If you are using the default servo library and also using serial communications with the Arduino that can cause issues in the timing leading to jitter (in the signal itself, not a power issue, I think it has something to do with the interrupts). If that is your problem you can try the PWMServo library, which uses the hardware PWM rather than doing it in software with interrupts.
If power is your issue maybe a different power supply setup? Though I wouldn’t expect a single servo to be too much for the Arduino assuming it’s one of the little hobby ones.
I could use a hardware based library and replace all G1 Z with an M command, but by that time Easter will be over… my go-to approach right now is to minimize the use of z! A guy at the maker faire suggested a solenoid (he’s a reprap musician with MANY solenoid based machines), but that won’t be finished before summer…
Well, sandify exclusively makes patterns that can’t lift Z!
I have no idea how to translate that to an egg. Is it just X Y?
I got in trouble this week because I cooked with the white eggs (they had the oldest expiration date). Apparently, those were for decorating and I should have used the brown eggs for food… . I was making . So I didn’t get in too much trouble.
You need to break some eggs to make great pancakes! For breakfast today, we had a bunch of boiled eggs with failed plots. I was a little annoyed, but I don’t want to throw away useful food just because my own pride
Ah, of course, sandify is a great tool for decorating the eggs! Why didn’t I think of that? No need to cross the stream for water…
Plotting the egg is super simple actually! The dropping pen+rotating axises lays the patterns down accurately. The only thing I could wish to improve(other than the nervous servo) is to compensate for the curvature.
Check out grblgru. I’m starting to play with it with a rotary axis (converting y to rotary) with arduino uno for control. It might have what you’re looking for.
FINALLY. Here in Norway, 2nd day of easter is also a holiday, so technically we are still in the holidays - so happy easter to you all! The eggbot has been a little side-adventure, both frustrating and very learningful! The servo has been bugging me, so @jeffeb3’s suggestion to use sandify to make non-z patterns, was a good idea! Just finished it, and now I can hide away the eggbot for a while. Next year I’ll try a newer mks-dlc32 board, just for the heck of it. (fluidnc is said to have integrated servo support)
I am going to send this straight to the spouse/kids to show them that I am indeed contributing to the decoration of hard boiled eggs at the appropriate time of year.
Thanks alot for the sandify, it works great. This egg was the last of the year, and a result that I’m content with. Next year I’ll have a head start and hopefully have som egg-sessions with the kids. Some thougths/issues:
how to make estlcam auto create engraving patterns and allow the same path several times? Estlcam insist that checkered patterns need z-lift, where I whish I could run the same lines over again. I therefore ended up with the fill patterns, since they don’t cross lines at all
how can dad include his family better in his projects? I did this project to have fun with the kids, but because time ran short, I ended up doing it by myself…
a creative process needs plenty of time for the patterns/ideas/layouts/etc. Making the machine is only the beginning, finding cool patterns and plots is what should be prioritized!
I love doing silly and useless projects. When I tell people at work than I’m building a machine to paint on eggs, their jaws drop and we always end up in great conversations about the necessities of hobbies
I struggled with this as well! In the end I found a foolproof technique: putting some scotch tape over the egg and using a v bit to drill a suitable hole, wide enough to blow out the goo. And make sure to run a nail inside the egg and shake it thouroughly, so that the goo is as liquid as possible.
If you’re using sandify, you shouldn’t need estlcam. I assumed you’d be able to use the gcode output. Maybe we just need to figure out the right settings to use gcode output instead of svg or something?
That is crucial. I tape my kids to the chair (metaphorically) and then lecture them on the importance of CAD. But my kids are still small. I think you could get away with people using sandify to pick a shape and adjust the loop and spin properties to make something they would like. By next easter (and hopefully sooner) Bob’s new text features should be out. So you can include some fun word play too.
If not that, maybe finding an SVG from their favorite pop culture and running that through the estlcam process? In the end, you can only do what they find interesting.
If they just can’t be bothered to sit at the computer to join in with the design work, then you could at least bribe them with some refreshments and have a brain storming event. If they at least came up with a few ideas for egg designs, they might be more invested in helping in the later stages.
Absolutely. If you get stuck, don’t be afraid to bring in some classic puns. Dad jokes never go out of style. Egg-static! Scramble the Jets!
We just hard boil the eggs, decorate them, and then only keep them until we eat them or they spoil. Inevitably, we throw most of them out. Mathias Wandel made an egg sucking attachment for his vacuum.
The thing is - I need as precise control over the gcode as possible, to make the pattern meet at the back of the egg, and to define z horizontally in the middle. But yes, I was at one point seriously considering running the gcode directly! Perhaps if I did several smaller patterns, that would work well - but now I didn’t have much time left…
Yes - that is what we usually do when we make plots for coloring. We even did a few on some eggs for a friend of my son, with huge success. Easter egg with legobricks, pokemon and ninjago!
But yeah - you are right about including them. I think the lesson from the story is to have more time and to start preparing a little earlier… (isn’t that always the lesson??)
You can set the min/max machine coordinates in the machine tab. We can also set some things up in the starting gcode.
I don’t know what the egg bit gcode looks like. But I will be happy to help out more (either near term or next year). I can’t give everyone a few hours of my time, but I can give you some time. Especially for something so fun.
There are EggBot extensions for InkScape for controlling the EBB board (2 steppers and multiple servos) from Evil Mad Scientist labs. They support layers, so its easy to do multiple colors. The engraver attachment (diamond tip with a cell phone vibration motor) is fun to play with too.
These extensions directly drives the board through a USB connection, so I don’t know if you can get the gcode out in the middle of the process.
Man, my wife and kids always do so many eggs. We have like, two boxes of painted eggs in the basement… And an ostrich egg in one of our drawers that has not been painted. My wife gave it to me on my birthday to have breakfast with my friends. One ostrich egg equals like 24 chicken eggs. Man, that was a hell lot of scambled egg…
. I was making 
. So I didn’t get in too much trouble.
