Build. Test. Improve.

ABOUT

By day I'm a maintenance technician in manufacturing, and the job is really diagnosis: something is not behaving, find out why, fix it properly, make sure it stays fixed.

Off the clock I do the same thing for fun, just with different machines. I build games, design systems, wire up tools that solve one annoying problem, and take on builds that are far too large for one person because that is the interesting part.

Augy's Lab is where it all gets collected.

WHAT'S HERE

  • The Link Vault — 100 powerful sites and tools, searchable, added to constantly.
  • The Weekly Screensaver — writing on AI, engineering, space, and the weird stuff in between.
  • Projects — games and tools being built in the open.
  • The Shop — gear worth owning, each with a real write-up.

WORK HISTORY

ON THE ROAD

IT installs & product rollouts

For years my job was the road. I did IT install work for Verizon and T-Mobile, but just as much of it was product rollouts: installing Nitro Cold Brew systems for Starbucks, setting stores up for Circle K's Fresh Food Fast program, and putting in all kinds of proprietary hardware for 7-Eleven, Walgreens and CVS.

Every job was a different building in a different town, and the work had to be up and running before the doors opened again.

Clients VerizonT-MobileStarbucksCircle K7-ElevenWalgreensCVS

Andy holding up his Verizon contractor badge
Verizon badge day
A Verizon digital signage kiosk lit up in a dark storefront at night
Kiosk install
A stainless Nitro Cold Brew tap tower with two taps and a drip tray, installed on a counter
Nitro Cold Brew taps
ON THE ROAD

Remodels by the hundred

Some jobs were whole brands changing over. I was part of the remodel of hundreds of Giant gas stations into Speedways across the Southwest, and of Rite Aid stores turning into CVS.

In between there was work for big box stores like Best Buy, Publix, Lowe's and Home Depot: wiring closets, back rooms, and whatever the site needed to be finished on schedule.

Clients Giant to SpeedwayRite Aid to CVSBest BuyPublixLowe'sHome Depot

Andy in a hi-vis vest and backwards cap, throwing a shaka
Out in the field
Andy next to an open wiring panel, headlamp around his neck
Another wiring closet
SOUTH FLORIDA

Resident DJ & entertainment director

For years I was a resident DJ and entertainment director in South Florida, working at upscale adult clubs including Spearmint Rhino, Scores and Monroe's of Palm Beach.

Behind the booth the job was reading the room and keeping the whole night moving: the music, the mic, and the show around it.

Venues Spearmint RhinoScoresMonroe's of Palm Beach

Andy in the DJ booth, headphones on, pointing at the camera
In the booth
OHIO · NOW

Manufacturing & maintenance

I've settled down for a while in Ohio, not far from where my dad's family is from. I've been a lifelong Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins fan, and this place fits me for now.

Here I started a career in manufacturing. Hitachi Astemo hired me to run CNC lathes, and I quickly moved up to managing two other departments at that plant. Now I'm a maintenance technician for DwyerOmega's pressure division.

Employers Hitachi AstemoDwyerOmega

Andy in safety glasses and blue nitrile gloves, holding a tiny component up to the camera with tweezers
Steady hands
Andy on the floor at Hitachi Astemo, safety glasses on
Hitachi Astemo
AFTER HOURS

Games, systems & tools

The same habit, aimed at things I want to exist: games, systems, and small tools that make one annoying chore go away.

See the projects →

PLACES I'VE BEEN

Map of the US with a pin on every place I have been Mobile, Alabama Montgomery, Alabama Robertsdale, Alabama Saraland, Alabama Wilmer, Alabama Flagstaff, Arizona Four Corners Monument, Arizona Gila Bend, Arizona Green Valley, Arizona Holbrook, Arizona Rock Point, Arizona Sahuarita, Arizona Taylor, Arizona Tombstone, Arizona Tucson, Arizona Winslow, Arizona Yuma, Arizona San Diego, California San Francisco, California Aspen, Colorado Avon, Colorado Breckenridge, Colorado Carbondale, Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Denver, Colorado Durango, Colorado Glenwood Springs, Colorado Greenwood Village, Colorado Manitou Springs, Colorado Pagosa Springs, Colorado Vail, Colorado Woodland Park, Colorado Washington, D.C., District of Columbia Apopka, Florida Cape Canaveral, Florida Cocoa Beach, Florida Daytona Beach, Florida Delray Beach, Florida Doral, Florida Ebro, Florida Fernandina Beach, Florida Flagler Beach, Florida Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Myers, Florida Gainesville, Florida Hollywood, Florida Jupiter, Florida Jupiter Farms, Florida Lake Worth, Florida Lantana, Florida Miami, Florida Miami Gardens, Florida Merritt Island, Florida North Palm Beach, Florida Orlando, Florida Orsino, Florida Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Palm Coast, Florida Panama City, Florida Panama City Beach, Florida Patrick Air Force Base, Florida Pensacola, Florida Pompano Beach, Florida Port Saint Lucie, Florida Riviera Beach, Florida Royal Palm Beach, Florida Saint Augustine, Florida Saint Petersburg, Florida South Miami, Florida Tallahassee, Florida Titusville, Florida Wellington, Florida West Palm Beach, Florida Yulee, Florida Acworth, Georgia Albany, Georgia Alpharetta, Georgia Atlanta, Georgia Columbus, Georgia Cordele, Georgia Decatur, Georgia Ellijay, Georgia Fort Valley, Georgia Gainesville, Georgia Hawkinsville, Georgia Kennesaw, Georgia Norcross, Georgia Sandy Springs, Georgia Warner Robins, Georgia Conway, Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky Kittery (southern tip), Maine Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland Baltimore, Maryland Church Creek, Maryland Greenbelt, Maryland North East, Maryland Fall River, Massachusetts Plymouth, Massachusetts Ann Arbor, Michigan Detroit, Michigan Romulus, Michigan Flowood, Mississippi Jackson, Mississippi Stennis Space Center, Mississippi Portsmouth, New Hampshire Edison, New Jersey Mount Laurel, New Jersey Paramus, New Jersey Parsippany, New Jersey Succasunna, New Jersey Albuquerque, New Mexico Carlsbad, New Mexico Crownpoint, New Mexico Elephant Butte, New Mexico Gallup, New Mexico Las Cruces, New Mexico Santa Fe, New Mexico Silver City, New Mexico Socorro, New Mexico White Sands, New Mexico Mexico, New York New York, New York Ogdensburg, New York Pulaski, New York Sandy Creek, New York Syracuse, New York Watertown, New York Yonkers, New York Andrews, North Carolina Boone, North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina Fayetteville, North Carolina Franklin, North Carolina Greensboro, North Carolina Mooresville, North Carolina Moravian Falls, North Carolina Salisbury, North Carolina Winston-Salem, North Carolina Canton, Ohio Cincinnati, Ohio Columbus, Ohio Continental, Ohio Fostoria, Ohio Sunbury, Ohio Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Quakertown, Pennsylvania Woonsocket, Rhode Island Charleston, South Carolina Cheraw, South Carolina Hardeeville, South Carolina Johnson City, Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee Abilene, Texas Aero Vista (El Paso / Ft Bliss), Texas Dallas, Texas El Paso, Texas Houston, Texas Bluff, Utah Green River, Utah Moab, Utah Burlington, Vermont Alexandria, Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia Hampton, Virginia Henrico, Virginia Newport News, Virginia Richmond, Virginia Temperanceville, Virginia Virginia Beach, Virginia Wallops Island, Virginia North Bend, Washington Richland, Washington SeaTac, Washington Seattle, Washington Spokane, Washington Spokane Valley, Washington Tacoma, Washington Buckhannon, West Virginia
180 PLACES · 28 STATES + D.C. HAS PHOTOS · ALL MINE · HOVER OR TAP

The map is approximate: each pin marks the town, not the exact spot.

Every place on the map

Alabama

Mobile · Montgomery · Robertsdale · Saraland · Wilmer

Arizona

Flagstaff · Four Corners Monument · Gila Bend · Green Valley · Holbrook · Rock Point · Sahuarita · Taylor · Tombstone · Tucson · Winslow · Yuma

California

San Diego · San Francisco

Colorado

Aspen · Avon · Breckenridge · Carbondale · Colorado Springs · Denver · Durango · Glenwood Springs · Greenwood Village · Manitou Springs · Pagosa Springs · Vail · Woodland Park

District of Columbia

Washington, D.C.

Florida

Apopka · Cape Canaveral · Cocoa Beach · Daytona Beach · Delray Beach · Doral · Ebro · Fernandina Beach · Flagler Beach · Fort Lauderdale · Fort Myers · Gainesville · Hollywood · Jupiter · Jupiter Farms · Lake Worth · Lantana · Miami · Miami Gardens · Merritt Island · North Palm Beach · Orlando · Orsino · Palm Beach Gardens · Palm Coast · Panama City · Panama City Beach · Patrick Air Force Base · Pensacola · Pompano Beach · Port Saint Lucie · Riviera Beach · Royal Palm Beach · Saint Augustine · Saint Petersburg · South Miami · Tallahassee · Titusville · Wellington · West Palm Beach · Yulee

Georgia

Acworth · Albany · Alpharetta · Atlanta · Columbus · Cordele · Decatur · Ellijay · Fort Valley · Gainesville · Hawkinsville · Kennesaw · Norcross · Sandy Springs · Warner Robins

Kentucky

Conway · Lexington

Maine

Kittery (southern tip)

Maryland

Andrews Air Force Base · Baltimore · Church Creek · Greenbelt · North East

Massachusetts

Fall River · Plymouth

Michigan

Ann Arbor · Detroit · Romulus

Mississippi

Flowood · Jackson · Stennis Space Center

New Hampshire

Portsmouth

New Jersey

Edison · Mount Laurel · Paramus · Parsippany · Succasunna

New Mexico

Albuquerque · Carlsbad · Crownpoint · Elephant Butte · Gallup · Las Cruces · Santa Fe · Silver City · Socorro · White Sands

New York

Mexico · New York · Ogdensburg · Pulaski · Sandy Creek · Syracuse · Watertown · Yonkers

North Carolina

Andrews · Boone · Charlotte · Fayetteville · Franklin · Greensboro · Mooresville · Moravian Falls · Salisbury · Winston-Salem

Ohio

Canton · Cincinnati · Columbus · Continental · Fostoria · Sunbury

Pennsylvania

Gettysburg · Philadelphia · Quakertown

Rhode Island

Woonsocket

South Carolina

Charleston · Cheraw · Hardeeville

Tennessee

Johnson City · Knoxville

Texas

Abilene · Aero Vista (El Paso / Ft Bliss) · Dallas · El Paso · Houston

Utah

Bluff · Green River · Moab

Vermont

Burlington

Virginia

Alexandria · Charlottesville · Hampton · Henrico · Newport News · Richmond · Temperanceville · Virginia Beach · Wallops Island

Washington

North Bend · Richland · SeaTac · Seattle · Spokane · Spokane Valley · Tacoma

West Virginia

Buckhannon

SKILLS

Field work & rollouts

  • IT & network hardware installation
  • Retail technology rollouts
  • Store remodel & brand conversions
  • Proprietary equipment installation
  • Multi-site projects, nationwide

Manufacturing & maintenance

  • CNC lathe operation
  • Equipment maintenance & troubleshooting
  • Root-cause diagnosis

Leadership

  • Department management
  • Entertainment direction

Entertainment

  • DJing
  • Live show production

Building & software

  • Game design & development
  • Web development
  • Systems design
  • Tooling & automation
  • AI-assisted development

17 skills.

HOW I WORK

Build. Test. Improve. In that order, and around again. I would rather ship a rough thing I can hold and then fix it than plan a perfect thing that never gets made. Most of what is on this site started as a sketch on paper and became something runnable the same week.

The other half of the job is tooling: if I do something twice, I would rather build the thing that does it for me the third time.

THE TERMINAL

The prompt at the bottom of the screen is real. It goes places and it changes the machine.

GO SOMEWHERE

Type home, projects, shop, links, about — or just the first letter. octavian works too.

REPAINT IT

/red /green /blue /orange /purple /gray /white change the phosphor. /crt and /dos switch how the screen renders.

THE REST

/nyan does exactly what you think. /help lists the lot. There are one or two on no list at all.

SUPPORT THE LAB

Everything here is free and built in spare time. If something made your day, a coffee on Ko-fi keeps the lab running and the next build coming.

SUPPORT ON KO-FI →

ELSEWHERE

THE NEWSLETTER → X / @RANDYRAWGUST → GITHUB →
> 
        Type h, b, p, s, l, t, a — or "/help" for everything else.