One of the things that Kate, and others, have been pushing me do is to find something to do to occupy my mind. Idle hands, devil’s work, etc. One of the things I decided to do was to get back into 3D printing.
Things have really changed since about 2017. I had a smallish 3D printer that I obtained via a crowdfunding site. This time I reviewed a number of potential printers before deciding on FlashForge Adventurer 5M printer from Amazon.
My first prints were from the embedded projects in the firmware.
Finally, I went a little nuts and started branching out.
The Adventurer has a provision to pause a print mid-stream that allows you to change filaments. The big Floaty started off with bronze (like the box next to it) below the waterline, transiting to blue for the decks, transiting to white for the bow and upper deckhouse, and finally to red for the stack. The latching box prints as is, including the working hinge. I added the embossed ‘Stuff’ to the front.
The print bed size is 220mm x 220mm x 220mm (8.66 inches cube). It connects via USB or wireless network so I have it set up so I can load and control it from my laptop in the living room. It has a mini camera on the bed that lets me keep an eye on printing remotely.
Now I have something to keep me occupied.