# Scratchpad
> Scratchpad is a Chicago based collective which hosts weekly co-working sessions for builders working on their passion projects (robotics, design, writing, art, coding).
Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts.
Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`).
## Pages
### About this site
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/about/
Last updated: 2026-07-09T04:16:05.000Z
### *What* is Scratchpad?
Scratchpad is a collective which hosts weekly **co-working** sessions for builders working on their **passion projects** (robotics, design, writing, art, coding).
### *W*hat is this website?
This site is an independent publication launched in July 2026 for Scratchpad. It was launched by a group of Chicago engineers and creatives to publish and share the passion projects of scratchpad members. If you subscribe today, you'll get full access to the website as well as email newsletters about new content when it's available.
### *Where* is Scratchpad?
Scratchpad is held weekly at [mHUB ](https://www.mhub.org/?utm%5Fsource=luma)(Chicago's hub for hard tech startups and hardware innovation). You'll receive more details on the location from the [Luma](https://luma.com/scratchpad?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol) event page registration.
Scratchpad is an independent publication launched in July 2026 by a group of Chicago engineers and creatives. If you subscribe today, you'll get full access to the website as well as email newsletters about new content when it's available.
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---
### Lego F1 3D Printed Frame
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/lego-f1-3d-printed-frame/
Last updated: 2026-07-09T02:44:33.000Z
> I wanted a cleaner way to display one of LEGO's Formula 1 Speed Champions cars without committing to a permanent wall mount. This combines a 3D printed frame, a simple wall mount, and a matte styrene backer into a display that feels more like framed artwork than another shelf decoration.
**Disclaimer:** If you're only here for the build, skip down to **Preparation**. If you enjoy unnecessarily long origin stories, welcome.
---
Weeks ago, I found myself captivated by a strategically placed LEGO vending machine.
In an airport.
My youthful spirit sparked. A LEGO F1 McLaren for $30\. In a vending machine! For both LEGO and an airport, that's actually a pretty good deal.
But I didn't buy it.
> 📷 **Gallery:** Airport vending machine, LEGO set, etc.
Fast forward to now.
I recently moved into a new apartment in Lincoln Park and have been trying to decorate the walls without making the place look like a college dorm. I wandered into Target for home décor, immediately got distracted by the LEGO aisle, and there they were again—the Formula 1 Speed Champions sets.
There's something incredibly satisfying about being an adult with purchasing power. You don't have to convince anyone. You just... execute.
All in favor say, "Aye."
So I bought the McLaren.
After building it, I realized it's a surprisingly cool display piece—a blocky little representation of thousands of engineers collectively deciding the best way to go very, *very* fast.
The only problem?
A shelf doesn't really do it justice.
Wanting something a bit more polished than my old *"hang a poster and call it interior design"* strategy, I decided to frame it instead.
But buying a cheap frame?
Absolutely not.
I own a 3D printer.
The entire thing fits on the print bed.
Time to get to work... or rather, time for the printer to get to work.
---
If you haven't explored Bambu Lab's MakerWorld yet, it's honestly incredible.
It's the closest we've ever been to materializing real, physical, useful products with two clicks and a little patience.
It's reaching that point where I'm starting to say, *"Back in my day..."*
Seriously though, growing up printing on a CR-10 meant:
- Manually tuning Cura profiles for every material
- Fighting failed prints constantly
- Watching the first layer like your life depended on it
- Sneakernet-ing G-code on SD cards
- Thinking OctoPrint was the greatest invention ever made
So yeah...
MakerWorld is getting ridiculously good.
---
I found a beautifully textured picture frame originally designed for 3D topographic maps. It wasn't intended for this project, but it looked perfect.
At first I considered simply hanging the LEGO car directly on the wall and placing a frame around it.
The problem?
That permanently commits the artwork to one spot.
I like rearranging things.
Instead, I wanted the entire display—including the car—to be one self-contained piece.
My first thought was suspending the car with clear fishing line, but that sounded like an exercise in frustration. The LEGO pieces could separate, tension would be annoying to adjust, and I'd inevitably spend hours trying to make it perfectly level.
Instead I shifted toward a plaque-style display.
I experimented with several backing materials:
- Cardstock
- Felt
- Acrylic
- Glass
- 3D printed panels
- Various plastics
Eventually I settled on matte white styrene.
It diffuses light nicely while still letting a little of the wall texture show through, which gives the finished piece a subtle depth.
While browsing MakerWorld I also found a wall mount designed specifically for LEGO Speed Champions F1 cars.
Perfect.
The plan was set.
Time to build.
---
# Preparation
## Bill of Materials
- 1× 1/16" matte styrene sheet
- 1× 3D printed frame (approximately 200 × 160 mm)
- 1× LEGO Speed Champions F1 wall mount
- 1× LEGO F1 car
- 1× 3 mm countersunk wood screw
- Nail or 3M Command Strip
## Tools
- Drill
- Drill bit
- Screwdriver
- Sharp utility knife, scoring tool, or box cutter
- Metal straight edge
- Clamps
---
# Build
I downloaded both the LEGO wall mount and the wooden-textured frame from Bambu Lab's MakerWorld.
Although the frame was originally intended for 3D map artwork, it worked perfectly here.
I considered printing a solid backing, but I actually liked the subtle texture of the painted brick wall behind the matte styrene, so I let the material itself do some of the visual work.
I printed everything using **Overture Black PLA**.
The styrene sheet came from Blick Art Materials.
Cutting styrene is surprisingly straightforward.
Measure your dimensions carefully, clamp a metal straight edge securely to the work surface, and repeatedly score along the cut line.
Then score it again.
And again.
As my friend Charles always says:
> Once you think you've scored it enough... score it a few more times.
After both sides are deeply scored, align the score line with the edge of a table and apply gentle downward pressure.
The sheet should snap cleanly.
Wear gloves and safety glasses if you're working with brittle plastics—small shards have a habit of launching themselves across the room.
I didn't score mine deeply enough and ended up with chipped edges.
Instead of starting over, I covered the perimeter with thin black gaffer's tape.
It blended nicely with the black frame and honestly looks intentional from more than a few feet away.
Sometimes good enough really is good enough.
> 📷 **Gallery:** Cutting the styrene, frame texture, printed frame
---
Next came mounting the car.
Place the mount underneath the front wheels and center the car however you'd like.
The transparency of the styrene actually makes this pretty easy.
Once you're happy with the placement, carefully lift the LEGO car away while leaving the mount in position.
A tiny drop of super glue can help keep it from shifting while drilling.
Mark the mounting hole with a Sharpie.
Drill a hole approximately the diameter of the screw's inner shaft—not the threads.
That allows the threads to bite into the styrene and create a snug fit.
The countersink angle on the mount is roughly 45°, and a standard wood screw happened to match it perfectly.
Just don't overtighten it.
If you strip the plastic, you'll lose the interference fit.
> 📷 **Gallery:** Wall mount installed, underside of wheel mount
---
Once everything is assembled, simply hang it on the wall.
That's it.
A simple afternoon project that turns a shelf toy into something that actually feels like framed artwork.
> 📷 **Gallery:** Final display on wall
---
# Downloads
- **3MF:** [https://showcase.tomkauf.com/assets/projects/lego-f1-frame/files/Lego-F1-Frame-Wall-Art.3mf](https://showcase.tomkauf.com/assets/projects/lego-f1-frame/files/Lego-F1-Frame-Wall-Art.3mf?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol)
- **STL (Wall Mount):** [https://showcase.tomkauf.com/assets/projects/lego-f1-frame/files/Lego-F1-Speed-Champions-Car-Wall-Mount.stl](https://showcase.tomkauf.com/assets/projects/lego-f1-frame/files/Lego-F1-Speed-Champions-Car-Wall-Mount.stl?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol)
> **License Note:** The original picture frame model isn't licensed for redistribution, so I'm linking to the original MakerWorld page rather than reposting the file.
---
*— Tommy*
### Agenda
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/agenda/
Last updated: 2026-07-09T04:05:41.000Z
### Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/faq/
Last updated: 2026-07-10T17:44:19.000Z
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Scratchpad blog is powered by [Ghost](https://ghost.org/?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol). Ghost pulls member profiles from [Gravatar](https://gravatar.com/?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol), a platform for making a global avatar and profile image. Create an account there with the same email you used to sign up here, and the image will automatically upload!
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URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/tools/
Last updated: 2026-07-28T23:25:15.000Z
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## Posts
### Niche Content for Very Specific People
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/niche-content-for-very-specific-people/
Last updated: 2026-09-02T01:28:51.000Z
## **In six simple steps!**
---
Weeks ago, while I was doing God Knows What, I had what I can only be described as a *vision*. So strong, I RUSHED to my notes app:
### *"keep honking i'm mentally chamfering solids in fusion 360 (and then it's like the fusion colors and the chamfer tool icon and the corner of a cube lol)."*
And then I forgot about it.
Then I remembered it while waiting for laundry to dry, and now I have a funny magnet that I put next to my desk. So, here's how you too can make your own bumper magnets:
## 1\. be granted a vision
It took me about 10 minutes to think about what I wanted it to look like after remembering it existed. The hardest part was finding the right version of the Fusion logo, to be honest. Sketched it out, posted it to tumblr, got confused when it got a more interaction than I expected, then realized that I had been haikubotted.\*
\*Haiku-bot exists on a bunch of platforms, but tumblr has a pretty prolific bot.
The offending post
*Side note: here's some of my favorite tags people added when they reblogged this post*
## 2\. make a design
Okay, I finally sat down and made the thing. At Scratchpad no less! I am most comfortable in Illustrator, so I looked at a few fonts to get an idea of style, then downloaded the Fusion logo because remaking logos is for chumps. (I am chumps. Most of the time, anyway. But I wanted to cheat.)
Did you know there's no standardized sizing for bumper stickers? Yeah me neither. So I kinda just guessed. Took me two tries to get the sizing right, but printing on paper at scale is YOUR BEST FRIEND!!! Do not ever disrespect printing on paper at scale! That shit will save your life!
Peep the reg marks, we mean BUSINESS round these parts
## 3\. get supplies
Hello? Yes, McMaster-Carr? I'd like one sheet of your finest Blank Sign, Magnetic Back, Vinyl, 24-3/8" High. Thank you.
## 4\. printing
UV Printing! Which I will not explain in detail because this will quickly become 4,000 words, but the TL;DR is thus: CMYK resin gets laid down onto a surface in a veeeeeery specific dot pattern, then cured by a UV light. This happens a few times over and over in order to create an image that covers the whole surface. In reality, all you have to do is hit print on a PDF that you have set up for best sheet yield.
The desk of a madman - this is where I keep my Freakishly Long Allen Keys
## 5\. cutting
Magnet sheet is fantastic if you've never worked with it. The magnet is usually pliable/soft enough that you can slice through it easily, but once it's scored, you can just snap it over a table corner and it'll break clean at the score line.
Yes, we could do something complicated like set up a jig to run a dragknife along a line that follows a fiducial for ultimate precision, or something similarly convoluted - or you could buy an Olfa 300 hobby knife for $10 and git gud using a straight edge.
## 6\. slapping it up
"Why not make a true bumper sticker?" Because I didn't want to print on vinyl, next question.
"No, really." Because I don't own a car.
"Damn, for real?" I grew up in New York. This is not a Q and A.
Anyway, it's a magnet! That means you can THROW IT AT A SURFACE and it will stick to it. I find this very satisfying. It can still go on your car! But also on your fridge, or tool cart, or any other ferrous surface.
### The tomato sauce problem - and its solution
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/the-tomato-sauce-problem-and-its-solution/
Last updated: 2026-08-26T01:18:46.000Z
I used to over-complicate my tomato sauces and they never tasted "right". It always tasted like a sour amalgamation of spices. Then, I learned how to make a simple tomato sauce from a crazy Italian man. And then, I found inner p
If you follow this recipe, you'll realize how simple making your own tomato sauce can be with JUST FIVE INGREDIENTS!!! YES!!
❔
Why would I make my own tomato sauce when I can buy it at the store?
Because it's fun to do, it tastes better and is fresher. Make the sauce when you have more tomatoes than you know what to do with.
❔
Can I add other ingredients into the sauce?
Yes - this is just a base recipe that can be remixed into other dishes. For me, less ingredients = less planning = more cooking. So i just keep it simple.
**Tomatoes**
I'm a lucky gal who gets tomatoes fresh from her mom's garden every summer. They taste better than store bought!!!!!
**Ingrdients** (1 jar of tomato sauce??? ish?)
- 8-15 juicy red tomatoes - Beefsteak tomatoes are great
- ROMA TOMATOES GO HOME
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Sugar
- Fresh or Dried Basil - I add 10-ish leaves of fresh basil, courtesy of my mother.
**Step 1**
Warm up some olive oil in a large stove pot. Don't let it get too hot or the tomatoes will start spraying water!
**Step 2**
Cut tomatoes into rough quarter sized pieces and throw into the pot. Let them cook for a few minutes before covering mostly with water.
**Step 3**
After some time, the skins will naturally start separating from the "meat". You can pick them out if you want, or leave them in if you don't care for rules or the establishment
**Step 4**
After removing the skins, keep cooking down the tomato water until it reduces down to a rich, thick broth (see 2nd photo)
**Step 5**
Add your basil - dried or fresh.
💡
Fresh basil will taste bitter if you cook it for too long in the sauce. Put it in last
**Step 6**
Season your tomato sauce!
Start off with small pinches of salt and keep tasting the sauce until it tastes just a tiny bit too salty.
Do the same with the sugar - add in a little bit until the sweetness counteracts the saltiness. Don't make it too sweet!
**Step 7**
Take the pot off the stove and transfer to a blender. Add one more glug of olive oil, then blend for 20-30 seconds.
**Step 8**
Let the sauce cool down a bit and transfer to a mason jar. Don't put the lid on until the sauce is completely cool
**Step 9**
Profit????
### Argentium Silver
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/argentium-silver/
Last updated: 2026-08-12T16:40:05.000Z
> “All dwarfs have beards and wear up to twelve layers of clothing. Gender is more or less optional.” - Terry Prachet
I've been dabbling in metalsmithing at a studio in Ravenswood called [Lillstreet](https://lillstreet.com/?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol). I can't recommend it highly enough! If you're interested in metals, ceramics, painting, etc - it's the place to be.
I recently enrolled in my fourth course, *Argentium Silver*. Before this I have almost exclusively taken courses that deal with copper and brass.
Argentium is a patented silver alloy similar to sterling that increases the silver content and replaces some of the copper with germanium. It's a bit more expensive but allows you to fuse together pieces of argentium without the use of a messy flux and solder chip. It's a miracle metal frankly.
---
One of my first projects was to fuse a broken heart onto an argentium band. The broken heart is probably meaningful but is actually the result of me accidentally cutting a traditional heart in half.
I was able to fuse the band, pieces of the heart together, and then the heart onto the band all without any flux or solder chip - just a torch and love.
### Focaccia Recipe 8/11
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/focaccia-recipe-8-11/
Last updated: 2026-08-12T00:34:24.000Z
Base Recipe:
Additions:
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Garlic
- As many as you like
- Halve cherry tomatoes and lay them on a sheet pan, cut side up, then cover in a generous amount of olive oil. Add salt to taste.
- Lay whole peeled garlic cloves in oil on the same sheet pan.
- Set oven to 250 F and roast until jammy and wrinkly, but with minimal browning (2-3 hrs)
- Let them cool at room temp for 30-45 mins, then transfer oil, tomatoes, and garlic to a bowl. You can refrigerate them at this step for later.
- Chop the garlic and fold into the dough during the coil folds.
- Right before baking, press the tomatoes into focaccia during dimpling. Try to make sure the tomatoes are nestled in, otherwise they will burn easily.
- Half a sweet vidalia onion, cut across the layers. Mandolins are useful at this step.
- Toss in the tomato garlic oil, then right before baking, dimple into the dough.
Baking:
- Preheat oven at 450 F
- Bake on bottom rack, using a baking steel or stone if possible.
- Bake for 20-25 mins total. Turn oven off. After baking, transfer the focaccia out of the pan, let it sit in the oven directly on the middle rack for 5-10 minutes to crisp the crust. Interior temperature should be 210-215F.
- If desired, you can take the tray out after 12 minutes and sprinkle cheese on top.
- Cool it on a wire rack. Let it cool fully before cutting. Or eat it then and there like an animal.
Notes:
For better convenience and flavor, you can opt to do an extended cold ferment.
Mix the dough and do the coil folds, then after the final coil fold immediately put the dough into the fridge. Up to 3 days later, you can dump the dough out onto the oiled baking tray and just let it do the final proof for 5-6 hrs. When the final proof is complete, it will be very jiggly, puffy, and there will be large bubbles on the surface. I wouldn’t worry about overproofing, unless your kitchen is unusually hot (74 F+).
### 3D Printing Your Bitmoji
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/3d-printing-your-bitmoji/
Last updated: 2026-09-16T05:10:38.000Z
Hopefully this'll go down as my most conceited blog post. A mini figurine of myself. Kinda neat. Mostly cringe. Honestly, I was just curious if it could even be done, just from a technical perspective. Without buying or designing from scratch. So here we are. Note this post is not a vanity project.
Designing an intricate humanoid sculpture takes some real skill. Whether you sculpt with clay or on a computer, the barrier to entry is high enough for my feet to get caught and face plant. Now before you go "Why didn't you just use an AI image to 3D Model software like in Bambu or Meshy". Well, my friend, this project was done back in the wild wild west. Back when Bambulab and other Image to 3D Model tools were practically non existent. My hand forced me to [*get creative*](https://youtu.be/9C%5FHReR%5FMcQ?si=UG794sckp7yhV1Pp&t=122&ref=blog.scratchpad.lol).
Do we all remember when snapchat dropped cutting edge animation filters that reacted to your face? You know, like the classics. Rainbow vomit, dog sticking its tongue out, lightning around your face? I remember it vividly. The Snapchat filters attach to your face as you swivel your head left to right, up to down. And the real kicker. If you open your mouth, your now puppified face sticks his tongue right back at ya. In a way so reactive that it felt hard to believe at first.
Looking back, this may have been the first hands free interface for a smartphone. Well, at least after voice commands, like Siri. I guess a more proper phrasing: we had finally discovered the visual interface to our handheld portals. Reimagining what was possible.
Snapchat leaned into this heavily, doubling down on the novelty and aiming to stay competitive. If you aim to squeeze out every last drop, you'll eventually end up with a software platform for third party app developers so users can mask themselves with filters or magically pop 3D cartoons of themselves into the real world. Key point there. You can use a 3D model that looks *just like you (*want yourself to look). Meaning somewhere out there, in the vastness of the ether (snapchat servers), your Bitmoji is sitting, waiting to be materialized.
Let's dive.
Firstly, snapchat has a developer platform for creating lenses, filters, and for some reason, unbeknownst to me, augmented reality games/experiences? You can access all this on the dev platform called LensStudio. So after signing up for snapchat dev access, you can login to your snapchat account and build/test apps for snapchat.
Some features in the developer tooling include injecting 3D objects into the environment, including a user's 3D bitmoji. Before uploading your app snapchat on your phone for testing, you build and work inside LensStudio. And if you build something with your bitmoji, and you need to see it on your computer screen, the bitmoji must be loaded into memory, and that data must be obtained via snapchat servers for your authorized session. In other words, your digital caricature is streamed to your computer from cloud servers. But is not directly accessible to export as a file via the development environment.
So I wouldn't recommend doing this because it isn't really intended to be done. But in theory, if just before rendering the bitmoji in your app, you so happen to *accidentally* write a script that prints all data streamed from the servers in base64 to your console, and manually copy all of the console output, paste that into a log file, write a python script that takes the log, filters out lines unrelated to the 3d data stream, then spits out a GLTF/GLB file, you will *theoretically* have a fully workable 3d bitmoij at your disposal.
If you were to take said theoretical ***output.glb*** file and:
- upload it to [mixamo.com](https://mixamo.com/?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol)
- export a pose or animation you like in FBX
- import that FBX into blender
- pause at the animation style you like
- export it as a 3MF file
- import into Bambulab
- press print
- paint cathartically while watching a movie you're only 50% interested in
You'll have yourself a poorly painted 3D Printed Bitmoji for your bookshelf.
### Is it Coozie or Koozie? | Custom Graphic Can Coolers
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/is-it-coozie-or-koozie-custom-graphic-can-coolers/
Last updated: 2026-08-05T00:55:46.000Z
According to [this radio show](https://waywordradio.org/koozie-cozy-kozy/?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol), Koozie is a trademarked name popularized by commercial companies in the late 1970s and early 80s. Some call them *cozy, koozie, coozy, coozie, kozy.* The name traces back from an insulated sleeve used to keep kettles warm, called a *tea cozy*. Koozie is a name brand, the others are free to use (don't quote me). Regardless of what you call it, all of em are just a foam sock for your beer.
So there ya have it. Betcha weren't expecting an answer so quickly in a blog post. That's because this post isn't about the history. I just needed your attention. And now that I have it, I shall proceed with my story.
Back in the fall of 2025, I was honored to stand as a co-best man in the Wedding of my childhood Best Friend, Jimmy. Good lad, he is. As best men do, we planned the bachelor party. The perfect idea for a party handout sparked once we booked a Cub's game to kick off the weekend. I think the Kooozies were Trevor's (the other best man's) idea. But I was adamant we have a custom graphic. This is where you kick it up a notch.
Listen, I'm the kind of guy that would prefer to DIY rather than buy. Whether to save money, to enhance quality, or just learn a new skill. On the other hand, throwing money at your problems is *INCREDIBLY* cathartic. To the internet! I searched for customized foam beverage insulators all over. Nothing fits the bill. everything was either crazy expensive, of questionable quality, or no custom graphics. So I decided we were gonna DIY, not buy.
I played around with a few brands and styles of Koozies until I found one that I really liked. This company sells these awesome *Blank Can Cooler Sleeves* (love the lawyer proof descriptor btw) that makes both foam AND neoprene sleeves. The best part? They are universal. You invert the koozie to switch between holding a skinny seltzer can and regular size cans & bottles. Nice! But heres the million dollar question. How do I:
- A) make a graphic
- B) get it on the Koozie??
And so my journey into developing *elementary-at-best* graphic design skills begins.
I took a screenshot of a decent color image from instagram of my buddy. I Cropped out the background using the iOS Photos auto masking tool, and dropped the image into my computer. In the early days, I sucked so much at graphic design that I used OpenAI's Image Gen tools to output a silhouette style, black and white graphic. I'm sure it took quite a few attempts. But eventually, I had something that I liked enough, and took it into [inkscape](https://inkscape.org/?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol).
I was recently contracted to make 16 of these for a bachelorette party / wedding. I have tweaked the process since the first one I ever made, and I would like to share an updated process. So if you will entertain, please allow me to share my learnings with you.
Firstly, I get the Sleeves from a trusted brand called TahoeBay. They make universal, invertible, neoprene wrapped foam Koozies. The quality is up there, and they are intentionally compatible with Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV). If you are familiar with koozies, as soon as you feel this one, you'll know it's good value.
So putting the graphic onto the sleeve can be done in a few ways. Because of the quality and accessibility to tooling, I will be using my Cricut Joy Xtra. It will use a fine edged knife to cut all the paths of the graphic and I will transfer it using heat from a boring 'ol clothing Iron. For the graphic material, we will us Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV).
The best thing you can do for yourself is buy the Smart Iron-On Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV). You don't need transfer tape, you weed right off of it. Quality is great, built for this machine. Note you need to get the right size for your cricut. The joy xtra takes 9.5" width. I made this mistake. Twice. LOL. Double check the size your cricut (or other machine) uses.
Once you have designed your graphic, you can export as SVG or even a PNG from inkscape. Make sure you have only your design selected, and the background is transparent. We then take and import it the image into the Cricut Design Studio (I kinda hate the design studio but it works). You're going to make a new project, upload the image by selecting ***upload*** in the left Menu bar.
> Upload Image -> Browse -> Continue -> Apply & Continue -> Single Layer -> Upload
I recommend you change the color of the vinyl to your color (in my case white) and the background to the koozie color (black). Easier preview, confirms you got what you need. I recommend for your first, try just one or two, in case you have mistakes, you won't waste a bunch of material.
Now you take it into
Connect to your cricut. Then you select Smart Iron on HTV, and it should automatically mirror for you. Click cut, load in the material, click Go on your job.
After weeding the graphics, cut them into individual cards so they can be transferred onto each koozie individually. I like to warm up the koozie with the iron for 3-5 seconds then I immediately place the vinyl graphic with plastic onto the sleeve, sticky side down. This in theory helps keep the vinyl graphic in place better. As recommended by the material, I place a piece of baking parchment paper in between the graphic and the iron to protect the vinyl. Then firmly press the on the koozie for about 15 seconds. After 15 seconds, remove the iron, take off the parchment paper and place the koozie aside to cool down.
Do not remove the transfer plastic until fully cooled (5-10 minutes). I used a Thermal Imaging camera because I just have one and was curious, but just wait til it feels cool to the touch and then peel. Once peeled, you should be good to go. Enjoy!
I made 16 for a wedding.
I highly recommend you try this out!
### The CRT of the future. maybe.
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/the-crt-of-the-future-maybe/
Last updated: 2026-07-09T21:26:14.000Z
What would happen if a lava lamp & a white noise machine had a baby, call her Louise, and the same thing with a TV and a radio? Say we this one Ted. Now if Ted and Louise so happened to cross paths naturally, or even say they match on Hinge. They hit it off, one thing leads to the next, they have a child. What the hell would that child look like? Beats me. But it's the closest I have come to describing this passion project I have working on. The github repo placeholder is **crtv**.
Maybe some explanation is in order. I work from home. I work, clean, cook, sleep, and do basically everything in my apartment; I sure hope the game devs add a new map in the next release. Issa joke. I go outside. To do things. So judgy of you to think otherwise. Anyways, my humble abode is a place for a variety of activities. And no matter the activity, I often curate the vibe with some form of media. Lemme give some context:
- LoFi stream on my laptop for focus during work
- Sometimes during work, I achieve inner peace via youtube videos of rushing waterfalls, ocean waves, or just the birds chirping. Ahh, nature.
- Every once and a while I'll throw on [medieval shire themed music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdwY%5FcLWshw&ref=blog.scratchpad.lol) so reading makes me feel like Bilbo Baggins
- Can't explain it, but playing some [vintage calming 1950s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSTiea4wr0Y&ref=blog.scratchpad.lol) to cook is soothing
- Essentially any Spotify playlist when cleaning, gaming, etc
- running seasons of how i met your mother in the background to combat loneliness and generate artificial company (*issa joke*– but I do play tv shows*)*.
- Random throwback home videos for the background NOSTALGIA
Some of the ambiant lofi youtube videos I watch lol
Okay so, I realize, my point isn't obvious. Let me give it a go. I enjoy consuming various forms of media (music, tv, movies, lofi, etc). I have many devices (laptop, tv, phone, tablet, speakers) that can play multimedia on demand. At the cost of various clicks through screens, buttons and menus, with many platforms requiring subscription services, loading / buffering because everything is in the cloud, and that device is kinda tethered to that task.
I don't have any dedicated home device or "appliance", if you will, that will take an oath as the Senior Vibe Curator (SVC?). All those devices can in theory accomplish this goal. At the cost of various clicks through screens, buttons and menus, many require subscription services, loading / buffering, and bogging up that device with a task.
For most, I understand, this likely isn't an issue. Your phone & computer can do all of that. Curate your multi-media, download it to avoid buffering, make shortcuts for quicker access, etc etc. I get it. You're right. But vibes guy (me) isn't *feeling that*.
Personally, I value devices designed for dedicated purposes. Don't get me wrong, the Swiss Army Knife is f–ing awesome. But product design is just a series of trade offs. Any multitool will sacrifice size, ergonomics, and quality of each tool in exchange for unified portability. That's what makes it such a great tool. It isn't the best knife, the best screwdriver, or the best pair of scissors. It's the best tool to have when you can't carry all three. It's job is versatility and portability.
The point I am trying to make is this:
> E*very product has its job, and trying to make one product do *too* many jobs inevitably dilutes its ability to do any job exceptionally well.*
The multitool is my laptop. And I'm at home, dammit! I don't need portability OR versatility. I need quick, easy, and **no distractions**! For someone gravely susceptible to the [Paradox of Choice](https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/economics/the-paradox-of-choice?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol), that last one is important. Anyone else ever spend an uncomfortable amount of time deciding what tv show or movie to play *in the background* while I do something **COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.** What the hell is that?
Okay, by this point, I hope to have convinced you of my extremely important, completely and utterly valid problems. And if not? So what. *C'est la vie*. I move on, with or without you.
I thought about buying a real old school CRTV and hooking up a pi, running all my media/music/tv through there. But after looking at the prices for a fully working vintage tv, having to pick up or wait weeks for risky shipping, it hit me. I don't need a tv. I'll just make one. I have so many damn little screens & raspberry pis at home! And so this journey began.
At first, it was just streaming youtube videos & twitch on a pi and a screen. But it rapidly evolved into more. At some point, I had to replicate the entire aesthetic of an old retro CRTV. The knobs, buttons, whole nine yards. I love a good old fashion hardware interface. Who doesn't? We know how to flip a switch and turn a knob. A good design for an interface communicates to the user how to use it, and also communicates clearly that they used it.
I still don't know exactly all that this machine will do. And who it will do for. But I am leaning towards the techy consumer space. I believe a first derivative of the snappy, just works requirement is an Offline first approach. The thing works without internet, but doesn't mean we can't have it. I imagine it comes with some preconfigured load outs for different vibes of curated media. But simply, maybe a usb drive or via a locally hosted web app, you load your own media into the thing and choose your vibes / channels.
And it only gets better when you add connectivity. A home assistant integration would go cool. You could trigger different vibes from your phone, set up vibe automations with your lights. You could probably stream media from a network drive, and if it fails, fallback to whats local. Or make local copies. The possibilities are endless. If you could get their approval, it could be a Spotify client, play your playlists and media from Spotify!
The really important design aspects come down to prioritizing audio quality, the design aesthetic, the snappy responsiveness and consistency in feedback (no lagging, no turning a knob and nothing happens on screen), and I would say the cost. I doubt anybody would buy this for more than $50-100\. So it would have to stay under that. I think battery powered would be great, but feels a bit out of scope for this one. So yeah. That is where I am at. There is a ton more, but I wanted to get a baseline first pass of this topic through.
I miss the days when most products were designed with deep thought and intention. This concept isn't extinct. However, it feels more endangered than it should be. Maybe it's just saturated by the sheer volume of crappy products these days. I'll tell you what. This bad boy is gonna be built with deep intention.
Well now I ranted and you probably have less of an idea of what is going on, lets throw you into some early concepts.
---
## The Early Stages
Concept Designs & Art
---
The project kicked off with the screen, and I wanted to control it with a hardware interface. I dove into designing knobs with custom detents. They give that haptic clicking feel, and it's so satisfying and rewarding. You turn it, and the knob speaks back to you. "Hey, good job buddy. You f--ing did it". That, paired with some other indicator that something changed, is necessary feedback that drives user confidence
And I love these types of interfaces. Simple. Can't f--k it up. So I leaned further, added a volume slider, and push button to turn it on and off, which really is a hyper reactive sleep mode. Regardless, it needs to be snappy. Reactive. Enjoyable, simple, intuitive, yet highly functional. What a rant. I need to get back on track.
Below are some early designs for the project. I have included an early mood boards, a first prototype of the UI/UX navigation for the device, as well as some vibes / channels / media concepts to be preloaded into the machine for offline first!
Moodboard left & Reference image on the right
Left Isometric renders & Right concept UX navigation
First idea for a "menu" sort of thing. Leaning towards eradicating the GUI and leaning more towards a retro nav, like just flipping through channels
Mood board for LoFi and Nature Vibes.
I actually built a working first prototype out of hardware, using raspberry pi, a DSI screen, some shitty lil speaker (speaker hardware or software pipeline is so bad I actually use external speakers to test run the experience haha). The following are some of the physical prototyping build images. Take a look.
The spawn of this idea. I just use sticky tack to put a frame around a twitch stream & altered the aspect ratio to 4:3 using software
Eventually, I built a case with a new screen, and start to design a hardware interface for it
Wiring up the hardware interface system. The knobs are rotary encoders with a custom spring loaded ball bearing detent mechanism
This is the more closely developed prototype. It runs on a battery UPS for development, not as a feature, but I kinda like it as a feature......
The looks like works like hardware prototype. I am still flushing out an insane amount of design and software details.
Obviously we are far from there. But as an early idea, I love it, use it, and it is a ton of fun. Take a look below for a video demo of the current state (be delicate with you criticisms, I am well aware of how rough it is in this stage HAHA).
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Keep an eye on the knobs I turn and how the top knob changes the "world" or vibe you are in, and the bottom surfs through that vibe.
### Building a Miniature Billboard for my Mini Fridge
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/building-an-led/
Last updated: 2026-07-09T21:38:58.000Z
You know, there's something about miniatures that tickles the psyche. I truly think there is nothing more human than calling mini versions of inanimate objects *cute.* Tiny tree? Cute. Tiny cup? Cute. Tiny shoe? S'Cute. There seems to be some deep beautiful link rooti*ng* this phenom into how we perceive tiny humans *(babies).* But enough of all this *tiny* chatter.
This project spawned on a whim. I've had [this](https://www.amazon.com/sasecgo-Programmable-Scrolling-Advertising-Animations/dp/B0D2GXMPQ8/ref=sr%5F1%5F16?crid=2KIMSQWPZ7IJH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.j-roDyDE5de4oHMlBHQCalu0ZV%5FtWnaMyzbtLAcjkn-2m-XXWKiz%5FrBWUEuyi6WyrVveB98sq%5F4A9-X3CIQtbr5R0f0KVR7jCNksFaPDqfPDgNZPxXKDZbvFSQ66cXMcctPtjy%5FaIguf6OnDUhhoNIFcm-V4gGMRtuR3iQAIL2CMgqqKHI0hcLCk9z0p%5FiipT8-FqfIIzL0f2Cr2tnbS2fxvI%5FObc-XWEvn3sALk-%5FZqJ95OzeFFjhdMJjJdpA56VFCNjkAZOlxbESPlfvl-qZM6pxSjjSkQDZCfLeJyteU.8dwP3mMPmhfevGnU6t-CeeeJan4lDmy4mr%5Fo21QBalg&dib%5Ftag=se&keywords=bluetooth%2Bled%2Bcar%2Bmatrix&qid=1783601365&sprefix=bluetooth%2Bled%2Bcar%2Bmatrix%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-16&th=1&ref=blog.scratchpad.lol) bluetooth programmable LED sign for some time now. Just one of those projects that never made it out of the group chat. In the midst of throwing home assistant integrations at everything under the f—ing sun, the perfect idea sank in. Let's build an extremely clunky, barely works, home assistant integration at the will of this random, $20, extremely cheap LED sign. All because I just happen to have it lying around. Typical. And casually, like many projects, I began not even a SMIDGEN of that project before my next idea intervened. I latched into a spur of the moment idea that this LED Sign would look *so cute* as a tiny billboard, well before it touches my network. To Fusion 360 we go!
I was looking to take screenshots of the fusion project for this post. As it turns out, I may have lost the CAD file forever. into black void. whoops. Well, I spent little to no time on 3D design anyways. I kept it short and sweet. Took quick measurements. Eyeballed the rest. My intent was to subject the entire assembly process to the KRAGLE (*i.e. just gonna glue it together with contact adhesive*). I printed all the pieces, laid 'em out on some tin foil (listen idk what I am doin here – atleast I wore gloves), and just like a 6 DoF industrial robotic arm on a Toyota factory floor, I assembled (glued).
Contact adhesive (use) like E6000 is the best for a quick setting, fairly strong adhesion for most materials. And the best part, unlike most super glues, the adhesive residuals give a clear finish – well, mostly. I used a brush to get into some tighter areas, but honestly, I found it no more effective than using a small swab or stick. Plus it ruined the brush. So I recommend using a swap. Once again, I said I don't know what I am doing here.
In some of the images below, you may see some red tape. I used some on hand [gaffer tape](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaffer%5Ftape?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol) to temporarily fasten the left and right sides of the backing. (\*Queue bad red tape joke\*)
🔴
No bureaucrats were involved in the making of this project .
If I recall correctly, I think I waited a few hours to actually start painting. Who knows, impatience may have won and I jumped right in. Don't really remember. But I gave the print a soft gray base, haphazardly & lazily, but also with the intention of a weathered look. Once that paint dried (prob during), I followed up with a red coat. If you notice the frame's right side, it looks like I gave up painting. Hold your horses. That is *intention,* my friends.
I was gonna 3D print a *tiny* figure painting a fresh coat onto it. With a *tiny* little paint brush and bucket. You know, really bring it to life. Let's just say we never gott passed the red tape on this one.
I stuck some magnets in the back, press fit the LED panel into place, and slapped on the fridge. Oh, I also lightly painted over the LED panel. The thing came with a waterproofed clear coat over the pixels, but I really felt seeing the pixels really taints the mirage. I only succeeded after trying some, let's say, rather crude masking attempts.
I thought white may work. Meh. You can see I went with black on the right ride.
There is a tech portion to this project. I may just gloss over it. The artistic part is just so much more fun. But basically I used a raspberry pi 2w to host a *tiny* lil server. It talks to home assistant via a lightweight fastAPI server, forwarding command endpoints to the bluetooth LED panel via bitmap files over bluetooth classic. The pi essentially acts as a bridge from home assistant network. Nice.
Well that about wraps this one up. Until I add the painter. So enjoy some videos below. Cheers.
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### Lego F1 3D Printed Frame
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/lego-f1-3d-printed-frame-2/
Last updated: 2026-07-09T19:15:19.000Z
# Lego F1 3D Printed Frame
> I wanted a cleaner way to display one of LEGO's Formula 1 Speed Champions cars without committing to a permanent wall mount. This combines a 3D printed frame, a simple wall mount, and a matte styrene backer into a display that feels more like framed artwork than another shelf decoration.
**Disclaimer:** If you're only here for the build, skip down to **Preparation**. If you enjoy unnecessarily long origin stories, welcome.
---
Weeks ago, I found myself captivated by a strategically placed LEGO vending machine.
In an airport.
My youthful spirit sparked. A LEGO F1 McLaren for $30\. In a vending machine! For both LEGO and an airport, that's actually a pretty good deal.
But I didn't buy it.
Fast forward to now.
I recently moved into a new apartment in Lincoln Park and have been trying to decorate the walls without making the place look like a college dorm. I wandered into Target for home décor, immediately got distracted by the LEGO aisle, and there they were again—the Formula 1 Speed Champions sets.
There's something incredibly satisfying about being an adult with purchasing power. You don't have to convince anyone. You just... execute.
All in favor say, "Aye."
So I bought the McLaren.
After building it, I realized it's a surprisingly cool display piece—a blocky little representation of thousands of engineers collectively deciding the best way to go very, *very* fast.
The only problem?
A shelf doesn't really do it justice.
Wanting something a bit more polished than my old *"hang a poster and call it interior design"* strategy, I decided to frame it instead.
But buying a cheap frame?
Absolutely not.
I own a 3D printer.
The entire thing fits on the print bed.
Time to get to work... or rather, time for the printer to get to work.
---
If you haven't explored Bambu Lab's MakerWorld yet, it's honestly incredible.
It's the closest we've ever been to materializing real, physical, useful products with two clicks and a little patience.
It's reaching that point where I'm starting to say, *"Back in my day..."*
Seriously though, growing up printing on a CR-10 meant:
- Manually tuning Cura profiles for every material
- Fighting failed prints constantly
- Watching the first layer like your life depended on it
- Sneakernet-ing G-code on SD cards
- Thinking OctoPrint was the greatest invention ever made
So yeah...
MakerWorld is getting ridiculously good.
---
I found a beautifully textured picture frame originally designed for 3D topographic maps. It wasn't intended for this project, but it looked perfect.
At first I considered simply hanging the LEGO car directly on the wall and placing a frame around it.
The problem?
That permanently commits the artwork to one spot.
I like rearranging things.
Instead, I wanted the entire display—including the car—to be one self-contained piece.
My first thought was suspending the car with clear fishing line, but that sounded like an exercise in frustration. The LEGO pieces could separate, tension would be annoying to adjust, and I'd inevitably spend hours trying to make it perfectly level.
Instead I shifted toward a plaque-style display.
I experimented with several backing materials:
- Cardstock
- Felt
- Acrylic
- Glass
- 3D printed panels
- Various plastics
Eventually I settled on matte white styrene.
It diffuses light nicely while still letting a little of the wall texture show through, which gives the finished piece a subtle depth.
While browsing MakerWorld I also found a wall mount designed specifically for LEGO Speed Champions F1 cars.
Perfect.
The plan was set.
Time to build.
---
# Preparation
## Bill of Materials
- 1× 1/16" matte styrene sheet
- 1× 3D printed frame (approximately 200 × 160 mm)
- 1× LEGO Speed Champions F1 wall mount
- 1× LEGO F1 car
- 1× 3 mm countersunk wood screw
- Nail or 3M Command Strip
## Tools
- Drill
- Drill bit
- Screwdriver
- Sharp utility knife, scoring tool, or box cutter
- Metal straight edge
- Clamps
---
# Build
I downloaded both the LEGO wall mount and the wooden-textured frame from Bambu Lab's MakerWorld.
Although the frame was originally intended for 3D map artwork, it worked perfectly here.
I considered printing a solid backing, but I actually liked the subtle texture of the painted brick wall behind the matte styrene, so I let the material itself do some of the visual work.
I printed everything using **Overture Black PLA**.
The styrene sheet came from Blick Art Materials.
Cutting styrene is surprisingly straightforward.
Measure your dimensions carefully, clamp a metal straight edge securely to the work surface, and repeatedly score along the cut line.
Then score it again.
And again.
As my friend Charles always says:
> Once you think you've scored it enough... score it a few more times.
After both sides are deeply scored, align the score line with the edge of a table and apply gentle downward pressure.
The sheet should snap cleanly.
Wear gloves and safety glasses if you're working with brittle plastics—small shards have a habit of launching themselves across the room.
I didn't score mine deeply enough and ended up with chipped edges.
Instead of starting over, I covered the perimeter with thin black gaffer's tape.
It blended nicely with the black frame and honestly looks intentional from more than a few feet away.
Sometimes good enough really is good enough.
---
Next came mounting the car.
Place the mount underneath the front wheels and center the car however you'd like.
The transparency of the styrene actually makes this pretty easy.
Once you're happy with the placement, carefully lift the LEGO car away while leaving the mount in position.
A tiny drop of super glue can help keep it from shifting while drilling.
Mark the mounting hole with a Sharpie.
Drill a hole approximately the diameter of the screw's inner shaft—not the threads.
That allows the threads to bite into the styrene and create a snug fit.
The countersink angle on the mount is roughly 45°, and a standard wood screw happened to match it perfectly.
Just don't overtighten it.
If you strip the plastic, you'll lose the interference fit.
---
Once everything is assembled, simply hang it on the wall.
That's it.
A simple afternoon project that turns a shelf toy into something that actually feels like framed artwork.
UPDATE: I have since relocated its home. I think I prefer this location.
---
# Downloads
- **3MF:** [https://showcase.tomkauf.com/assets/projects/lego-f1-frame/files/Lego-F1-Frame-Wall-Art.3mf](https://showcase.tomkauf.com/assets/projects/lego-f1-frame/files/Lego-F1-Frame-Wall-Art.3mf?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol)
- **STL (Wall Mount):** [https://showcase.tomkauf.com/assets/projects/lego-f1-frame/files/Lego-F1-Speed-Champions-Car-Wall-Mount.stl](https://showcase.tomkauf.com/assets/projects/lego-f1-frame/files/Lego-F1-Speed-Champions-Car-Wall-Mount.stl?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol)
> **License Note:** The original picture frame model isn't licensed for redistribution, so I'm linking to the original MakerWorld page rather than reposting the file.
---
*— Tommy*
### First Ghost Blog
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/first-ghost-blog/
Last updated: 2026-07-09T00:05:18.000Z
So this is the very first Ghost Blog post. I will now figure out a way to get everyone else on the website to upload blogs now. finally. I could put documentation here, but you could also just follow this:
[How To Install Ghost On Ubuntu - Ghost Developer DocsA full guide for installing, configuring and running Ghost on your Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 server, for use in productionGhost Developer Docs](https://docs.ghost.org/install/ubuntu/?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol#access-and-secure-your-site)
Drag and drop features like here:
[](chicago.com)
### Coming soon
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/coming-soon/
Last updated: 2026-07-08T00:31:51.000Z
This is Scratchpad, a brand new site by Chicago creatives that's just getting started. Things will be up and running here shortly, but you can [subscribe](#/portal/) in the meantime if you'd like to stay up to date and receive emails when new content is published!
### Box Breathing
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/box-breathing/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T00:04:43.000Z
> "What has to be taught first is the breath." - Confucius
I recently had therapy and one of my goals out of that session was to improve my breathing when I'm feeling anxious.
To be more specific, I want to aim for spending 30 minutes a day box breathing. Box breathing is a simple enough concept - breathe in for four seconds, hold that breath for four seconds, breath out for four seconds, and hold that exhale for four seconds. Where it gets tricky is keeping this rhythm up for a significant amount of time without driving yourself crazy.
To avoid having to plan my day around this, making it a part of my everyday routine is important. I spend time each day watching long form youtube videos or movies so a tool that could plug into that block of time would be perfect.
I have some experience making browser extensions for my work so wiring up a simple animation that could sit on the side of your viewing experience could be enough to keep you breathing without spending all your time counting to 4 in your head over and over again.
You might be familiar with the [Chrome Extension Store](https://chromewebstore.google.com/category/extensions?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol). You can download extensions that alter your theme or browsing experience with tools built by the community. Seperately. [Developer Chrome](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol) offers great tooling to help you build your own extensions.
To get started, we just want something that loads a side panel on your viewing experience. To tell the browser how to interact with your extension, you'll mainly be altering what's called the [manifest](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/reference/manifest?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol). The manifest is the source of truth for your extension name, run time details, version number, etc.
Create a folder and copy this basic manifest content into a manifest.json file:
{
"name": "Box Breathing",
"description": "An extension that displays an animation to help to stay on track when box breathing.",
"version": "1.0",
"manifest\_version": 3,
"action": {
"default\_popup": "breathing.html",
"default\_icon": "logo.png"
},
"side\_panel": {
"default\_path": "breathing.html"
},
"permissions": \["sidePanel"\]
}
In short, this defines an extension that has the permission to open a side panel and display breathing.html in that sidepanel.
For now, create an html file with the string 'hello world' like so:
Hello World
Let's try loading this in. Go to `chrome://extensions/` (type this into your address bar, not sure how to link internal pages). Here you can load and unload experimental extensions.
Click 'Load Unpacked' and select the folder you created with the manifest and html. You should see your extension loaded in with a details button and the ability to remove. Your extension is also interactble now through the extensions manager on the upper right hand side. Open the extension and click 'Open Side Panel'.
You should see the below:
and when opened, the following:
Now we want our extension to do a bit more than say hello. We can update the html to play an animation. An animation is just a series of static images or frames played in a sequence. I've provided in an assets folder the exact images I used to create the box breathing animation as well as the final animation. Feel free to make your own and use a free site like [imgflip](https://imgflip.com/gif-maker?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol) to create the gif.
To reuse my gif, update your html like so:
Make sure to include the eyeball.gif in your project folder and reload the extension.
On reopening the side panel, you should now see the animation.
### Meta Mainframe – Self Hosting a Jekyll Blog
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/meta-mainframe-self-hosting-a-jekyll-blog/
Last updated: 2026-07-14T23:55:09.000Z
> "Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality." – Dalai Lama xıv
### *Future note from the author: This post is effectively archived and only relevant on the old pre-ghost blog stack.*
In this post, I continue from Meta Memoir, where we first set up the Scratchpad blog. This week, I worked to get it online so I'm not blogging into the void. To make that happen, we need something persistent to host the blog—and that means finding the world's cheapest virtual machine. Thanks to some insider information, [RackNerd](https://www.racknerd.com/BlackFriday/?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol) has a Black Friday deal year-round, so we can grab a VM for just $18 a year.
Once purchased, I received an email with an IP address, username, root password, and SSH port. To connect, I ran:
`ssh -p @`
From there, I cloned the Scratchpad repo:
`git clone https://github.com/MaciejKrzysiak/scratchpad.git`
You can try `bundle exec jekyll serve` to get the site up and running, but firewall protections won't allow outside traffic. Instead, we'll need to use ufw, a firewall management tool, to allow access to port 4000.
Run `sudo ufw allow 4000/tcp`, followed by `bundle exec jekyll serve --host 0.0.0.0 --port 4000`, where `--host 0.0.0.0` is the magic that lets us listen for traffic on the public IP.
From a different machine, visiting `http://:4000` should now take you to the blog! Presumably, if you're reading this, you've already found [ScratchPad](http://23.94.56.16:4000/?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol). Next week, we'll add some security measures (ó﹏ò｡)
### Meta Memoir - Getting Started with Jekyll
URL: https://blog.scratchpad.lol/meta-memoir-getting-started-with-jekyll/
Last updated: 2026-07-14T23:47:21.000Z
> "If a 🌲 falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" - Tony Soprano
### *Future note from the author: This post is effectively archived and only relevant on the old pre-ghost blog stack.*
Scratchpad is on its 15th session and has seen some amazing projects. Unfortunately, unless we capture them in one place, they are lost to the wind. That's why I decided to create this blog. It will serve as a place for members to track their progress and share what they've learned with others. My hope is that, as the number of sessions and members grows, a long archive of projects will motivate us to keep hacking.
For the inaugural post, let's talk about how this blog was set up!
At its core, this blog was built using [Jekyll](https://jekyllrb.com/docs/home?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol) \- a lightweight, static site generator. It is perfect for sites serving text content. Jekyll itself is built using [Ruby](https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/documentation/?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol), a high-level programming language similar to Python.
I decided to go with Jekyll for now, as I want this site up sooner rather than later. As Scratchpad's need for dynamic content grows, we might need to migrate. For now, the simplicity of adding new posts will serve us well.
To get things up and running, I needed to:
- [Install Ruby](https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/documentation/installation/?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol)
- On a Windows machine, this is handled pretty well for you with the [RubyInstaller for Windows](https://rubyinstaller.org/?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol) tool.
- [Install RubyGems](https://rubygems.org/pages/download?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol), Ruby's package management solution.
- Use RubyGems to install the Jekyll Bundler.
- `gem install jekyll bundler`
- Create a blank blog titled "project-blog".
- `jekyll new project-blog`
- Run the executable,
- `cd project-blog`
- `bundle exec jekyll serve`
Assuming that works as expected, your [http://localhost:4000](http://localhost:4000/?ref=blog.scratchpad.lol) will now host the empty blog!
Next we'll want to create a post. Your 'project-blog' directory comes with a convenient '\_posts' directory. Any new markdown file added here will automagically appear on the site. This blog post is in that folder.
Jekyll requires blog post files to be named according to the following format:
`YEAR-MONTH-DAY-title.MARKUP`
Where `YEAR` is a four-digit number, `MONTH` and `DAY` are both two-digit numbers, and `MARKUP` is the file extension representing the format used in the file.
I'll host this blog in a scratchpad repo eventually and share that link here, happy hacking ◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜