2001: My Button Odyssey - Part 1

Your project is terrific and beautiful... i want to show you what i have done, not just a button but the whole thing... and i didn't get a single dollar from my (dis)adventure. But if you need i am with you in your project, so this is why i am here :-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t3YEOziAHQ&t=1s

MVVblog

Love it!

Michael Norton

This is fantastic! Will you share the models on Thingiverse?

Chuck Sembroski

Had an interesting dream some days ago - large hangar-type hall housing an electronics lab facility (some links with NASA). Led by woman engineer (no, it wasn't Fran). Investigating more efficient power supplies/less power-hungry circuits for space probes. Some designs going back to Nuvistor (6CW4) type components. Lot of the test instrumentation used these 70's rotary knobs with transparant plastic scale with black numbering; and hub in grey plastic with (removable) bright colour-coded front. I think there was an actual company using this as their design branding...

It's copyright slammed enough as it is - the music would have canned it totally!

Fran Blanche

I got these new rectangular LED lit snap switches off Ebay and use them in everything.

Fran Blanche

Ja, natürlich.

Fran Blanche

Fantastic!

The detailed way you make videos about things that you love is so wonderful!

Jamie Magin

I don't know why, but I was braced for "Also sprach Zarathustra" to start/stop playing every time the button was activated/deactivated. I mean, my practical brain knows that's not something that would fly for a public video, but the smartalek part of my brain started filling it in and had a fun time of it. ;)

Travis Snoozy

Love it Fran! Can't wait for the next episode. 😀

Fantastic video Fran, you really nailed the diffusion on the bulbs and the Letraset replacement.

David Peaker

Love the attention to detail, good work Fran!

Letraset was king for labelling things back in the 60s/70s (my dad being an architect, we couldn't move for the stuff at home)- if that's what they used for 2001 buttons, then somebody was very good at doing it - but your substitute process looks a match for it Fran - and you don't get that 'burnishing halo' thing, and your printing will be more robust I suspect too :o) Those switches of yours have had some man-hours put into them. Great to follow along.

Awesome. I can’t wait to see the final product!

nj Phil

Outstanding logical determination and execution of your planning and your manufacturing!

Is the switch seen briefly at the very end an AEO or an Alcoswitch? I've got a lovely red "RESET" switch, salvaged from an Amtelco voicemail system from the 80s, in my PC case as, well, the reset switch. Recently I found a beautiful, matching, blue "RUN" switch on eBay I was hoping to use for the power switch, but when I bought it, the seller just said they couldn't find it and cancelled the order... :-( I love old switchgear like that and will be following this project quite intently. I do also love how they captured the 1960s IBM design language, they do look like the consoles could have been taken from old tape handlers, etc...

Sean

Everyone needs a working "Dutch" button! :-)

Jac Goudsmit

Really nice, Fran! Right on target

Peter Todd Decker

Fantastic script, audio, and edit. Absolutely professional. Both an art and an engineering tutorial, a master class, with just the right touch of perfectionistic obsession (or obsessive perfectionism, I never remember which is right). I was enthralled, and more than a bit envious.

BobC

I need those buttons for my Home Automation Laboratory 9000!

BobC

It's wonderful to see a fresh nerdy project on a subject dear to my heart!

SpringRat

This is going to be great! 2001 is one of my all-time favorite movies and I've done more than my fair share of geeking out on it. Can't wait for the rest!

Fred Patton

Bloody brilliant. Now that's what I was talking about. From concept to research to trial and error and the engineering challenges of trying to make something that only had to look good on film but in reality has to work well too. Thanks Fran.. super excited to see how it all comes together and wondering how much fun we could have making a real translator for that panel. Raspberry Pi anyone? ;)

veritanuda

It’s a very cool project! And roughly what I’d guessed from the teases. But I see why you’re concerned about copyright takedowns. Half your episode is literal footage from the film used as B roll for voiceover, and a lot of the rest is pulled stills. Any chance you can cutaway to yourself as a talking head a bunch in there to reduce the risk of content matching? (No audio from the film should slow down the copyright robots, but if the episode goes at all viral I expect it’ll get submitted for manual copyright review.) Ewen

Ewen McNeill

That was a fun video :) The journey from beginning through the planning, motivation and initial implementation was really good :)

Kaylee Kerin

Funnily enough, your 'teases' of the buttons prior to this video always made me think of 2001.

Truly an epic project Fran, so glad you got an edit you were happy with. Looking forward to part 2 hope that doesn't take as long in the edit!

Dr Andy Hill

Great work! Love the wonky French button!

EEVblog

Wow I love the way those buttons look, and your replicas are spot on! I'm definitely going to use that sanding trick. Also enjoyed your analysis of the movie itself :)

Aly

This video brings me so much joy and was definitely worth the wait! Thank you for what you do, Fran! I can't wait for part 2.