Posts

Today I made a huge step forward in printing carbon-reinforced polyamide (PA12CF). Contrary to what you often read online, it turns out that a little extra cooling is actually recommended. Not a major adjustment in the print settings, but the effect is impressive: print quality has visibly improved. An unexpected win. Why PA12CF? Carbon-reinforced polyamide, often called PA12CF, is a high-performance 3D printing material. It combines the toughness and heat resistance of nylon (PA12) with the stiffness of chopped carbon fibers. The result is: ...

Over the past weeks I’ve been working on a way to not only write my devlog in Obsidian, but also turn it directly into a publishable website using Hugo. The result: I can now write, build, and publish without ever leaving my favorite environment. And honestly, it feels incredibly smooth. Installing Hugo Before I could start, I had to install Hugo locally. Fortunately, that’s quite easy: Download Hugo from the official site: https://gohugo.io Extract the file and place hugo.exe in a folder that’s in your PATH (for example C:\Hugo\bin). Verify the installation with: hugo version If you see a version number, you’re good to go. ...

This day was dedicated to getting the printer production-ready, with the target of producing a high-quality 3D Benchy test model. The start wasn’t ideal: extrusion problems caused by filament jams slowed things down and turned the morning into a troubleshooting session. Surface Modeling Research While the printer was running test prints, I used the downtime to dig deeper into surface modeling techniques. Autodesk Inventor has surface tools, but they’re nowhere near as advanced as platforms like Alias or Rhinoceros. Instead of hitting a wall, I began looking up tutorials for those programs, hoping to adapt their workflow ideas into Inventor. Even if not all techniques carry over, the design logic behind them is valuable. ...

This day brought a mix of progress and setbacks. I made my first real attempt at designing a seat lug using surface modeling. While I did manage to create a shape, the result wasn’t good enough to meet my expectations. It was a valuable learning step, but I’ll need to refine my skills further before getting a usable design. Printer Setup and Material Challenges On the practical side, I prepared the printer for more consistent output. One issue came from the PA12CF spool: it’s slightly too wide for the CFS system to handle properly. As a workaround, I unwound a couple of meters from the spool. That helped a little, but it’s not a perfect fix. To really tackle print quality, I decided to invest in a new heater, which I ordered from Amazon. The goal is to stabilize the room temperature at around 70 °C — the recommended level for properly annealing these prints. ...

On the second day, I officially rolled up my sleeves and started working on the project itself. Until now it was mostly an idea with scattered sketches and notes, but today things started to take shape. Collecting References I kicked things off by looking up images of similar projects. It’s always helpful to see how others tackled the same kind of challenges — not to copy, but to get inspired and to understand what’s possible. Some pictures immediately sparked ideas, others helped me see constraints I’ll need to respect. Together, they gave me a rough mental map of the design space I’m working in. ...

The first official project day didn’t come with much actual building time, but it was still an important start. Instead of rushing into fabrication, I focused on setting the stage. Getting in the Right Mindset I made a quick drawing for Pieter, cleaned up the office, and got my environment in order. A tidy workspace isn’t just cosmetic — it helps me get into a focused mindset. Alongside that, I started drafting a task list. Having structure from the beginning keeps the project from turning into a pile of half-finished ideas later on. ...

This project started with a simple but exciting idea that I’m determined to bring to life: creating a rideable bicycle built from a combination of 3D-printed lugs and bamboo veneer tubes. While bamboo bikes and 3D-printed parts have both been explored separately, the particular way I envision combining them — with modern CAD workflows, in-house 3D printing, and modular concepts — is something unique. The core concept is straightforward: use Moso veneer bamboo tubes as lightweight, sustainable frame members, and connect them with custom-designed PA12CF lugs. Everything will be developed in-house, from the CAD models to the actual physical build, with the ultimate goal of riding a finished bike that is not only functional but also a showcase of hybrid design thinking. Beyond the frame, I want to explore how far 3D printing can go in cycling: dropouts, accessories, even parts like racks or integrated joints. ...