@castaway Y'know, I've been thinking of making a pinned post that lists them all. Haven't gotten around to it yet. When I want to append to one, I either use its hashtag like #BirthdayTower or #BlackLackStackHack or else I search my image history for a photo from the thread.

I try to tag them with #BuildThread, but I don't do it consistently. I also try to give them sequence numbers like 🧵 42/N.

Little sister, age 15 months, can push the button with her foot.

🧵 32/∞

#BirthdayTower #PushTheButton

The good news is, if they're breaking it, they're playing with it. Their little sister is 15 months old, and she's interested in the button, too.

🧵 31/∞

#BirthdayTower

No project is ever really finished, is it?

The boys broke the cord between the Birthday Tower and its button box. I had used a mains power cable with JST-SL connectors. I thought SL would be big and strong enough. I was wrong. So last night I printed some strain reliefs. We'll see how these do.

In retrospect, I should have used USB. (a) I could have put a micro controller in the button box, and (b) USB cables are not handmade.

🧵 30/∞

#BirthdayTower

I put the Birthday Tower firmware up on Github tonight. One person has asked to see the code, and maybe others will want to see it too.

https://github.com/kbob/birthday-tower

🧵 29/∞

#BirthdayTower

The boys didn't figure out the sound at all; they whacked the button really loud and often. A couple of adults did check out the audio later, though.

The boys will have weeks/months/years to figure it out, though.

I didn't expect them to try to grab the lights. An hour later they'd stopped doing that, but I wish I'd given it some kind of tactile output. (No idea what that would be.)

🧵 28/∞

#BirthdayTower #EndUser

Yesterday was the big day. The family got together, and the boys met their birthday gift. (Spoiler: they liked it.)

The birthday party was August 11th. We missed the deadline by a few days, and September 29th was the earliest 8 busy adults could all get together again.

https://makertube.net/w/atun5uU2oPJZBbM2US9FgJ

🧵 27/∞

#BirthdayTower #PushTheButton

Here are some Birthday Tower photos with the lights on.
🧵 26/∞

#BirthdayTower

Today I got together with my project partner and we assembled the Birthday Tower. Here's some video in a darkened room.

I should have used a quieter button.

🧵 25/∞

#BirthdayTower

The birthday party is today, BTW. The Birthday Tower is now actually the Some Near Future Date TBD Tower.

🧵 24/∞

#BirthdayTower