Library Book Reminder
Introduction: Library Book Reminder
I was part of a Digital Making and Learning course at my university, and our final project aimed to solve real problems. Now I have pretty terrible object permanence and have a pricey habit of forgetting to turn my library books in on time.
So I aimed to solve that problem, by creating a library book reminder board, which I have been lovingly calling my Book Buddy.
In this instructable, I will walk you through step-by-step to help you create your very own Book Buddy!
Supplies
Materials
* A piece of a wooden plank, any size will do, just try to get a piece that is not too thick, since we will be cutting holes into it later.
* two external buttons (These are the ones I used)
* one LED light of whatever color you'd like (This is the one I used)
* Adhesive whiteboard
* Circuit playground (I used the classic version)
* Alligator clips (These are the ones I used)
* An easel (optional)
* Whiteboard marker
* A type of strong adhesive (I used J-B Weld)
Tools
* a drill
* small square-shaped file (Similar to ones found in these sets)
* measuring tape
* a pencil
* a permanent marke
Step 1: Step 1: Measuring the Board
The first thing you'll need to do is measure and mark the board to map out where the buttons, LED light, and whiteboard sticker are going to sit.
I left about an inch of space between the edge of the board and the whiteboard and left a space at the top of the board for the light and buttons to sit. Then I put the buttons evenly spaced between the top of the whiteboard and the top of the wooden board, and I evenly spaced them out between the left and right edges of the board to the best of my ability.
Make sure to mark these lightly with a pencil! Once everything is placed we will erase any marks that are still visible!
Step 2: Step Two: Placing the Whiteboard
Once the plan has been mapped out on the wooden board, measure and cut out a piece of the adhesive whiteboard to match the space you drew on the board. Then simply remove the back layer of the whiteboard and lay the sticker on flat. I used an old hardcover book to flatten the whiteboard out and squeeze out any bubbles.
Step 3: Step 3: Trace the External Buttons and LED Light
Go back to the markings that you put on the board for the button and light placements. Take your pencil and lightly trace around the edges of each button and light.
It's ok if they aren't perfect! We will adjust these later when we actually cut them out, we just need a base to work from.
Step 4: Step 4: Cut the Holes
Now we can start cutting out the holes for our buttons and LED light.
For the LED light, just use a drill bit that is roughly the same size as the circle that you drew for the LED light. It's generally safer to err on the small side, as it is easier to make the hole bigger than to make it smaller.
The square buttons will take a bit more time.
First, drill a hold in the center of the squares that are drawn on the board. Then take the square-shaped filer and start to shape the holes into squares. 74
I recommend checking the size of the holes frequently by placing the button on these holes to see if it will fit. Keep filing until the buttons can be inserted nicely into the slots.
Step 5: Step 5: Securing the Buttons and Light
It is important that we secure the buttons on the board so they do not pop out the back when pressed.
You could add an adhesive around the edge of the button to secure it to the board. I personally used J-B Weld apoxy to secure mine. If you use J-B Weld, be sure to follow the instructions of the product carefully. You can also add glue to the LED light as well if it is not staying in the board.
Step 6: Step 6: Getting Started on Coding
Now we will begin coding for our Circuit Playground.
Follow this link to the makecode website that we will be using.
Click the "New Project" button to get started. You should be greeted with this screen. In the far left corner you will see the circuit playground, and to the right of that is the menu. This menu holds all of the functions that we will be using to code our project.
Step 7: Step 7: Creating Variables and Assigning Pins
First, we will need to create two separate variables.
Click the pink Variable tab in the menu, and click "Make a Variable. 259