A Little Bit Further

My computer

If you're wondering why I wasn't posting anything or haven't been making any progress on the printer lately, it's because my computer was broken. In fact, after we fixed it, all of the files were gone. Thankfully all of my 3D printer files and work was all recoverable from the internet as well as backed up on multiple computers so I don't have to redo the entire bill of materials. Speaking of which, I've managed to finish the rest of the bill of materials for the extruder. The revised copy can be found here. The new section is located at the bottom under the Wade's Extruder tab at the bottom. All that's left to do now is order in the parts. I'd like to say thank you to A.R.R. Mechanical Services for making me a piece of M8 by 20mm piece of rod that was nearly impossible to find. They have been a tremendous help in part sourcing as well. You can find a link to their Facebook page here. Thanks Andy.



Aside from the progress on the BOM, I'm happy to have my computer back up and running which means that hopefully this weekend we can sit down and order some parts, build, and make some progress. I've finally found a provider for the correct kinds of belts that we need, which is exciting. We're falling a bit behind due to design changes and technological issues, but we'll keep working until we finish it.


In other good news, I should be able to write blog posts fairly regularly again now that my computer is fixed. I think that's about it for now, however. I'll be sure to put out an update if anything exciting happens. Thanks to everyone else for continue to reading about my progress and continuing to through the recent technical difficulties. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please post them in the comment section below. Thanks again!

Mattel is Entering the 3D Printing Field

Mattel's Thingmaker

Mattel is one of the leading toy companies in the world. Now, they're interested in the 3D printing business too. Mattel has now unveiled their newest product, a 3D printer for kids to make their own toys. The printer is priced at $300 dollars and is just large enough to be used to print parts for toys. The printer is available to pre-ordered now, and production is expected to start in fall of 2016. The idea behind this printer is that kids can print snap-together pieces, just like a conventional 3D printer, and have an infinite number of choices for what they want to create. The printer comes equipped with additional safety features as well, including a locking door and a retractable extruder to prevent children from injuring themselves. The printer is controlled through an application for iOS and Android devices used to send pieces to the printer. The app comes with pre-made parts, however parts can also be built using 3D modeling as well. The app also allows for the parts to swivel around so you are able to see how they work as well. If you'd like to know more about this product, you can find a link here.

If you have any comments, questions, or concerns please post them in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

Technical Difficulties

Hi there,

Due to the fact my computer is currently under maintenance, I can't access the building instructions or write blogs easily.

I'll make sure to let everyone know if the status of anything changes.