An Interview with Great Scott

The Amp Hour · 29 Jan 2016 · 1h 11m · Episode 284

What this episode covers

Dave Jones, the creator of the Great Scott! YouTube channel, discusses his journey from a German dual-study program to building a large online community. He details the technical challenges of prototyping an electric longboard, including mechanical mounting issues and control system design using a Wii Nunchuk. Jones also explains his preference for perf-board prototyping in industrial settings and his sourcing strategies, relying on Chinese online retailers for components while using local stores like Conrad Electronics for specific needs.

Mentioned

Companies
Conrad Electronics, Inventables
Products
Great Scott!, Wii remote, Arduino, X-Carve
Chips
555 timer
Tools
Lochmaster, Fritzing

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Being an Engineer · 1h 03m

    S6E41 James Davis | Living in Ukraine for $12/Day to Become An Engineer

    James Davis, the creator behind the YouTube channel FluxBench, discusses his journey from a finance graduate to an embedded systems engineer and educator. He explains his mission to bridge the gap between DIY hobbyists and professional manufacturing by teaching practical electronics and design for manufacturing. Davis shares anecdotes about his early career, including traveling through Eastern Europe to learn programming and a failed solar optics project, while emphasizing the importance of hands-on experience and communication in engineering.

  • Making It · 1h 31m

    Episode 100: Live From Boston!

    Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their current projects, including Jimmy's 3D-printed Star Wars helmet and Bob's hot dog inlay table, while reflecting on the importance of community and maintaining a positive attitude in the maker world. They share personal stories about quitting their day jobs to pursue YouTube full-time, the challenges of shipping and logistics, and the difficulty of finding one's creative voice. The hosts also answer audience questions regarding buyer's remorse on tools like the ShopBot and Delta 3D printer, and the complexities of collaboration and branding.

  • Making It · 1h 07m

    354: The trade off

    Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss the trade-offs inherent in making content and physical products. Diresta details his current projects: building a Rice Lake Skiff from milled old-growth wood and constructing a 4-foot Eiffel Tower from ice cream sticks for a TypeBond promotion. Picciuto explains his struggle sourcing walnut plywood to refinish a Yamaha electric piano and his dilemma over filming simple projects like floating shelves. Clagett shares his experience building a Star Wars-inspired privacy wall and reflects on the necessity of creating utilitarian 'tips' videos to sustain his channel's growth.

  • Predictable Designs Podcast · 47m

    Concept to Market in One Year with Allen Walton of SpyGuy.com [Part 2]

    Allen Walton, founder of SpyGuy.com, explains how he brought his product, the Scout, to market in under a year by partnering with Nick Frank at Connective. Walton details his journey from struggling to find an engineer to using online sourcing platforms like Novieland and Sourceify, and finally settling on a full-service manufacturer. He discusses specific challenges including non-standard battery sizes in China, the decision to avoid Amazon due to copycat risks, and design changes like replacing a real pinhole camera with a cheaper fake one to reduce costs.

  • Making It · 56m

    Episode 240: Thumbs and forks

    Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their recent projects, including Diresta's leather-wrapped knife, Picciuto's oval picture frame, and Clagett's leather wallet, while debating the value of 'tinkering' versus structured planning in the maker community. The hosts highlight specific tools and suppliers like ZH Fabrication, K & S Metal Supply, and various blacksmithing hammer makers, emphasizing how access to materials like metal tubes and fasteners enables creative prototyping. They explore different workflows, from Clagett's stockpiling of hardware to Picciuto's reliance on sketching and planning, concluding with recommendations for YouTube channels and a shout-out to the new Hulu series 'Making It'.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Amp Hour. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.