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
Elegoo Neptune 2 Review
Today we’re going to review the Elegoo Neptune 2. I didn’t even know that Elegoo had made a Neptune 1, I just knew them for their resin printers, but somehow, with the Neptune 2, they managed to make a competitor to the ever-present Ender-3 series and especially the Ender-3 v2 that is actually better in a lot of ways. But there is a tiny problem: Elegoo aren’t letting you buy the Neptune 2, which is puzzling, to say the least. This video does have a sponsor, though, and that’s ExtrudrContinue reading
Can you really trust my reviews?
Let’s talk about reviews. You know, they’ve been an essential part of my channel and of pretty much every other channel in tech, but there seems to be a range of interpretations of how a review should be done, and, if you’re not doing reviews yourself on the regular, you may not be aware of all the different factors that play into the outcome, the bottom line of a review including all of the twisted and intricate details of how reviewers earn an income by doing reviews, like for example,Continue reading
The next “BIG” thing: Prusa Mini Review
When you hear “Prusa” what comes to mind for you, what are your expectations for an original, genuine Prusa 3D printer? Okay, okay, hold on to those; for me, 1) A flawless user experience, so no guesswork, no messing around and tuning things, you just unbox it, set up the software, follow the manual, and get to printing. 2) Good print quality. Like, really good print quality to a point where I would say that, within the limits of current hardware and software, it’s going to be as good asContinue reading
WhamBam Mutant: A Quick-Change Toolhead Upgrade for any 3D Printer! (NOT on Kickstarter)
This is the WhamBam Mutant – patent pending. You just saw what it does – it’s a quickchange system for 3D printers and light-duty CNCs, be it with a routing head or something like a laser. You have one part that stays on the machine, they’re calling this the “Fixed plate”, and one part that stays with the toolhead, that’s the “Mobile Plate”, and they lock together with a pretty simple, but effective mechanism. They slide together with a dovetail and then it’s this lever that locks it all inContinue reading
Forum: Discontinued
TL,DR: “forum.toms3d.org” is being taken offline. It was way too big of a challenge to run and didn’t provide much value. I recommend using the RepRap forum instead. It’s time. forum.toms3d.org is going offline. The forum was originally started as a means to sharing thoughts, ideas and helping others, independent from my YouTube channel. At the time, it was looking like the trusted RepRap wiki and forum were not too well maintained and were going to buckle under the load eventually, so I wanted to have a backup at hand,Continue reading