Remember, this use to look like this:

I have to say, I’m rather happy how these turned out.  This will be mounted between the two legs protected by yet another sheet of acrylic for PDC.  I’m using hex head screws also to mount these since they just look so dang nice.  I had TAP plastics in Seattle do the holes and bends for me.  Chances are there is a plastic place near you that can do this for you.  With the bends and holes, it cost about $40 and they did two of them for me in an hour on a Saturday.  The blue plastic...

Small and reduces the rat’s nest of wiring by creating these little puppies.  Everything has a little LED on it to show when it is on too.

If there is one thing I love, it is getting stuff done.  Here are all the parts for Drinktendr v3.5 and the new PCBs I had created to help aid in wire management.  One is just pure wire management (bottom left) and the other is to help aid in the load induction (bottom right).  The load induction suppressor PCB is designed to directly hook into the valve.    

One of my big things I love about drunktender is everything is off the shelf.  There are a few bits I’ve never really been happy with but lived with them.  I was recently told to design a better spout for the Microsoft PDC conference so this is what I came up with.  I did a quick test with what I have here and I easily put 20 1/4” tubes though the 2” pipe.  The white PVC is from the plumbing department and the grey PVC is from the electrical department.  I have an exploded and a loose connected version below...

I’m hardware complete now.  I’ve wired up all 10 of the valves, hooked in the liquid and pressure tubing.  I even added in a pressure sensor to monitor what the pressure is in real time! Now it is time for some software magic.  With WPF, I’m given some pretty nice power to do some stuff like below.  I think the learning curve is well worth it once you start tapping into the power of it.  My “Big Button” is functionally complete, moved into a user control, and now I can easily put code and get it to...

Drunktender v3 Hardware Test from Clint Rutkas on Vimeo. Now on to getting bottles added in, additional drinks in the database, and the WPF application wired up.

By using some PVC, a funnel, and some Plumbing Goop, I’ve created a very nice system that all my tubes can feed into and one nice output that is tall enough for a typical glass.  I have a T PVC part that I use to mount to the table mount.  I sealed off the end that will mount to the table mount so then the the liquid will only go to the funnel.  I had to shave down the funnel slightly to fit it in but now the nice thing is I can remove the entire pour assembly...

I came up with this style actually on the way home from an event last week.  It helps solve a few major issues.  It will allow gravity to drain the liquid in it, it is small and compact, and is an all-in-one design. Doesn’t it look nice?  Parts from 3 separate vendors but it seems to work. And now on a Jameson bottle.  To make this function, cut a cord to length and attach it to the bottom.  Then attach an airline to the right, and the out tube to the top.

I semi got a kick in the butt when I found out that Nick Pegg (twitter: nickpegg) at Missouri University of Science and Technology was building a bartender as well.  Looks like we’ll be doing a little challenge for who’s is better designed from hardware to software.  From the video, sounds like his runs on pumps, mine is pressure based. His bartender prototype:   My bartender prototype: Drunktender - Irish car bomb test from Clint Rutkas on Vimeo. Due...