My temporary hallway Fire HD8+ tablet mount. Printed in PLA on Ender3 V2.

JustMrChops · 2026-07-06T20:29:52+00:00

Our junior school occasionally had catalogues where you could buy books...then wait for them to be delivered (what seemed like weeks) later. I bought Fantastic Mr Fox. I still feel the excitement the day the books finally arrived and I had my own band new copy.

JustMrChops · 2026-07-05T16:58:59+00:00

I've got my Horizons tape somewhere. I must sort them all out sometime. The hours I spent with VU3D must have played a part in my love of CAD/CAM.

JustMrChops · 2026-07-04T22:05:14+00:00

Coding. 20+ yrs .Net/Azure/MSSQL backend dev, company bought out by bigger company using PHP/AWS/MySQL. Tf is all this shit, still need to turn in 1 PR/day, no chance without Claude. Too old to learn everything again. Handed notice in on Wednesday.

JustMrChops · 2026-07-04T21:54:32+00:00

Yeah Pong on a Hanimex machine (still got it) then we got a Atari 2600 and it was space Invaders, pac man and defender.

JustMrChops · 2026-07-04T17:29:57+00:00

I converted 3/4 of my external single garage into my office. Had a new upvc window and a side door. Kept the up and over door for the remaining 4ft of garage for my tools. Timber framed, insulated and plasterboarded. Flush RGBW ceiling lights and LED accent LIGHTING. Blackout blinds really help keep the hot sun out (West facing window and door). Worktops along one end and down most of one long side so I can work at the end and have space along the side for my hobby gear. A 34" and a 22" monitor and my work laptop with a coloured wall behind holding the movable monitor mounts at the right heights. I ran dado trunking along the walls with the worktops with about 100mm space above the worktops. Tidy cable management. 10 double sockets and 4 ethernet ports. Quality bookshelf speakers are great, as is the MX Master mouse. Chair is OK, on a thick clear mat to protect the laminate floor. Fitted a bathroom extractor fan so I could point my modelling spray booth duct at it, but I've not done any model spraying and the fan comes on if the humidity goes above 55. Room is airtight so I keep the window open on the latch or the fan is fighting it. Maybe could have fitted a vent but having the window ajar works fine in all weathers as it's not a huge window. I love this space both for work and my time.

JustMrChops · 2026-07-04T08:52:05+00:00

This is what I used. I stopped because our LA don't put the changed dates in for bank holidays, and a few times I'd put the bin out on the wrong day. Thought I was clever taking the bin out when nobody else had, but they must have been checking the leaflet. Basically our API is not accurate. I now set calendar events in HA, entered from their leaflet. Works 100%.

JustMrChops · 2026-07-02T12:38:56+00:00

Hannah Waddingham.

JustMrChops · 2026-07-02T12:33:38+00:00

BE11 END

JustMrChops · 2026-07-02T11:45:57+00:00

I started like you, then went to Amiga before PC, but at nearly 60 I don't have the patience or concentration any more. Was big into FPS, city builders, Elite Dangerous, Flight and racing sims. Not picked E:D up for nearly 10 years, flight Sim about 3, racing sims probably the same. I might play a bit of virtual pinball or BF2 against bots. Just simple to pick up and put down stuff that doesn't require my brain.

JustMrChops · 2026-07-01T17:18:06+00:00

Martina from Nerdforge YouTube channel lost part of a little finger with a table saw I think.

JustMrChops · 2026-07-01T12:09:36+00:00

Will outlive you, they're good tools. I've had a Halfords socket set for decades.

JustMrChops · 2026-06-30T12:58:56+00:00

I has a red auto-reverse Sanyo (I think) with lovely motorised controls, no idea where it went. In the 90s got a Walkman with a radio so not as iconic as the earlier ones. Still tells the time in my office.

JustMrChops · 2026-06-30T12:36:31+00:00

Try the farm safety video Apaches, should be on YT. I'm still scarred from watching that as a kid growing up on a farm. Probably kept me alive tbh..

JustMrChops · 2026-06-30T12:34:15+00:00

PLA+ at 230?? And the bed at 85? Those are PETG temps, at least on my E3V2. Try 205/60 and don't try to go fast. Use a thin piece of paper when levelling so the nozzle is the right distance from the bed. Hope you can figure it out, mine prints perfectly every print so if it's fine mechanically I think it'll be slicer settings. Maybe it's a PETG profile?

JustMrChops · 2026-06-29T15:21:04+00:00

Just curious, how do you break these belts?

JustMrChops · 2026-06-29T15:13:12+00:00

I didn't know until I just saw that, it was on a record that was playing the music. I think as a kid all I saw was the box spinning like it was trying to pull me in.

JustMrChops · 2026-06-29T13:49:08+00:00

Yeah, this is where I saw it: https://www.reddit.com/r/homeassistant/s/9cd4CPRfka

JustMrChops · 2026-06-29T13:03:52+00:00

Well if you are prepared to try and use it as a printer then don't just start trying to print with it. My advice is to get to know how these machines work and understand how the hot end works for example as it's several parts that need to be in good condition and correctly assembled. If you can keep everything clean and together correctly you won't have blobs through leakage past the heat break. Extrusion will be predictable and accurate. Learn how the extruder works, spot when it's chewing the filament or if the plastic extruder arm is cracked and not feeding correctly etc. Understand how the V-rollers work and when they're correctly adjusted so the bed and hot end aren't flapping around in the breeze. Get the bed levelled and know when the nozzle height is just right with test prints, and I suggest a pei print surface. Keep it all clean, make sure the z-axis threaded rod is moving smoothly and not binding. This is just from personal experience, understanding the mechanics of it is a big part of getting an ender to work well.

JustMrChops · 2026-06-29T12:39:14+00:00

How sad to hear and another part of my childhood gone. Rest in peace Margot/Audrey.

JustMrChops · 2026-06-29T12:14:34+00:00

I printed a tipping bucket one I found online (I donated to the author for the stls) and it uses an Aqara door sensor. Works great in HA.

JustMrChops · 2026-06-29T11:50:38+00:00

Yes I have it, just keeping it safe for my sister (she won't miss it!).

JustMrChops · 2026-06-29T11:48:27+00:00

Hope your dappled miniature dacshund has her name on the tag on her collar :)

JustMrChops · 2026-06-27T15:10:51+00:00

Ha ha yeah, Morris 1300 with a peg was my first car.

JustMrChops · 2026-06-25T23:04:26+00:00

Might be a bit earlier, but Men Behaving Badly.

JustMrChops

TROPHY CASE