The fun continues at work as we continue to experiment with new shapes. Now that we have cracked the code on our metal deposition, we are printing a new part every day. This one is interesting because it would be very hard to machine using conventional methods given the hardness of the material and the thinness of the wall. It is just a tad smaller than a tennis ball. By next week, I predict we will have printed a part that is impossible to make using machine tools.
The Holy Grail for metal 3D printing. An unsupported 45-degree thin wall part. This morning, my team achieved what is arguably the ultimate milestone in our development journey thus far. Today, the uphill battle may have transitioned into a downhill sprint. While there is still much refinement to be done, we have without a doubt reached an inflection point in the life of the company. We celebrated at the office with Champagne and ice cream.
Using last week’s discovery, my team printed this cylindrical tube demonstrating our ability to print arbitrary shapes. Tomorrow we will go for broke and try to print a part with a cantilevered structure. It is the last hurdle we need to clear to demonstrate the ultimate value of our technology. Fingers crossed.
The icicle pictured here was hanging from our carport this morning. When I first noticed it, there was little to distinguish it from all the other icicles dangling from the roofline. Then I realized that what I assumed was a forming water droplet at the tip was actually frozen solid. As I scanned the other icicles, it became clear that this was a very unique occurrence, especially when one considers how necked down the pinch point is. The whole experience was a poignant reminder to me about how much beauty can be found around us if one simply pauses to look for it.
This morning we woke to more snow and further evidence of our resident coyote’s penchant for strolling up and down the frozen Sudbury River. While the ice is thick enough to support a coyote, I opted not to test it with my weight despite a great desire to make a closer inspection of the tracks. Jeanine suggested we set up her trail cam near the shoreline and perhaps we will see a future post featuring the results of that effort.
This morning, I spotted a coyote crossing the frozen river behind our house. By the time I got my camera, he was gone. Fortunately, one of our neighbors also spotted him and got a photograph which I am sharing here. Later in the day, Jeanine located some fresh tracks in the snow directly behind our house which were almost certainly made by the same fellow.
Yesterday was a super exciting one at work. Members of my team printed a single voxel wide perimeter wall using a new and very novel method. This breakthrough will allow us to print with a minimum feature size three times smaller than we thought possible, produces the best wall finish we have ever seen and should enable us to print cantilevered structures. I can’t overstate what a major breakthrough this is for the company.
Having embraced the DeWALT cordless tool family, I own more than twenty tools and half as many batteries. The relatively new one pictured above is a 60V 6AH FlexVolt which no longer takes a charge. Given it costs north of $120, I decided it was worth trying to repair rather than sending it to the dump. After opening it up, I identified a single defective cell of the 15 in this pack. I then carefully carved away the plastic holding it in place and removed the spot-welded tab from both sides. It slid out easily and I ordered a replacement cell on Amazon for $4. It should be here in a week and I will report out if the patient survives the surgery.
Normally, I would never fly my drone over Walden Pond because of all the people that are present. Even during the off-season, many enjoy walking around the trail that borders the lake. After yesterday’s massive snowfall, however, I felt that I would not encounter a single sole while conducting a flyover.
Although it affords us a great measure of privacy, our 250 foot long driveway is much less of a desirable feature when it comes to digging out after a Noreaster that left us buried in 15 inches of snow. Having sold my snowblower prior to moving, we had to have the driveway plowed to the tune of $330 (everything here gets the Concord markup). Suffice it to say, I see myself acquiring a new snowblower, perhaps not this season, but definitely next. I can’t stand paying for work that I can do myself, especially when it offers the added benefit of outdoor exercise.
As the temperature fluctuates above and below the freezing point, the ice formations on the river change daily. Today, it took the form of an ice dam with water on one side and a thin sheet of ice on the other. With up to 18″ of snow forecast for later in the day, I decided to work from home and made sure those who did choose to drive in left early enough to avoid the worst of it.