Back to Making

I know, it’s been a while since I’ve been around here. In fact, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to spend any time making things at home. I have been busy with work, and that has prevented me from spending any time on the hobbies I love.

The biggest problem over the last six months has been my commute. Traveling an hour each way to work is bad enough. But it has also thrown off my sleeping schedule, so I feel tired when I actually find some free time. And if I’m tired, then I’m not motivated to do much.

Fortunately, that will change in the very near future. Within the next month, I plan on switching to a 100% remote work situation. The hours I’ll gain back each week will be great, plus I’ll actually be well-rested and motivated to start some new personal projects.

To get a small taste of my old maker hobby, I decided to browse Thingiverse for a 3D model to print. And I ended up printing this:

Click for full-size image.

This poseable model of the Robot Devil from Futurama was a lot of fun to print. And to make painting the eyes easier, I printed out this improvement from another Thingiverse member.

I look forward to having more time to make things on my own again. Although I enjoyed printing and putting together a pre-built model, I miss designing and building things from scratch.

Fixing My Garbage Can With 3D PRINTING

My garbage can has a design flaw — and I used 3D printing to fix it!

Watch as I model, print, and install spacers to the bottom of my garbage can to prevent it from tilting and scratching up my wall.

 

Finishing the Firefly 3D Printed Prop Pistol

Remember when I 3D printed the pistol from Firefly? I finally revisited that project and finished the 3D printed pieces, turning the plastic-looking parts into a fully assembled, realistic looking replica of Malcolm Reynold’s pistol!

Watch the video to learn how I transformed 3D printed parts into my first replica prop gun!

Sanding

I spent a lot of time on this project sanding the 3D parts smooth. I found the best way was to start with 80 grit sandpaper to get rid of all the print lines. Then I moved up to 180 grit to refine the finish. And finally, I moved to 240 grit or even 400 grit to really smooth out the surface. Continue reading “Finishing the Firefly 3D Printed Prop Pistol”

Should You Get a 3D Printer?

This is the last of my three-part series introducting 3D printers! Learn how other people are using 3D printers and whether you should buy one for yourself!

What Is 3D Printing?

Are you curious about 3D printing? Watch my latest video to learn the basics of how 3D printers work, and at the end of the video I will tell you how you can start experimenting with 3D printing without even owning a 3D printer!

3D Modeling Software

As I mentioned in the video, there are several powerful 3D modeling programs that are available for free or with a free license for hobbyists and makers. Here is a quick summary of some of the most popular free 3D modeling programs: Continue reading “What Is 3D Printing?”

Learn Fusion 360 by Making a Webcam Cover

Learn more about Fusion 360 in my latest video, where I teach you how to make a webcam cover.

Building on my previous Fusion 360 tutorial, I will teach you how to use symmetry and mirroring, extrude from existing faces, and the basics of the Loft tool.

Although the exact dimensions I use in the video are specific to the brand and model of webcam that I use, you can easily use the techniques to make your own custom webcam cover for your own webcam.

Light-Up Printed Decoration with LEDs and Acrylic

I know it’s been a while since I’ve put up a new video, but life was hectic for a few weeks. But I have been working on a new project! For part of that project, I will use 3D printing, acrylic, and LEDs, so I wanted to experiment with using those materials in a smaller project. So I made a small light-up decoration using my 3D printer, acrylic, and LEDs.

Continue reading “Light-Up Printed Decoration with LEDs and Acrylic”