This is the first official 3D Lab news letter and I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself, the people helping me out, and the lab.
The Lab
First off, by now you have likely noticed, but we have a full fledged 3D Lab at the space now. We started the lab late last year with one printer in the Artifactory and have since grown to three printers and relocated to the front room of the lobby in the same room as the computer lab. If you have not checked out the lab yet please come by sometime and check it out. We run orientation classes on the first Wednesday of the month and the third Saturday morning of the month to get people trained on how to use the machines.
Who is running the lab?
If we have not met yet, hello, my name is Joseph and I am the 3D Lab (and Computer Lab) manager. I have been doing 3D printing since about 2012 and used to run the 3D Lab at the Milwaukee Makerspace before I moved up here. Helping me out with various things around the lab are Michael Butler (the Electronics manager) and Jaysen B.. If you are ever in the lab and need help please feel free to flag any of us down, email 3dlab@tcmaker.org, or post on the slack channel.
Want to help out?
If you would like to volunteer to help out we always appreciate the extra help. Just email me at 3dlab@tcmaker.org and we can talk.
New SD card tags
We recently had several SD cards go missing. It happens, they are small and easily misplaced. But they also get pricey to replace often so I have been trying to figure out how to make them stand out more and be harder to misplace. Enter these new tags I designed this morning. The cards are now labeled very clearly per printer and they should be vastly more visible. Please remember that gcode is printer specific so please only use the marked card with the correct printer so we do not run the wrong gcode on a machine.
WiFi sign project
Recently I designed some new WiFi password signs for the space and I have been working on printing out several to hang up around the space. If you are and you feel like there is a place that still needs a sign please print one out and hang it up. The file is in the downloads folder of the 3D Lab computer. I have just been printing them out and using a permanent marker to color the raised text but you could also pause the printer when it gets to the text and change the filament color (like I did for the SD card tags).
Anyone want to fix this printer?
We recently had someone donate this old Solidoodle printer. It is a good frame but the board is shot and a lot of the parts are also very much broken. It needs a lot of work but could be a good printer to be enclosed for printing ABS and other materials that need to be in an enclosed and ventilated space. I personally do not have the time to fix it but if someone feels up to the challenge please reach out to me at 3dlab@tcmaker.org and let me know you want to take on the project. I brought in a spare arduino mega and an old j-head hotend I had so maybe we could replace the board with a ramps and just fix up the broken parts and be good.
