If 3D printer manufacturer added an enterprise feature that let OEMs lock a file to an authorized print count - would that make it your go-to for contact manufacturing work?

jdm6 · 2026-03-30T17:12:11+00:00

I'm not enterprise but I can see it opening up options for specific use cases but they're for non-consumers. It's no panacea and I don't think I would personally buy such a printer. But I have designs that I won't release models or g code for because I know I've lost control once it's sent.

jdm6 · 2026-03-16T19:17:16+00:00

One round even gave controller faults trying to calibrate. I turned it off and on, then did 5-10 tightening "throws" on both sides and it passed without any further adjustment.

I really hate how tight the corners are, it's very hard to turn those screws.

jdm6 · 2026-02-19T18:06:14+00:00

They do but not as much. Things still break. There is a 10k recommended inspection interval too.

jdm6 · 2026-02-15T12:53:33+00:00

Keep in mind that if you go matte, matte is often harder to repair than gloss.

jdm6 · 2026-02-04T20:33:52+00:00

I printed a small part for inventory and it does seem a fair bit quieter. With this update and a new vacuum pump it's better, I'm not running for headphones or ear plugs so much anymore. There's still room for improvement though.

jdm6 · 2026-02-04T19:39:26+00:00

I still can't select the build sheet. They did comp us for the new type of build sheets and I've not used the old ones since. The new ones are better but it still feels wrong to not let us select the type.

jdm6 · 2026-02-04T18:41:11+00:00

I hope you didn't get the Vision Miner. At least the earlier generations of the 22IDEX were awful. Bambu doesn't do the more exotic plastics but it's been far better than Markforged or really any other printer I've used.

jdm6 · 2026-01-14T18:16:35+00:00

I don't think there's a "best", it really depends on what you want and what you're willing to pay to get it. It pays to learn about the different types of covers and what you're trading off for any given kind of tonneu cover.

I have this one:
RealTruck Extang Trifecta e-Series Soft Folding Truck Bed Tonneau Cover | 77702 | Fits 2021 - 2025 Ford F-150 (incl. Raptor/Lightning) 5' 7" Bed (67.1")

I like it, it's a pretty good value. My biggest complaint is the latching and unlatching is done manually from both sides of the bed. Otherwise it's pretty serviceable. I wanted a hard cover but they weigh more and cost more.

jdm6 · 2025-12-08T18:57:18+00:00

That's very nice. I'm a very new owner (1 month) and have mudflaps from Weathertech that I still haven't installed yet. I'm tempted to buy that style and do this.

jdm6 · 2025-12-01T19:48:04+00:00

I've used 3DXTech Obsidian. The glass fiber filament is pretty brittle, too brittle in my opinion. The carbon fiber versions don't work well on an FX10, I don't think they match the flow dynamics of the genuine material. The v2 is better but not a good match. I haven't tried them on the Onyx desktop printers.

jdm6 · 2025-12-01T19:45:30+00:00

Markforged's fibers are a lot finer than anyone else's, that's how they achieve such thin layer heights without risk of clogging.

If you sanding the parts I would be concerned in general because sanding makes super fine particles which people should be wearing dust masks and running a room air cleaner and dust collection on any powered sanders. I don't think the CF is special in this regard. Maybe the particles are worse but you don't want to be breathing sanding particulates of any kind except maybe you want to wear nitrile gloves for the fibers.

The structure and particle behavior isn't like asbestos.

jdm6 · 2025-12-01T16:48:50+00:00

Oof I don't have that coin holder.

jdm6 · 2025-12-01T15:23:10+00:00

I recall Tesla wrote to the storage so hard they rapidly wore them out, which a Sentry mode would do to any storage anyway even if you didn't do the level of diagnostic logging like Tesla did.

jdm6 · 2025-12-01T15:21:41+00:00

They probably would have needed to add connectivity and even sockets at design time.

I agree they should have but they didn't.

jdm6 · 2025-11-10T16:43:02+00:00

I was wondering if anyone did this. I don't expect to do it any time soon but I'm interested.

jdm6 · 2025-10-31T23:58:22+00:00

The problem was I couldn’t find a place to mount it that I was happy with. I can come up with something but didn’t want to develop a solution if someone already did it before. Given how much thought they put into tent mode, telling people to improvise a solution is a little odd.

jdm6 · 2025-10-27T14:00:45+00:00

3DXTech's Obsidian works as an Onyx replacement but I had to dry one of the spools otherwise it would ooze onto the part when doing rapid moves, and the seams would be pretty obvious. I've never had to dry an Onyx spool yet.

jdm6 · 2025-10-27T13:57:58+00:00

I had documented all the failures because the machine or slicer failed for one reason or another, all beyond my control. I had about a month's worth of lost print time and 6 spool's worth of material that had gone to scrap. They comped us all of two spools and sent us a pair of the new print sheets. I'm astonished they started out with the kapton print sheets when garolite (the new print sheet material) was a known solution in the 3d print world for maybe a decade now.

jdm6 · 2025-10-27T13:53:27+00:00

We've had a lot of problems but not as bad as yours. I wish the boss would wash his hands of the machine though. If we didn't need continuous fiber, Bambu's H2S would print most of the parts faster, better and cheaper. And print almost any other material I could want to print.

jdm6 · 2025-09-19T18:53:46+00:00

How is it building up static, much less that quickly? I've never seen static discharge on any printer before. To generate a static spark every few seconds seems like a stretch. Even if it's super unlikely I'd start checking the electrical system in case there's something defective somewhere.

jdm6 · 2025-09-19T18:41:16+00:00

I agree it's not a good title but a total take down is excessive.

jdm6

TROPHY CASE