SOLDERING PRINT BED ON PRUSA I3 MK2

3D PRINTER MAINTENANCE:

My Prusa i3 MK2 no longer was able to heat up the print bed so I could 3D print upgrade parts for the MK2.5S. This work-horse of a machine has brought many ideas into reality for a lot of our customers. Now we're 3D printing parts for a 3D printer to become another 3D printer! 

But first, I had to repair the broken wire causing the failed heated bed that happened from shear over-use. This is a maintenance repair for the printer, not a defect. Something that most people new to 3D printing (including myself) find out - 3D printers need work, especially if you want to make them work all the time. I enjoy repairing my 3D printers when I can, so I soldered the wire back and calibrated the printer. I am very new to soldering. If you have any tips please share them in the comments! Would love to learn!

Then, we printed the first of the replacement parts after running a Z-calibration and now we're able to 3D print for our customers again! Phew! 

3D Printing the Start of Something New

Since the start of AG3D Printing in 2016, we have been using 3D printing to bring ideas into reality. We've leveraged 3D printing to solve all types of problems, including: 

• Problems and fixes for around the house
• Customized science experiments
• Custom parts for hobbies and gifts for loved ones
• Repairing, restoring, reverse engineering
• Helping entrepreneurs create prototypes they can showcase to future investors and let them experience the idea before they invest
• Helping DIYers, Makers, and Inventors 3D print their latest ideas and prototypes
• ...and so much more!

We look forward to another year of helping others bring their ideas into reality! I thank all of our customers for choosing AG3D - we couldn’t have done it without you so thank you for putting your trust in us.

NEW FOCUS ON 3D PRINTING PROJECTS:
ENGINEERING

Starting this summer, I want to focus on the educational and innovative side of our company. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Alex G. Orphanos and I am the founder of AG3D and our parent science communication company, Today In Space, LLC. I studied Aerospace Engineering in college with a focus on spacecraft and cubesats. I also worked as a lead R&D engineer for a plastics manufacturing company in CT for 4 years. A major reason why I started a company, more specifically this one, was to be able to work on the projects that interested me. To use engineering to solve any problem, but more specifically, the problems I believe need solving. 

In order to do that, I need to learn more. I need to develop my skills and experience so that I have a chance at solving these problems I want to work on. That is the driving mindset for myself over the next year. I will be writing short update blogs regularly to update you on my progress with various engineering projects that will use 3D printing, CAD design, Reverse Engineering, 3D scanning, and RaspberryPi's that make use of all types of hardware through custom software. 

The first two projects will include a RaspberryPi driven 3D printed car and a RaspberryPi DIY drone. Both of these projects will be challenging for me as I have never applied my full programming knowledge to real-life applications. In college I was a designer for a prototype iOS app to create paperless lab reports, but I've never programmed something to move a motor or drive a car, never-mind to pilot a drone. It's going to be a lot of fun and I hope you follow along and join in!

When you see this logo you'll know it's an AG3D Engineering project

LEARN TO 3D PRINT AT HOME!

If that's not enough, we'll also be doing a series of videos focused on helping anyone who wants to start 3D printing at home. The wave of the future could be desktop 3D printers, but it can't happen without a knowledgeable public who can take advantage of this amazing technology. We hope to cover most of the basics and some of the troubleshooting steps we've learned along the way. The purpose of these videos is to take the sting out of the steep learning curve that is 3D printing and make it possible to start creating from your very own home.

This next year or so will be a great learning experience for me and I hope you learn a lot too. This project of projects is not just about creating a 'digital resume', it's about making myself better and putting myself in a place where I can actively solve problems with science, engineering, and innovation....and oh ya, 3D printing!

To stay up to date make sure to subscribe to this blog, our Youtube page AG3D Printing, and on our Instagram page @AG3Dprinting

Please stay in touch and leave us comments, questions, or recommendations on what to work on next! We'd love to hear from you and look forward to seeing you involved!

As always - spread love and spread science!

Alex G. Orphanos