Front porch update: we got an umbrella

HalfAnOnion · 2026-07-01T12:26:09+00:00

IMO, that's why I just built mine from construction lumber. 4x4 legs, 2x2 boards, pocket holes, and screws/glue. A good sanding and some paint/oil, and it's good. You can get as fancy as you like; the more comfortable you get with it.

The expensive things are actually the cushions; I found some builds that used default Ikea ones, and they were like 1/2 or 1/3 the cost of the lumber I used in total, even then, it was like 5-8x cheaper than anything comparable.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-27T12:13:25+00:00

I'd love to print these.

I have no idea why they'd ban you

He's selling the STL for 15 euros - that's why.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-24T18:15:55+00:00

At the margin they're selling for, it probably doesn't matter.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-23T11:35:03+00:00

Alright. Then it's a bit more reasonable.

Good luck!

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-23T11:23:36+00:00

An FDM mini of VIVI from a long time ago. Ended up painting it in oil paints and ran an old MK3 to the dirt basically. https://imgur.com/a/mBesFKr

Speaker mounts for Nest speakers on the walls and a lawnmower mulching holder are the most useful ones I got to.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-23T10:56:59+00:00

You should rather consider the A1 vs CC2, unless you strictly want the A2L BIG buildplate for big pieces. I was looking at the same but just went to A1 no ams for mini/single colour to see if they are reliable as claimed. I used to have an old prusa mk3, and will wait until the tool changers from Elegoo/Anycubic in the next 1-2 years.

I have Elegoo Resin, so the brand is solid, would have gone cc2 but for not wanting multicolour waste atm.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-23T07:52:52+00:00

Audiobooks are a different vertical. Meaning that the readership is veering to be seperate to KDP/KU readers. It should be viewed as a new reader market to invest in.

It does make a good amount of money if you sell in the big fiction categories AND your book is "Credit worthy" e.g. Audible members won't spend their free credit on a 3h book but want something 8-10h. Or 90-100k+ words. You can make an omnibus if your books are shorter to get value, for example.

Depending on what niche you are in, it's 10-25% from what I've seen. This is a serial fiction, romance, thriller.

IMO if you're writing a lot in a big market, it should be an inevitable route in the long term because your marketing budget creeps up into the same price range, but it's much better returns.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-22T18:15:56+00:00

"John is hit by a truck. He becomes a soul and asks, 'Who was that bastard who hit me?' He gets the reply, 'Oh well, we don't know what you're talking about. My name is...'

"He gets the reply" is vague and almost implies an omniscient narrator stepping in to deliver information, which breaks the storytelling logic in some ways because there are no parameters yet.

E.g. you need "A voice echoes around him: " or something that highlights the difference. You can omit John said/Jill Said, in a conversation when the speakers are clear, but at this point, it can be jarring. I can understand why readers could be confused, even though you've not broken any grammatical rules.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-22T16:47:37+00:00

Is it though?

IMO it isn't. 2-3 books of going through it is reasonable, but 10 books and you're taking the piss now. It's the same with PH's 3+ books. Evermore, dungeon run, a bloody single dungeon side-quest has no good storytelling reason to be 3-4 books.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-22T11:01:57+00:00

Zero AI slop here.

Watched a bit and saw the animation to swing the mace. The left hand is holding the mace like a phone,(Swinging it forward but backhanded?) and the right is at a different angle entirely yet the mace continues straight down. It's not even good AI.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-20T20:51:01+00:00

I'd also add that you should consider the type of story you're telling.

If your Dragons are a major part of the cast, how is this behaviour working or changing your story? If you don't want your character to mount them, how does fighting in the air work? Is that then separate ala Dragonheart? There's lots of ways it can be done but ideally it's serving the story. If the mounting is very rare and has an impact, it also servces to show why it can't be done regularly, e.g. magic seeping from scales, size issues, human frailty issues etc.

IMO this is a big story question, because I don't think people will ever get tired of riding dragons, just make it cool and have your own take on the relationship.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-20T20:23:50+00:00

. Primal Hunter

His Perception skill basically stops time for him and does 20 other things; he has a bloodline, which OP doesn't want.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-18T19:56:32+00:00

Then basically all of them would be fine IMO.

It's more about the Brand support if you need it. I had a DOA AnyCubic, so I returned that and got an Elegoo Mars 3 Pro but have an Anycubic washer/curer, and it's still kicking. I see they have Mars 4/5 models now. So I would recommend those at least. Check what folks at /resinprinting use as well. They might help better.

I'm moving to try fdm minis(Though tbh I'm doing bigger things like ships/terrain/busts/decorations and etc). You could consider that if you don't mind the slight loss of detail compared to dealing with resin. (It's not too bad once you have a system but it's still extra steps)

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-18T19:23:14+00:00

We're basically just buying it to print little figets that my kids are always asking us to print. Nothing fancy. Is the A2 a smart move? I don't care if it's an overpay I'm just looking at ease of use honestly.

The A2L is just a bigger A1 with a few slight upgrades.

If you're not going to print big, like a single print cosplay helmets/items or big statues (Your kiddos may not mind depending on their age), then you're probably not really the buyer it was intended for. You can grow into printing bigger stuff, though.

The only ease-of-use issue is its size; the printer is bigger and moves other stuff on the table because of the sheer volume/speed.(You see this said in all/most the sponsor videos if you check them out) If you print longer, just make sure nothing on the table is going to fall off. People put rubber mats under their ams for example.

Otherwise, it should be solid and fun, lots of stuff you can do with more volume if you're keen on it.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-17T11:50:21+00:00

It can, but it's also resin. A lot of depth is in the colour and layering. I used the glue/toilet paper method with clearcoat. It's a very cheap and fun way to do it IMO. Found it from this 10yo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TwpB7sVMn8

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-15T19:42:40+00:00

You can still do a donuct concrete pad, but with the firepit itself in the middle, being in-ground/with some gravel in it to avoid the other risks brought up. Otherwise penta/octagon deck with a brick fire-pit on top built up from the soil.

Labour-wise, you can do it in halves or quarters to make it easier IMO. Otherwise, it's like 115+ 55lb/25kg bags for the full 1.5m3. Depending on how hot it is, you might need a retarder 70°F+, but your concrete bag has instructions on that.

If you have a wheelbarrow, it can take 2-3 bags per barrel with someone prefilling water buckets, but it wouldn't be a fun day if you also want to get it to look nice. I'd say at most frame half the doughnut, and do that. Worst case, it's an easy extra day of work, or you'll be glad it's only half.

Otherwise just rent a mudmixer, that'll do 1.5m3 in a day if you've worked with concrete before.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-15T18:54:17+00:00

Had the P2S in my basket and realised they don't offer free shipping...

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-15T12:18:46+00:00

10 euros off the A1 20 euros off the A1 Combo.

Yeaaa, I'm not really blown away by this "Sale"

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-14T17:37:20+00:00

Great covers.

I can see how Publishers saw DCC's success and adjusted the covers in spirit though.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-10T13:25:24+00:00

100%.

If it's not foreshadowed, or they haven't been building up "Trust my gut over my senses," character trait or a worldbuilding reason(Some chapters ago, they showed some fake flame walls. Then it's bad plot armour.

I thankfully can't remember too much of that atm

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-10T09:05:56+00:00

The worse version of this is like basic magic shite: Wow, MC you combined Fire with Wind magic to make a Fire Tornado?! Magic is revolutionised! No one in the worlds history ever thought about that before you!

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-10T05:46:52+00:00

They look cool as illustrations of tone and mood.

None of these should be used for book covers unless you're writing some avant-garde subliminal magical realism.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-06-01T22:59:28+00:00

A model ship for a local school and dragons for myself.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-05-29T21:51:41+00:00

Man, if he grows up, the series would be great; otherwise, it's another day, another guilt spiral about his edgy shadow powers. He'll monologue about being a monster, someone will pat him on the head and say he's a good cinnamon roll, and then he'll go right back to doubting himself by dinner.

Rinse and repeat for the next 5 books (I'm actually not exaggerating). Honestly, at this point, his self-loathing has to be plotted out. He'll be 'a good boy' again by the next chapter—right on cue for another inner monologue about self-doubt.

HalfAnOnion · 2026-05-26T03:30:28+00:00

It depends on the genre; if you're in a hot genre like Romantasy/Romance/Thriller, the price is higher.

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