D4 JOURNAL
Failures, fixes and the bits worth remembering next time.
Not polished tutorials pretending the first attempt worked. These are project notes after the plastic has cooled down.
AI-ASSISTED // QUICK PRINT
3D Printing in Progress: A Toilet Door Hanger Made for a Laugh
A silly idea, Creality SignForge Beta, AI-assisted SVG artwork and one genuinely printed toilet door hanger. 100% organic filament, apparently.
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GARDEN // WORK IN PROGRESS
Beyond the Rectangle: Garden Junctions
Dad wanted a bigger garden cover. The silver-grey PETG T60 cracked because the pole fit was too tight. T70 ran out of room for the deeper sockets and thicker walls, so I moved to a black T76. The four-way was printed and fit-tested too. Its upright socket was looser; outdoor tests are still ahead.
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CR-SCAN OTTER // FIRST JOB
My First 3D Scan: Many Hours, Many Tokens, One Handoff
Connection trouble, partial scans, AI repair mistakes and one STL finally handed over. Was it worth it? Still finding out.
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BOOK WEEK // REMIX
Don’t Reinvent the Shield
A good existing shield, three layers of red and five minutes of fake ageing. Keep what works; give the original maker credit.
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K2 PRO // FAILURE + RECOVERY
Three Hours, Two Burns and One Snapped Nozzle
A clog, a snapped nozzle, a dead hotend, a replacement that immediately threw TE2762 — and the two tiny grey jewels that finally proved the K2 Pro was alive again.
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DEBUGGING
The Bug That Wasn't a Bug
I blamed the new website tag maker. One piece had the wrong filament colour.
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SALT + PEPPER // SMALL PROBLEM
Sometimes the Small Problem Wins
World hunger can wait. Salt and pepper dust was annoying me enough to design a tiny caddy for it.
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UNO // MAKER STORY
Stop Redesigning What Already Works
A broken latch, a sliding lid and a few little test prints taught me when to stop changing a box that already worked.
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SPENDIOSA // ITERATION
3D-Printed Tap-to-Pay Wand: The SPENDIOSA Build
A 3D-printed wand, small fit tests, 30+ sliding-lock cycles and the R11 card lifter.
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AI + 3D DESIGN // FEATURE
AI-Assisted 3D Design: Lessons From My Workshop
Small test prints, working fits and practical notes from AI-assisted 3D design. Includes the original V1 starter pack.
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BUILD LOG
When a Better Design Makes a Worse Prototype
Five minutes, four escaped clips, and one very clear redesign brief.
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PRINT TUNING
Tiny Text, Big Problems
The settings that finally made tiny lettering printable.
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HUEFORGE
The Dog Turned Black
A gift print, a disappearing face, and a lesson in trusting the preview.
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DESIGN LESSON
The 20.00 mm Magnet That Wasn’t
Why a 20 mm magnet ended up needing a 20.20 mm cavity.
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WORKFLOW
Why My Prototypes Have Version Numbers
A lightweight release habit for remembering what actually printed.
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PROTOTYPE
A Bottle Opener Without a Bottle
Two working can ends, an untested bottle end and the $5 beer I never bought. How chasing perfection cost me a contest deadline.
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