Complete Project Archive
LaSPACE / NASA-Sponsored
Robotic Additive Manufacturing
This paid research project required about 20 hours per week, and I worked on it for over a year to build a UFACTORY 850 robot-arm printing platform for non planar, multi axis additive manufacturing. I helped bring it from initial assembly to successful PLA cube prints at multiple sizes, then handed it to a graduate student for five and six axis print path algorithms.
My work covered mechanical design and electrical integration. I modeled the bedplate mount, extruder and robot tool head mounts, and other enclosures in Onshape for FDM fabrication, keeping the extruder centered and compact while preserving cooling-fan clearance, PTFE tube routing, and filament-loading access.
The system integrated an Archim 2.2 controller, LGX Ace Magnum extruder, LulzBot heated bed, 24 V power supply, cooling fans, and custom wiring. I used Excel formulas, UFACTORY Studio, and Cura to generate and tune G-code test paths, feed rates, extrusion values, and movement speeds for uniform PLA layers. I also homed the robot and set toolhead offsets to establish nozzle position and prevent collisions during printing.
RV-12 Aircraft Assembly
In 2017, I helped build an RV 12 aircraft through a PLTW Aerospace Engineering class and the Eagles Nest Projects program. Our team read aircraft drawings, drilled, deburred, and riveted structural assemblies with local mentors.
The aircraft was completed and flew, and the school now uses it to help students earn their pilot licenses. The project gave me early experience with aircraft assembly, inspection, and team based fabrication.
Play RV-12 Cloud Run
BMO Raspberry Pi Companion
BMO began as a GitHub based AI companion project. I designed the body and buttons from scratch and used Codex throughout the hardware and software design process to turn it into a custom Raspberry Pi 5 companion using Claude Haiku 4.5 for fast, creative responses that fit BMO's personality.
BMO currently includes:
- Hands free wake word activation and touch push to talk
- Whisper speech transcription and custom Piper BMO voice output
- Animated idle, listening, thinking, speaking, error, and sleeping faces with on screen status indicators
- Jokes, Adventure Time facts, and BMO personality cues
- Weather, current information search, calculator, and unit conversion
- Time and date, Pi temperature, uptime, storage, memory, and network status
- Timers and reminders with voice announcements
- Bounded local memory for explicit saved facts
- Spotify playback controls, active song display, and pause and resume during conversations
- Touch controls, physical buttons, display and backlight settings, audio volume, sleep mode, and automatic startup
Future work includes adding servos to the arms so BMO can wave.
Rechargeable Solder-Fume Ventilator
Built and regularly use a compact rechargeable solder fume extractor for a custom 3D printed soldering tray. I reused a controller from a salvaged rechargeable fan, paired it with a new 5 V fan, and designed and printed the enclosure. It provides five speed settings, a rechargeable battery, and a replaceable filter.
Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi Clone
I built a playable Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi clone from published schematics, modeled the enclosure in CAD, and debugged the analog circuit from breadboard to finished enclosure. It produces clean and heavily distorted tones, and I play guitar with it regularly.
Arduino-Based PID Control
I designed and programmed an Arduino LED controller that measured room light with a phototransistor and adjusted LED brightness using PWM and PID control. It reached a stable desired brightness level, with an LCD interface and MATLAB root locus analysis used to evaluate response.
Published 3D-Printed Models
A selection of published 3D printed models, including a parametric gear generator, soldering tray, electronics organizers, display accessories, and custom enclosures. Each project takes an idea from CAD through preparation, printing, and practical use.
Browse the full collection and published files on: MakerWorld
CHRISCADE RP2040 Gaming Handheld
CHRISCADE is a fully functional portable RP2040 gaming handheld I designed so I can play games wherever I go. I modeled and 3D printed the enclosure in Onshape for a touchscreen, joystick, pushbuttons, speaker, volume control, and power and battery status LEDs.
It runs Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, Doom, save data, screenshots, and original utility apps. I implemented compressed ROM banks with on demand decompression and caching within limited flash and RAM, plus working sleep and wake, display and audio settings, and adding games over USB.
View the source code and project files on: GitHub Open CHRISCADE Demo
Machine Tool Technology
Machine Tool Technology is a hands-on machining class where I am learning to use lathes, mills, bandsaws, and belt grinders to make precision tools and shop projects.
This semester, I plan to build tools such as a plumb bob, deburring tool, and hammer. I’ll add photos, measurements, and progress notes as the semester goes on.
Beatboxing Beatbox & Guitar Tuner
This prototype uses a Teensy 4.0 and Teensy Audio Shield to provide electronically generated drum beats and a guitar tuning reference tone. The planned final version will sit before my looper pedal and add authentic drum sounds from a microSD card.
I developed the Teensy code with Codex and completed the wiring myself. The current version outputs through an Orange Micro Dark tube preamp, is powered from a 9 V guitar pedal barrel jack, and uses a linear regulator and capacitors to step the supply down to 5 V. A custom enclosure is planned.
Raspberry Pi 5 Home Engineering Hub
This portfolio is hosted on a Raspberry Pi 5 that serves as a self hosted engineering hub for my portfolio, BMO companion, camera and room audio station, games, tools, and project dashboards. I used Codex to design and develop the Raspberry Pi 5 hub, connect multiple hardware projects across my home network, and keep public pages separate from protected controls.
The hub runs Pi-hole to block ads across my home network and includes a 1 TB SSD using an NVMe M.2 base for expanded local storage. It also uses Nginx, Cloudflare, and automatic startup, providing a foundation for future connected projects such as the Raspberry Pi 3B build plate clearing station.
ChristAIn Hermes Control Dashboard
ChristAIn is a custom dashboard on ChristianRust.com for monitoring and controlling my private Hermes AI system from anywhere. Hermes runs continuously on a virtual server hosted on my PC, maintains consistent evolving memory, operates scheduled local-LLM bots, and delegates demanding work to Qwen 27B accelerated by my RTX 5070 Ti. Through ChristAIn, I can track active jobs, review progress, and continue working with Hermes while away from my home computer.
Engine & Transmission Model Assemblies
I built an L-4 engine assembly and a 3D-printed four-speed constant-mesh transmission. The engine taught me to visualize crankshaft, camshaft, timing, and coordinated component motion; the transmission showed how gear-tooth ratios control speed and torque, how neutral interrupts power transfer, and why accurate alignment matters for motion.
Personal Car Repairs
I try to fix it myself first before bringing my car to a shop. I have done oil changes, patched flat tires, cleaned and reinstalled the throttle body and mass air flow sensor, changed brake pads, installed new batteries, and rotated tires.
Popsicle Stick Pratt Bridge
I designed and built this popsicle stick bridge after a Pratt bridge. It carried 228 lbs during testing and weighed 0.517 lb, earning the highest load in the class.
