This is my home in the virtual world, where I write about things that I want to share. The freely available software that I've written as well as some of the photographs I've taken over the years can also be found here. Please use the navigation links on the right if you are looking for something.
To screw 3D printed parts together I’m mainly using M3 bolts. Up to now I’ve been using embedded M3 nuts to receive these bolts in 3D printed parts. The main advantage are that these are both strong and reusable.
They do require extra parts in the form ot nuts. And also the cavities to receive them which can be difficult to make.
This program started out as a Python script, which generally worked fine.
It would however crash every now and then after running for a long time. In an effort to find what was causing that I started logging exceptions to syslog. This did not result in any clues.
It is a bit silly to have a complete python interpreter running to produce a statusline. So I decided to rewrite it in C.
Having flyscreens in my windows has reduced but not eliminated the amount of mosquitoes that get into my house.
One of the main reasons I suspect is that the louvre vents for the natural ventilation systems do not have a flyscreen.
Inspired by my Prusa MK4S printer, I’ve been using hexagon socket head cap screws and captive nuts to assemble FDM 3D printed parts that might have to be disassembled.
The spool holder on my MK4S printer is only suitable for spools of 1 kg filament. While these are fine for small prints, for larger prints it is preferable to use larger spools.
Initially I used two support cradles where each to the rims of the spool runs on two roller bearings. This had some problems in that it tended to bind and then the spool could be pulled off the bearings. After this caused the failure of an overnight print job I wanted a proper spool holder.
Not being satisfied by designs I could find online I designed my own, for spools up to 3 kg.
After a couple of decades of use, the pointer on my Hema analog kitchen scale broke. This model is long out of production, and analog scales of this weight class (500 g) are kind of rare.
Since I have a preference for equipment that doesn’t require batteries I wanted to repair it. This article documents how that was done.
To be honest, if I didn’t have a 3D printer this repair might not have happened. The pointer is a small and delicate injection molded part with a wall thickness in the order of 0.5 mm.
Years ago, I bought a DMT diamond whetstone to replace a worn out ceramic whetstone. Since then I’ve been happily using it for freehand sharpening of tools and knives.
While my freehand sharpening is OK, it is hard to get consistent angles when freehand sharpening. So when I got a 3D printer, I thought it would be nice to print a sharpening guide.
In the process of determining the fit for a drill bushing, I measured the relevant dimensions of the test piece.
The results were interesting enough to warrant its own blog post.
In order to make a 3D printed drilling jig last longer, I wanted to put drill bushings in it. Being new to 3D printing, I decided to print a test piece to see what the size of the holes should be for a snug fit.
My first print was a holder for a USB cable that I use to charge my cellphone.