Two-Tone 3D Printing

The 3D printed model is a combination of red ABS filament and blue PLA filament. Anthony used the stop/start method to print it. 

Ninja Flex

So my husband has a new kind of filament for his 3D printer. The filament is called Ninja Flex. It is rubbery like a tire and extremely flexible. Very fun. You should get some.

3D Printed Tablet Stand

So my husband came up with this awesome idea of making me a 3D printed tablet stand so I can take better pics for my blog. The tablet stand turned out awesome. Anthony did such a good job with it! We both agree that PLA, the type of plastic he used to print the stand, has a smoother surface and is much easier to work with than ABS plastic.

 

 

Arduino Date 3: Fading

We had some more fun with the Arduino and breadboard. This particular tutorial, "fading" went rather quickly for us. I think the example picture helped me figure it out pretty fast. So fast, that Anthony thought that it would be nice to do another new tutorial. I thought it might be nice to stop while we were still having fun! We ended up stopping while we were ahead, and switching activities to yoga at my request. 

Arduino Tutorial Date With Anthony

For starters, we went to the arduino website. We found a tutorial there for us to work through. We then plugged in the arduino (mini computer) to a laptop for power via a USB cable. Second, we connected the arduino to a breadboard (creme colored rectangular thing/ temp circuit board). Third, we connected an LED light to the arduino via the breadboard. Fourth, we used the laptop to program the arduino to control the LED light. So cool. Part of the time it was hard to concentrate on the tutorial because the tutor was so cute.

The Fume Hood For The 3D Printer - Part 2

Instead of continuing the use of our fine dust buster to suction the ABS molten plastic fumes outdoors from inside our apartment around our 3D printer, my dear husband went to Radio Shack and bought a small fan to attach to the beginning of the duct. This new advance pulls air from the 3D printer into the duct allowing the air to flow out the window. Anthony was not sure the fan would be large enough, but after wiring it up he found that it worked.

 

 

Anthony's Graduation

My husband Anthony graduated from Clemson University today with a Masters in Mechanical Engineering! Woohoo. I'm so proud of him. We began our eventful day with riding the bus with sweet little baby girl Shastya to the ME Design & Manufacturing group luncheon, followed by the graduation ceremony, which was followed by a small family graduation party at our apartment. Baby girl cried her congrats from way up in the stands to Daddy as he received his diploma.

 

 

    

 

The Fume Hood For The 3D Printer - Part 1

Anthony designed a fume hood to whisk air out the window from around our 3D printer because it is not good to breathe in the ABS molten plastic fumes. Earlier this evening he had gone to the local Lowe's and to the local Walmart for supplies instead of ordering a fume hood and all it's attachments online, which would have been much more expensive. He made the fume hood out of a large toilet paper box that he had found in a dumpster behind Walmart. Next, he covered the toilet paper box with clear vinyl sheeting and duct tape to make the fume hood airtight. Then he cut a hole in the back of the box and attached a duct to the fume hood. On the other side of the 16 ft. long aluminium duct Anthony attached a dust buster and put it out the window.