Dwg NoWE-000

Sheet TitleCover + Drawing Index

Drawn ByA. Weisel

RevA

Weisel Works · Engineering Set

Andrew
Weisel

I build aircraft, machines, and systems

SF → Exeter, NHBreast · All StrokesFPV · BetaflightBambu P1S + AMSV.P. Student GovShaft 4WD

This is what I’m building. Aircraft I fly, machines that make parts, systems that run in the real world. Everything on these sheets is live, in progress or finished, and the set only gets bigger. The builds are below. Start anywhere.

Andrew Weisel giving his graduation speech

The Operator

Eighth grade at Town School in San Francisco, headed to Phillips Exeter for ninth. Every sheet in this set is mine: the quads I actually fly, the irrigation system going in at my grandpa’s farm, the swim block, the road to Exeter. I like problems that don’t work the first time. Figure out the parts, draw it up, build it, watch it break, fix it, and eventually it flies. If a line’s wrong I’d rather redraw it than fake it. That goes for drones, for school, for all of it.

SF → Exeter, NHV.P. Student GovBreast + FreeHoops · XC · TrackScratch-Built Quads

A teacher pinning a white rose to Andrew’s lapel — PINNING THE ROSEGRADUATION

Andrew in his suit before the ceremony — SUITED UPBEFORE THE SPEECH

The Builds

WE-0015" FPV Freestyle Quad WE-002Underwater ROV WE-003Electric Longboard WE-004Foamboard FPV Plane WE-005CoreXY Pen Plotter WE-0064-Axis Robot Arm WE-007Farm Irrigation System WE-0084WD RC Truck WE-009Print Shop · Bambu P1S WE-010Backlog

The Pages

P-01Student Government P-02Swimming P-03Robotics P-04FPV Drones P-05Lifeguarding P-06Fishing P-07Waterskiing P-08Town School for Boys P-09Exeter P-10DJI P-11Movies P-12Sunsets & Sunrises P-13Pleasure Craft Licence P-14Operator

General Notes

All costs are estimates. Shop around.
Standard bench tools assumed on hand.
Difficulty assumes you have built things before. Adjust accordingly.
Redline notes are non-negotiable.

Dwg NoWE-001

Sheet Title5" FPV Freestyle Quad

Drawn ByA. Weisel

RevA

Difficulty

Shop TimeOne Saturday

Class6S · 230 MM

SkillsSoldering · Betaflight

Fig 1 · Top View, Props GhostedScale: NTS

A · Low-ESR cap soldered right on the pads. Kills voltage spikes before they reach the gyro. B · O4 antenna clear of props and carbon. C · RX antennas at 90° to each other.

Bill of Materials 8 line items

Item	Spec	Qty
Frame	5" freestyle, 230 MM	1
Motors	2207, 1750-1950KV	4
ESC	60A 4-in-1	1
Flight controller	F722, a gyro you trust	1
Video	DJI O4 Air Unit	1
Receiver	ELRS 2.4G	1
Props	5.1×3, 3 sets	1
Hardware	XT60 pigtail, 1000µF cap, TPU, M3s	1

Build Order 8 steps

Dry-fit the stack and check motor wire reach before you solder anything.
Solder motors to the nearest ESC pads. Shiny joints, not blobs.
XT60 pigtail and capacitor onto the ESC power pads.
FC-to-ESC harness, then RX and O4 onto spare UARTs. Photograph the wiring before closing it up.
Smoke stop on first power. No props.
Betaflight: ports, ELRS bind, bidirectional DShot, confirm motor order and direction.
Link O4 to the goggles and set channels.
Props on last. Hover check in the yard, then tune.

REDLINE // Props off for every bench test. LiPos charge on a fireproof mat and never unattended.

Dwg NoWE-002

Sheet TitleUnderwater ROV

Drawn ByA. Weisel

RevA

Difficulty

Shop Time2 Weekends

EnvelopePool · ~3 M

SkillsWaterproofing · Drivers

Fig 2 · Side View · SeaPerch-Style, 3 ThrustersScale: NTS

A · Cable glands or potted epoxy pass-throughs. This is where ROVs die. B · Bilge motors are already wet-rated. Grease the shafts anyway. C · Strain-relieve the tether to the frame, never to the electronics.

Bill of Materials 9 line items

Item	Spec	Qty
Frame	1/2" PVC pipe + fittings	1
Thrusters	Bilge pump motors, 750-1100 GPH	3
Props	40 MM press-fit	3
Drivers	BTS7960 H-bridge modules	3
Control	Arduino Nano + 2 thumb joysticks	1
Enclosure	Acrylic tube or dry box + glands	1
Tether	Cat5, 15 M, strain relief	1
Camera	Analog board cam + topside screen	1
Ballast	Washers, foam, zip ties	1

Build Order 7 steps

Cut and dry-fit the PVC. Drill flood holes so the frame sinks instead of trapping air.
Waterproof the motor shafts with marine grease and solder long leads.
Mount thrusters: two aft for drive and steering, one center for up/down.
Seal the dry tube. Soak it empty, submerged, for 30 minutes. No fog, no drips.
Wire the H-bridges and Nano inside, joysticks topside, signal wires down the tether.
Bathtub trial: verify thrust directions, then trim ballast until it hovers in place.
Pool day. Bring towels and a spare fuse.

REDLINE // Electronics enter the water only after the empty tube passes the 30-minute soak test. Fresh water only. Rinse and dry everything after.

Dwg NoWE-003

Sheet TitleElectric Longboard

Drawn ByA. Weisel

RevA

Difficulty

Shop Time2-3 Weekends

Drive10S · Belt

SkillsVESC · Mech Align

StatusCompleted

Fig 3 · Side View · Rear Belt DriveScale: NTS

A · Antispark loop key. Pull it before your fingers go anywhere near the belt. B · Belt tension: about 5 MM of give. Too tight kills bearings, too loose skips on braking. C · Set brakes soft in VESC Tool first. Grabby brakes throw you forward.

Bill of Materials 8 line items

Item	Spec	Qty
Deck	38-40", stiff	1
Trucks + wheels	RKP trucks, 90 MM wheels	1
Motor	6374 outrunner, 190KV	1
Mount + drive	Motor mount, pulleys, HTD-5M belt	1
ESC	VESC 6-based, single drive	1
Battery	2× 5S 5000 mAh in series (10S)	1
Remote	2.4G thumb remote	1
Misc	Loop key, enclosure, 10AWG, grip	1

Build Order 7 steps

Bolt on trucks, mount, and motor. Align the pulleys dead straight or the belt walks off.
Belt on, tension to roughly 5 MM of give.
Wire battery, loop key, VESC, motor. Solder outside the enclosure, then install.
VESC Tool: motor detection wizard, conservative current limits, map the remote.
Cap speed at 15 MPH for the first month. Seriously.
Brake test on grass at walking pace before any real ride.
First rides in a flat, empty parking lot with full pads.

REDLINE // Helmet every ride, no exceptions. Loop key out before touching the drivetrain. Brakes weaken on a 100% charged pack (regen has nowhere to go), so start rides at 90%.

Dwg NoWE-004

Sheet TitleFoamboard FPV Plane

Drawn ByA. Weisel

RevA

Difficulty

Shop Time2 Evenings

Span1140 MM

SkillsHot Glue · Trim

StatusCompleted

Fig 4 · Top View · FT-Style TrainerScale: NTS

A · FPV bay sized for an O4 unit out of the quad bin. Maiden without it. B · Low rates for the maiden: small throws, ~30% expo. C · A spare 2207 quad motor flies this fine on 4S with a 6×4.

Bill of Materials 8 line items

Item	Spec	Qty
Airframe	DTFB foamboard sheets	3
Motor	2207 spare from the quad bin	1
ESC	30A with 5V BEC	1
Servos	9G micro	2
Receiver	ELRS spare	1
Props	6×4	2
Linkages	Pushrods, horns, skewers, hot glue	1
Field kit	Spare foam, packing tape, CA glue	1

Build Order 7 steps

Print free FT-style plans, tape the tiles, cut the foam.
Score, fold, and glue the fuselage. Skewer spar in the wing.
Servos in, pushrods to ailerons and elevator. Center everything first.
Motor on the firewall, ESC and RX in the bay, range check.
Set CG per the plans. Nose-heavy flies bad, tail-heavy flies once.
Maiden line-of-sight in a big empty field. Trim it out.
Now drop in the O4 and fly it FPV.

REDLINE // Verify control surface directions before every flight (reversed elevator = instant dirt) and keep throttle low until the plane leaves your hand on launch.

Dwg NoWE-005

Sheet TitleCoreXY Pen Plotter

Drawn ByA. Weisel

RevA

Difficulty

Shop Time2 Weekends

Work Area300 × 300 MM

SkillsSteppers · GRBL

Fig 5 · Top View · Belt RoutingScale: NTS

A · The crossed top run is what makes CoreXY work: motors together = X, motors opposed = Y. B · Pen sits on the belt centerline or your circles come out oval. C · Tension both belts evenly, like two guitar strings tuned to the same note.

Bill of Materials 7 line items

Item	Spec	Qty
Motion	NEMA17 steppers	2
Control	Uno + CNC shield + A4988 drivers	1
Belts	GT2 6 MM, 5 M + pulleys + idlers	1
Rails	8 MM rods + LM8UU bearings	1
Frame	Plywood or printed corners	1
Pen lift	SG90 micro servo	1
PSU	12V 5A	1

Build Order 7 steps

Build the frame square. Measure both diagonals, they must match.
Rods parallel until the gantry slides with one finger.
Route belts exactly per Fig 5. The top runs must cross.
Flash GRBL (servo fork) to the Uno, wire steppers, set driver current.
Calibrate steps/MM with a 100 MM test move and a ruler.
Zip-tie a Sharpie in, set pen height, plot a test square and circle.
Oval circles: tension the belts. Overshot corners: lower acceleration.

REDLINE // Stepper drivers run hot. Set the current trimpots properly and stick heatsinks on before any long job.

Dwg NoWE-006

Sheet Title4-Axis Robot Arm

Drawn ByA. Weisel

RevA

Difficulty

Shop Time1-2 Weekends + Print Time

Payload~100 G

Skills3D Print · Servo Code

Fig 6 · Side View · EEZYbot-Pattern LinkageScale: NTS

A · Parallel linkage keeps the gripper level without an extra wrist servo. Free elegance. B · Servos brown out an Arduino's 5V pin. Power them from the 6A supply with a common ground. C · Center every servo to 90° before screwing horns on. Saves a full teardown later.

Bill of Materials 7 line items

Item	Spec	Qty
Servos	MG996R metal gear	4
Servos	MG90S micro, gripper	2
Driver	PCA9685 16-channel PWM	1
Brain	Arduino Nano	1
PSU	5V 6A	1
Structure	EEZYbotARM MK2, free STLs + filament	1
Hardware	M3 kit + bearings	1

Build Order 7 steps

Print the EEZYbotARM MK2 set. Free STLs, prints overnight.
Center all servos to 90° with a test sketch before any assembly.
Assemble base, shoulder, elbow, then the linkages. Don't overtighten pivots.
Wire servos to the PCA9685, Nano on I2C, big supply for servo power.
Sweep test one joint at a time and set soft angle limits in code.
Write record-and-replay: pot inputs in, saved moves out.
Then the fun one: inverse kinematics so the gripper moves in straight lines.

REDLINE // Never power servos from the Nano's 5V pin. And keep fingers out of the pinch points while it runs code you wrote five minutes ago.

Dwg NoWE-007

Sheet TitleFarm Irrigation System

Drawn ByA. Weisel

RevA

Difficulty

Shop Time2 Weekends

CrewMe · Cousin · Uncle

SkillsPlumbing · Wiring

Fig 7A · Site Plan · Grandpa’s FarmScale: NTS

A · Headworks and manifold live at the barn hydrant, everything downstream is low pressure. B · One lateral per veg row, all fed off V1. C · Each tree gets its own loop, six loops on V2.

Fig 7B · Headworks Detail · ElevationScale: NTS

D · Backflow preventer goes first. It keeps zone water out of the well your grandparents drink from. E · Filter before regulator: grit is what kills emitters. F · 3/4" 24VAC solenoid valves, one per zone.

Fig 7C · Controller Wiring · SchematicScale: NTS

G · Transformer plugs into the barn outlet; only safe 24VAC leaves the box. H · ESP32 runs the schedule over WiFi, phone control from the house. If Uncle vetoes the DIY board, a store timer wires up the same way. J · Every solenoid shares one common return wire.

Fig 7D · Emitter Details · SectionsScale: NTS

K · Emitter sits at the root zone, not on the leaves. Punch the lateral, barb in, done. L · Trees get a loop with two emitters so roots grow even on both sides. M · Fold the line back in a figure-8 end. Pop it open each spring to flush.

Bill of Materials 12 line items

Item	Spec	Qty
Backflow	3/4" hose-thread vacuum breaker	1
Filter	150 mesh Y-filter, 3/4"	1
Regulator	25 PSI preset, 3/4"	1
Valves	3/4" 24VAC solenoid	3
Controller	ESP32 + 4-relay board	1
Transformer	24VAC, 750 mA	1
Mainline	3/4" poly tubing, 100 FT	1
Laterals	1/2" drip tubing, 200 FT	1
Emitters	1-2 GPH button, 100 pack	1
Micro	1/4" tubing, barbs, stakes	1
Fittings	Tees, elbows, fig-8 ends, punch	1
Enclosure	Weatherproof box, barn wall	1

Build Order 8 steps

Walk the plot with your uncle and cousin, measure the real runs, and mark zones with flags. Pencil the numbers onto Fig 7A.
Assemble the headworks at the hydrant in Fig 7B order: backflow, filter, regulator. That order is not a suggestion.
Build the 3-valve manifold on a board and mount it by the barn.
Run the 3/4" mainline to each zone. Pin it or bury it shallow, and put a drain tee at the low point.
Lay 1/2" laterals down the rows and loop the trees. Punch and barb emitters at every plant.
Flush the whole system with the line ends open, then cap with figure-8s. Grit in the lines now means dead emitters in July.
Wire the valves per Fig 7C: one hot per relay, one shared common. Flash the schedule, dawn cycle.
Pressure up and walk every zone together looking for geysers and dry spots. Before first frost, open the drains.

REDLINE // The backflow preventer protects the well your grandparents drink from. It goes in first and never comes out. And if you trench near the barn, call 811 before anyone digs.

Dwg NoWE-010

Sheet TitleBacklog · Future Builds

Drawn ByA. Weisel

RevA

StatusNext Up

Shop TimeSomeday

RuleFinish One First

SkillsTBD

Ideas parked here until a bench opens up. No BOMs yet, just intent. Promote one to a numbered sheet when it earns it.

BL-01

Foamboard Hovercraft

One lift motor, one thrust motor, a skirt cut from a trash bag. Dumb fun and a real intro to thrust vectoring.

BL-02

Balloon Tracker

GPS + LoRa payload under a weather balloon. Near-space photos. FAA Part 101 rules on payload weight apply, read them first.

BL-03

Hexapod Walker

18 servos, 6 legs, inverse kinematics. The robot arm (WE-006) is the warmup for this.

BL-04

Macro Keypad

Hand-wired switches on a Pi Pico running KMK. One-key shortcuts for Betaflight CLI and OBS.

BL-05

Mini Wind Turbine

3D printed blades, stepper motor as generator, log the output. Science-fair energy but with real data.

BL-06

RC Boat, Quad Spares

Foam hull, one 2207 on a flex shaft, ELRS receiver from the parts bin. Costs almost nothing.

BL-07

Light-Painting Rig

Addressable LED strip on a quad, long-exposure camera on a tripod, patterns in the night sky.

BL-08

Printed RC Crawler

1:10 rock crawler, printed chassis and links, brushed motor. Suspension geometry is the actual lesson.

BL-09 · THE LONG GAME

Electric Motorcycle

The big one. QS hub motor, 72V pack, real frame, real brakes. Every sheet above this line is practice: motors, batteries, VESCs, wiring discipline. When the skills stack up, this gets a drawing number.

Dwg NoWE-009

Sheet TitlePrint Shop · Bambu Lab P1S

Drawn ByA. Weisel

RevA

MachineP1S + AMS

MotionCoreXY · Enclosed

Build Vol256³ MM

SpeedUp To 500 MM/S

AccessMy Desk · 24/7

Fig 9 · Front Elevation · P1SScale: NTS

A · Full glass door, so the chamber stays warm and the ABS doesn’t warp. B · Control screen. Most jobs get sent from the slicer over Wi-Fi anyway. C · Toolhead on CoreXY rails, which is why it can hit 500 mm/s without shaking itself apart.

The Bambu Lab P1S with the AMS on top, door open and chamber light on — THE P1S + AMSLIGHTS ON, PLATE CLEAN

This is the part of the shop that changes everything: I have my own printer, on my own desk, which means zero queue and zero permission slips. Idea at 9 PM, part on the plate by morning. The AMS on top holds four spools, so color and material swaps happen without me touching a thing. Half the hardware on the other sheets, the mounts, the guards, the brackets, came off this machine.

Print Log what actually comes off it

Part	Material	For
Antenna mounts	TPU	Every quad
O4 / camera mounts	TPU	FPV builds
Arm guards + skids	TPU	Crash insurance
Brackets + jigs	PETG	The bench
RC truck frame	PETG	WE-008
Robotics prototypes	PLA	Iterate fast
School projects	PLA	Whatever’s due

How A Part Happens 7 steps

Measure the real thing with calipers. Twice.
Model it in CAD, add tolerance where it mates with hardware.
Slice it, pick the material for the job, not the color.
Send it over Wi-Fi. The P1S runs while I do homework.
Test fit. It’s wrong the first time. It’s always wrong the first time.
Rev the file, print again. Version two usually flies.
Log it, so next quad gets the good version on day one.

REDLINE // PLA for looks, PETG for parts, TPU for anything that hits the ground. And anything on a quad hits the ground.

Dwg NoWE-008

Sheet Title4WD RC Truck · Printed Frame

Drawn ByA. Weisel

RevA

Difficulty

Frame3D Printed · P1S

DriveShaft 4WD

PowerLiPo · T-Plug

StatusRunning

This one connects two sheets: the truck runs on a frame that came off the P1S over on WE-009. When the stock tub gave out, I didn’t order a replacement, I measured everything that bolts to it, modeled a new frame, and printed it. Every hole lined up on the second rev. Then the whole drivetrain, suspension, and electronics package moved over, and it’s been getting sent off curbs ever since. The parts came from AMain Hobbies, Horizon Hobby, and Jenny’s RC.

Fig 8a · Side ElevationScale: NTS

A · The printed frame. PETG, printed flat on the P1S so the layer lines run with the chassis loads instead of across them. B · Motor under the red finned heatsink. Fins triple the surface area, so back-to-back full-throttle runs don’t cook it. C · Oil-filled coil-overs at all four corners. The spring holds the truck up, the oil slows it down, and that difference is why it lands instead of bounces.

Fig 8b · Drivetrain Schematic · Top ViewScale: NTS

D · Spur gear on the center shaft, driven by the pinion on the motor. This pair sets the whole personality of the truck: bigger pinion for speed, smaller for punch and cooler temps. E · Differentials at both ends let the outside wheels spin faster in a corner. Without them, a 4WD truck hops and pushes instead of turning.

Top-down view of the RC truck chassis with the body off, showing the battery, wiring, servo, ESC and motor — TOP-DOWN · BODY OFFTHE WHOLE LAYOUT

Three-quarter view of the RC truck rolling chassis showing suspension, shocks, drivetrain and tires — THE STANCEPRINTED FRAME UNDERNEATH

What’s On The Chassis part by part

Part	What It Does	Notes
Printed frame	The backbone. Carries the diffs, towers, electronics and battery tray in one piece	PETG · WE-009
Motor + heatsink	The red finned sleeve sheds heat between runs so the magnets keep their strength	Center mount
ESC	Turns trigger position into motor power, handles braking and reverse, own heatsink	T-plug main lead
LiPo pack	Side tray, strapped down. High discharge for instant punch off the line	Deans / T-plug
Steering servo	Converts receiver signal into front wheel angle through the bellcrank linkage	Metal horn
Oil coil-overs ×4	Springs set ride height, oil controls the rebound. The reason landings stick	All corners
Wishbone arms	Double wishbones with truss cutouts: stiff where it matters, light where it doesn’t	F + R
Center shaft + diffs	One motor feeding gear diffs at both ends, dogbones out to the wheel hexes	Shaft 4WD
Tires	Open-block knobbies that bite in dirt and grass and slide predictably on pavement	Foam inserts
Body posts + clips	Quick-pin mounting so the shell comes off in seconds for exactly these photos	4 posts
Sourcing	AMain Hobbies, Horizon Hobby, and Jenny’s RC	The parts bin

The Frame Print how it happened

Stripped the truck to a bare tub and measured every mounting point with calipers: diff housings, shock towers, servo pocket, battery tray.
Modeled the new frame in CAD around those numbers, added ribs where the old tub flexed and material around the screw bosses that always strip first.
Printed it flat on the P1S in PETG. Flat matters: chassis loads run along the layers, not across them, so it bends before it snaps.
Rev A was close. Two holes off by under a millimeter, one boss too tight. Fixed the file, printed Rev B overnight.
Transferred the whole drivetrain and electronics over. Every screw went home. Then straight outside to jump it.

REDLINE // A bought frame breaks and you wait a week for the mail. A printed frame breaks and you hit print. Keep the file current and a spare rolling off the plate.

PageP-01

EntryStudent Government

Logged ByA. Weisel

RevA

OfficeTown School · SF

Term2025-26

My SeatVice President

I RunThe Floor

RuleOwn It

Fig P-1 · Org Chart · Student GovernmentScale: NTS

A · President is the other elected seat, top of the ticket. B · Vice President, my seat. I run the day to day of student government: assemblies, spirit weeks, and getting the grade’s priorities in front of faculty. C · Assemblies, spirit, and faculty relations all run through this office.

What I Run 5 line items

Op	What I Do	Cadence	Status
Morning assembly	Lead the run of show	Weekly	Running
Spirit week	Own it end to end	Seasonal	Legendary
Grade advocacy	Take priorities to faculty	Ongoing	Active
8th v faculty game	Organizing the matchup	Annual	In the works
Graduation	On the planning crew	June	Shipped

On My Desk 4 items

Set and run assemblies, from the run of show to who’s speaking.
Own spirit weeks. Themes, logistics, hype. Loud and organized on purpose.
Carry the grade’s priorities to faculty and actually push them through.
Keep student government moving between the big moments, not just at them.

Next Stop · Exeter the plan

This office doesn’t retire when I graduate, it transfers. At Exeter I’m stepping straight into student leadership: running for a seat, getting into the rooms where decisions actually get made, and chasing real change from year one. New school, bigger stage, same job: find what needs fixing and get it done.

REDLINE // Leadership isn’t the title, it’s whether the work gets done. I make sure it does. Exeter’s next.

PageP-02

EntrySwim Training Plan

Logged ByA. Weisel

RevA

USA-SCommonwealth North · Seals

MSLTidalwaves · Since 2018

CoachesMorne & Alex

SpecialtyBreaststroke

Volume8 / Week

I swim USA Swimming with Commonwealth North and the Strawberry Seals, and I’ve been on the Tidalwaves in the Marin Swim League since 2018, my MSL team from the start. USA is where most of my racing happens; MSL is the summer league I grew up in. Morne and Alex run my training. Breaststroke is my event, the 50 and the 100, but I race everything. Fly, back, free, IM: I’m a breaststroker first and an all-around swimmer always.

Fig P-2a · One Mesocycle · 4 WeeksScale: NTS

Training runs in four-week blocks we call mesocycles. A · Weeks one through three stack the load, each one harder than the last, and week three is the heaviest thing on the calendar. B · Week four backs way off into speed work: short, fast, full recovery, so the body absorbs everything it just built. Then the next block starts a step higher than the last one did.

Fig P-2b · The Year · MacrocycleScale: NTS

Stack about twelve of those blocks and you get the macrocycle, the whole year. Short course through the winter, long course through the summer, and the load only truly drops twice: the tapers. That’s when all the saved-up speed finally shows.

Fig P-2c · Weekly Schedule · In-SeasonScale: NTS

A · Doubles Tuesday and Thursday: mornings are technique and starts, afternoons are the main sets. B · Sunday is off, and it’s on the plan, not a skip. C · Race pace loads toward the end of the week so meets feel like the easy part.

Goals Board 5 lines

Event	Where It Sits	Course	Goal
100 Breast	The specialty	SCY	Keep dropping time
50 Breast	The sprint version	SCY	Faster every meet
Freestyle	Second weapon, 50 + 100	SCY	Hold race pace
Fly / Back	Race-ready, not just relay legs	SCY	Stay in the mix
IM	Proof it’s all four, not just one	SCY	All-around swimmer

Weekly Rhythm 6 steps

Monday PM: shake off the weekend, aerobic base.
Tuesday and Thursday: doubles. Morning technique and starts, afternoon main set from Morne and Alex.
Wednesday PM: middle distance, hold pace.
Friday PM: race pace, best effort, then done.
Saturday AM: long aerobic, empty the tank.
Sunday: off. Sleep, stretch, let the work stick.

REDLINE // Recovery is training. The Sunday off and the sleep around doubles are what make the hard days pay off. Skipping them makes you slower, not faster.

Dwg NoP-03

Sheet TitleRobotics · FIRST LEGO League

Drawn ByA. Weisel

RevA

ProgramFIRST LEGO League

TeamTown School

BotLEGO · SPIKE/EV3

Match2:30 Autonomous

NextFTC + ROV

Fig P-3 · FLL Table · Top ViewScale: NTS

A · The robot starts and returns to base. Every run begins and ends here. B · Mission models sit around the mat, each one worth points if the robot completes it. C · The dotted line is one route through the missions. Program it, test it, tighten it, repeat.

The Progression 3 lines

Stage	Where	Build	Status
FIRST LEGO League	Town School	LEGO robot	Where it starts
VERTEX FTC	Exeter	Full FTC bot	Trying out
MUREX ROV	Exeter	Underwater ROV	Trying out

How a Season Runs 5 steps

Read the season’s missions and score the ones worth chasing.
Build the robot and the attachments each mission needs.
Program the autonomous runs, one mission at a time.
Test on the real mat, fix what misses, run it again. This is where the points come from.
Compete: judged rounds plus the timed matches on the table.

REDLINE // Autonomous means no driving. If it isn’t tested on the real mat, it doesn’t count. Reps beat theory every time.

Dwg NoP-04

Sheet TitleFPV Drones · The Real Build

Drawn ByA. Weisel

RevA

Class7" · FPV

VideoDJI O4 + Goggles 3

RadioExpressLRS

TuneBetaflight

BuildFrom Scratch

Fig P-4 · 5" Freestyle · Top ViewScale: NTS

Andrew flying an FPV drone with DJI goggles on

The build on this sheet is a 7-inch FPV quad, put together from the frame up: solder the stack, mount the motors, tune it in Betaflight, then fly it until something breaks and fix that too. Every photo here is a real build.

LIVE

AT THE BENCH

LIVE

IN THE SHOP

Soldering The Stack — SOLDERING THE STACK

4-In-1 Esc - Wiring — 4-IN-1 ESC · WIRING

Tuning In Betaflight — TUNING IN BETAFLIGHT

7-Inch - Built And Bound — 7-INCH · BUILT AND BOUND

Showing The Younger Kids — SHOWING THE YOUNGER KIDS

NEXT · I’m not stopping at quads. I want to build a lot more, and I’ve already started researching an underwater ROV to try out for MUREX at Exeter.

CAPSTONE My FPV drone presentation: the builds, the tech, and where drones are headed. VIEW DECK →

My Setup 7 line items

System	What I Run	Notes
Frame	7" carbon, F50 class	Freestyle
Motors	2207, replaceable spares on hand	Reused
ESC	4-in-1 stack, hand-soldered	Fig above
Video	DJI O4 Air Unit + Goggles 3	Digital
Radio	ExpressLRS 2.4G	Long range
Power	6S LiPo, HOTA D6 Pro charger	Managed
Software	Betaflight on the MacBook Air	Tuned

How I Build 6 steps

Lay out the frame and dry-fit the stack before any solder touches a pad.
Solder the ESC and FC, motor wires shortest neat path, hot iron in and out.
Mount the O4 and camera, set the tilt for the speed I want to fly.
Bind ExpressLRS to the radio and check link before anything spins.
Betaflight: board alignment, motor order and direction with props OFF, then a tune.
Props on, maiden, then fly it hard. Break it, learn from it, fix it, repeat.

REDLINE // Props off for every bench and Betaflight step. LiPos charge on the HOTA, on a fireproof surface, with me in the room. That’s how you keep all ten fingers and the house.

PageP-05

EntryOn the Stand · Lifeguarding

Logged ByA. Weisel

RevA

CertAmerican Red Cross

CourseLifeguarding

EarnedAge 15

IncludesCPR / AED

StatusCertified

Fig P-5 · Zone Coverage · Top ViewScale: NTS

The stand isn’t a chair, it’s a post. A · It sits high so I can read the whole surface and the bottom at once. B · That triangle is my zone, and I sweep it corner to corner, top to bottom, over and over, the entire shift. C · Entries and exits get extra attention, because that’s where the trouble usually starts. Nobody swimming in my water is my problem to miss.

10 SECONDS TO SPOT IT.
20 SECONDS TO REACH IT.The 10/20 Protection Rule · scan, recognize, go

The Kit on my body every shift

Item	Why It’s There
Rescue tube	Never leaves my hands. Strap over the shoulder, ready to deploy mid-stride.
Whistle	One short blast gets a swimmer’s attention. Long blasts clear the pool and start the EAP.
Hip pack	Gloves and a breathing barrier, because CPR starts before the kit cart arrives.
Fins & mask	Staged at the stand for deep-water and submerged-victim work.
The EAP	Memorized. Who calls, who clears, who backboards. Nobody improvises on a bad day.

What It Covers 5 lines

Skill	What	Where
Water rescues	Active, passive, and submerged victims	In water
CPR / AED	For the professional rescuer	Certified
Spinal	Backboarding, in-line stabilization	Suspected injury
First aid	Bleeding, breathing, shock	On deck
Emergency plans	EAPs, whistle signals, teamwork	Whole team

The Cert 3 notes

American Red Cross Lifeguarding, the full certification, not a swim badge.
It bundles CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer and First Aid.
I did it the second I turned 15, the minute I was old enough to sit the course.

REDLINE // The best rescue is the one you prevent. Scan the water, enforce the rules, and never take your eyes off your zone.

PageP-06

EntryOn the Water · Canada

Logged ByA. Weisel

RevA

LicensePleasure Craft Operator

BoatLund 14 Rebel

WaterCanada

TargetWalleye

CrewMe + Cousin

I’ve got my Pleasure Craft Operator Card, so I run my own boat up in Canada. It’s a Lund 14 Rebel, and I take it out for walleye all summer. That’s my cousin in a lot of these. We fish the lake together whenever I’m up there.

Cousin + Me - Walleye — COUSIN + ME · WALLEYE

The Lund - 14 Rebel — THE LUND · 14 REBEL

The Boat 5 line items

System	Detail	Note
Hull	Lund 14 Rebel, aluminum	Fishing boat
Power	Mercury outboard	Runs the lake
Electronics	Fish finder and sonar	On board
Rig	Rods, net, tackle box	Walleye setup
License	Pleasure Craft Operator Card	Canada

REDLINE // Life jacket on, boater card on me, and I know the water before I run it. On a boat that part isn’t optional.

PageP-07

EntryBehind the Boat · Waterskiing

Logged ByA. Weisel

RevA

DisciplineWaterskiing

WatersCanada & France

SinceAlways

BoatMalibu

WithMy cousin

THE FULL RUNSTART TO FINISH · LOOPS

Andrew slalom waterskiing at sunset, cutting hard outside the wake with spray flying — THE CUTSUNSET SET

This is the one that means the most to me. I’ve been up on skis behind a boat for as long as I can remember, first on two, then slalom on one, always chasing my cousin down the lake. He’s the reason I ski. I watched him make it look easy, wanted to be him, and kept at it until I could hang. Some summers it’s Canada, some it’s France. Different water, same feeling the second the rope goes tight.

Fig P-7 · Slalom CourseChasing the buoys

Where I Ski 2 waters

Water	What It Is
Canada	The family lake. Cottage, dock, glass-flat mornings. Where I learned, right behind my cousin.
France	Skiing abroad. New lake, same rope, same reason I’m out there.

Why It Matters the cousin

I’ve looked up to my cousin my whole life. On the water he set the bar, made it look effortless, and I wanted that more than anything. Every set behind the boat I’m still chasing him, and honestly that’s half the reason I love it. That part has never changed.

Slalom skiing at sunset with a wall of spray, trees along the shore — SUNSET WALL

Skiing behind the boat under big afternoon clouds — UNDER THE CLOUDS

Mid-turn in the sunset glare on the lake — INTO THE GLARE

Close-up hard cut with the rooster tail flying, yellow vest on — THE ROOSTER TAIL

REDLINE // Everything else on these sheets I can explain. This one I just feel. The rope, the wake, my cousin out ahead of me. That’s home.

PageP-08

EntryTown School for Boys

Logged ByA. Weisel

RevA

SchoolTown School for Boys

TypeK-8 · Boys

Founded1939

WherePacific Heights, SF

MascotTigers

Town School for Boys building in San Francisco — TOWN SCHOOL FOR BOYS · PACIFIC HEIGHTS, SAN FRANCISCO

Tigers
San Francisco · Est. 1939

Town School for Boys is my old middle school, K-8 in Pacific Heights, San Francisco, founded in 1939. I’m at Exeter now, but this is where it started. I was Student Body Vice President here, and I was on the A basketball, cross country, and track teams. The tagline still fits: agile learners, creative thinkers, leaders for good.

Town School for Boys entrance sign — THE FRONT DOOR

Town gym with the tiger at center court — CENTER COURT · THE TIGER

Town gym set up as a theater — GYM TO THEATER

Town School building exterior — THE BUILDING

What Town Stands For 5 values

Town runs on five core values, and they’re in everything from the classroom to the court.

Value	What It Means Here
Joy	Love of school is the whole point
Integrity	Do it right when nobody’s watching
Curiosity	Ask, build, take the thing apart
Respect	For yourself and everyone else
Belonging	Every kind of boy has a place

Town By The Numbers the facts

Count	What
1 : 6	Teacher to student ratio
6	Upper School robotics teams
30+	Basketball teams, a team for every boy
20	Student-led clubs
125+	Mathletes, grades 3-8
2 + 1	Rooftop fields and a rooftop garden
35,000+	Books checked out last year

The Program K through 8

Lower School, K-4: self-contained classrooms with at least two teachers each.
Upper School, 5-8: departmentalized classes, electives, and real independence.
Engineering Thinking Program: mechanical engineering, coding, and design. This is where a lot of my build habit started.
Arts and character development woven through everything, not bolted on.
College-prep foundation that sends boys on to schools like Exeter.

The Teachers thank you

None of this happens on my own. A few teachers at Town pushed me, believed me, and got me to where I am, and I owe them for it.

Teacher	Thank You
Mr. Tetenbaum	English. Taught me to write like I mean it and cut the fluff.
Mr. Wyatt	For the standard, and for expecting me to meet it.
Mr. Berryman	For the push when I needed it and the patience when I didn’t know it yet.
Mr. Wild	For making the hard stuff make sense.
Mr. Kendal	For backing me the whole way through.

And to Archer and Willy, for all of it. Thank you.

REDLINE // Town gave me the work ethic, the teams, and the people. Everything on the rest of these sheets started here.

PageP-09

EntryMy High School · Exeter

Logged ByA. Weisel

RevA

SchoolPhillips Exeter

Founded1781

Grades9-12 · Boarding

MethodHarkness

ColorsBig Red

The Academy Building at Phillips Exeter Academy in autumn — THE ACADEMY BUILDING · EXETER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Phillips Exeter Academy seal, established 1781

Non Sibi
not for oneself

This is where I’m headed for 9th grade. Phillips Exeter Academy, founded in 1781, is one of the oldest boarding schools in the country. About 1,100 students in grades 9 through 12 from all over the US and 30-plus countries, living and learning on a 700-acre campus in New Hampshire.

Phillips Exeter Academy sign, founded 1781 — FOUNDED 1781

Aerial view of the Exeter campus — THE CAMPUS FROM ABOVE

A brick academic building at Exeter — AROUND CAMPUS

Phelps Science Center at Exeter — PHELPS SCIENCE CENTER

Fig P-8 · The Harkness Table12 Students + 1 Teacher

A · The teacher sits at the table, not in front of it. B · Twelve students, one discussion, every voice equal. You come ready, you talk it out, you learn from each other. This is how every class runs at Exeter.

The Harkness Method what it is

Harkness started at Exeter in 1930 with a gift from Edward Harkness. No lectures, no rows of desks. Twelve students and one teacher work through the material together around an oval table. It is not about being right, it is about thinking out loud, listening, and building on each other. At Exeter it runs in every subject, and it is the whole reason I want to be there.

Exeter students in a discussion circle outdoors — HARKNESS BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Mission + Values the seal

Exeter’s mission is to unite goodness and knowledge and inspire youth from every quarter to lead purposeful lives. Three mottoes are carved into the seal.

Motto	Meaning	Language
Non Sibi	Not for oneself. What you learn is for others too.	Latin
Finis Origine Pendet	The end depends on the beginning.	Latin
Charite Theou	By the grace of God.	Greek

The Curriculum 6 lines

Item	Detail	Note
Courses	450+ across 18 subject areas	Most of any US boarding school
AP classes	None. Courses go beyond AP level	College pace
Calendar	Trimesters, class 8am to 6pm	Some Saturdays
Ratio	5 students to 1 teacher	Small tables
Library	Largest high school library in the world	Designed by Louis Kahn
Admission	Need-blind, free tuition under $125k income	Youth from every quarter

The Louis Kahn library interior at Exeter — THE LIBRARY · LOUIS KAHN

Concrete interior architecture at Exeter — CONCRETE + LIGHT

Robotics at Exeter the club

Exeter’s Robotics Club runs several FIRST Tech Challenge teams out of the Design and Innovation Lab. VERTEX is the flagship, and it won the FIRST Tech Challenge New Hampshire Championship and earned a spot at the World Championship in Houston. There’s also MUREX, the underwater ROV team. I’m trying out for both.

Team	What It Is	Me
VERTEX	FTC 15534, the flagship, NH champs to Worlds	Trying out
EDGE / SURFACE / APEX	The club’s other FTC teams	On my radar
MUREX	Underwater ROV team	Trying out
Design & Innovation Lab	Maker space: 3D printers, laser cutter	Where I’ll build

Swimming at Exeter Big Red

Big Red swims in the Roger A. Nekton Championship Pool in Love Gym, one of the best facilities in New England: 8 lanes, 25 yards, full Colorado timing, two diving boards, an anti-wave surge tank, and seating for around 800. The program has been nationally ranked since 1994. New pool, new team, same events.

The Roger A. Nekton Championship Pool at Exeter — THE ROGER A. NEKTON POOL

Nekton pool with diving boards — 8 LANES · 25 YARDS

Where I’ll train. Past the pool, Exeter athletics run out of the Thompson Field House and the gym: indoor track, turf fields, a full strength center, and courts under the lion.

Indoor track at Exeter with runners — INDOOR TRACK

Aerial view of Exeter turf athletic fields — THE TURF FIELDS

William Boyce Thompson Field House at Exeter — THOMPSON FIELD HOUSE

Exeter strength and conditioning center — STRENGTH CENTER

Exeter gym court with the lion at center — UNDER THE LION

Carries Over / What’s New 5 lines

Line	Status	Note
Work ethic	Carries over	Non-negotiable
Swimming	Continues	Club, then team
FPV builds	Continues	New shop
Leadership	Reset	Earn the room
Willy	Coming too	Town boy

REDLINE // Nobody at Exeter knows the resume yet. That’s the opening, not the setback. Show up, sit down at the table, and build it again.

Dwg NoP-10

Sheet TitleDJI · Where It Started

Drawn ByA. Weisel

RevA

First AircraftMavic Air 2

Fell For ItYoung · Day One

PlatformDJI

Led ToFPV · Building My Own

StatusStill In Love

I fell in love with drones young, and it was a DJI that did it. My first aircraft was a Mavic Air 2, and I can still remember the first time those folding arms clicked out and the props spun up. One white drone, and suddenly I could put a camera anywhere I could imagine. Every quad I’ve soldered since, all the Betaflight nights, this entire set, traces straight back to that Mavic Air 2.

Fig P-10a · Mavic Air 2 · Top ViewThe One That Started It

Fig P-10b · Side Elevation · Flight ConfigScale: NTS

A · The gimbal is the whole reason a kid falls in love. Butter-smooth video from a thing you hold in one hand. B · Downward sensors let it hover like it’s nailed to the sky, which made me brave enough to actually learn.

The Mavic Air 2 with prop guards on, sitting on stone pavers — THE MAVIC AIR 2WHERE IT ALL STARTED

A newer DJI drone with orange-tipped props, unfolded and ready to fly — THE CURRENT BIRDSAME OBSESSION, NEW SENSORS

IMAGE COMING SOONNeed: one favorite aerial still you shot on DJI. Wide, horizontal, the shot that made you love flying.

Service Record how one drone became all of this

Stage	What Happened
Mavic Air 2	First aircraft. Learned to fly, learned to film, learned to land with my heart pounding.
Hours up	Cinematic flying, chasing light, learning what a camera in the sky can do.
The rabbit hole	Found FPV. Realized you could build the drone yourself, and it could do more.
The bench	Soldering iron, Betaflight, build after build. See WE-001.

REDLINE // Every quad I’ve ever soldered traces back to one white Mavic Air 2. First loves don’t get replaced, they get built on.

PageP-11

EntryThe Movies

Logged ByA. Weisel

RevA

StatusObsessed

StartedMovie Nights · Way Back

IgnitionExeter Summer

ClusterFilmmaking × 3 Courses

WatchesEverything · Twice

I’ve loved movies for as long as I can remember. It started the normal way, movie nights and rewatching favorites until I could say the lines. But it turned into a real passion at Exeter Summer, when I took the filmmaking cluster in the Access Exeter program. Five weeks, three linked courses on one subject: screenwriting, video production, and media and society. We’d read the screenplay, then watch the film it became, then sit around a Harkness table and argue about it with kids from all over the world. Some nights they even ran movies out on the quad. I came home unable to watch anything the old way, and I don’t want to.

A MOVIE IS A BUILD.Every shot is a decision somebody made on purpose

The Cluster · Three Angles same subject, three lenses

Course	What It Taught Me
Screenwriting	Movies get built on the page first. Structure, dialogue, what to leave out. A great scene reads great before a camera ever shows up.
Video production	The hands-on side: shots, coverage, sound, and the edit. Where I realized filmmaking is engineering with a lens on it.
Media & society	What movies actually do to the people watching them. Why certain films move whole generations and others disappear.

How I Watch Now the system

First watch is for the story. No pausing, no phone, lights off. Let it work.
Second watch is for the craft. Where the camera sits, when it cuts, what the light is doing.
Pause the great frames. Somebody composed that like a drawing. Figure out why it works.
Read the screenplay after, if I can find it. Seeing what changed between page and screen is the whole education.
Argue about it. A movie isn’t finished until you’ve defended it at a table. Harkness taught me that.

TOP SHELF COMING SOONThe all-time favorites list goes here. Five movies, one line each on why they made the shelf.

REDLINE // Watching a movie twice isn’t rewatching. The first time is for the story. The second time is for how they pulled it off.

PageP-12

EntrySunsets & Sunrises

Logged ByA. Weisel

RevA

SubjectBoth Ends Of The Day

CameraWhatever’s In My Pocket

FilterNone

RuleStop & Look

Best SeatsRidges · Boats · Pool Deck

This is the quietest thing I’m into, and maybe my deepest one. I have a real passion for sunsets and sunrises, both ends of the day, and I’ll stop whatever I’m doing for a good one. From the back of the boat, from a ridge trail, from the pool deck after practice, from my own street. The sky runs this show twice a day and never repeats itself. Some of these are the day ending and some are it starting, and I’m not always telling which.

THE SKY DOES THIS TWICE A DAY.Most people miss both

Boat wake churning at dusk with an orange horizon over a lake — WAKE AT DUSK · FROM THE BOAT

Pink and purple clouds over treetops and a distant ridge at last light — PINK OVER THE RIDGE · LAST LIGHT

A swimming pool with backstroke flags and a lifeguard stand as the sun rises behind trees — SUNRISE AT THE POOL

Rooftops leading out to the bay under a pink and orange sky — OVER THE ROOFTOPS · THE BAY

A ridge trail with golden grasses looking out over the bay at golden hour — RIDGE TRAIL · GOLDEN HOUR

Blue sky fading to gold over fog and hills across the bay — BLUE TO GOLD · ABOVE THE FOG

REDLINE // If the sky starts going, whatever I’m doing can wait ninety seconds.

PageP-13

EntryPleasure Craft Licence

Logged ByA. Weisel

RevA

CardPleasure Craft Operator Card

Issued ByTransport Canada

ValidFor Life

WatersCanadian Lakes

StatusCarded

Skiing in Canada every summer means boats are just part of life, and I didn’t want to be a passenger forever. So I studied for the Pleasure Craft Operator Card, Canada’s boating licence: took the accredited safety course, passed the Transport Canada exam, and the card is good for life. Being on the rope is half the sport. Being trusted at the helm, reading the water, holding a clean line for the skier behind you, that’s the other half, and now I’m learning it from the driver’s seat.

THE ROPE IS HALF THE JOB. THE HELM IS THE OTHER HALF.Pleasure Craft Operator Card · earned, not given

Andrew driving a small red outboard boat solo, hand on the tiller — AT THE TILLER · SOLO

Running the boat across the lake — RUNNING THE LAKE

Out on the lake in the boat — OUT ON THE LAKE

What The Test Covered the real stuff

Buoys and markers. Red and green lateral buoys, what side to pass, what the shapes mean before you can read the letters.
Navigation lights. Who’s coming toward you, who’s crossing, and what you’re showing them after dark.
Right of way. Sail over power, overtaken over overtaking, and when the rules say get out of the way anyway.
Safe speed and lookout. Wake, swimmers, docks, and the fact that a boat has no brakes.
Required gear. Lifejackets for everyone, fire extinguisher, sound signal, lines, and knowing where all of it lives before you need it.
Cold water and fuel safety. The two things on a lake that end a good day fastest.

What The Card Lets Me Drive Canadian rules at my age

Situation	What’s Allowed
On my own, ages 12 to 16	Boats up to 40 horsepower, card in pocket
With an adult supervising aboard	Bigger power, learning the real boat under real eyes
Personal watercraft	Not until 16. Rules are rules.
At 16	Any pleasure craft, same card, for life

REDLINE // The card is valid for life. The trust behind it gets renewed every single time you take the wheel.

PageP-14

EntryOperator · A. Weisel

Logged ByA. Weisel

RevB

Grade8th → 9th

SchoolTown → Exeter

OfficeV.P. Student Gov

WaterBreast · All Strokes

ShopQuads · P1S

I’m Andrew Weisel. Eighth grade at Town School for Boys in San Francisco, headed to Phillips Exeter Academy for ninth. That move is a big one. Town has been my whole world for years, and I’m about to drop into a place across the country where nobody knows me yet. Good. Starting from zero with a full toolbox is my favorite setup.

IF A LINE’S WRONG, REDRAW IT.How I work · applies to drones, school, everything

What I care about most is the work itself. I like locking onto something hard and grinding until it clicks: a swim set I can’t hold pace on, a factoring problem that won’t come out clean, a quad that won’t arm. None of it works the first time, and that’s the part I like. You figure out the pieces, you try it, it breaks, you fix it, and eventually it flies. I built this site the same way I build everything else: figure out the parts, draw it up, then make the real thing. Not a mockup, not a maybe.

Andrew Weisel and a friend, suited up — SUITED UP

How I Work 5 steps, every time

Figure out the parts. Read everything, measure twice, ask the dumb question early.
Draw it up. If I can’t sketch it, I don’t understand it yet.
Build the real thing. A prototype that flies beats a render that doesn’t.
Watch it break. It will. That’s data, not failure.
Fix it, log it, fly it. Then hand the good version to the next build.

The Record 8 lines

Line	Detail	Status
Student gov	Vice President, Town School for Boys	In office
Basketball	A team, championship season	Champs
Cross country	Distance base for everything else	On the team
Track	Speed work with a stopwatch	On the team
Swimming	Commonwealth North + Strawberry Seals · USA-S, Tidalwaves · MSL since 2018	Racing
Breaststroke	The specialty. 50 and 100, and I race all four strokes	Dropping time
Drones	From a Mavic Air 2 to scratch builds of my own	Ongoing
The shop	Bambu P1S on the desk, parts by morning	Running

Next · Exeter the plan

The whole set moves east this fall. The goals travel with it: keep dropping breaststroke time, find the pool and the shop in week one, and earn a spot the same way I did at Town, by out-working the doubt. New school, same operator.

REDLINE // This is a working set. Times drop, builds change, sheets get redrawn. Always check the rev.

AndrewWeisel

The Operator

Foamboard Hovercraft

Balloon Tracker

Hexapod Walker

Macro Keypad

Mini Wind Turbine

RC Boat, Quad Spares

Light-Painting Rig

Printed RC Crawler

Electric Motorcycle

Andrew
Weisel