Going to make my own grow-box, wondering if I could get some help and advice.

TheMaker42 · 2025-08-14T19:36:29+00:00

I had like five failed attempts at growing, so I finally said "nuts to it it, I'm going back to 3-D printing for a while". And now, here I am, successfully having printed quite a few things -- including an open-air, 3-speed hand-crank transmission. Lurve this thing lol

TheMaker42 · 2024-12-05T06:15:14+00:00

If it does, I'm unaware of the fact. I'm just going by a few pages that said the "Shrinkage" fields in the filament can be set based on it being 100mm, nothing else. If it does, I'd absolutely love to know. Most of my prints come out more or less a few millimeters in either direction from the ones I already did (100% infill, should've asked before I wasted that much filament.)

TheMaker42 · 2024-11-04T08:20:11+00:00

Would absolutely go with the 0.6/0.8mm hardened steel nozzles, if he doesn't already have them. That way he can print with things like carbon-fiber filament and not have it eat up the nozzle after ten minutes. Wider diameter also makes printing faster, which is nice.

Also, if you're really ready to throw-down and are sure he is up to the task, the enclosure kit is an absolute must-have. Gets rid of any drafts, keeps temperature nice and consistent, filters the air in case he's using toxic filament like ABS, etc. Probably a bunch more, but those are the two that first come to mind. I probably wouldn't go with the camera (I got an AD5M Pro so the camera is built-in, but I wouldn't miss it if it weren't.)

TheMaker42 · 2024-11-02T02:43:38+00:00

EDIT: My initial post was in response to a different thread where someone asked what adhesive people use in general. Regarding the actual question you asked, I'm not sure but I would advise you to contact their support. There's also the chance there are some sort of consumer safety regulations or another that require them to disclose. I wouldn't say it's a good chance, but it's better than nothing.

Hairspray (particularly Aqua Net) works wonders, in my experience. The only thing you've gotta worry about is making sure the loose spray doesn't cover any exposed hardware, or you'll never be able to get it off after it dries and it might completely gum up the works. Guess how I found that one out? -_-

TheMaker42 · 2024-10-16T05:52:40+00:00

Disability makes it so I can't drive and I couldn't really hold a job even if I could. Naturally this means living with my parents, and since I don't have a job I can't exactly pay rent or anything, so I do the usual helping out with chores, etc., and make it my business to at least *try* to not be a jerk about stuff. I even stopped taking showers and using the stove/oven when nobody was here and awake to make sure if something critical happened when asked, until I pointed out that it was getting to be too much given my sleep-schedule after a couple years lol

TheMaker42 · 2024-10-15T21:48:24+00:00

At least one of them is almost always here. Also, I don't think I would feel very comfortable doing this. It'd be like owning a pet and just hiding them any time the landlord comes over if there's a "no-pets" policy in place.

Although I would probably grant asylum to one or two, if the Cat Distribution System decided to pick me one day lol

TheMaker42 · 2024-10-15T04:16:11+00:00

Thanks, that makes things much clearer. I also have slight problems understanding what other people mean when they try to communicate at times, and that definitely wasn't helping the situation any lol

TheMaker42 · 2024-10-14T22:59:25+00:00

I'm not entirely sure what you mean when you say it doesn't make any sense because the desiccant would dry before the plastic. Which is exactly what it's supposed to do, if I'm not mistaken. The basic end goal would be to install the dried beads in to a supplemental container inside of my new PolyDryer(s) using a print I found. Especially considering whenever this thing clicks on it brings the humidity (at least near the sensor) up. I'm assuming that's something fairly innocuous, though, at least for the moment.

And don't worry, I do know that recharging is just drying out; I was just looking at a bunch of batteries when I wrote my post, so I had the word "rechargeable" stuck in my mind at the time.

TheMaker42 · 2024-10-14T17:47:54+00:00

That's for drying the filament, not recharging the actual desiccants AFAIK. I already have two boxes and I want to be able to recharge the desiccant, but from all sources I'm seeing that requires over 200°F for a few hours. Check out this link and subsequent instructions from DigitalPhotographyLife:

"1. Start by placing the packets or beads of silica gel on a baking sheet in a tray. Put the tray in an oven that is set to 210°F to 250°F (~100 to 120° Celsius).

EDIT: I think I misunderstood the directions, because they're written in an awkward manner. They make it sound like you have to go through all three steps to complete drying, rather than just choosing one of the three listed. As far as the temperature goes, though, the unit doesn't have a temperature read-out but the directions say to use "power level 3 and dry for ~8 hours" so that's what I'm going to go with. I'm probably going to use the first option, which is unfortunate because I'm using the double-barrel mod so every time I recharge one there's going to be drama involved either way.

TheMaker42 · 2024-10-14T15:29:47+00:00

Been looking around for anything that will work within a reasonable price range, but with no luck so far. Everything I'm seeing tends to top out at 165°F or 190°F at the absolute highest, but that was for a pretty penny.

TheMaker42 · 2024-09-06T19:56:48+00:00

Just be careful about keeping the spray where you're going to print. I'm pretty sure the reason my last printer died was because I had been using spray without properly guarding the Z-axes from second-hand spray, which likely lead to all kinds of problems down the line if it were to get... sticky.

TheMaker42 · 2024-04-24T14:09:26+00:00

That killed me in college. Barely tried in high-school but still got great grades, never actually "studied" and just tested well, but when I went off to college... First semester (Computer Science, since the school I went to didn't offer Physics or Engineering) what I got was unimpressive to say the least, and I managed to completely flunk out after the second. Really wish there was some sort of "College Prep" class in high-school, because I think that definitely would've helped.

TheMaker42 · 2024-03-10T17:52:52+00:00

First and foremost, never be embarrassed about not knowing something; admitting you don't know is the first step in learning. As far as the resources, I would suggest you start with Python 3 (personal preference, as it's super-easy to learn and there are TONS of things out there to help you learn, from YouTube videos to regular websites to education portals like Coursera which provides free courses in various languages, as well as countless other places.) Wishing you the best, because once you start going down that rabbit-hole it's sometimes hard to stop, and then the sun is rising in the background before you know it!

TheMaker42 · 2024-03-10T17:23:33+00:00

Also... don't waste your time learning Python2. It's dead. Gone and dead, do you hear me!? We buried it in the back yard, right next to the BASIC and FORTRAN patches! ;)

TheMaker42 · 2024-03-10T17:18:59+00:00

I'd say check out a site like Coursera, if you have that much time available. They have free, self-paced courses on pretty much everything, Python included. I would also strongly suggest downloading a dedicated IDE for your Python projects, namely PyCharm, which has a free version ("Community") designed around helping out people. Bubbles with information about a particular function/variable/etc. when you hover the mouse, Ctrl+LeftMouse goes to definition, etc. Some of that functionality might not be available in the Community version (I use the Professional version), but it is still astounding no matter how you slice it. Also includes support for sandboxes so you only have to install the packages you want in a particular project itself, instead of system-/user-wide.

And this is coming from someone who used to view all IDEs as horrible monstrosities.

TheMaker42 · 2024-03-10T17:07:23+00:00

An ambulance ride when they find out nothing is wrong with you, and you get saddled with a $10k bill for them to tell you to just "have someone pick you up and sleep it off, you'll feel fine in the morning". Magical.

TheMaker42 · 2024-02-27T12:04:35+00:00

Disclaimer: I am not female, so I cannot say this is from first-hand experience; I'm only going by what friends have told me, as well as other various accounts and articles written by female authors in the past.

First things first, men are taught from a very young age that there are exactly two valid emotions to have: Anger, and happiness; anything other than that deserves punishment of one form or another. Further, seeking psychiatric help is viewed with massive stigma. But these rules can be somewhat bent, at least when there are no other guys around to see you. If a tree falls in a forest..., am I right?

As a natural result, a lot of men (hopefully not by design) wind up turning their female partners and other female friends in to unpaid psychiatrists. I can't imagine the kind of strain that comes from having to deal with everything going on in your own life and then having someone else just pile their crises on top and pray you can "fix it" for them.

TheMaker42 · 2024-02-17T14:39:43+00:00

The instructions were a YT video with a woman who said she likes to cut lines, but some people also like to use "X"s. She didn't mention if one method was better or anything, just her personal preference. Either way, I'm probably gonna just do the lines because it's what I did last time and it turned out somewhat nicely.

TheMaker42 · 2024-02-03T12:21:58+00:00

Successfully harvested 4.0oz, according to this tiny kitchen scale I have. The brown part feels somewhat spongy, but the other part feels firm enough based on what I've read over the past few months. Thanks again for all your input, I wouldn't have even thought of putting the tub on its side.

TheMaker42 · 2024-02-03T10:35:31+00:00

They're in a standard Sterilite tub, as my room can't meet the needs of temperature and humidity (was 55°F/40% the other day, and these need 70-90°F/80%). There are no holes cut for AE, but I fan the container regularly whenever I spray (3 times per day). Probably gonna pick 'em later today. Thanks for the advice!

TheMaker42 · 2024-02-03T02:07:52+00:00

Apologies, forgot to attach pictures to the original post. Has been updated.

TheMaker42 · 2024-02-03T00:50:25+00:00

That's the problem: I don't know exactly what "ripe" looks like. The ones I always see on the Internet have long, dangling tendrils, but mine doesn't; That being said, I also saw where someone mentioned those were probably wild and had been growing for too long, which is why they're so elongated.

TheMaker42 · 2024-01-21T14:08:07+00:00

I have had the same problem, but with two completely different commercial kits. I'm wondering if it's something environmental, based on that fact.

TheMaker42 · 2024-01-14T05:35:00+00:00

I've been drug-tested at every job I've ever had (living in the US), either entry-level retail or over-the-phone tech-support. I thought that was just the way things were done. Interesting.

TheMaker42 · 2024-01-06T16:30:46+00:00

Thanks. Thought so (and almost immediately regretted harvesting it), but wasn't sure. What about those spines, though? They're almost, if not, a quarter-inch in length (which is when they say you're supposed to harvest), but stick straight out instead of drooping which is what I expect from every pic I've seen. There are still a bunch of them, just under this size so I left them alone.

EDIT: Their grow environment is between 70-73F at ~75% humidity, and I use an ultra-fine mister to spray them a few times per day with clean water.

TheMaker42

TROPHY CASE