Arduino Watering project #2 Balsa-wood time (old version)
"Hand-built the Arduino chassis and integrated multiple displays using custom-cut balsa wood frames. Soldered I²C modules, reinforced the big display housing, and assembled all components into the main box. A major milestone in the project’s build process.
For this phase of the project, I wanted a cleaner and more handcrafted look.
I bought a bunch of balsa wood from Amazon and decided to build the chassis manually instead of 3D printing it.
I enjoy working with wood, so this route made the whole project more fun.
🪵 Building the Arduino Chassis (Balsa Wood Work)
Below is the process of shaping the chassis that will house the Arduino and the first electronics.
🖥️ Integrating the Displays Into the Wooden Frames
Once the chassis base was done, I started integrating the displays.
Each display required its own custom wooden frame.
🧱 Stopper Design
I repeated this stopper pattern across most displays to keep everything locked tightly in place.
🔌 Soldering I²C Modules for the Small Displays
To connect all the smaller displays, I had to solder their I²C modules manually.
Display #1 finished — only 999,999,999 to go 😄
Final result:
🖥️ Integrating the Big Display Module
Then came the larger display module — this one required extra reinforcement.
My neighbour surprised me with pancakes in the middle of this process 😄
Highlight of the build session!
More structural progress:
🧱 Reinforcing the Big Display Frame
This display needed to be extremely stable.
I added internal support structures — it might even be strong enough to sit on.
📦 Final Assembly — Everything in the Box
At last, all major components went into their final chassis position.
