My Most Complicated Project To Date (And My Strategy To Build It)
I’m about to start the most complicated project I’ve ever made.
It all began when I saw a random reel with one of these signs. I had no idea what to call it so I Googled something along the lines of “What do you call the old-timey sign that shows train arrival times?”
Turns out it’s called a Split Flap Display. And I just had to make one.
I’ve had this maker impulse once before - with one of the first projects I ever made - a word clock. Six years ago, I saw one in a Reddit post and suddenly needed to build it - despite having no experience or skills to lean on. I built that clock after 12 months of learning and experimenting. It still sits in my office telling time (though some words have started to flicker).
Unlike 6 years ago, I have more experience this time around. But this sign is far more complicated. There are moving parts. There are more skills required. It’s a lot:
Graphic Design (for the lettering)
3D Printing (for the flaps)
Laser Cutting (to house the electrical components)
Woodworking (for the frame)
Electronics (to power the sign)
Coding (to control the sign)
Where do I even start?
Like most maker projects, it starts with YouTube. I watch a few high-level videos to get my bearings, then I dig in.
I’ll follow the same strategy I used for the word clock. There are 3 Principles:
Principle 1: Break the project down into small problems.
It’s overwhelming to stare down a huge complicated project.
So start by breaking the project into smaller and smaller chunks until you find one you can solve. The sign is made up of a grid of letters and symbols. Each cell in the grid has a mechanism that spins a bunch of flaps. Each flap needs a specific design.
Bingo - I can do that. I’ll start by designing some flaps.
Once you figure that first step out, work your way back up the ladder, solving bigger and bigger problems until you’re done.
Principle 2: “Just in Time” Learning
It’s tempting to try to learn every relevant thing before starting.
But it’s not necessary. You’ll likely waste your time doing so. Every decision you make throughout a project will impact your approach to later steps. Understanding the full context as you learn helps you quickly pinpoint the information you need to address each specific challenge.
For designing the sign flaps, I need a font. I have to decide which symbols and characters to include. And I need to figure out the flap order so they display correctly. So I’ll learn about that first and worry about the rest later.
Luckily I found a great resource by Scott Bezek of BezekLabs that covers most of these details. Now I need to read up.
Principle 3: Ask for Help
It will be hard to find the answer to some questions - even with YouTube, Reddit, and ChatGPT.
You may not have the right technical vocabulary to search effectively. Some suggestions might not align with your specific constraints. ChatGPT could be hallucinating more than usual.
That’s where the experts come in.
By posting my work online, I’ve met many amazing makers who are more experienced than I am. When I’m stuck, I reach out to them to ask questions. And if I’m not sure who to ask, I post on Instagram or Threads. I almost always get help and advice.
Most makers are generous with their time and knowledge so don’t be afraid to tap into that. Everyone was a beginner at some point.
All sounds good in theory. But we’ll see how I feel once I start building this thing.
The first problem to solve:
How am I going to make all of these flaps?!?
It’s been a while since my last post - thanks for sticking around!
I’m hoping to write here more as I work through this project.
If you or someone you know might like reading about this journey, I’d appreciate it if you’d share it, give it a like, or a comment.
🎄🎄🎄 Happy Holidays! 🎄🎄🎄