A little starstruck today. The folks behind 3DBenchy liked my MakerCoin and featured me on their blog.
Check out their post at http://www.3dbenchy.com/celebrating-many-3d-printing-fails-2017/
My Model at CES!!!
Well a hat tip to the impressively, eagle-eyed Joel Telling for noticing this. One of my models, the Spinning PokeStop Ornament, was one of the showcase prints at a booth at CES. I’m not sure if they followed the attribution clause of my Creative Commons Licensing…. but I’m still excited that a model of mine was used.
An updated @monoprice mini & a $149 (!!!) delta #3dprinter coming in April #ces2017 (at The Venetian Las Vegas) pic.twitter.com/HqygJ9IEgJ
— John Biehler (@JohnBiehler) January 6, 2017
Wishing You Many Fails in 2017!
When we are pushing the limits, we are going to encounter fails. But through failure comes knowledge and at times, it even brings about extra creativity. On that note, I hope 2017 brings you many fails!
In December, I did a last minute contribution to the A Pyro Design Maker Coin Holiday Tree. In my coin, I wanted to celebrate the failures that comes along with learning 3D Printing. I call it, “From Failure Comes Knowledge“. This video details the inspirations behind the coin, a little taste of the modeling in Blender, and the [embarrassing] two fails I had printing it.
The From Failure Comes Knowledge Coin on Thingiverse:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1936616/
Check the makers who have already made the coin!
Jim at Another 3D Printing Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgXpTIrI0KK8_wXMcHLA1fw
Matt at How I Do It https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJTkCgyQbUU2kpiwhrbLK_A
And of course, Travis and Heather at A Pyro Design
https://www.youtube.com/c/Apyrodesign
Other Models Mentioned in the Video:
The famous 3D Benchy
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:763622
Drooloop Flowers http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:240158
Furry Vase http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1800503
Furry Christmas Tree http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1941557
Thank you so much for watching. Have a fantastic 2017!
Washington Post Highlights the Rockledge Ornament!
I had the honor of 3D Modeling and 3D Printing another ornament to represent the Town of Occoquan for the holidays at the Virginia Executive Mansion.
An article about the ornament appeared in the Prince William section of the Washington Post today. You can read the full article at https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/occoquan-artist-trims-the-governors-tree-with-a-little-festive-3-d-history/2016/12/02/04ebb97c-b80c-11e6-a677-b608fbb3aaf6_story.html
3DPI – How 3D printing YouTubers celebrate Global 3D Printing Day
Happy Global 3D Printing Day! 3D Printing Industry reached out to a few content creators on YouTube to see how they were celebrating the day. I still consider my YouTube channel in its infancy, but I was still happy to answer some questions.
Read about Fargo 3D Printing , Jimmy Shaw’s Tidbits, and myself in How 3D printing YouTubers celebrate Global 3D Printing Day
Slides for 3D Printing and Crafts Presentation
Last Thursday night, I had the delight of participating in a Meetup with the Delaware 3D Printing Group. The event was hosted by Printed Solid. The group was kind enough to let me yammer on about my 3D Printed Crafts. 🙂 I very much enjoyed chatting with other printing enthusiasts and left the event invigorated. I should make it a point to do an event like this every November when the fatigue that accompanies Cyber Week looms in my brain. 🙂
For those who missed it, I do have all my slides up on SlideShare.
Using Inkscape and Tinkercad to Customize Halloween Pendants
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
My very first Thingiverse upload was glowing pumpkin pendants/pins for kids. This video hits briefly on how I print these via Multi-processes in Simplify3D (Spoiler alert – they are three separate prints). It will also show you how you can import in the pendant template into TinkerCAD and quickly make your own customizations. Finally, have a drawing you want to use? I’ll go over using Inkscape to make a SVG file from a black and white image/photo/scan that you can also pull into TinkerCAD to “carve” your pumpkin.
All the pumpkin models, including the template are up on Thingiverse at:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1074202
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1074202
Need help with Simplify3D Multiple Processes? I learned from THIS Joel Telling video:
https://youtu.be/ZHe2_h1nQG4
https://youtu.be/ZHe2_h1nQG4
TinkerCAD is free with nothing to install– http://www.tinkercad.com
Finally, Inkscape is also free and can be downloaded at http://www.inkscape.org.
The Starting and Stopping Points of My Processes
0 – 1.5mm – Black or Green
1.5 – 2mm – GlowFill
2mm – rest – Orange
0 – 1.5mm – Black or Green
1.5 – 2mm – GlowFill
2mm – rest – Orange
A Companion Piece for the Spinning PokeStop
Yeah, yeah. I’m slow at making my own videos. Luckily there are content creators out there who are on their A-game. Such is the case of Michael Phelps. He not only printed my Spinning PokeStop. He not only made a video on the model… but he also modeled and printed a companion piece for it. He designed a stand to make my PokeStop ornament into an actual PokeStop. Please check out his video!
Standing Cancer Ribbon Cameo!
My Standing Cancer Ribbon (available at Shapeways) made a cameo on 3DStartPoint’s collection of 3D Prints for Breast Cancer Support and Awareness. All the models are great– it’s flattering to be included!
Z Endstop Hack for the MakerGear M2
As some background information, the way the MakerGear M2 Homes its Z axis is it has a bolt on the platform that raises and lowers your bed.
Above it, just beneath the X-axis rail, is a switch that triggers when there is contact.
When the printer is homing its Z axis, it raises the bed until the bolt triggers that switch. At that point, the printer considers itself a Z-Home.
MakerGear has some great videos for the maintenance and setup of your machine, including how to do your Z Endstop calibration! Basically you raise your bed until a business card can just fit under the nozzle and then you raise the bolt to ensure it trips the switch at that exact height.
Disclaimer– I love my MakerGear M2 profusely and I will continue to love it profusely. That said, I find the bolt awkward and tough to raise.
One day I needed to update my Z Endstop application and I struggled getting that bolt to do my bidding.
“If only…if only I had something to stick on top of this bolt to make it taller.” I thought.
It turns out I did have something, something that was already a part of my 3D Printing arsensal– Painter’s Tape!
I cut out little squares of painters tape, made a tower, put it on top of my bolt. I fine tuned the tower’s height until my nozzle was a business card height above my bed. BAM! ZEndstop calibration!
Honestly, I never expected this solution to have the staying power it has, but I continue to use it to this day! I was worried about the repeatability of the Z-Home, that there would be variances in run to run in how the painter’s tape compresses, but it has proven to be consistent and reliable. I have also been shocked (SHOCKED) that it weathers travel well.
I have found this painter’s tape hack to help speed up my process of switching nozzles. When I switch to my 0.5mm nozzle for woodFill, I just have to add or remove squares of painter’s tape and I am ready to print.
Not For You?
If my painter’s tape hack is not for you, there are other options in calibration your Z Endstop for the MakerGear M2. This video by MakerGear shows you how to do it the “right” way. In addition, you can print a tool to make that bolt adjustment less awkward.