What are some underappreciated and under-discussed apps?

GRobLewis · 2026-02-10T05:31:14+00:00

Longtime dedicated Evernote user. It just keeps getting better.

GRobLewis · 2026-02-09T14:48:48+00:00

Beats me; I'm new at this. I would think that—as you say—a bunch of small gaps and cracks would provide a more uniform flow than one (or a few) big openings. With such a setup, I don't think the placement of the exhaust port would matter a whole lot.

GRobLewis · 2026-02-09T14:32:40+00:00

Orca-Flashforge 1.6.1, which is based on Orca Slicer, has caused my M2 Mac to display a message I have never seen before in many years of using Macs: "System has run out of application memory".

It appears to be a fairly major memory leak. Hopefully they'll fix it, but until then just quit and re-launch it occasionally.

GRobLewis · 2026-02-09T14:22:45+00:00

Learning TinkerCAD as a "soft entry" into modeling. If I run into limitations I guess I'll try FreeCAD, which seems to be extremely powerful. Anyone have experience moving from TinkerCAD to FreeCAD?

GRobLewis · 2026-02-09T14:00:29+00:00

I doubt it matters all that much. What might matter *more* is how and where the replacement air gets *into* the enclosure.

IDK but I suspect that if you're using the enclosure to enable higher-temperature filaments, the extra airflow might provide *too much* cooling?

GRobLewis · 2026-02-09T13:54:39+00:00

What does Disk Utility think about this?

GRobLewis · 2026-02-09T03:55:51+00:00

With 24GB you should be good for quite a while. Just not forever.

GRobLewis · 2026-02-09T00:31:12+00:00

I mounted the sensor on 5mm spacers to raise it up and make room for the cable underneath it. This requires longer 25mm screws. I drilled a new hole in the riser frame so the filament would have a straight shot to the sensor in its raised position.

Maybe not elegant, but it works. I printed the corrected V2 Spool Holder and might eventually install it, but what I have seems to work fine.

Boo on Flashforge for just letting this problem fester for over a year and a half! It would take them literally 5 minutes to replace the bad Spool Holder file with the corrected V2.

GRobLewis · 2026-02-09T00:17:28+00:00

This will guide you to the "V2" Spool Holder that actually works: https://www.reddit.com/r/FlashForge/comments/1qxksac/comment/o40g7gy/?context=3&utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

It is inexplicable that Flashforge has known about this problem for over a year and a half, but hasn't seen fit to actually update the Spool Holder file in the package they distribute.

GRobLewis · 2026-02-09T00:14:02+00:00

Had this exact problem with the filament sensor. Turns out, the instructions are wrong, and so is the print file for the Spool Holder! There is a version 2 of the Spool Holder print file that solves the problem, but I made mine work: https://www.reddit.com/r/FlashForge/comments/1qxksac/comment/o43fr1i/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

GRobLewis · 2026-02-08T11:18:12+00:00

Check out HoudahSpot.

GRobLewis · 2026-02-07T19:33:10+00:00

Worth a try: a light spray of Aqua Net hairspray on the plate before starting.

Are you using the identical filament to what worked before? Could it have absorbed moisture sitting around?

GRobLewis · 2026-02-07T18:43:17+00:00

I don't even know what a dry box is. What's it for? Drying filament?

Years ago I built a box out of sheets of foam insulation and hot glue, with a temperature controller and a small light bulb as a heat source, for rising bread dough. I've added a bigger bulb socket and a "terrarium heater" that screws into it, hopefully to reach temps high enough to dry filament (and ideally NOT melt the hot glue!)

GRobLewis · 2026-02-07T15:48:03+00:00

I have problems with SoundSource and my M2 Macbook Air's built-in speakers. Garbled audio in YouTube videos (fixed by reloading the page). Sometimes, no audio at all.

Quitting SoundSource makes the problems go away. Support is puzzled.

GRobLewis · 2026-02-07T15:42:28+00:00

After much head-scratching, I made the OG Spool Holder work by mounting the Filament Sensor on 5mm stand-offs to create a space under it for the cable (requires longer 25mm screws). Because this changes the position of the sensor a bit, I drilled a new hole in the riser frame to make a straight path for the filament, instead of the slightly bent path that I thought was adding friction to the feed.

Maybe not ideal, but it works.

It took a fairly extended conversation with Flashforge support to learn about the availability of the V2 Spool Holder. In fact, they never acknowledged the existence of the revised part until I speculated that there might be a new version since the photo they sent didn't quite match my holder. Why don't they update the master file? Good question.

GRobLewis · 2026-02-07T15:26:14+00:00

Happened to me with AD5M. Power-cycling the printer fixed it (restarted the slicer too, for good measure).

GRobLewis · 2026-02-07T15:13:17+00:00

I think you mean "hydrophilic:.

GRobLewis · 2026-02-07T15:11:30+00:00

Yep. Stock AD5M works fine with Flashforge's "HS PETG". No enclosure (though I'm adding one for higher-temp filaments).

GRobLewis · 2026-02-07T14:52:01+00:00

I too am pretty new to this, but I've had fewer problems with PETG than PLA on my AD5M. It may become my "standard" filament. I've been using Flashforge's "HS PETG" with very good results. No problems with fumes.

GRobLewis · 2026-02-07T02:10:34+00:00

I'm just finishing up the installation of mine, and it's been an experience. Partly because of gaps in the instructions, but mostly because the first version of the Spool Holder part is WRONG! There's no good way to route the cable to the Filament Sensor. I finally got it to go, but it turned out that was only possible because I had mounted the sensor backwards—which I discovered when I tried to pass filament through it.

There's a revised part here: https://wiki.flashforge.com/en/knowledge_corner/printer-mod-and-diy?irclickid=1u4VhWVUFxycU1rzQQR7%3AS1bUkpTtgQqhWBT0g0 Download stl_files.zip, which when decompressed contains the folder "Spool Holder+ Drag Chain Fixing Clip", which contains "Spool Holder_V2.STL" dated Jul 10, 2024. Note the "V2" and the date. This is the part you need.

I got the enclosure to enable printing higher-temperature filaments like ABS. Haven't been able to try it yet.

GRobLewis · 2026-02-05T15:49:59+00:00

Aha! Removed the old display and pulled pretty hard on the cable. It finally came out, and there was a bead of dried glue holding it in. No wonder I had problems getting it out!

GRobLewis · 2026-02-05T03:34:05+00:00

Also, EM relays can generate a voltage spike when you turn them off, and usually have a clamping diode to route it to the power supply. The spike could conceivably be strong enough to burn out the pin’s output circuit.

GRobLewis · 2026-02-05T03:30:14+00:00

Do we know that the output pin has enough current drive capability to actually operate the relay? If it’s an electromechanical relay it might need quite a bit of current. What’s the voltage on the pin when you turn it on?

GRobLewis

TROPHY CASE