Daily Journal 

Today was the first day working on the word-clock. The night before Mr. Dubick took time to cut half of the backs for the word-clock. We started by working with partners, as partners we cut another back to remind ourselves of how to use the laser cutters. Using Mr. Dubick's file we set the machine up to cut by inputing needed settings; material thickness, material dimensions, and frequency, speed, and power for both vector and rastor.

Today was the first day of soldering. The first thing I did was remove the back to a neopixel and ticking it to the first spot on the back. Then I took three male-to-male jumper wires (one black for ground, one red for 5volts, then one yellow for UPDI) and tripped one end of each wire so that I could solder it to the neopixel. I started with jumper wires so that I could connect them to an Arduino. For the soldering process I twisted the exposed wire of one jumper wire to keep each end together then tinned the the exposed wire and repeated for the other jumper wires. To connect the jumper wire to the neopixle I applied some solder to the pad then pressed the corresponding jumper wire to the right pad and heated it with the soldering iron until they joined, having to bend the wires helped keep them in place for when the solder cooled. I repeated the for the other jumper wires.

Today was the second day of soldering. I got my second neopixel and started soldering it. To connect the two neopixels I cut small strips of red, black, and yellow wires. I stripped both ends of the wire and twisted and tinned them as well, then followed the same soldering process from the last neopixel. Using a code that was set up I tested my neopixels every time I soldered one together.

Today I was able to get many more neopixles ad I stuck them on the board quickly. I was much faster today and was able to solder 5 neopixels. Between neopixel six and seven I followed the same process, however I had to use tape to hold the wires in place this time. I also started to test my neopixels left often because I was more confident in my ability to solder them. 

Today I was able to get the rest of my neopixels, as you can see between neopixel nine and ten I saved time by using neopixels that were spread out and I tried to fit curtain neopixels were they fit best on the board. I was even faster today and was able to solder 6 neopixels together. 

Today was just another normal soldering day, were I soldered 9 neopixels following the same pattern from 12/5 and using the trick from 12/6 if I needed too. 

While I was following my pattern today I noticed that there were only one set of holes between neopixel 22 and 23. I asked Mr. Dubick about it and we compared it to a different layer in the word-clock and realized it was an error and that the wires needed to go under the board here, so Mr. Dubick drilled the wholes for me and I got right back to soldering.