This is the Prusa SL1S – and it’s pretty fast! In fact, in most cases, it’s faster than every 3D printer I own, including filament-based ones. This is a resin printer, obviously. It’s also the smartest 3D printer I’ve ever used, to the point where sometimes it’s even outsmarting itself. And it’s also the most expensive 3D printer setup that I have, coming in at almost 2,000€ for the printer itself or 2,500€ for the bundle with the CW1S curing and washing machine, which you should definitely get if youContinue reading
Full Control GCode
Okay, you all know how 3D printing works. You start out by creating a 3D model, export that as stl or 3mf, then import that into a slicer, which then creates the gcode that the printer understands. Except that it doesn’t have to be that way. Enter Full Control GCode. This is actually the result of a research paper by Dr. Andrew Gleadall, and it lets you skip modeling and slicing and instead provides you with a scripting interface that controls every single printing move. You get full control. AndContinue reading
Chitubox vs. Chitubox Pro
As of today, the Elegoo Mars 3 is locked down to only work with Chitu System’s Chitubox slicer – and any future printers from any manufacturer will be locked down, too, as long as they are built on the Chitu ecosystem. The firmware running on these printers is set up to only accept files that are signed off by Chitu’s software, and while there’s been a promise of an “SDK” being made available eventually, we don’t know which conditions, restrictions, and license fees, that eventually, you as the user willContinue reading
The BIGGEST 3D Printer I’ve ever reviewed: The BCN3D Sigma D25!
I love it when companies are doing something that is different, something that nobody else is doing, and carve out their little niche where if you have a specific set of requirements, then this is it, this is the best solution to that. And the BCN3D Sigma D25 that we’re going to review today is exactly that – it’s a large printer from a reputable company, and it’s got dual extrusion with two independent toolheads that each runs on its own X-Axis. Oh, and did I mention how frigging largeContinue reading
An (almost) perfect resin printing setup with one giant problem: Elegoo Mars 3 & Mercury X Bundle!
So this is Elegoo’s newest resin printer, the Mars 3. It seems like these machines are basically on an annual release cycle now, where it’s the same as with smartphones – new major release every year, and then a “Pro”, “A” or “C” version in between. But sort of alongside the Mars 3, they also released the Mercury X bundle, which is a set of a cleaning and curing machine that fits the Mars 3 and now finally, also the Saturn. The Saturn didn’t use to have any matching washingContinue reading
Test your Printers for Thermal Runaway
With last week’s video about the Flashforge Voxelab Aquila demonstrating that even in 2021, 3D printer manufacturers still mess up the basic thermal protection features on their machines, I think it’s a good idea that you know how to test them, too. What’s the danger if your printer fails these tests? Thermal. Runaway. Hopefully, today’s 3D printers are a lot harder to set on fire than the acrylic-frame Anet A8s, but if your printer for some reason stops regulating the heaters on the bed or especially on the hotend andContinue reading
It’s a cheeseburger: The Flashforge Voxelab Aquila
Today we’re going to have a look at the Flashforge Voxelab Aquila. Can you tell which one of these is the Aquila? Yeah, I can’t either. And I think that’s a problem. But first, let’s start out with the Aquila itself. It’s a 220x220x250mm build size, 32-bit board, silent drivers, 0.4mm nozzle, color LCD screen, silicon carbide coated glass bed, no auto-leveling, no filament sensor, the standard Creality-style hotend, good print quality, but plenty of design flaws and a price of between 150 and $200, depending on when and whereContinue reading
OctoPrint Guide + Best Plugins
One of the most versatile pieces of tech for 3D printing is Octoprint – it’s a little webserver that runs on a Raspberry Pi and lets you remote-control a 3D printer from your computer. Or so you thought. Because the thing is, Octoprint is so much more than just a way to start and check in on prints remotely: It’s turning more and more into a full-on 3D printer operating system. There are plugins now that do everything from AI print watching over sending status infos over your favorite messengerContinue reading
Patents
Let’s talk about patents. You know, one of the things I’ve learned is that when there’s something that I’m conflicted about, the best and most civilized place to get input on that is the YouTube comments, so I do want to hear your opinions on this – but before you start typing out your take on what the current patent system does or doesn’t do well, hear me out. Because, you know, the situation of patents stopping specific products from existing is something that has been bothering me and aContinue reading