Lmst

#3dprinterhacks

The Joys of 3D Printing

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/28/the-joys-of-3d-printing/

The Joys of 3D Printing https://hackaday.com/2026/02/28/the-joys-of-3d-printing/
#3dPrinterhacks #HackadayColumns #Rants #3dprinting #CADCAM #Design #Newsletter

Stop Ironing 3D Prints

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/25/stop-ironing-3d-prints/

<div><img alt="" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="450" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/layer.png?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><p>If you want smooth top surfaces on your 3D printed parts, a common technique is to turn on ironing in your slicer. This causes the head to drag through the top of the part, emitting a small amount of plastic to smooth the surface. [Make Wonderful Things] asserts that you don’t need to do this time-consuming step. Instead, he proposes using statistical analysis to identify<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAxZt6s6R0E" target="_blank"> the optimal settings to place the top layer correctly the first time</a>, as shown in the video below.</p>
<p>The parameters he thinks make a difference are line width, flow ratio, and print speed. Picking reasonable step sizes suggested that there were 19,200 combinations of settings to test. Obviously, that’s too many, so he picked up techniques from famous mathematician [George E. P. Box] and also used Bayesian analysis to reduce the amount of printing required to converge on the perfect settings.</p>
<p>Did it work? Judging from the video, it appears to have done so. The best test pieces looked as good as the one that used traditional ironing. Compared to ironing, the non-ironed parts saved about 34% of print time. Not bad.</p>
<p>Of course, there are <a href="https://hackaday.com/2024/09/15/non-planar-ironing

Stop Ironing 3D Prints https://hackaday.com/2026/02/25/stop-ironing-3d-prints/
#3dPrinterhacks #3dprinting #Ironing #Printsmoothing

Sub-Second Volumetric 3D Printing https://hackaday.com/2026/02/25/sub-second-volumetric-3d-printing/
#3dPrinterhacks #3dprinting #Photosensitive #Vam #Volumetric3dprinting

Thermoforming Printed Parts with Hot Water

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/19/thermoforming-printed-parts-with-hot-water/

<div><img alt="" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="479" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/aqua-thermoforming_zion_brock_youtube.jpg?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><p>Thermoforming is the process of softening a material enough so that it can be tweaked into a new shape, with the source of the thermal energy being not particularly relevant. Correspondingly, after [Zion Brock]’s recent video on his journey into thermoforming PLA with a mold and a heat gun, he got many comments suggesting that he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClvOfAKTN_E" target="_blank">should use hot water instead</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/aqua-thermoforming_gloves_zion_brock_youtube.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-916150 alignright" height="400" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/aqua-thermoforming_gloves_zion_brock_youtube.jpg?w=400" width="400" /></a></p>
<p>We covered <a href="https://hackaday.com/2026/02/11/thermoforming-shaping-curvy-grilles-with-no-supports/">his previous video</a> as well, in which he goes through the design steps of making these grilles for a retro-styled, 3D printed radio. The thermoforming method enables him to shape the curvy grille with a heat gun and two-piece mold in a matter of minutes, rather than spending hours more time printing and removing many supports.</p>
<p>Theoretically using hot w

Thermoforming Printed Parts with Hot Water https://hackaday.com/2026/02/19/thermoforming-printed-parts-with-hot-water/
#3dPrinterhacks #Thermoforming

3D Printed Jack Mixes Two Filaments For Great Performance

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/17/3d-printed-jack-mixes-two-filaments-for-great-performance/

<div><img alt="" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="450" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Flexijack__-Mixing-RIGID-and-FLEXIBLE-Filaments-in-a-Single-Print-4-23-screenshot-e1771223788667.png?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><p>If you’re looking to jack up your car and you don’t have anything on hand, your 3D printer might not be the first tool you look towards. With that said, [Alan Reiner] had great success with a simple idea <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/1r3ysks/multimaterial_rigid_flexible_print_exceeded/?share_id=rCDah_ESmiWmQ_Y7Lbkab&utm_content=1&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1" target="_blank">to create a surprisingly capable scissor jack with a multi-material print.</a></p>
<p>The design will look familiar if you’ve ever pulled the standard jack out of the back of your car. However, this one isn’t made fully out of steel. It relies on an M6 bolt and a rivet nut, but everything else is pure plastic. In this scissor jack design, rigid PETG arms are held in a scissor jack shape with a flexible TPU outer layer. Combined with the screw mechanism, it’s capable of delivering up to 400 pounds of force without failing. It’s an impressive figure for something made out of 80 grams of plastic. The idea came about because of [Alan’s] recent build of a RatRig VCore4 printer, whi

3D Printed Jack Mixes Two Filaments For Great Performance https://hackaday.com/2026/02/17/3d-printed-jack-mixes-two-filaments-for-great-performance/
#3dPrinterhacks #3dprint #3dprinter #Jack #PETG #Scissorjack #TPU

MyMiniFactory has Acquired Thingiverse Bringing Anti-AI Focus

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/13/myminifactory-has-acquired-thingiverse-bringing-anti-ai-focus/

<div><img alt="" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="337" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/myminifactory_acquired_thingiverse_banner.jpg?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><p>One of the best parts of 3D printing is that you can freely download the plans for countless model from sites like Thingiverse, Printables, and others. Yet with the veritable flood of models on these sites you also want to have some level of quality. Here recent news pertaining to Thingiverse is probably rather joyful, as with the <a href="https://www.myminifactory.com/blog/myminifactory-has-acquired-thingiverse" target="_blank">acquisition of Thingiverse by MyMiniFactory</a>, it should remain one of the most friendly sites for sharing 3D printing models.</p>
<p>Although Thingiverse as a concept probably doesn’t need much introduction, it’s important here to acknowledge the tumultuous times that it has gone through since its launch in 2008 as part of MakerBot. Both were acquired by Stratasys in 2013, and this has lead to ups and downs in the relationship with Thingiverse’s user base.</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MyMiniFactory" target="_blank">MyMiniFactory</a> was launched in 2013 as a similar kind of 3D printing object-sharing platform as Thingiverse, while also offering crowdsourcing and paid model options. In the MyMiniFactory blog post it’s stated that these features will not be add

MyMiniFactory has Acquired Thingiverse Bringing Anti-AI Focus https://hackaday.com/2026/02/13/myminifactory-has-acquired-thingiverse-bringing-anti-ai-focus/
#3dPrinterhacks #News #MyMiniFactory #Thingiverse

Thermoforming: Shaping Curvy Grilles With No Supports

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/11/thermoforming-shaping-curvy-grilles-with-no-supports/

<div><img alt="" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="508" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/thermoformed_radio_grille_zion_brock_youtube.jpg?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><figure class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_915376" style="width: 400px;"><a href="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/thermoformed_radio_grille_molding_zion_brock_youtube.jpg"><img alt="Making sure the heatgun is on 'low' and gloves are on while pushing on the mold. (Credit: Zion Brock)" class="wp-image-915376 size-medium" height="293" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/thermoformed_radio_grille_molding_zion_brock_youtube.jpg?w=400" width="400" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-915376">Making sure the heatgun is on ‘low’ and gloves are on while pushing on the mold. (Credit: Zion Brock)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Although hobbyists these days most often seem to use thermoplastics as a print-and-done material in FDM printers, there’s absolutely nothing stopping you from taking things further with thermoforming. Much like forming acrylic using a hot wire or hot air, thermoplastics like PLA can be further tweaked with a similar method. This can be much less complex than 3D printing the design with supports, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z20IXm1w-Fo" target="_blank">as demonstrated</a> by [Zion Brock].</p>
<p>For this classically style

Thermoforming: Shaping Curvy Grilles With No Supports https://hackaday.com/2026/02/11/thermoforming-shaping-curvy-grilles-with-no-supports/
#3dPrinterhacks #3dprinting #Thermoforming

Making a Hidden Door Status Sensor

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/10/making-a-hidden-door-status-sensor/

<div><img alt="" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="450" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DoorSensorTutorial.00_03_36_14.Still001.jpg?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><figure class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_915545" style="width: 400px;"><a href="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/dillan_stock_aqara_t1_recessed_enclosures.jpg"><img alt="The door sensor in its new enclosures. (Credit: Dillan Stock)" class="size-medium wp-image-915545" height="400" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/dillan_stock_aqara_t1_recessed_enclosures.jpg?w=400" width="400" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-915545">The door sensor in its new enclosures. (Credit: Dillan Stock)</figcaption></figure>
<p>A common sight in ‘smart homes’, door sensors allow you to detect whether a door is closed or open, enabling the triggering of specific events. Unfortunately, most solutions for these sensors are relatively bulky and hard to miss, making them a bit of a eyesore. This was the case for [Dillan Stock] as well, who decided that he could definitely have a smart home, yet <a href="https://www.thestockpot.net/videos/door-sensors" target="_blank">not have warts sticking out</a> on every single doorframe and door. There’s also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVaGANL2T7o" target="_blank">a video</a> version of the linked blog post.</p>
<p>

Making a Hidden Door Status Sensor https://hackaday.com/2026/02/10/making-a-hidden-door-status-sensor/
#3dPrinterhacks #Homehacks #Doorsensor #Smarthome

Is That Ancient Reel Of PLA Any Good?

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/10/is-that-ancient-reel-of-pla-any-good/

<div><img alt="" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="450" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ancient-filament-featured.jpg?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><p>When it comes to knowledge there are things you know as facts because you have experienced them yourself or had them verified by a reputable source, and there are things that you know because they are common knowledge but unverified. The former are facts, such as that a 100mm cube of water contains a litre of the stuff, while the latter are received opinions, such as the belief among Americans that British people have poor dental care. The first is a verifiable fact, while the second is subjective.</p>
<p>In our line there are similar received opinions, and one of them is that you shouldn’t print with old 3D printing filament because it will ruin the quality of your print. This is one I can now verify for myself, because I was recently given a part roll of blue PLA from a hackerspace, that’s over a decade old. It’s not been stored in a special environment, instead it’s survived a run of dodgy hackerspace premises with all the heat and humidity that’s normal in a slightly damp country. How will it print?</p>
<h2>It Ain’t Stringy</h2>
<p>In the first instance, looking at the filament, it looks like any other filament. No fading of the colour, no cracking, if I didn’t know its age it could have been open

Is That Ancient Reel Of PLA Any Good? https://hackaday.com/2026/02/10/is-that-ancient-reel-of-pla-any-good/
#3dPrinterhacks #Featured #Interest #Filament #Oldfilament #PLA #Printstrength

The Latest from RepRapMicron – Nail Gel, First Objects, and More

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/01/the-latest-from-reprapmicron-nail-gel-first-objects-and-more/

<div><img alt="A small plastic object can be seen in front of the tip of a hypodermic needle. The object is made of clear, slightly purple-tinted plastic. It is roughly circular, with edges thicker than the center." class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="450" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/reprap_micron_print.png?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><p>We’ve been following [Vik Olliver]’s progress on the μRepRap project with interest for some time now. The project’s goal is to build a 3D printer that can print feature sizes down to about 10 microns – the same feature size used in the Intel 4004 processor. At the recent Open Everything 2026 conference, [Vik] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq_ZCf0-KmM" target="_blank">presented an overview</a> of all the progress he’s made in the last year, including printer improvements, material woes, and the first multi-layer prints (<a href="https://github.com/VikOlliver/RepRapMicron/blob/main/Presentations/EverythingOpen_2026_as_presented.pdf" target="_blank">presentation slides</a>).</p>
<p>The motion stage has undergone some fundamental improvements recently. The original XY motion table was supported on four flexures which allowed movement in X and Y, but also introduced slight variations in Z – obviously a problem in a system that needs to be accurate down to the microns. The latest version now uses complementary flexures to maintain a constant Z heig

The Latest from RepRapMicron – Nail Gel, First Objects, and More https://hackaday.com/2026/02/01/the-latest-from-reprapmicron-nail-gel-first-objects-and-more/
#3dPrinterhacks #Flexure #Flexurejoint #Microfabrication #Pantograph #RepRapMicron #UVgel #UVresin

Building a Metal 3D Printer with a Laser Welder

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/01/building-a-metal-3d-printer-with-a-laser-welder/

<div><img alt="" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="450" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/laser_welder_printer.png?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><p>The development of cheaper, more powerful lasers has always been a cause for excitement among hackers, and fiber lasers are no exception. One of the newer tools they’ve enabled is the laser welder, which can be used to weld, cut through metal, or clean off surfaces. Or, as [Cranktown City] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG639pDfDKw" target="_blank">demonstrated</a>, you can use one to build a metal 3D printer.</p>
<p>The printer’s built around a 2000-Watt fiber laser welder from Skyfire, and the motion system came from a defunct secondhand 3D printer built by an out-of-business insole printing company. The frame was reinforced with steel, the welding gun was mounted in place of the hotend, and the trigger was replaced with a CNC-controlled switch. It didn’t originally use any specific shielding gas, since the welder was supposed to perform adequately with just compressed air if high weld quality wasn’t essential.</p>
<p>The first few tests were promising, but did reveal quite a few problems. Heat buildup was an early issue which threatened to warp the build plate, and which eventually welded the build plate to the Z-axis gantry. Adding a strong cooling fan and putting a gap between the build plate and the gantry solved this. The wire als

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