Welcome to our maker news where we wrap up some fun and interesting stories in the maker world from the last few weeks. The video will come out on Fridays, but we are posting a topic here on Wednesdays to post the video’s sources and to collect any news from the community to potentially include in next week’s as well as just open up general discussion.
This week we looked at:
A DIY Desktop Vegas Sphere
YouTuber Maker Electronics Projects has created an incredible desktop version of the Vegas Sphere using a spinning RP2040-based persistence of vision display bringing the wow factor of the massive Vegas attraction right to your desk in miniature (and rotational) form.
The build includes custom video converters, a slick web interface, and extensive documentation explaining the theory behind how it works. What makes this project stand out is the attention to detail and thoroughness—it comes with excellent instructions and all the necessary files for you to build your own. This is genuinely one of the most impressive maker projects we’ve seen, with an obvious amount of care and effort put into both the creation and documentation.
A Slicer Tweak for Stronger 3D Prints
Tentech, who we have previously mentioned for some clever slicer tweaks, has developed yet another one to improve z-axis strength in 3D prints. If you are familiar with 3D printing you would know that nearly everything you print has a weak axis, the z-axis that the layer lines run along. This simple script, which works across Prusa, Orca, and Bambu slicers, creates interlocking sine wave layers instead of the traditional flat layers that cause this weakness (as these flat z-axis layers can easily delaminate). While comprehensive testing is still needed to quantify the exact strength improvement (we’re looking at you, Stephan from CNC Kitchen!), preliminary tests suggest that the enhancement is worth the extra processing effort. This could be a game-changer for functional prints where structural integrity is crucial and like brick-layers, we could see it rolled out in slicers soon.
Philips Releases 3D Printable Replacement Parts
Philips, yes the major electronics company, has launched a surprising pilot program publishing open-source 3D printable replacement parts for commonly lost or broken components of their products. In a partnership with Prusa Printers, they’re gradually rolling out parts (there are very few right now) along with a system that allows customers to request specific replacement components for their devices. While the initiative is still in its early stages with an uncertain future, this represents a significant step toward a right-to-repair future and we hope that it has legs. The pilot program is also only for Europe right now and you may need to translate the page from Czech.
And if you have any news from the maker world, feel free to post it below and we may include it in next week’s video, until then we will see you next week!
