This isn't exactly what I had in mind for the 100th project log, but a few days ago...

... three, actually, I put all the SecSavr projects on the shelf because my highest priority project, #Tetrinsic [gd0041], expectedly hit a snag when trying to bring it out of the virtual and into the real world. I was thinking "Ouch. If this is what perils await me for a project that only has a few components, perhaps I should be realistic and shelve the research and design of a 3D printer, its printing software and its materials science research for some time in the distant future.", partially because I recently watched this Meta Quest AR mod whereby the designer went from start to finish in 6 months and his original concept was very similar to the final device, unlike Tetrinsic which has changed numerous times in its 19 months of development.

Additionally, a few more days ago, I got onto the hopium train as they're now serving the room temperature superconductor LK-99. It's an inspiring ride that is best summed up by the following image going around:

Most of this induced hopium energy has actually gone to being mentally prepared to continue tackling #Coaxial Hotend [gd0144], understandably because I'm essentially validating a discovery from Nozzleboss just as scientists around the globe are validating LK-99. I had to get off the train since, as you can see by the graph, the time period between evidence suggesting one or the other was getting shorter and shorter

After shelving the SecSavr project, I went and researched other 3D printer projects, such as these below:

The things I was able to gather was that

• The material holders, due to their weight, probably should use a T12 leadscrew. However, in the persuit of longevity and minimal maintenance, multiple projects advise the use of ballscrews (with a decoupling mechanism)
• It's possible to use 2 linear rails seperated by spacers to emulate an I-beam for rigidity.
• If I actually had the skill, it would be possible to design the printer at a faster rate (based on the 4 months in 6 minutes video)

Additionally, I found some articles on All3DP when searching for full-colour 3D printers:

• https://all3dp.com/4/colorize-your-lithophanes-with-bambu-labs-cmyk-filament-bundle/
  • More relevant to Coaxial Hotend
• https://all3dp.com/addwii-enters-market-low-cost-full-color-3d-printing/
• https://all3dp.com/worlds-first-full-color-paper-3d-printer-for-your-desktop/

But the notable articles that eventually lead to me reversing my decision on SecSavr were these:

• https://all3dp.com/2/diy-resin-3d-printer-sla/
  • At the time of writing, only 5 printers are on this list. It seems that only designed + built printers are on here, and no work-in-progress printers.
• https://all3dp.com/4/bambu-lab-p1p-price-drop-first-gen-printers-a-55-100/
  • Which is a post about https://blog.bambulab.com/bambu-lab-anniversary/
  • With Tetent in mind, my takeaway from this blogpost is that I can put out a device that, while comparatively better than the competition, it's only partway where I wanted the solution to be. 
    • Personally though, I don't strive for "Better than the competition", but "It's just Better(TM)". I want something that I can finish and still use 5+ years later without a single change (which is a lower bar than it sounds, considering all my not-so-temporary temporary gear).
  • Bambulab is aiming for a printer with the kind of consumer-level maturity as an iPhone, and that's the reason why they only rate themselves 55/100.
    • (meanwhile I'm tilting my head like "Yeah... I'd put a 45, but that's primarily because I'm not a fan of sub-300mm printers and partially because I was hoping that a printer like the X1C would've existed in 2020, thus I was loosing hope by the time it rolled around in 2022.")
    • (But really though, it's only an extra 5cm for each axis! Hopefully, BambuLabs is developing a competitor to the Creality K1 Max, which is a 300mm competitor that sits inbetween the P1P and X1C.)
  • I also agree with the statement "Developing groundbreaking products requires long iterative processes, especially when there are no existing references to study.".
• https://all3dp.com/4/solidscape-launches-small-affordable-wax-3d-printer-for-jewelers/
  • While it's $15K, it's the lowest cost material jetting 3D printer I know of now. It prints in 2 materials --wax and support material -- and uses a blade to mill imperfections to ensure a consistent layer height.
• https://all3dp.com/4/corexy-open-source-the-new-race-to-the-bottom/
  • This linked to https://blog.bambulab.com/let-the-arms-race-begin/
    • I only got to the 3rd paragraph when I thought:
      • This guy... actually want's a fight, right? Like I've got a printer concept in the back and I'm also trying to drive that consumer-consious, almost-Aliexpress line too. And the open source camp could use some new heat which isn't "Fast CoreXY" but still FDM/FFF.

Soon afterwards, I was thinking of The Joke Is On You with the below lyrics directed at Me 3 Days Ago:

• It's an all-night party that I'm getting into,
• but if you think "it's so over" than the joke is on you. 
• I've got a dream; it's like a theme: designing tech that's brand new. 
• If you think delays will stop me then the joke is on you!

And that's how I got to this log here. Hopefully, now that the 100th log has been written, I'm less hesitant to write future ones since the slight thought of "oh, but the 100th log should be special" is no longer applicable. Like Nano Dimension, if the laws of physics don't permit a solution, I'll stand down and reluctantly go back to impatiently waiting for a full-colour 3D printer under £2,000. 

[31 Aug] 

Sigh. 

I was progressing #Tetrinsic [gd0041]  and the time until I finished modelling the next "manufacturing candidate" felt nearby, but the motor that I've based it on for the past 12 months has just "spanish 'n' vanished". As written in this log, it could be "so over" for real this time.

I'll have to shelve most of my projects for the forseable future.