I 3D printed the equivalent of a paint swatch that you may find in the paint section of a hardware store. The model for the filament sample is available for download on Thingiverse. There is also a handy holder to store and flip through the samples.

I love this model because it provides an accurate representation of how a filament will look at different textures.

You can flip through the samples without any falling out of the holder.

Whenever I load a roll of filament for the first time, I print one of the filament sample cards. Not only does it give me a preview of how the color of a print will look like, it’s also a chance to tune the slicer settings to best suite the filament I have loaded.

Filament Samples

The remainder of this blog post will serve as digital catalog of all the filaments I’ve printed so far along with pictures of how the filament looks like printed.

Atomic Filament

Atomic Filament is my go-to brand for filament for two main reasons: great quality and it’s made in the USA. Shipment has always been fast and prompt and Atomic Filament has a great selection of colors.

I typically print Atomic Filament at 195 degrees Celsius.

Aqua Translucent

Prints with Atomic Filament’s Aqua Translucent PETG filament:

• Cable Holders
• PitchCar Loop

Black

Prints with Atomic Filament’s Black PLA filament:

• Skyrim Quest Marker
• Systainer Cart

Perfect Red

Prints with Atomic Filament’s Perfect Red PLA filament:

• Giant LEGO Parrot
• Wine Cellar for D&D

Starlight Grey

Prints with Atomic Filament’s Starlight Grey PLA filament:

• Stan Lee Memorial Bust
• Sewer Entrance Marker
• Ancient Portal for D&D

Fillamentum

Fillamentum creates one of my favorite colors of filament: Vertigo Grey. I’m a big fan of their glitter-style filaments. The layers in these filaments blend together making the print lines difficult to see.

Sky Blue

Prints with Fillamentum’s Sky Blue filament:

• Sphere-o-bot Eggbot
• 3D Printed G-Clamp

Vertigo Galaxy

Prints with Fillamentum’s Vertigo Galaxy PLA filament:

• Sphere-o-bot Eggbot

Vertigo Grey

Prints with Fillamentum’s Vertigo Grey filament:

• 3D Printed G-Clamp

HatchBox 3D

Wood Filament

I’ve had successful prints with Hatchbox3D’s wood filament by reducing the print speed (on the default PLA profile in the Prusa Edition of Slic3r) and printing the filament at 185 degrees Celsius.

Prints with Hatchbox 3D’s wood filament:

• Venus Box

PolyAlchemy

I big fan of PolyAlchemy’s Elixir line of filaments. The Elixir filaments have beautiful sheen and are perfect for printing busts or other prints whose primary purchase is for display.

Onyx Elixir

Prints with PolyAlchemy’s Onyx Elixir filament:

• Darth Vader Bust
• Thanos Bust

The post 3D Printed Filament Sample appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

Hello everyone, in this post I’m sharing details on a little drawing robot I built: the Sphere-O-bot. As Easter approaches, I thought building a Sphere-O-Bot (EggBot) would be a fun a STEM related project for the season. I 3D printed the parts for the Sphere-O-Bot, a variant of the original EggBot by Evil Mad Science, and purchased the hardware kit from JJ Robots.

Printing and assembling the EggBot was simple. Getting it to run properly was not. For more details on my troubleshooting process to get the Eggbot running hop over to my tech blog, The Coding Couple.

The 3D Model

The files for the Sphere-o-bot are available for download on Thingiverse. For the main frame of the bot, I used a remix that allowed for a supportless print.

Fillamentum PLA Filament

I used Fillamentum’s Vertigo Galaxy and Sky Blue for the printed parts.

Assembling the EggBot

Assembling the EggBot was pretty straight forward. I purchased the hardware kit from JJ Robots. You can find it here. I might have been able to save a little money sourcing my own parts, but opted for the simplicity of having that work done already. I followed JJ Robot’s online assembly instructions.

Decorating Easter Eggs with the Eggbot via Inkscape

The Eggbot uses an Inkscape extension for communication. Getting the two communication with one another was the most difficult step in the whole project. I’m thankful that I have a technical background and experience with the Python programming language. I needed to debug some code within the eggbot.py file to get the drawing bot working properly. I wrote a blog post explaining the steps I took to get it working on The Coding Couple.

My son loves this little egg bot project and has been requesting many designs drawn onto eggs. This was my first drawing bot and I look forward to building more in the future.

CLICK HERE to check out some of my other 3D printing projects.

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3D print a human scale LEGO Parrot. This model is designed by Stian Ervik Wahlvaag (agepbiz) and is available for download on Thingiverse.

Hello everyone, in this post I’m sharing photos of a really neat 3D print: a giant LEGO parrot! This model was designed by one of my favorite 3D designers on Thingiverse: Stian Ervik Wahlvaag (agepbiz).

The 3D Model

There are two variants of the LEGO parrot. The one I printed the basic version. The original and more interesting version of the project involves a little electronics.

Stian has a really great YouTube video on the project. I highly recommend checking it out:

Filament

I printed the body of the Parrot in Atomic Filament’s Perfect Red PLA. The beak is in Atomic Filament’s Neon Yellow UV Reactive PLA. The wings are in Atomic Filament’s White PETG and Emerald Pearl Swirl PLA.

Assembly

All the parts to the 3D printed Parrot

I wasn’t able to print the entire parrot body on my printer. The z-axis wasn’t large enough so I split the model into two parts.

I used a little CA to attach the two halves. I also used CA glue to attach the wing portions. The beak and eyes were such a snug fit I didn’t need to glue them in place.

3D Printed Human Scaled LEGO Parrot

The giant LEGO parrot is a really neat model and when I have the time, I look forward to printing and assembling the electronic version!

A human scale 3D printed Parrot

Giant 3D printed LEGO parrot

CLICK HERE to check out some of my other 3D printing projects.

The post Giant LEGO Parrot | 3D Printing appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

Hello everyone, in this post I’m sharing photos of one of my favorite models to print: 3D printed G-clamps!

3D Model

I found the model for fully printable clamp on Thingiverse, thing:1673030! The model is designed by the user johann517.

Print Time

The clamps take about 3 hours to print at 20% infill on my Prusa i3 MK2S 3D printer. No supports are necessary to print the model.

Filament

In the photos here, I printed the clamps in Filamentum’s Vertigo Grey, Sky Blue and in a metallic silver PLA that I purchased from Prusa when I purchased my printer.

Assembly

The model consists of 3 parts and they fit together really well.

3D Printed G-Clamp

I love this model and it has been one of my favorite things that I’ve printed. In some ways it acts as a fun fidget toy. I’ve also used it as a functional clamp for a couple woodworking applications.

The post 3D Printed G-Clamp appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

Hello everyone, in this post I’m sharing details about my latest 3D print: a quest marker for The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. This was a project I started for February’s Art of Geek Challenge.

3D Model

When I first thought of the project, I had considered designing the model myself as an exercise for learning Fusion 360. But time ran out and fortunately I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel. I found the model for the Skyrim quest marker on Thingiverse. The model is designed by the user
Chronotau.

Companion 3D Print YouTube Video

Print Time

This was a short print. It took roughly 4 hours for the outer portion and another 2 hours for the inner portion. I printed the model at 20% infill with a brim on my Prusa i3 MK2S 3D printer.

Filament

I printed the outer portion of the quest marker in Black PLA from Atomic Filament. The inner portion of the marker was printed in White PETG from Atomic Filament. (It was the only white filament I had on hand, otherwise I would have used PLA.)

Assembly

The model was well designed and the two pieces snapped together. There is a slot in the model so no worries about alignment. I added a little super glue to keep the two pieces secured together.

3D Printed Skyrim Quest Marker

This was a fun print and I’ll hang the quest marker up in my garage.

The post 3D Printed Skyrim Quest Marker | The Elder Scrolls appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

Hello everyone, today I’m sharing a really cool 3D print of Thanos! The Thanos model was designed by David Östman and is available for download via My Mini Factory.

RELATED POSTS:

• 3D Printed Darth Vader Bust
• 3D Printed Stan Lee Memorial Bust

The bust took about 19 hours to print at 5% infill and with no supports.
I printed the model with PolyAlchemy’s Onyx Elixir PLA and love how it came out.

This is a really cool model, and I look forward to printing more of Mr. Östman‘s work!

The post Thanos Bust | 3D Printing appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

Hello everyone, today I’m sharing build details on my latest shop project: a mobile systainer cart! This was a really easy build that combined two of my favorite hobbies: woodworking and 3D printing.

Buying the official Festool systainer cart will cost you about $100. I was able to build mine for just the cost of the caster wheels. (I bought these 2″ ones on Amazon!) The rest of the supplies I already had on hand.

Most of the work for the systainer cart was cut out for me because the model for the 3D printed cleats is available on Thingiverse.

Let’s get started with the build!

(For sneak peeks on upcoming projects follow me on Instagram!)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  That means if you purchase an item via one of these links, I’ll receive a small commission at no added cost to you.  This helps keep the content on the site free and I appreciate the support! :o)

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies I gathered to build the mobile systainer cart.

Tools

• a 3D printer
• Table saw
• Hand saw and saw guide
• Bandsaw

Supplies

• Atomic Filament Black PLA
• Scrap 2×4
• Screws and washers (4 per caster)
• Wood glue
• Double Sided Tape

You can keep the project simple and use a pocket hole jig to join the base boards together, but I thought this project would be a great opportunity to practice other forms of woodworking joinery: specifically, half lap joints.

The only other time I’ve made half lap joints was for when I built my mobile base for the Ridgid Jointer.

How to Video Tutorial

Watch the how to make video below or continue reading for the written tutorial.

How to build a Systainer Cart

Here’s how I built the systainer cart.

Step 1: 3D print the cleats

Download the STL files via Thingiverse and 3D print them. I used Black PLA from Atomic Filament.

Step 2: Mill the 2×4

I used some 2×4 scraps to construct the base. Because I decided to use half laps for my joinery, I felt that it was worth it to go the extra mile and square the boards.

Step 3: Cut the 2×4 to size

To measure the size of the 2×4, I dry fitted the cleats on the base of one of my systainers and measured the distance between the parts.

I took that measurement and added 1/8″ to the lengths.

My cut list is:

• 10 3/4″ (2)
• 15 3/8″ (2)

These measurements will vary if you opt to use pocket hole joinery to build the base.

Step 4: Cut the half laps

First time I made a half lap joint, I used my circular saw and a chisel. This was a tedious process so this time around I opted to use my bandsaw and a handsaw.

Step 5: Assemble the base

I assembled the base with wood glue and clamps.

Step 6: Install the 3D printed cleats

To install the cleats and avoid issues with aligment, I dry fitted the cleats onto the base of a systainer and applied double sided tape.

Once the tape was on each cleat, I carefully placed the wooden base on top it.

Then, I removed the base from the systainer and screwed the cleats to the base.

Step 7: Install the caster wheels

Finally, install the 2″ caster wheels and enjoy!

Homemade Systainer Cart

Thanks for checking out my project! I hope it inspires you to build one for yourself!

The post DIY Festool Systainer Cart | 3D Printing + Woodworking appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

A 3D printed bust of one of the greatest villains of all time: Darth Vader. (3D model designed by David Östman)

Hello everyone, today I’m sharing one my of favorite 3D prints so far: a bust of the Star Wars villain, Darth Vader! The Darth Vader model was designed by David Östman and is available for download via My Mini Factory.

RELATED POSTS:

• Darth Vader resin necklace
• Star Wars TIE Fighter Bookshelf
• Star Wars Marquee Sign
• 3D Printed Stan Lee Bust

The model is split into two parts: the bust and the stand. No supports are required.

I printed the model with PolyAlchemy’s Onyx Elixir PLA and wow! That stuff looks incredible.

The bust took roughly 26 hours to print and the stand was another 8 hours or so. I printed it at 20% infill.

The first attempt at printing the model, I tried printing it at 0% infill. Unfortunately, it failed. I think probably because the Elixir filament is a bit flexible and and some point during the print it flexed and triggered a chain reaction of fail.

This is a wonderful model, and I can’t wait to print more of Mr. Östman‘s work!

The post Darth Vader Bust | 3D Printing appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

Hello everyone, today I’m sharing something 3D printed a couple weeks ago: a memorial bust of Stan Lee. Yesterday (December 28) would have been Stan Lee’s 96th birthday. Also, December’s theme for the Art of Geek Challenge is “Tribute to Stan Lee.”

What’s the Art of Geek Challenge?

The Art of Geek Challenge is a monthly, just for fun geek-themed maker challenge inspired by movies, tv shows, comics, video games and more. Each month has a new theme.

The challenge is Instagram only.

RELATED POSTS:

• Darth Vader Bust
• Thanos Bust

The model for Stan Lee is available for download on Cults3D. I printed it on my Prusa i3 MK2S with Atomic Filament’s Starlight Gray PLA at 5% infill. It took about 11 hours to print the model at 0.15 resolution. No supports were necessary.

It’s a really nice model and a great tribute piece.

CLICK HERE to check out some of the other tribute pieces created for the Stan Lee Art of Geek Challenge.

CLICK HERE to check out some of my other 3D printing projects.

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3D printed equal space divider

Hey everyone, today I’m sharing my latest 3D printed creation: equal space dividers. I found the model for the dividers on Thingiverse. The model is thing:3047338 designed by the user RiaanAspeling. An equal space divider is a really handy woodworking tool for quickly marking intervals of equal distance.

I printed the equal space divider on my Prusa i3 MK2S 3D printer. It took about 10 hours or so to print all the parts to make a 6 point divider. I printed the divider in FilamentOne’s Vertigo Gray PLA. The filament is gorgeous and as of typing this, my favorite filament to use. I used the default PLA settings in the Prusa Edition of Slic3r.

Equal space divider parts printed in FilamentOne’s Vertigo Gray PLA

It’s pretty neat tool, but not one I see myself using often. When the time arises that I need, I’ll be glad that I have one.

3D printed equal space divider

I 3D printed some equal space dividers! It’s another @thingiverse model, thing:3047338. I printed it with my favorite PLA – @filamentonecom’s Vertigo Gray. It’s not a tool I see myself using often, but if I ever need it I’ll have one. . #equalspacedivider #3dprint #3dprinting #vertigogray #pla #plafilament #3dprintedtools #woodworker #mfpbehindthescenes #woodworkingtools #calipers #maker #makersgonnamake #makersgonnaprint #printallthethings

A post shared by Ashley Grenon | Geeky Maker (@handmadewithashley) on Aug 15, 2018 at 2:38pm PDT

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