Hackers and craftsmen have a lot in common. Today 3D printing and other rapid prototyping technologies are making it increasingly easy to make stuff. They also bridge the digital and the physical words, so increasingly software hackers are making inroads into hardware.
However, there are ancient, simple and powerful craft techniques which are being neglected by this maker movement. In this talk I will show how high and low-tech tools can be combined to maximise the capability of the modern hacker-craftsman. I will present some of my recent work, including metalwork, jewellery, metal casting, and the design and construction of a full custom embedded electronic hardware product including firmware, circuit design, and mechanical integration. Finally I will discuss hacking-craft in the context of physical security. Can you 3D print your way into the data center?
Jeff Gough is an electronic engineer, product designer and hacker. He is a masters student in Innovation Design Engineering at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London. Recent projects include a pair of video display sunglasses for the band Muse, reverse engineering Epson inkjet printheads for micro-3D printing and the TROOPERS11 Nixie tube badge. He is currently working on personal anti-surveillance tools for dystopian futures.