Day 9: (Tue Feb 10, Week 5) Small Winch Rigging Workshop

Notes for 2026-02-10.

Administrative

1. Please follow through on laser cutter qualification (IDeATe Laser Cutters).

2. If you have not done so: IDeATe Open Fabrication Hours.

New Assignments

Each group should please record several short (~20 second) videos of your winch-driven fabric today and upload to Exercise 6 Shared Folder.

Please remember to submit your laser cutwork documentation to Exercise 5 Shared Folder. You should have your cutwork samples with you today, please also bring them back on Thursday.

Agenda

1. Introduction to the equipment:

   • Stepper Capstan Winches, CNC Arduino Shield

   • Cam-Action Tubing Clamp

   • C-stands

   • fishing line (UHMWPE, aka Spectra or Dyneema)

   • counterweights and eyebolts

2. sample code: StepperScript Arduino Sketch (already installed)

3. you should each have two laser-cut samples, plus possibly some sewn samples: these are recommended starting point for animation

4. objectives:

   • improvise a fabric system which moves under motor power

   • gain experience with capstan drive

   • experiment with counterweighting and rigging

5. possible solutions:

   • single-ended counterweighted drive

   • loop drive

   • variable-slip drive

   • horizontal or vertical

   • motor script programming