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Machining a TI-89 Out of Aluminum

Posted by timothy on from the fully-weaponized dept.

TangoMargarine writes "Sometimes, expensive calculators hit the floor. It's happened to almost anyone with a graphing calculator from TI or HP. Sadly, they don't always bounce. After this happened to [Howard C.], an Industrial Engineering student from U. of Iowa, he decided to spend $50 on milling his own replacement case out of aluminum rather than trashing the device over a broken battery compartment."

5 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. cost by donnyspi · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I can't begin to understand why these calculators, which have been around for many years and still have the same features and functions, cost the same as they did when I was in school about 15 years ago. http://xkcd.com/768/

    1. Re:cost by soupforare · · Score: 4, Interesting

      They're test-legal and a de facto standard in schools. It's ridiculous but it's kept prices high as hell. The casio graphers are speedy, work well and are cheap. Unless you expect to be taking a placement test anytime soon, there's no reason to stick with TI.

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  2. Awesome. How do I do that? by vadim_t · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'd like to do the same thing. So I'm hoping somebody could give me a few hints on it.

    First, how did he manage to come up with a design for the new case matching exactly all of the buttons? Do you just take some calipers and start measuring? The curved layout of the buttons, and the shape of the buttons themselves look tricky. Also I imagine that accurate positioning of screw holes is critical.

    And second, how does one get such a thing manufactured? Are there places available to normal people that would take an order for a single piece or a small run, and what file format would they require? Or a place where I could get access to the hardware and operate it myself?

    I would be really appreciate some pointers about how to get started.

  3. I'm working on an aluminum HP 11 by NixieBunny · · Score: 3, Interesting

    but it will use Nixie tubes for the display, just to make it interesting. It's fun to do the CAD design. Someone else will have to help me with the software, as I'm more of a hardware guy.

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    The determined Real Programmer can write Fortran programs in any language.
  4. Re:ok but by Chris+Burke · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Yeah, and according to the comments he left, since he really needed a calculator he ended up buying a new one before finishing this project, so the aluminum TI-89 sits at home instead of traveling with him. So the lack of shock resistance in the new case is probably not a big issue anyway.

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