Build Log
A running, dated record of what I'm making: applications, tooling, 3D printing, this site itself. Essays are ideas with a thesis; the build log is artifacts with a date.
The finished versions live in the portfolio.
The Command Battlestation
The Command Battlestation - daily driver workstation, HOTAS cockpit and 3D printer room.
NarrateX - When software is engineered rather than assembled
A local audiobook reader that quietly replaces an entire commercial category
When the interface becomes the bottleneck
The simulator was not the constraint. The surface was.
Automating tagging in crankthecode for menu organisation
Effective management of the crankthecode website.
The Illusion of Engineering
AI can generate code but it cannot replace software engineering.
HyperNova, Rails and Rethinking the Voron
Upgrading the Voron Trident with a HyperNova toolhead new rails and a precision Cartographer mod.
Sitemaps, Side-by-Sides and Satisfying Polish
Post-launch refinements including sitemap setup, layout alignment and enhanced polish across tooling and templates.
Bots Are Interfaces
Musings and mechanics behind the bots that do my bidding.
Simple Hacking
Hacking as exploration, not destruction.
On Working with Machines
A short manifesto on how machines respond to inputs, not intentions.
Hardware Guides Are Accidental Biographies
The difference between a setup guide and a survival log is about three failed prints.
Why I Keep Building Niche Tools
Tiny tools with weird, specific use cases that somehow keep solving problems.
Tiny Tools I Refuse to Live Without
A short list of the kind of oddball tools I rely on in day-to-day development and tinkering.
UI Polish, CTAs and the Slow March to Done
A tour through UI tweaks, CTA wrangling and why stopping matters more than starting.
WP Bots and RSS Weirdness Blog Update
Fixed RSS encoding and ignored WordPress sniffers. As one does.
Command Centre Update
Added hero and battlestation sections.
Tables, Taglines and Terminal Fakery
Search autocomplete now works, the Help button is unhelpful and every post has just enough recruiter bait.
Site SEO & Search Updates
Blog formally released but this time updated with SEO optimisation!
Why Crank?
Why I build things the hard way: a short note on overengineering, curiosity and craft.
Hello Crank
A quick welcome to Crank The Code.