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hardware Status: Active

3D Printing

From Filament to Field Tools

Overview

Started in 2013, now ~35 printers deep. Heavy modifications on every one of them. 3D printing isn't a hobby — it's a fabrication capability. When a part doesn't exist, it gets designed and printed. When a tool is needed in the field, it gets made before the next trip.

Design Workflow

Fusion 360 for custom part design. Every print starts as a problem that needs solving — a mount that doesn't exist, a bracket that needs specific dimensions, a tool that commercial options don't cover. Model it, slice it, print it, test it, iterate.

Fossil Hunting Connection

Paleontology fieldwork generates specific tooling needs that no manufacturer serves. 3D printing fills that gap directly.

SH

Specimen Holders

Custom cradles and mounts sized to specific fossils. Protect fragile specimens during transport and documentation.

FT

Field Tools

Scoops, scrapers, sifting trays — printed in durable materials for actual dig site use.

SR

Scanning Rigs

Turntable mounts and camera brackets for photogrammetry setups. Repeatable angles for consistent 3D scans.

DE

Documentation Equipment

Scale bar holders, label frames, and positioning jigs for consistent specimen photography.

Printer Modifications

  • Belt tensioning — upgraded tensioning systems for dimensional accuracy
  • Hotend upgrades — all-metal hotends for high-temp materials
  • Enclosures — custom enclosures for ABS and other temperature-sensitive filaments
  • Bed leveling — manual mesh leveling and probe calibration

Materials

PL

PLA

Prototypes, display pieces, low-stress parts. Easy to print, good detail.

PG

PETG

Functional parts that need durability and some flex. Water resistant. The workhorse material.

AB

ABS

Heat-resistant parts, enclosure components. Requires enclosed printing. Acetone smoothable.

TP

TPU

Flexible parts — grips, bumpers, gaskets. Tricky to print but irreplaceable for certain applications.

Philosophy

3D printing bridges digital design and physical reality. The gap between "I need this part" and holding it in your hand is measured in hours, not weeks. That capability changes how you approach problems — you stop searching for off-the-shelf and start designing purpose-built.

$ cat printer_status.log
Printer:     Modified Ender-style
Firmware:    Klipper
Bed:         220x220mm (heated)
Nozzle:      0.4mm hardened steel
Material:    PETG (loaded)
Status:      IDLE — ready
Last Print:  fossil-mount-v4.stl
Duration:    2h 14m
Result:      success

Technologies

Fusion 360 Klipper PLA/PETG/ABS Custom Mods

Related

  • Project I.M.P — Toybox Alpha V1 Klipper mod project
  • About — more on fossil hunting and how 3D printing connects

Status

Active. Printers are always being improved, new projects come up regularly. Currently focused on refining fossil documentation tooling.