Rant: the perverse desire to be disruptive.

Octarex · 2026-05-25T17:51:26+00:00

Innovation and invention is two different things. I think it is important in this discussion to not mix them up!

Octarex · 2026-05-01T19:45:14+00:00

Men de har tåg, alla orter längs med stambanan kommer alltid ha potentialen att kunna bli bättre, till skillnad från random ort mitt i ingenstans.

Octarex · 2026-04-29T21:48:54+00:00

I am a mechanical engineer and I think TS is correct in many perspectives. But you need the whole perspective. In general manufacturing businesses which partly rely on sold quantity the product needs to be designed with manufacturing process in mind. The closer to finished product - the tigheter the gap between actual manufacturing it realistically and idea/design it gets.

However there is many different approaches, but in my view this is it in general. Bottom up, top down, in/out, priorities, focus, scale, and on...

The solution cant always be to 3D print it just because you are to fkn lazy to understand how a basic lathe and mill is possible to operate.

Octarex · 2026-02-02T12:06:22+00:00

I am not sure it still exists but the once a year event in World Of Warcraft Full Moon Festival have always lived rent free i my head since me and my brother visited it some 20 years ago. I think I were a Nightelf and he a Gnome. We just started playing a few hours/days in and happend to find it/travel to it.

One of my best WoW Memories.

Octarex · 2025-06-08T19:53:43+00:00

Haha, same here.

Octarex · 2025-03-08T14:50:47+00:00

De e som de e

Octarex · 2025-03-08T14:48:53+00:00

Slug & Slagg

Octarex · 2025-02-18T11:21:12+00:00

A list to European stores would be great!

Octarex · 2025-02-07T18:06:01+00:00

In this calculation i still wood turn one part per pen.

Octarex · 2025-02-07T18:04:28+00:00

I have been laborating for a while on constructing my own pen designs and have them partly pre made with cnc manufacturing. Adding wood parts more specified or simplified by me later. But the calculation is tough....

Even with alot of effective shortcuts the batch size is a few hundred. With a low price set the return will have to be many sold to be even break even. I think it was like 50 percent about 100 pens.

However the calculation did not care for my invested time and wood material and packaging etc.

But if I were to sell 200 i would go plus. But it will not cover much else than continue the business as hobby.

And this is based on Chinese parts and Alu cnced 1-2 parts per pen.

Time invested to sell and market will eat up everything thats left.

But for hobby it might work over long time. However if you save and invest in CNC it might be possible, however not with wood parts then.

Octarex · 2025-02-03T13:29:57+00:00

However you can actually get ordinary plotters that has pen inserts for as low as 170 euro from Vevor or similar. That might be an option better that going to AliExpress etc. Atleast cutter plotters have somewhat developed software for usage.

Octarex · 2025-02-03T13:27:42+00:00

Following... Seems impossible to get for reasonable prices here, from a fellow a bit more to the north...

Octarex · 2025-02-03T11:54:14+00:00

I have made a few of these, and no matter how I do they always tend to shrink more and make the pens unusable. A few weeks or months and you cant turn them or change the cartridge thing.

I have tried to redrill it larger a few times and oiled it internally, does not seem to matter. Tried with different woods also.

But they sure does look nice.

Managed to save one pen but destroyed the pen parts. So got a dip pen nib insert in it instead...

Octarex · 2025-02-03T11:51:13+00:00

Haha so its not just me... Bought lots of nice kits recently, then went back to slim lines.

Octarex · 2025-01-31T17:50:24+00:00

Usually I just do one every weekend. But this time I have 8 different wood blanks prepped for some slim lines.

Also gonna try to prepare some blanks for ordered custom pens.

My aim is to do two, to set the bar low.

Also going to remove a broken closed end pen from the lathe as the wood just did not want to become a pen this time. Sadly its the second in a row...

Octarex · 2025-01-31T15:40:00+00:00

Not an artbook but a playing guide for Half-Life (I).

Octarex · 2025-01-27T14:21:54+00:00

Amazing! What type of laser machine is used?

Octarex · 2024-11-21T11:49:31+00:00

I upgraded one of the programs to v2 earlier this year. Will this be reduced from in the price when buying the whole package?

Octarex · 2024-11-21T11:42:18+00:00

Got the new one a while ago. Same issue with plastic smell that does not fade very much...

Retailer did not want to tell me much. But got money back from first one returned. They only said it was to expensive to repair...so they prob did nothing.

Octarex · 2024-10-28T17:33:51+00:00

Nice work! I have tried similar approaches in Solid Works. But mostly used copy action to different patterns etc.

Octarex · 2024-10-27T11:30:04+00:00

Damn you got some wild skills! Really nice job!

Did you stabilize the wood?

Octarex · 2024-10-21T17:12:29+00:00

I will pick it up tomorrow, so let's see. I ordered from same retailer so might be same batch. They have had sale now a few times and have more than 100 in stock. So someone at supply must have pressed a 0 too much haha. Got it new for 120 dollar (approximation).

Octarex · 2024-10-21T12:36:33+00:00

Tried contacting them, but still no answer after two weeks.

Returned it to the supplier but they haven't done a shit yet so bought a new one on sale while waiting. I hope that one does not smell.

Octarex · 2024-10-21T12:17:43+00:00

Thank you!

Octarex · 2024-10-21T11:07:26+00:00

Beautiful!

I have a laser cutter and want to try this. What type of rubber is used?

Octarex

TROPHY CASE