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3DMODELONLYMystic SeerTwilight Zone Thermal PrinterKKickthefogVIEW IN BROWSERupdated 19. 12. 2020 published 19. 12. 2020SummaryThis is a working replica (and a remix of a Clockspring design) of theMystic Seer from the original Twilight Zone series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick of Time %28The Twilight Zone%29Costumes & Accessories lightthermalfutureHere is a link to the Seer in action:https://youtu.be/b9s1kOpdEqMEver since I was a kid watching Twilight Zone I thought this Mystic Seerwas the coolest thing and it still is one of my favorite episodes.I stumbled across this model made by a gentleman who goes by the nameof "Clockspring" on MyMiniFactory.com. He has a very impressive body ofwork! Check him out! Links to him at the bottom!Anyway. I think he did an amazing job and I'm very grateful to him forsharing his initial design files. I downloaded and printed the model as hedesigned it and was very pleased with what he created. I am however aglass half empty kind of guy and all I ever see in most things is what I feel

could be improved upon. I hate that about myself sometimes, but it doesmake me a great product tester.There were only a few items that I thought needed improved uponbecause again, I think Clockspring is amazing and did an incredible jobwith his design.With that said, and with Clockspring's permission, here are the tweaks Iadded to his design to come up with my version:I shortened the lever slot. The lever slot, although true to scale with the original TV model, wastoo long in my opinion. The design has the lever engage the button atabout the halfway mark leaving the bottom portion of the slotunused. The longer slot looks more authentic and more like the realmodel, but what I found was that friends and family would push HARDto try and get the lever to go all the way down to the bottom of theslot. I've found that when most people see the travel length of theslot, they assume the lever must go down to the bottom and theywere trying to get it there and breaking the lever off.I made the lever thicker. Due to the above issue, I made the lever thicker to hold up to moreabuse even though this may not have been necessary with theshorter lever slot. Either way. it will not break now.I made the Printer Bracket thicker. Same deal. I made it thicker so there was less flex. This helps keepthe lever action happy and also helps to hold the printer better usingthe triangular stop I added (mentioned below).I altered the printer bracket to accommodate a real lock. I formed a U shape at the bottom to allow room for the installation ofan actual Lock. I think this improves the look in my opinion, eventhough the lock really does nothing. I toyed with the idea of creatinglinkage to actually have it lock the back cover but that would likelyrequire a major redesign, and frankly, I don't have it in me to do so.I added a printer stop to hold the printer firmly in place. I added a larger platform for the printer to sit on and added atriangular printer stop for the printer to lock in place against betweenthe bracket and the inner face.

I purchased a manufactured Seer Head (Bobblehead). I didn't particularly like the look of the Seer head that Clockspringdesigned, but I very quickly found out that I was completely incapableof doing any better at all. In fact, my design was MUCH MUCH worse.After finding the bobble head for sale, I looked no further.I created an angled, recessed hole to Illuminate the Seer. In ClockSpring's design he had an LED in the eye of the Seer. Since Idid not use his head design I thought it would be a neat effect toilluminate the Seer while he is making his prediction. But I wanted thelight to be hidden because I didn't want the light to change the lookof the box. I chose to recess the hole so that when not in use, thehole is not visible unless you are slightly above looking down at it.This allows for illumination but doesn't ruin the look of the box byhaving an LED stuck to the top of it.I created posts, holes and circle markers to use magnets for the rear cover. I didn't like how the rear cover just sort of sat there. I think if the printtolerances on all printers were perfect, it would fit snugly foreveryone and not be a problem but on my printer, it fit loosely andwould not stay in place. I created little posts that hold small round magnets. I created holes for the posts in the frame at the correct locations. I created "circles" on the rear cover at the same locations to properlyaid in placing magnets. Now the cover "sucks closed" easily, stays put and can still be openedeasily.I changed the code slightly I added a "Mystic Seer" title to each fortune printed with a spaceafter. I tweaked the Flash Interval and delay intervalsHere are the items you need to build your own Mystic SeerNOTE: I built several of these for some friends for Christmas, so I didn'thesitate to buy packages of multiple items when they were available. Youmay want to look around to purchase single items rather than packagersof multiple items. Some item links below are for multiples and are exactlywhat I purchased. (1) Thermal Printer: https://www.adafruit.com/product/597 (1) Thermal Printer Power Supply 5V 2A: https://www.adafruit.com/product/276

(1 ) Thermal Printer Paper: Single Roll: https://www.adafruit.com/product/599 Case: ywords S-18644 (1) Female DC Power Adapter: https://www.adafruit.com/product/368 (1) Micro Controller, Arduino Uno or similar compatible like this one:https://www.adafruit.com/product/2488 (1) Micro Controller Power Supply 9V 1A: https://www.adafruit.com/product/63 (1) Seer Head: https://ebay.us/vlUsTJ* (12) Magnets 8mm x ef ppx yo dt b asin title o00 s00?ie UTF8&psc 1 (1) Spring 9mm x 2mm for Lever Arm: Full Set: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076XKY3JM/ref ppx yo dt b asin title o08 s01?ie UTF8&psc 1 Single Spring: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Z9D7KGK/ref ppx yo dt b asin title o09 s00?ie UTF8&psc 1NOTE: I found this single spring to be pretty stiff so I used a weaker springfrom the Spring set above.*(1) 5mm Bright White 3V 20mA LED for Seer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AUI4VQU/ref ppx yo dt b asin title o09 s00?ie UTF8&psc 1Note: The Arduino puts out 5 volts, not 3 so the LED is pretty darn bright. Aresister could be added to lower the voltage if desired but I directly wiredmine to the Arduino and love the look. I don't think the light will get friedany time soon. It isn't on very long and it doesn't get used often. (1) Cheap 20mm Lock: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082BK1G57/ref ppx yo dt b asin title o05 s00?ie UTF8&psc 1 (1) Momentary Push Button 12MM: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YHJVK5M/ref ppx yo dt b asin title o07 s00?ie UTF8&psc 1 M3 bolts and nuts: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WZL3Z7H/ref ppx yo dt b asin title o08 s00?ie UTF8&psc 1 (4) M3 x 8mm (for Printer Bracket) (1) M3 x 20mm (for Lever) (5) M3 Nuts Male to Male Jumper Wires: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GD2RP9C/ref cm sw em r mt dp Z722FbMBG9V15?encoding UTF8&psc 1 Male to Female Jumper Wires: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GD1D64V/ref cm sw em r mt dp 2922Fb3Y5K87D?encoding UTF8&psc 1

NOTE: You will use mostly male ends and only two female ends for theLED. Yes you could solder regular wire to the LED and to the Arduino pinsbut these jumper wires make it easy all around, plus they can be used forother projects. (1) Zip Tie to tidy wires inside (1) Zip Tie mount to hold the wires: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078P8TPPZ/ref cm sw em r mt dp 6WK0FbHNKQGFX?encoding UTF8&psc 1%20 Filament for your 3D Printer: Red PLA Filament that is actually "Red": t-pla-lipstickred-1kg.html White PLA Yellow PLA Black PETG (For Printer Bracket and lever) (or you can try PLA)Tools Needed: 3D Printer (Obviously), that can accommodate the size of the Seercase. (Prusa I3 MKIIIS) Soldering Iron Hot Glue Gun Wire Strippers Super Glue C Clamp PliersSoftware/Wiring/Code: You will need a computer with the Arduino IDE Software Installed:https://www.arduino.cc/en/software Follow this Tutorial to hook up your push button to the OTE: The pin-outs in the button tutorial were maintained whenClockspring wrote his Arduino code so just follow it and you will be fine.Follow the tutorial on the Thermal Printer/Arduino Setup: interYou only need to follow the printer tutorial up to the point where theLibraries are installed in the Arduino IDE and you can print a testThe pin-outs to hook up the thermal printer to an Arudino were alsomaintained by Clockspring so just follow it and you will be fine.Load the final code onto the Arduino:

Here is the code:Before you put anything together, do this first!* Insert the nuts in the box frameThe FIRST thing you should do is get the nuts in place in the frame so thatyou can attach the printer bracket later. This is by far the worst part of thebuild and if you assemble it at all first, you could damage whatever youadded to the frame when you try to put the nuts in.Line the nuts up withthe nut holes for the printer bracket. I did one on each of the 4 corners ofthe printer bracket and that worked out fine.I used a C Clamp to squeezethe nut into the hole making sure the box is on a flat surface. DO NOT usethe c clamp on the box directly or you will damage it. Been there, donethat.several times. Some Misc Notes:When you print the paper tear off insert, print it with the smallest nozzleand lowest layer height possible. I find this gives the TINY Teeth the bestdefinition and makes tearing the paper off much easier. I printed mine witha .25 Nozzle and .05mm layer height. Overkill perhaps but it definitelymade a difference and works much better than the tear off I printed with astandard .4 nozzle and .10 Layer height.* I print the printer bracket out ofPETG rather than PLA. PETG is stronger and more flexible. Maybe PLAwould be ok. I just went for the PETG and it worked great so stopped there.For Reference:ClockSpring's Model I modified is here: 2ClockSpring's Original Model is here: 2My TinkerCad Files are here: O CODE:include "Adafruit Thermal.h" include"SoftwareSerial.h"const int numFortunes 15; const char* fortunes[] { "It isquite\npossible", "It has been\ndecided in\nyour favor", "You may\nneverknow", "If you move soon", "That makes\na good\ndeal of sense", "Tryagain", "There's no\nquestion\nabout it", "Do you dare risk\nfinding out?","What do\nyou think?", "Your chances\nare good", "It has already\nbeen