Table Of ContentMaking
a
“Trammel
of
Archimedes”
(2012)
Examining
Consequences
of
Making
Something
Useless1
Robert
E.
McGrath
Champaign
Urbana
Community
Fab
Lab
Urbana,
Illinois
July,
2013
Making
is
a
process
of
materializing:
realizing
a
concept
via
knowledge
and
materials.
Making
is
never
without
consequence.
This
essay
considers
the
making
of
a
simple,
useless
object,
using
contemporary
digital
fabrication.
The
object
and
its
fabrication
are
found
to
be
linked
to
deep
historical
and
mathematical
roots.
The
object
is
also
significant
for
the
social
context
surrounding
its
creation.
Background
It
began
as
one
of
a
series
of
small
projects.
In
early
2012,
the
Champaign
Urbana
Community
Fab
Lab
([5,
25,
40])
obtained
their
second
3D
printer
(one
that
actually
works).
Lab
volunteers,
including
myself,
began
to
learn
how
to
use
the
UP!3D
printer
[7]
by
making
a
variety
of
objects.
Many
of
the
results
can
be
viewed
on
the
CUCFL
web
pages
[6]
and
in
the
lab,
and
the
volunteers
have
contributed
to
tutorial
materials
to
help
others
learn
to
use
the
3D
printer
[4].
Since
that
time,
I
have
executed
more
than
a
dozen
projects
using
the
3D
printer,
some
succeeded
and
some
failed.
Together,
other
volunteers
and
I
have
learned
the
strengths
and
limits
of
3D
printing,
our
specific
device,
and
some
of
the
design
principles
underlying
its
use.
But
this
essay
is
not
a
technical
tutorial,
nor
is
it
about,
“gee-‐whiz,
look
what
I
can
do”.
Instead,
I
focus
here
on
one
case
study
of
a
particular,
to
discover
the
context
and
connections
surrounding
one
object
and
its
making.
Most
of
the
projects
I
have
made
in
the
Fab
Lab
are
fairly
trivial,
certainly
not
original
art
works
or
practical
machines.
So
what
are
these
objects,
and
what
is
their
importance?
What
is
the
meaning
of
making
(indeed,
re-‐making)
a
well-‐known
object?
What,
indeed,
is
the
meaning
of
making
a
trivial
or
even
useless
object?
Does
making
ever
lack
consequences?
I
focus
here
on
one
case
study,
to
evoke
not
the
technology
but
the
context
and
connections
surrounding
one
object
and
its
making.
This
object
itself
is
not
especially
important
or
interesting;
but
I
think
that
how
it
was
made
is
very
important.
A
Fab
Lab
is
about
“making”,
so
this
story
gives
insight
into
one
of
the
ways
“making”
can
be
done
there,
what
it
may
mean
to
the
“maker”,
and
what
this
process
and
these
spaces
may
mean
to
our
human
culture.
1
This
essay
was
prepared
as
a
response
to
critiques
of
an
abstract
submitted
to
the
Digital
Humanities
2013
conference.
It
is
a
partial
answer
to
the
question,
“what
does
this
have
to
do
with
humanities,
digital
or
otherwise?”
1
This
paper
opens
with
a
description
of
the
project.
An
explanation
of
how
the
object
was
made
is
central
to
understanding
the
piece,
so
the
process
will
be
sketched.
In
this
case,
the
project
illustrates
design
reuse
via
digital
distribution
of
design
knowledge
and
how
3D
printing
redistributes
the
skill
needed
to
product
objects.
I
will
show
that
the
piece
has
plenty
of
meaning.
Part
of
the
meaning
stems
from
an
understanding
of
how
this
concept
used
to
be
made,
using
the
“high
tech”
tools
of
past
eras,
compared
to
how
I
made
it
this
year,
with
contemporary
“high
tech”
tools.
Searching
for
meaning
also
leads
to
the
deep
connections
of
this
object,
as
it
is
found
to
be
tied
first
to
elegant
mathematics,
then
to
ancient
practical
trades
and
folk
traditions,
and
finally
to
whimsy.
In
itself,
the
object
is
not
beautiful,
useful,
or
original.
But
the
project
illustrates
how
making
can
be
(and,
I
believe,
always
is,
if
you
look
hard
enough)
connected
to
deep
historical
and
cultural
roots;
the
understanding
of
which
can
add
pleasure
and
meaning
to
the
making.
Finally,
I
return
as
I
always
do
to
the
importance
of
being
part
of
a
community
of
makers,
and
the
value
of
a
community
space.
The
social
context
in
which
this
object
emerged
is
important,
both
for
itself
and
because
it
harks
back
to
humanistic
practices
of
earlier
ages.
The
Project
This
project
is
the
creation
of
a
useless
object,
executed
at
the
CUCFL
in
December
2012.
The
object
is
a
small
(approximately
10
cm
x
10cm
by
4
cm)
“3D
Rotating
Toy”
[36],
printed
using
a
3D
printer
[4]
using
of
ABS
plastic
[43].
This
toy
is
based
on
a
classic
“Trammel
of
Archimedes”
[44],
which
has
been
made
in
various
forms
for
thousands
of
years.
The
completed
piece
in
question
is
on
display
in
the
CUCFL,
and
illustrated
in
Figure
1.
“Making”
is
a
process
that
converts
design
ideas
into
physical
objects.
A
full
account
will
consider
the
sources
of
the
concepts,
materials,
and
techniques
for
manipulating
the
materials.
One
of
the
important
lessons
is
that
the
same
object
can
be
realized
more
than
one
way,
often
using
alternative
materials
and
techniques.
I
note
that
a
search
of
Thingiverse
itself
returned
at
least
seven
versions
of
this
device
in
addition
to
satoshi’s.2
In
this
case,
we
can
directly
compare
the
twenty
first
century
methods
to
earlier
techniques
for
making
the
same
object.
How
I
Made
a
Trammel
of
Archimedes
In
2012
I
made
this
object
using
digital
fabrication,
specifically
a
3D
printer.
This
technology
is
definitely
the
flavor
or
the
month
this
year,
featured
in
many
gee-‐whiz
stories
[17,
20,
28,
29].
This
project
is
a
representative
example
of
how
this
technology
actually
works,
which
may
be
compared
with
popular
enthusiasm.
2
The
search
was
done
on
June
23,
2013.
The
search
can
be
repeated
via
the
URL:
http://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=trammel&sa
2
Figure
1.
A
Trammel
of
Archimedes
in
white
ABS
(assembled),
sitting
on
the
bed
of
UP!3D
printer
at
the
Champaign
Urbana
Community
Fab
Lab.
Note:
the
pieces
were
fabricated
individually,
then
assembled
by
hand.
To
begin
with,
I
did
not
design
the
object
myself.
I
found
it
on
the
Internet,
specifically
on
Thingiverse
[21].
Thingiverse
is
a
web
site
run
by
Makerbot
Industries,
which
“is
a
place
for
you
to
share
your
digital
designs
with
the
world”
[22].
Thingiverse
has
thousands,
tens
of
thousands,
designs
for
objects,
most
of
which
are
meant
to
be
made
with
a
3D
printer.
Most
of
the
designs
can
be
downloaded
and
then
fabricated.
For
example,
on
Thingiverse
there
are
dozens
of
designs
for
coffee
cups:
you
could,
in
principle,
“print”
a
new
coffee
cup
every
day,
for
quite
a
while.
This
paradigm
of
“discover,
download,
and
use”
is
familiar
to
us:
it
is
precisely
analogous
to
the
way
images,
music,
video,
and
so
on
are
shared
via
the
Internet.
Thingiverse
is,
in
fact,
exactly
the
same
idea
as
Flikr
[46]
or
YouTube
[47],
except
that
it
serves
3D
designs.
(Indeed,
on
the
inside,
these
services
all
use
much
the
same
technology.)
The
analogy
is
quite
broad,
and
tells
us
a
lot
about
what
to
expect
as
the
capability
to
download
and
“play”
objects
(e.g.,
a
coffee
cup)
becomes
ubiquitous
[26,
31].
3
The
designs
for
a
3D
printer,
from
Thingiverse
or
any
source,
are
digital
files
that
can
be
manipulated
with
design
programs
to
modify,
adapt,
or
combine
them—in
short,
they
can
be
remixed.
Thingiverse
also
has
apps
that
enable
simple
customization,
e.g.,
adding
your
own
name
on
an
object,
which
you
can
then
download
and
print
[19].
In
this
case,
I
found
the
design
at
the
URL
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:32043,
where
it
was
posted
by
someone
who
uses
the
on
line
alias,
“satoshi”
[36].
From
this
URL,
anyone
can
download
files,
which
are,
literally,
the
design
for
the
trammel
machine.
There
are
seven
parts,
which
are
downloaded
in
five
files
encoded
in
the
widely
used
STereoLithography
(STL)
format
[9].
These
STL
files
are
input
that
can
be
used
with
3D
printers
or
for
design
programs,
as
well
as
for
other
software
and
machines
(e.g.,
for
visualization
or
milling
machines).
In
short,
the
download
is
a
complete,
executable,
plan
for
creating
(or
rendering)
the
object.
Once
downloaded,
the
files
can
be
loaded
into
a
3D
printer.
The
Champaign
Urbana
Community
Fab
Lab
has
one
such
device,
which
can
read
STL
files.
Not
every
file
from
Thingiverse
will
work
with
a
given
printer,
and
some
may
be
too
large
or
complicated
to
be
practical
for
a
given
device
to
make.
For
this
reason,
I
had
to
use
the
printer
software
to
check
over
the
STL
files
and
set
up
the
job
for
the
specific
printer.
In
this
process,
the
pieces
were
arranged
on
the
working
area
of
the
printer,
and
several
parts
were
combined
in
a
batch,
depending
on
their
size
and
how
much
time
needed
to
make
them.
Once
the
design
was
loaded,
the
execution
was
prepared
using
the
“print
preview”
menu,
which
allowed
me
to
adjust
a
variety
of
options
which
control
the
fabrication,
including
the
vertical
density
of
the
material
(i.e.,
how
think
each
layer
is),
the
density
of
internal
fill,
and
the
amount
of
support
structure3.
For
this
project,
the
default
settings
were
used.
The
print
preview
also
indicated
the
amount
of
material
to
be
used
and
the
time
the
fabrication
will
require.
In
this
case,
the
object
took
a
couple
of
hours
to
complete,
using
approximately
30
grams
of
ABS
plastic.
When
ready,
the
object
is
fabricated
by
selecting
“Print”.
The
printing
itself
is
fully
automated.
When
completed,
the
parts
are
removed
from
the
printer
and
excess
plastic
is
peeled
away.
Finally,
all
the
parts
assembled
to
form
the
finished
object.
Q.E.F.
How
A
Trammel
of
Archimedes
Used
to
be
Made
Long
before
digital
fabrication
was
invented,
the
Trammel
of
Archimedes
was
realized
in
a
number
of
variations,
using
wood
and
metal,
employing
hand
tools
or
power
tools.
In
2013,
Google
images
and
YouTube
presents
dozens
of
variations
of
this
concept.
3
For
more
technical
details,
the
reader
is
referred
to
the
excellent
tutorial
material
prepared
by
Jeff
Ginger
at
the
Champaign
Urbana
Community
Fab
Lab
[4].
4
Examining
the
design,
we
can
see
that
it
is
clearly
modeled
after
pieces
that
were
carved
from
wood.
For
example,
it
is
easy
to
recognize
the
use
of
dovetails,
which
would
be
familiar
to
any
carpenter,
shipwright,
or
woodwright.
I
am
told
that
this
object
is
a
popular
project
for
hobbyists,
and
is
thought
of
as
a
test
piece
for
craftsmen
to
demonstrate
their
mastery
[41].
Carving
this
toy
out
of
wood
would
require
significant
skill
with
basic
wood
carving
tools.
The
slots
must
be
perpendicular,
smooth
and
precisely
cut,
and
the
sliders
must
precisely
match
the
slots.
The
beveled
edges
must
be
true
and
dimensionally
correct.
Realizing
this
precision
would
require
competence
with
tools
such
as
chisels,
saws
and
planes,
as
well
as
an
understanding
of
the
specific
material
used,
specific
piece
or
pieces
of
wood.
The
Deep
Story
This
project
is
not
complex
in
itself,
but
it
can
be
found
to
have
deep
historical
connections.
To
begin:
its
name.
The
archetype
concept
is
known
by
a
number
of
names
over
many
centuries:
“Trammel
of
Archimedes”,
“ellipsograph”,
“nothing
grinder”.
(The
latter
terms
depend
on
whether
the
device
is
equipped
with
a
writing
device
(to
draw
an
ellipse)
or
not
(to
do
nothing).)
The
term
“Trammel
of
Archimedes”
is
a
reference
to
one
of
the
greatest
thinkers
of
antiquity,
reflects
the
fact
that
drawing
ellipses
was
studied
and
understood
more
than
2500
years
ago.
Whether
or
not
Archimedes
himself
invented
anything
like
this
specific
object,
we
know
that
the
mathematical
concepts
surrounding
ellipses
and
drawing
ellipses
were
known
at
that
time.
Attaching
his
famous
name
to
this
device
may
or
may
not
be
historically
accurate,
but
it
a
reasonable
evocation
of
the
age
and
importance
of
the
knowledge
it
is
based
on.
The
mathematical
foundations
of
ellipses
and
methods
for
drawing
them
have
studied
ever
since
Archimedes,
and
the
knowledge
has
been
elaborated
as
part
of
the
development
of
a
theoretical
understandings
of
analytic
geometry,
part
of
the
rich
theory
of
contemporary
mathematics
(e.g.,
[2,
30,
34,
35,
45]).
The
word
“trammel”
also
contributes
to
a
feeling
of
archaic
significance.
Trammel
comes
from
old
English
out
of
Old
French
and
Latin
roots
[8,
11].
References
indicate
that
the
source
words
are
terms
about
‘nets’
and
‘constraints’.
Shakespeare
uses
an
analogy
to
fishing
nets
in
Macbeth4:
Macbeth:
If
it
were
done
when
'tis
done,
then
'twere
well
It
were
done
quickly:
if
the
assassination
Could
trammel
up
the
consequence,
and
catch
With
his
surcease
success;
that
but
this
blow
Might
be
the
be-‐all
and
the
end-‐all
here,
4
It
is
interesting
that
I
had
already
written
that
“making
always
has
consequences”,
and
then
discovered
this
speech
from
Shakespeare.
5
But
here,
upon
this
bank
and
shoal
of
time,
We'ld
jump
the
life
to
come.
Macbeth,
Act
I,
Scene
VII
Not
commonly
used
in
America
today,
in
nineteenth
century
England,
‘trammel’
was
used
to
describe
social
or
political
constraints,
for
example:
“…by
freeing
the
land
of
England
from
the
trammels
of
a
bygone
era.”
Joseph
Chamberlain,
1876,
quoted
in
[3],
p.
14.
“Comes
a
train
of
little
ladies
From
scholastic
trammels
free,
Each
a
little
bit
afraid
is,
Wondering
what
the
world
can
be!”
(“Chorus
of
Girls”,
from
Act
1,
The
Mikado
(1911)
[37].
So
the
word
‘trammel’
generally
implies
a
‘constraint’,
perhaps
as
in
a
‘constrained
system’.5
In
the
case
of
the
Trammel
of
Archimedes
there
are
several
dimensions
of
‘constraint’:
there
are
two
pieces
constrained
to
slide
in
perpendicular
slots,
and
the
motion
of
the
beam
is
constrained
by
its
attachment
to
the
sliders,
and
so
on.
The
term
‘trammel’
has
been
used
for
a
class
of
tools
used
by
wood
and
stone
workers
for
drawing
and
measuring
curves,
all
of
which
work
by
similar
principles
of
‘constraint’.
This
context
is,
no
doubt,
the
direct
source
of
the
term
for
this
object.
Alternatively,
this
device
is
sometimes
referred
to
by
the
generic
term
“ellipsograph”,
i.e.,
an
ellipse-‐writer.
This
reflects
the
fact
that
the
end
of
the
crank
traces
an
ellipse:
attaching
a
stylus
or
pen
to
the
crank
makes
it
possible
to
scribe
or
draw
an
ellipse.
This
precise,
yet
generic,
word
gives
us
a
technical
term
that
reveals
a
possible
practical
use
for
this
concept.
The
term
also
tells
us
that
the
device
bridges
from
the
theoretical
(ellipse)
to
the
practical
(writing).
The
same
device
without
a
stylus
or
pencil
still
“works”
(i.e.,
the
crank
turns
in
the
same
way),
but
produces
no
practical
result.
In
this
form,
it
has
been
called
a
“nothing
grinder”,
or
one
of
many
“do
nothing
machines”.
Note
that
these
are
not
even
“toys”,
since
they
do
not
necessarily
produce
fun!
Whatever
pleasure
they
produce
is
certainly
in
the
making,
not
the
using.
These
terms
also
evoke
a
nineteenth
century
craftworker
feeling,
and
to
me,
a
Barnum-‐
esque
spirit
of
skilled
and
deliberate
nonsense.
What
Is
New
Here:
What
It
Took
to
Make
It
5
The
association
between
nets
and
constraints
is
echoed
in
mathematics:
systems
of
constraints
can
be
represented
mathematically
as
systems
of
equations,
but
also
sometimes
as
networks.
6
One
reason
this
project
is
interesting
is
because
it
is
a
recent
addition
to
what
we
know
are
many
ways
to
create
this
object.
Making
the
Trammel
with
a
3D
printer
realizes
a
concept
that
has
been
around
in
some
form
for
millennia,
using
contemporary
materials
and
techniques.
How
does
this
contemporary
process
compare
to
older
techniques,
such
as
woodworking?
In
particular,
what
knowledge
and
skill
is
needed
to
3D
print,
and
how
does
that
compare
to,
say,
carving
the
same
object
out
of
wood?
To
make
this
concept
in
wood
requires
plans
(typically
on
paper),
tools
(e.g.,
a
knife
or
chisel),
and
material
(suitable
pieces
of
wood).
It
requires
considerable
knowhow
and
manual
dexterity,
to
measure
and
place
the
perpendicular
slots,
cut
the
dovetails,
and
make
all
the
pieces
precisely
enough
that
they
hold
together
and
move
smoothly.
To
make
this
concept
in
ABS
with
a
3D
printer
uses
plans
(in
the
form
of
one
or
more
computer
files),
tools
(the
3D
printer,
plus
an
internet
connected
computer),
and
material
(ABS
plastic
spooled
suitable
for
input
to
the
printer).
It
requires
considerable
knowhow,
but
little
manual
dexterity.
The
necessary
knowhow
includes
operation
of
the
computer,
Internet
browser,
and
3D
printer
software,
as
well
as
the
3D
printer
machine.
Clearly,
a
different
set
of
knowledge
is
required
for
these
two
methods.
It
is
not
my
purpose
to
claim
that
one
or
the
other
is
“better”,
or
anything
like
that.
The
different
approaches
produce
similar
results,
and
each
would
be
useful
in
particular
circumstances,
and
for
certain
purposes.6
I
have
found
that
understanding
many
ways
a
concept
can
be
materialized
leads
to
a
deeper
understanding
of
the
concept,
and
of
the
alternative
techniques,
and
may
provide
the
additional
satisfaction
that
comes
from
broader
and
deeper
understanding
of
a
simple
object.
The
Social
Context:
Where
It
Was
Made
While
technology
and
knowledge
stands
in
the
foreground
of
this
story,
there
is
a
pervasive
background
that
must
be
recognized:
this
project
was
realized
within
a
distinctive
social
community,
this
Champaign
Urbana
Community
Fab
Lab.
(Please
see
[15,
25,
40]
for
more
detailed
discussions
of
the
community.)
The
Fab
Lab
is
where
I
learned
how
to
operate
the
3D
printer
and
of
the
existence
of
Thingiverse.
While
I
could,
in
principle,
have
obtained
the
technology
myself,
and
made
a
Trammel
alone,
most
likely
I
would
never
have
attempted
the
project
without
the
creative
culture
at
the
Fab
Lab.
Equally
important,
I
have
improved
and
cemented
my
own
learning
by
helping
others
learn
to
use
the
3D
printer.
6
I
skip
over
other
comparisons
that
might
also
be
important.
For
example,
the
raw
materials
and
tools
have
their
own
stories,
which
each
may
have
ethical
components.
For
example,
the
sources
of
the
wood
or
plastic,
the
provenance
of
the
tools
and
computers,
and
the
amount
of
waste
generated
by
fabrication
are
significant
considerations
for
each
method
of
making.
7
The
CUCFL,
like
hundreds
of
other
local
Fab
Labs
and
Maker
Spaces
([10,
16]),
is
a
volunteer
operated,
open
workshop,
that
provides
access
to
computer
controlled
design
and
fabrication,
including
tools,
materials,
and
knowhow.
The
Fab
Lab
also
provides
an
environment
that
fosters
creativity
and
active
learning.
The
diverse
community
of
volunteers
provides
many
perspectives
and
different
expertise,
and
we
share
ideas
and
learn
from
each
other.
The
Fab
Lab
is
a
place
where
everyone
has
“permission”
to
create
whatever
they
want,
and
which
inspires
visitors
to
try
new
ideas
and
take
chances.
Looking
at
the
historical
precedence,
I
note
that
carving
the
Trammel
in
wood
could
be
done
by
a
lone
hobbyist
or
craftsman,
but
surely
most
often
skills
were
nourished
by
teachers
and
mentors.
Indeed,
many
expert
woodworkers
learned
in
multigenerational
workshops,
not
so
completely
different
from
a
Fab
Lab.
These
days,
such
local
communities
are
also
connected
to
each
other
via
the
Internet,
which
facilitates
the
exchange
of
knowledge,
as
well
as
markets
for
tools,
materials,
and
products.
Historically,
European
humanist
traditions
have
grown
in
the
workshop
of
the
artist,
armorer,
and
alchemist
[12].
There
was
little
distinction
between
the
workshop
of
Leonardo’s
apprenticeship
[27],
the
laboratory
of
Isaac
Newton’s
investigations
[42],
and
the
remarkable
social
network
of
workshops
of
the
Lunar
Society
[39].
Only
in
recent
centuries
has
the
workshop
differentiated,
to
become
distinguished
according
to
the
supposed
commercial,
scientific,
and
artistic
goal
of
the
workspace.
From
this
perspective,
we
can
view
a
Fab
Lab
or
Makerspace
as
harking
back
to
earlier
eras
when
multipurpose
and
multigenerational
workshops
were
vital
parts
of
a
local
community.
Of
course,
we
do
not
reproduce
these
earlier
practices
wholesale
or
unconsciously.
Fab
Labs
are
firmly
embedded
in
contemporary
society
(for
better
or
worse).
We
consciously
eschew
some
historical
“humanist”
traditions,
embrace
others,
and
have
our
own
unique
additions.
We
no
longer
sell
our
children
into
servitude.
We
welcome
all
our
children,
including
girls
and
women.
At
the
same
time,
we
are
navigating
among
many
competing
visions
of
society
and
Fab
Labs.
A
Fab
Lab
has
many
“purposes”,
which
appeal
to
different
participants.
Fab
Labs
have
been
hailed
as
important
for
promoting,
for
example,
Economic
revolution,
Social
Capital,
Community
Building,
Cultural
development
and
Personal
empowerment
[25].
A
Fab
Lab
can
be
a
pragmatic,
eclectic,
communal,
and,
literally,
hands
on,
exploration
of
these
important
issues.
In
this,
I
believe,
we
are
recreating
some
of
the
best
traditions
of
humanist
learning,
learning
by
doing,
working
together
[24,
32].
Implications
This
object
described
here
is,
by
its
very
design,
“useless”
(as
is,
perhaps,
this
essay).
But
I
think
it
is
far
from
meaningless.
We
humans
are
makers,
and
it
would
be
unlikely
to
the
point
of
impossibility
to
believe
that
humans
act
without
meaning.
8
Making
is
a
process
of
materializing;
realizing
a
concept
via
knowledge
and
materials.
Most
concepts
can
be
realized
in
more
than
one
way,
using
different
materials
and
techniques.
Indeed,
one
of
the
joys
of
making
is
the
consideration
of
these
alternatives,
and
learning,
discovering,
and
trying
them
for
yourself.
The
‘trammel’
concept
can
be
materialized
in
many
ways,
and
over
the
years
it
has
inspired
many
realizations,
in
wood,
metal,
and
plastic.
The
process
of
making
a
physical
object
is
never
without
consequence;
if
nothing
else
there
is
inherent
pleasure
and
empowerment
in
creation,
however
trivial.
This
is
just
as
true
when
the
object
is
created
by
downloading
a
computer
file
and
clicking
“print”
as
when
the
object
is
carved
from
a
block
of
wood.
These
pleasures
are
multiplied
when
embedded
in
a
community
of
makers.
Making
is
personally
empowering
for
each
maker.
Making
is
a
quintessential
human
act
and
can
be
argued
to
be
a
critical
aspect
of
full-‐fledged
“digital
literacy”,
necessary
for
full
participation
in
the
twenty
first
century
[1,
13,
14,
38].
Creating
even
simple,
“useless”
objects
requires
knowledge,
skill,
and
persistence.
In
the
process,
the
maker
must
bridge
from
mind
to
the
physical
world
and
back,
in
a
way
that
validates
his
or
her
personal
agency
and
self
worth.
The
pleasure
is
multiplied
when
it
is
shared.
For
me,
there
is
no
greater
thrill
at
the
Fab
Lab
than
when
a
young
person
smiles,
holds
up
her
creation
in
her
hand,
and
says,
perhaps
for
the
first
time,
“I
made
this”.
Putting
tools
in
the
hands
of
the
workers?
Yes,
we
can.
And
we
must.
What
exactly
is
being
learned
and
taught?
Contemporary
computer
aided
fabrication
“redistributes”
but
definitely
does
not
eliminate
the
knowhow
and
techniques
required
to
achieve
the
creative
goal.
A
rough
balance
sheet
would
show
that
digital
fabrication
requires
less
manual
skill
than
woodwork,
more
knowledge
of
computing,
and
about
the
same
skills
at
visualization
and
design.
One
way
that
digital
fabrication
surpasses
older
technology
is
that
it
can
enable
sharing
and
remixing
via
digital
networks.
The
design
for
the
Trammel
of
Archimedes
I
used
was
represented
in
a
computer
file
that
is
not
only
a
portrait
of
the
object,
it
is
an
executable
program
that
can
create
one.
In
other
words,
the
digital
file
represents
the
knowledge
for
how
to
make
the
object
in
a
very
detailed
and
direct
form,
much
more
literally
than
plans,
photos,
or
instructions.
Thus,
when
I
discovered
the
project
on
Thingiverse,
what
I
discovered
was
the
capability
to
reproduce
the
object,
just
as
discovering
a
music
track
on
the
Internet
give
me
the
capability
to
reproduce
a
version
of
the
musical
experience.
The
downloaded
file
can
be
shared
or
sold
and
adapted
or
re-‐mixed.
These
actions
are
precisely
analogous
to
the
familiar
uses
of
digital
music
or
video.
From
this
analogy
we
can
draw
the
implication
that
simple
3D
objects
will
soon
be
created
and
consumed
just
like
blogs,
music
clips,
and
videos
are
today
[1,
25].
Finally,
this
project
inspired
me
to
investigate
the
history
of
the
object
I
was
making.
I
discovered
deep
connections,
a
long,
romantic
history,
as
well
as
deep
and
significant
9
mathematics.
Learning
about
these
ramifications
provided
my
project
with
additional
satisfaction,
beyond
personal
and
immediate
social
gratification.
This
was
not
a
bad
haul
for
a
simple
toy,
with
no
particular
purpose!
Let
us
“Trammel
up
the
consequence”,
indeed,
and
catch
success.
But
isn’t
it
so
often
true
that
our
“toys”
and
“games”
are
far
more
important
than
we
let
on
[18,
23,
33]?
Acknowledgments
This
project
was
made
from
the
design
files
posted
to
Thingiverse
by
‘satoshi’
on
October
12,
2012,
available
at
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:32043.
This
project
was
executed
at
the
Champaign
Urbana
Community
Fab
Lab
[5]
using
the
UP!3D
printer
[4].
Thanks
to
all
the
volunteers
and
mentors
who
have
taught
me
so
much
in
the
last
few
years.
References
1.
Anderson,
Chris,
Makers,
New
York,
Random
House,
2012.
2.
Apostol,
Tom
M.
and
Mamikon
A.
Mnatsakanian,
A
New
Look
at
the
So-‐Called
Trammel
of
Archimedes.
The
American
Mathematics
Monthly,
116
(2):115-‐133,
February
2008.
http://authors.library.caltech.edu/15512/1/Apostol2009p335Am_Math_Mon.pdf
3.
Bérard,
Victor,
Foskett
and
Herbert
William,
British
imperialism
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1906.
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CUCFL.
3D
Printers.
2013,
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CUCFL.
Champaign
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Community
Fab
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2013,
http://cucfablab.org/.
6.
CUCFL.
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7.
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http://cucfablab.org/book/tools.
8.
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Oxford
English,
"trammel,
n.1",
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9.
fabbers.com.
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http://www.ennex.com/~fabbers/StL.asp.
10.
FabFolk.
The
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http://fablabinternational.org/.
11.
Farnex.
The
Free
Dictionary:
trammel.
2013,
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/trammel.
12.
Field,
Judith
Veronica
and
Frank
A.
J.
L..
James,
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natural
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early
modern
Europe.
Cambridge
University
Press:
Cambridge,
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13.
Gauntlett,
David,
Making
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meaning
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DIY
and
knitting
to
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and
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Cambridge,
Polity,
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14.
Ginger,
Jeff,
Digital
Literacy
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http://cucfablab.org/blog/digital-‐literacy-‐resources-‐emerging-‐maker-‐spaces
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Ginger,
Jeff,
Robert
McGrath,
Betty
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Virginia
McCreary,
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10
Description:download files, which are, literally, the design for the trammel machine. There are seven “Trammel of Archimedes”, “ellipsograph”, “nothing grinder”.
