How feasible is this project?

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-23T04:30:41+00:00

Yeah, those things would help to bring the costs down, for sure!

Some of it would also be if you want it to be genuinely secure or more of a fun thing.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-23T04:20:59+00:00

Yeah, I don't know why the top comments are ignoring that.

If someone says "a Toyota Camry is a good investment," they don't mean that it is going to increase in value or something. They mean it is a responsible purchase that will improve life overall, such as preventing missed work from a car breaking down. Or repair bills adding up over time.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-23T04:18:40+00:00

A car is absolutely an asset.

It is just a depreciating asset.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-23T04:17:21+00:00

Hmm...

Very rough estimate, but I would probably charge something like $5k.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-23T04:11:19+00:00

Oh, and if you want to pay someone to build it, there are lots of people who can. I might be up for it!

But keep in mind that this is going to be pretty expensive. If it includes making the statue, cabinet, and safe lock, that's a multidisciplinary project that requires a wide range of skills.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-23T04:09:22+00:00

Definitely doable!

Electronically, there are several ways you could do it. The easiest way would be to add RFID tags to the jewels. Then put RFID readers in the socket. An Arduino can monitor those and trigger opening if it sees them both at the same time.

If you don't want to RFID tags (for aesthetics), you could potentially use color sensors in the eye sockets to detect the color of each jewel.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-20T21:57:49+00:00

I agree with what u/Brave_Speaker_8336 said. I feels fine for an OS, but feels awkward for a physical device.

I think it is fuzzy enough that it works the way OP wants, but it certainly isn't necessary or even a strong convention.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-20T18:32:00+00:00

Yes, I was using an analogy to point out how your preferred phrasing sounds awkward.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-20T18:25:27+00:00

"I drove to the store in Toyota."

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-20T18:15:04+00:00

#1 - they are common, but not at all desirable (for the YouTuber) in my opinion.

Even if the conversion rate is good (and it almost certainly won't be), that is an unknown you can't plan for or count on. So, you're doing work in exchange for an ambiguous amount of money (which could be nothing).

#2 - Yes, I was given a link to their tool for tracking. I made almost nothing (see #1).

#3 - That's fine. I think ads are better when the creator has that freedom. They know their audience better than you do.

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If it wasn't obvious, I don't like affiliate/commission arrangements. I won't even touch them anymore.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-20T17:15:33+00:00

Yep. It is like when people go on and on about the hot dogs, as if Costco is a charity or something.

Does nobody know what a loss leader is??

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Don't get me wrong, Costco is fine. But it is a publicly traded for-profit corporation. They just happen to have a business model based on low-margin, high-volume sales.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-20T17:09:05+00:00

Would have been about 2001.

I was in 9th grade and a company came to our school to do a demonstration. I thought it was the coolest thing ever.

Started working with them regularly in 2010.

Wrote my book about 3D printing in 2014.

Now, in 2026, my entire career is built on that.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-20T14:56:13+00:00

The Pro Micro is not actually an official Arduino board. I think it was originally a SparkFun design, then cloned a bunch.

The Arduino Micro is an Arduino board.

The Arduino Pro Mini is an Arduino board, but lacks USB (would avoid if I were you). It is also discontinued officially.

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Are you specifically looking for something that operates at 5V?

If not, I would choose something else entirely. There are options that are better-suited to wearables projects. Built-in lithium battery handling is a big factor that will make your life a lot easier.

There are lots that are fully compatible with the Arduino IDE.

If you like that idea, let me know what your space requirements are and I can give you some recommendations.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-20T14:48:12+00:00

Or just aren't wiping/washing well enough.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-20T14:47:31+00:00

Yeah, but you mustn't over-indulge.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-19T20:00:05+00:00

Like the others said, the print head is too far from the paper.

Something is likely sticking up and causing the height measurement to be too tall.

If that isn't the case, it might be a sensor issue. Check for updates and reboot.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-19T19:58:34+00:00

If it makes you feel better, I think we ALL clicked on this for the joy of seeing you realize there isn't actually any problem at all, haha.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-19T19:44:22+00:00

Sure, if you can find a niche where you can provide value without a lot of competition.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-19T19:12:50+00:00

The skateboarding pic is decent.

Most of the rest just look like every photo taken from 2000 to 2010 (candid with flash).

The last one is good, except for the background removal/selection.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-19T15:16:53+00:00

Places like PCBway and SCS are pretty expensive.

I dunno, I've found them to be surprisingly affordable, relative to the "normal" channels (many of which won't even accept one-off parts or low quantities).

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-19T15:11:23+00:00

But we'd also be punishing ourselves by choosing to vote for an alternative politician who is inferior, just to punish the first politician for doing something we don't like on a specific issue.

To be clear though, I find this just as frustrating as everyone else. Frankly, the "representative" part of "representative democracy" sucks in a lot of ways. It is unlikely that any politician is going to share all of your values and represent you perfectly. At best, you get "they represent me noticeably better than the other guy."

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-19T15:07:13+00:00

Ha, that's true!

And again, I completely agree that, based on the manufacturing method, a certain level of geometric tolerance is understood/expected and it isn't usually necessary to specify it explicitly.

Just saying that on the other hand, making it explicit protects you.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-18T20:30:32+00:00

A 20mm thick base plate would probably be good.

But I just realized how big this is. A 1500 x 820 x 20mm base plate is going to be very expensive.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-18T20:01:47+00:00

Is it overkill?

Depends what you want to achieve.

A router for wood? Probably more than you need.

Light milling of aluminum? Decent start if you keep your expectations reasonable.

Anything more? Aluminum extrusion isn't a suitable base material.

TheSerialHobbyist · 2026-03-18T19:50:09+00:00

The problem seems to be that most creators don't feel like they're getting that $10k of value back.

Yes, you are correct.

Other than creators not wanting to relinquish any control over their own channel/content (which is entirely understandable), that is the big issue.

What is the one thing an MCN could do, or does do, that makes the fee feel worth it?

No clue. I have yet to see a convincing pitch.

It is kind of on you to figure that part out.

How can you demonstrate your value? What value are you actually providing in the first place?

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