Adding a GPU with Powered PCIe Risers
Adding a GPU (graphics card) to your PC, but not enough space or full length slots available? a great solution is to use a "Powered PCIe Riser".
Get Started with the Internet of Things with an ESP8266 IoT Sensor/Timer
Lots of people ask me about IoT (“The Internet of Things”). It’s a currently warm, if no longer hot, buzzword. Problem is I find a lot of the instruction out there …
Cheap solution for WiFi dead spots – TP-Link PowerLine Ethernet Review
When I put together my brand new Virtual Reality PC I immediately encountered a problem. Wifi dead zone.
How to Automagically Create Thumbnail Images Using Python
Formatting round-up posts takes a bit of effort so I have been looking for ways to make the non-creative work as automated as possible. One of these tasks is creating thumbnails. Turns out it is …
Playing with Grove – LCD Displays
Recently I have come around to really enjoy the Grove sensors and displays from Seeed. They are so convenient!
Kano Pixel Review
In my research for my maker kids kits series, I came across a new gadget from Kano, the makers of the famous Raspberry Pi computing kit. It looked interesting so I bought one. Here are my thoughts on …
Should you buy one, big 3d printer or multiple, smaller printers?
Should you get one big 3d printer or multiple, smaller printers? It’s a question I get asked a lot. Obviously, the question is usually answered with a question … or 5 … There is, …
11/11 3D Printer and Maker Deals – It’s Chinese Black Friday!
We all know about Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but did you know about the equivalent with Chinese companies? It's 11/11 - a fantastic time for deals on 3D printers, laser engravers, and drones.
Maker Kits for Making Maker Kids
It must be building up to gift-giving season because I have been asked a whole bunch of times for ideas for what parents should buy their kids to encourage their interest in making – …
Ultimaker 3 First Impressions Review
Ultimaker sent me an Ultimaker 3 for review, and to try out some projects on – exciting stuff (and from community reaction, I am not the only one who thinks so!). Since I posted my video I have …
3D Printed “Spooky” Arduino/Raspberry Pi Electronics Projects for Halloween
Halloween is an awesome time for makers. Each year I like to beat my previous year’s builds. For Halloween this year I thought I would do something a bit special and create two projects. This is …
Prusa i3 Mk2/Mk3 or Creality CR-10 – Which is the Best 3D Printer Under $1,000?
Prusa i3 Mk2/Mk3 and Creality CR-10 are the hot 3d printers right now under $1,000, but which should YOU choose?
Athorbot Buddy Couple Dual Extruder 3D Printer Review
Athorbot Buddy Couple Dual Extruder 3D Printer Review - In this article we cover the 3d printer build/assembly, some sample prints, how to get it running, and first Impressions after a week of use.
Creality CR-10 S5 Review
Creality CR-10 reviews are almost always about the regular sized 300mm x 300mm bed 3d printer (see my CR-10 review here) and reviews rarely talk about the big brother, the Creality CR-10 S5. I have …
These 3D Printer Companies are Abusing Open Source
3D Printer manufacturers are in my (non-lawyer opinion) abusing open source, profiting from the developers and the community while not complying with their wishes and the license terms.
Anet A8 for only $155.99
Get the amazing value Anet A8 for only $155.99 Act fast – There are just 10 printers of each plug available (if one runs out just get the other and use any spare plug you have around).
PHP Script to Backup Flickr Photosets
Years ago I wrote a PHP script to download photographs from Flickr. That was the previous time the company changed hands, when it was sold to Yahoo! I am not sure I want to keep my photos on Flickr …
Filament Review
A Canadian filament company sent me a couple of spools to review but I can no longer support them so all references to the company are removed.
In Defence of ABS
ABS gets a rough rap in the 3d printing community, so I wanted to give a small defence of ABS filament for your 3d printer consideration …
Nylon 3D Printing Filament is Awesome!
Nylon 3d printing filament is not as popular as PLA or ABS, but after giving it some serious use recently I wanted to implore you to at least try it.
5 Ways to Bond and Glue 3D Printed Parts
Finishing is an important part of 3d printing, but how do you combine, glue, and bond your 3d printed parts to get a 3d printing result you can be proud of?
3D Printed (HIPS) Solar System
A scale model of the solar system, 3d printed in white Inksmith HIPS filament - how well does HIPS work and why would you consider it for your 3d printing?
3D Printed, Raspberry Pi Powered, Doctor Who Tardis
Doctor Who, Raspberry Pi AND 3D printing fans will love this 3D Printed Tardis, powered by Raspberry Pi, that can play all the sounds effects from the show!
Anet A8 Review – Budget ($200 or less!) 3D Printer Kit Review
The Anet A8 is a $200 (or less!) 3d printer kit. In this review we answer the question how good could a sub-$200 prusa i3 clone 3d printer kit actually be?
How to Use Tinkercad to Make a Custom Gift – a Personalized 3D Printed Maze Puzzle
In this beginner-friendly 3d cad tutorial, we are going to create a personalized maze puzzle in Tinkercad, ready for 3d printing!
Raspberry Pi Remote Access – 3 Ways to Make Your Raspberry Pi Accessible Outside Your Network
Raspberry Pi remote access can be tricky. What can you do? How can you make it easy for you to remote access, but difficult for the bad guys?
Meshmixer Tutorial – Using Meshmixer to Delete and Edit Parts of an Existing .STL
Using Meshmixer takes your 3D printing superpowers to the next level. Find an existing STL file, modify it, delete parts, and then export for 3D printing - See how easy it can be in this tutorial and …
ESP32 Arduino – First Look
The ESP32 is the newest* super powered IoT/Arduino board you are going to want in your arsenal. I have long been a fan of the ESP8266, especially the cheap Chinese NodeMCU boards, so when I saw the …
How to Install and Set Up Octopi for Remote Raspberry Pi 3D Printer Control with Octoprint
Octopi is a fantastic system for running your 3D printers remotely, using a Raspberry Pi, including built in webcam and time lapse features. Installing Octoprint need not be a chore on Mac or Windows. …
Creality CR-10 3d printer review – Large format, quality output, at a low price!
Creality CR-10 3d printer. A large format, budget, Chinese, almost pre-built machine for all your large model 3d printing needs. The name will either mean nothing to you, or you will have a mixture of …
3D Printing Tip: Quick and easy filament 3D printer spool holder
3D printing filament spool holders have often been a pain. Most don’t work well in practice, and can take too much time to make. In this video, Ben shows how to make one that takes seconds to …
Raspberry Pi Zero Wireless first boot issues
So there I am. Happy as a little boy on Christmas morning. I just got my Raspberry Pi Zero Wireless in the mail! WHOOT!!!! I’m about to start work on my dream bot that will cost hardly anything …
Best $300 3D Printers
$300 3D printers are apparently all that people are asking about in the Facebook groups so I thought I would write this up to stop having to repeat myself :) Word of warning, all of these printers …
The Problem with 3D Printing
Lately there has been a rash of people on the 3D printing forums and Facebook groups complaining about their 3D printers in a way that makes me think their expectations are set too high. I don’t …
TEVO Black Widow 3D Printer Kit Build and First Impressions Review
The TEVO Black Widow is a sub-$500 Chinese 370x250mm 3D printer kit. How good could it possibly be?
Is Making an Expensive Hobby?
Is making expensive? Just lately I have had a few people imply I was wasting my money on all this electronics/3d printing shenanigans. But is it really any more expensive or wasteful as anything else? …
Wombot Exilis XL Review
A lot of people have asked me about my Wombot Exilis XL 3D printer experience since I ordered it almost a year ago. Why have I been so hesitant to talk about it? Read on to find out …
Upgrading the Wanhao Di3 from Good to Amazing
The Wanhao Duplicator i3 Prusa style printer is my second favourite, and most-used, printer out of my entire collection. As a budget, pre-built printer, it is the printer I have recommended most. Out …
Add PEI to your 3D printer bed and get every print to stick!
One of the reasons Prusa Mk2 and Lulzbot printers are so reliable is they have a special PEI surface to print on. In my experience it is one of the best print surfaces, needing no glue for PLA or ABS. …
Original Prusa i3 Mk2 Build and Review
The Original Prusa i3 Mk2 3D printer - does it live up to the hype? Check out my review ....