carving necks.
My proof of concept works, and steel parts have been ordered from SendCutSend. One more order from McMaster and we build it.
My proof of concept works, and steel parts have been ordered from SendCutSend. One more order from McMaster and we build it.
June 7, 2025 at 12:15 AM
I've been dreaming up a neck carving jig/vise for about a year. I've probably spent more time on this than actually carving necks.
My proof of concept works, and steel parts have been ordered from SendCutSend. One more order from McMaster and we build it.
My proof of concept works, and steel parts have been ordered from SendCutSend. One more order from McMaster and we build it.
Dear Fusion 360. I'd rather eat my shoe than use a board with the pith in it like this! You must think we're all a bunch of heathens and I can't seem to fix it!
June 6, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Dear Fusion 360. I'd rather eat my shoe than use a board with the pith in it like this! You must think we're all a bunch of heathens and I can't seem to fix it!
Ugo uke is back in action. I replaced the fingerboard and shaved down the neck. After stringing back it up, I went through the same existential crisis I go through after stringing up a new uke. Thankfully it’s settled down and I didn’t ruin my favorite sounding uke.
May 26, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Ugo uke is back in action. I replaced the fingerboard and shaved down the neck. After stringing back it up, I went through the same existential crisis I go through after stringing up a new uke. Thankfully it’s settled down and I didn’t ruin my favorite sounding uke.
This means something.
May 26, 2025 at 1:39 AM
This means something.
Not to mention, the cherry is heaven.
May 23, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Not to mention, the cherry is heaven.
One of the things I miss most after walking away from recording is producing background vocal sessions.
If I stopped making ukuleles I think one of the things I’d miss most would be carving neck heels.
If I stopped making ukuleles I think one of the things I’d miss most would be carving neck heels.
May 23, 2025 at 12:09 AM
One of the things I miss most after walking away from recording is producing background vocal sessions.
If I stopped making ukuleles I think one of the things I’d miss most would be carving neck heels.
If I stopped making ukuleles I think one of the things I’d miss most would be carving neck heels.
The promise of cnc efficiency finally coming to fruition. I was just able to mill out a bridge for one uke while fretting a fingerboard of another.
May 19, 2025 at 1:58 PM
The promise of cnc efficiency finally coming to fruition. I was just able to mill out a bridge for one uke while fretting a fingerboard of another.
About an hour of work and some clamping time and I’m going to be happier with this neck for the rest of my life. Well worth the effort.
May 18, 2025 at 11:59 PM
About an hour of work and some clamping time and I’m going to be happier with this neck for the rest of my life. Well worth the effort.
Working with sapwood is tricky. It’s easy to be too loud with it. I missed the flow of the sapwood from fretboard to headstock. Oh well. Live and learn.
May 18, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Working with sapwood is tricky. It’s easy to be too loud with it. I missed the flow of the sapwood from fretboard to headstock. Oh well. Live and learn.
One of us is the cool one and one of us is the techy.
April 14, 2025 at 2:04 AM
One of us is the cool one and one of us is the techy.
Absurdly large bean can prop? √
Teeny tiny bean cans filled with real beans to hand out to competitors and kids in the audience? √
Teeny tiny bean cans filled with real beans to hand out to competitors and kids in the audience? √
April 1, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Absurdly large bean can prop? √
Teeny tiny bean cans filled with real beans to hand out to competitors and kids in the audience? √
Teeny tiny bean cans filled with real beans to hand out to competitors and kids in the audience? √
Ok… it’s a weird one! We’re making a label for a 1/4-size 3d-printed can of beans that actually has beans in the can for noise making purposes.
The labels are at the printers right now and I can’t tell you how much we are giggling over here.
The labels are at the printers right now and I can’t tell you how much we are giggling over here.
April 1, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Ok… it’s a weird one! We’re making a label for a 1/4-size 3d-printed can of beans that actually has beans in the can for noise making purposes.
The labels are at the printers right now and I can’t tell you how much we are giggling over here.
The labels are at the printers right now and I can’t tell you how much we are giggling over here.
First bridge of the cnc. Just scrap for now.
Do I think I’ll ever make these thing professionally? No, but figuring out ways I could is half the fun.
Plus, while the robot was doing the thing I was practicing trombone.
Do I think I’ll ever make these thing professionally? No, but figuring out ways I could is half the fun.
Plus, while the robot was doing the thing I was practicing trombone.
April 1, 2025 at 12:36 AM
First bridge of the cnc. Just scrap for now.
Do I think I’ll ever make these thing professionally? No, but figuring out ways I could is half the fun.
Plus, while the robot was doing the thing I was practicing trombone.
Do I think I’ll ever make these thing professionally? No, but figuring out ways I could is half the fun.
Plus, while the robot was doing the thing I was practicing trombone.
I just asked my kid his opinion on a graphic for one of our robot things. I've got a regular @jonathanhoefler.bsky.social on my hands here. I bet he knows how to spell kerning though!
March 30, 2025 at 8:26 PM
I just asked my kid his opinion on a graphic for one of our robot things. I've got a regular @jonathanhoefler.bsky.social on my hands here. I bet he knows how to spell kerning though!
Anybody else have this going most of the time in the last couple of days?
March 22, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Anybody else have this going most of the time in the last couple of days?