Tools

Building the MakerGear Mosaic 3D Printer – Part V: The Extruder

Building the MakerGear Mosaic 3D Printer – Part V: The Extruder

This is the fifth installment of my series on building the MakerGear Mosaic 3D printer. This part covers installation of the “business end” of the machine, i.e. the extruder assembly, which consists of the preassembled motor and filament drive / hot-end groups, and the cooling fan. The fan and heater power leads, and the temperature sensor lead, are also connected at this stage.

Handy Lens Cap Clip

Handy Lens Cap Clip

We’ve covered a couple of clever len-cap-retaining tricks before. My favorite is probably the “lens cap buckle” strap attachment Adam covered back in June, which I like because it requires no modification of the lens cap itself. But this recently crowd-funded stick-on Nice Clip product has a lot going for it, too: It’s cheaper, for one, and…

Gift Guide: Power Tools

Here are our picks for some electrified craft gadgets that will get your studio’s motor running. What are your favorite craft power tools? Leave a note in the comments below. Brother 1034D 3/4 Lay-In Thread SergerA serger really takes the home sewer’s capabilities to the next level. Make professional-looking knitwear, rolled-hem napkins in a flash, […]

Building the MakerGear Mosaic 3D Printer – Part II: The Y-Axis

Building the MakerGear Mosaic 3D Printer – Part II: The Y-Axis

This is the second installment of my series on building Rick and Karen Pollack’s MakerGear Mosaic 3D printer. This part covers assembly of the robot’s first of three Cartesian axes. One of the nice features of the Mosaic kit is that several of the more complex subassemblies are supplied pre-built, greatly simplifying construction. This stage of the build consists essentially of…