Innovating A Better Printing Platform

Just because you have a fancy new 3D printer doesn’t mean that innovation should stop there. Almost everyone has had a print go foul if the first layer doesn’t properly adhere to the printing platform — to say nothing of difficulty in dislodging the piece once it’s finished. Facing mixed results with some established tricks meant to combat these issues, [D. Scott Williamson] — a regular at Chicago’s Workshop 88 makerspace — has documented his trials to find a better printer platform.

For what he had (a printer without a heated plate), painter’s tape and hairspray wasn’t cutting it, especially …read more

Continue reading Innovating A Better Printing Platform

Innovating A Better Printing Platform

Just because you have a fancy new 3D printer doesn’t mean that innovation should stop there. Almost everyone has had a print go foul if the first layer doesn’t properly adhere to the printing platform — to say nothing of difficulty in dislodging the piece once it’s finished. Facing mixed results with some established tricks meant to combat these issues, [D. Scott Williamson] — a regular at Chicago’s Workshop 88 makerspace — has documented his trials to find a better printer platform.

For what he had (a printer without a heated plate), painter’s tape and hairspray wasn’t cutting it, especially …read more

Continue reading Innovating A Better Printing Platform

Glues You Can Use: Adhesives for the Home Shop

A while back I looked at lubricants for the home shop, with an eye to the physics and chemistry behind lubrication. Talking about how to keep parts moving got me thinking about the other side of the equation – what’s the science behind sticking stuff together? Home shops have a lot of applications for adhesives, so it probably pays to know how they work so you can choose the right glue for the job. We’ll also take a look at a couple of broad classes of adhesives that are handy to have around the home shop.

The Science of Sticky

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Continue reading Glues You Can Use: Adhesives for the Home Shop