Tools – Lannix Design

New Affiliate Link With Neewer!

Nick — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 21:30:23 +0000

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve been accepted to Neewer’s affiliate marketing program. I’ve been using Neewer’s camera and videography gear for a while now and I have nothing but good things to say about it. Click any of the images to visit Neewer if you’re in the market for some great value tech. Following my link will earn me a small commission which goes toward creating more interesting and higher production value content for my channel.

Read on below for my testimony on some of the products I’ve used from Neewer.

I recently grabbed some app controlled RGB LEDs which have given me that extra touch of colour while filming. Look out for them in upcoming videos to the channel. The app allows the creation of pre-set scenes with your specific colours, and you are able to control multiple lights at once. Even if you’re not into photography or making videos, the lights can be timed to flash with music to create a party vibe in your house.

The microphone arm kit with pop guard has already allowed me to be more consistent with my voiceovers, reducing the time wasted adjusting the sound mix in the edit. There was also the added bonus of clearing a whole lot of cables off my desk by routing both the mic and headphone cables down the stand and under the desk with the included cable stays.

The Neutral Density lens filter kit I received from Neewer has allowed perfect exposure settings in bright daylight, eliminating overexposure of the sky when shooting video a the optimal shutter speed. As a bonus, they have a magnetic attachment ring, allowing to switch between them quickly, which is super handy when you just need to get filming. I’m very keen to try out the 1000 stop filter on some ultra long exposure photos and go out to the bush for some astral photography and time-lapses.

I have my eye on one of their motorized camera sliders, which I envision will make for more dynamic time-lapses while filming my projects and for some more interesting shots when the time comes to showcase my finished work.

So, if any of this interests you, click any of the images above or the button below to check out Neewer and get yourself some top-notch gear!

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3D Printed Drilling Templates

Nick — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 21:30:24 +0000

As you may know from our recent blog updates we’ve been busy with home renovations. We’re up to a point where we’ve moved in to the house but still have quite a few jobs left to do before we can call that place done.

One of the many small jobs left was to attach the door handles to the cabinetry throughout the house in the kitchen, bathroom/laundry, bedrooms and loungeroom. While it may have been easy to knock up a template from a piece of scrap timber, I’d had great success using 3D printed items in the past with our spool storage unit, end table and 3d printing cabinets.

The whole house needed eight templates in all including left door, right door and drawer centres for three different offsets. I really like using variables in the CAD software so that once the base template has been designed, it’s easy to copy the part and change the required variables to output another unique part. Check out the gallery below to see the results for yourself.

Cabinet door handles fitted nicely in the bathroom/laundry.

Gallery - 3D Printed Drilling Templates

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Reusing Empty Filament Spools For Storage

Nick — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 21:30:00 +0000

The idea to reuse empty filament spools as parts storage isn’t new. When I first started 3D printing I recall seeing that people had made curved containers that fit within a spool and thought that was a nifty idea. I’d always thought I’d make one for myself once I had a few empty spools laying around so here we are.

Back in the day I was using Tecor filament that was quite cheap and not bad for the money. The Lannix Design 3D printing cabinet is full of custom made ducting parts that I designed and 3D printed to suit what was needed for filtration and dehumidifying. Long story short, I ended up with many empty spools that were the same size and just begging to be turned into something useful.

Design

I need to be able to visualise my projects before I start to make anything so I have something to reference. All parts of the organiser were modelled in CAD before a tool was picked up so that the end result could be seen and any changes could be made.

The finished assembly, now used to house many tiny screws.

Since the major parts of the project were to be 3D printed, CAD modelling was completely necessary. One of the Tecor filament spools was measured with Vernier calipers for accuracy and 3D modelled which aided in creating parts that would fit around and inside it. I took the time to design a drilling template that would help to accurately install the parts containers when the time came which worked perfectly. I’m a big fan of these drilling templates and I’ve used them in all the projects I’ve done that require drilling.

A carry handle was designed to be 3D printed in the orientation that would produce the strongest part. This necessitated a three-piece assembly that screws to the top of the PVC pipe and includes the top handle (ring), the handle support and a press-fit top cover.

Gallery - Filament Spool Parts Organiser CAD Model

Building

The build was very straight-forward thanks to the time taken to model all parts and create the previously mentioned drilling templates. If you’d like to make one of these organisers for yourself I’ve outlined parts needed below and created a video guide for assembly that’s been uploaded to YouTube. The 3D models are available for download on Printables.com

Materials

The previously mentioned Tecor filament spools and the obvious 3D printing filament are needed to make the parts organiser. In addition to these, you’ll need a 72mm rotary (lazy Susan) bearing and a length of 60mm PVC pipe whose length will be determined by the number of spools you want to use.

Fasteners required are 8Gx20mm and 4Gx12mm timber screws. A small pack of each will be enough for the task.

The 3D models were printed with extra perimeters for strength and at a slower speed to give the best finish. Click the Printables logo below to download the models for 3D printing.

3D models are available for download on Printables.com.

Tools

Only basic tools are required including a drilling machine of some sort, a 3mm drill bit, a Philips screwdriver and something to cut your PVC pipe to length.

Assembly

The build process has been outlined in the linked YouTube video. It’s a very easy project if you’re interested in making one for yourself.

Take a look at the gallery below to see the finished product. It was assembled in one day once the parts had been 3D printed.

Gallery - Filament Spool Parts Organiser CAD Model

Conclusion

This project was designed to highlight the fact that it isn’t necessary to throw away your old filament spools to landfill. Although they are made of ABS plastic that can be recycled, reusing them is better than recycling in that no energy needs to be used to melt them down and mold them into something else. I’m hoping I can come up with more projects in the future that involve using parts that would otherwise be thrown away.

Until next week, ciao for now.

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January 2022 – English Phone Booth

Nick — Thu, 13 Jan 2022 21:30:56 +0000

My dad found one of these things second hand and thought it would be neat in his mancave. What does an English phone booth have to do with 3D printing I imagine you asking..? Well dad’s is missing its crown and asked me if I could make some sort of template so he had a guide for drilling out the shape of the crown on his phonebooth.

After some research I found something I could use as a guide and set out to recreate it using CAD software. After not too much time we had ourselves a crown template.

It would be easiest to just spray paint black through the template but I imagine the drilled out crown would be used as an air vent on the real deal booths for when people inevitably use the booths for their unintended purpose. I maintain that dad should put a urinal in the booth but I don’t think he’s keen.

I’ve yet to see the end result of the crown stencil but will keep you all posted.

The K2 telephone kiosk as it’s apparently known among enthusiasts

Gallery - Creating a crown template

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December 2021 – Downloading models for 3D printing

Nick — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 21:30:05 +0000

People often talk to me about 3D printing and are fascinated by the process. To some it seems like only nerds can do it and that is certainly true to some extent! You don’t need to be an expert in computers and CAD to find something to interesting to 3D print.

There are many website around that offer free to download 3D models that you can 3D print yourself or can have us 3D print for you here at Lannix 3D.

An older relative of mine said he reckons 3D printing is just making little plastic knick-knacks but that is far from the truth. We have endeavoured to showcase some of the useful objects that can be produced with 3D printing and aim to introduce to many the advantages of having a 3D printer. We believe in future, having a 3D printer in the home or workshop will be as commonplace as having a computer.

The Lannix logo was designed in house but you don’t have to know CAD to have something to 3D print

Just recently, my dad broke some plastic clips in the back of his car seats which had gone brittle over time. 3D modelling them and printing out replacements was a simple job. Check out some of our other blog posts to see some of the handy parts we’ve made using CAD and 3D printing.

But I digress… Check out the websites below for some FREE STUFF!

Websites with free 3D models

Printables.com is the official 3D model sharing site of Prusa Printers. It seems to have higher quality models than most and is the favourite here at Lannix Design!

MakerBot’s Thingiverse is probably the most popular website for 3D model downloads and is setup for 3D printing. All 3D content is free to download.

MyMiniFactory guarantees the models they have are verified to be 3D printable. Most models are free to download but they have recently expanded to include paid content.

Thangs is a compiler for multiple 3D model websites meaning that it will search most of the sites mentioned and display them on the same page for you. It’s a newer site but there’s already heaps of models free to download.

UltiMaker’s YouMagine is a site that has good quality 3D model downloads but not as many as some of the other sites. All 3D content is free to download.

The Smithsonian Institution has 3D scanned a lot of the display items in their museum. They’re kind enough to offer them up on their website for free download.

GrabCAD is more of a resource for engineers to assist with designing new parts that need to interact with existing real-world parts. The models are free to download and are very handy to have in your design kit.

Websites with 3D models worth paying for!

3D sets have designed the Landrover model that we have produced along with some other RC vehicles. The amount of design work that has gone into creating these vehicles for 3D printing is astounding!

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November 2021 – Prusa i3 MK3S+ Build Guide – Part 1

Nick — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 21:30:58 +0000

Building the main frame

Prusa 3D printers are considered to be a reliable workhorse machine suitable for mass producing parts in a small business. Popular with hobbyists and businesses alike, we can vouch for their reliability and performance. This is our fourth Prusa machine and to distinguish it from the rest we have decide to replace the standard orange pieces with some pretty blue parts.

They are available either pre-assembled or in kit form. We prefer to save some money on import duty and the cost of the printer and build them from a kit!

What’s in the box!

Building the kit can be tricky for some so we thought it would make an interesting article to document the process and publish it in our blog.

The galleries below are meant to compliment the Prusa build guide and we hope that you enjoy seeing what’s involved in assembling a 3D printer and maybe gain an insight into how they work.

This is part one of what will become a multi-part guide and shows the assembly of the main frame of the 3D printer.

Enjoy!

Gallery - Main Frame Assembly (Prusa guide page 15)

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September 2021 – Printing Plate Drying Rack

Nick — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 21:30:09 +0000

Steel plates are the most popular surface used for 3D prints to build on. The plates shown on the right (two in front) have a textured surface that transfers to the 3D printed part leaving an aesthetically pleasing bottom surface. This can be used as the face of electronics enclosures and such if a nice finish is sought out. The three plates behind have a smooth surface which is also an option.

It is important that the first layer of the 3D print sticks well to the print plate. Experts recommend cleaning them with isopropyl alcohol to maintain this adhesion.

Personally I have found that the alcohol isn’t enough to keep the surface sticky enough for all first layers to adhere to the plates. The best method I have found is to wash them under hot water with dishwashing liquid and allow them to dry thoroughly before using them again for printing.

This drying rack has been designed in CAD and 3D printed in the Lannix3D enclosure. This has eliminated any adhesion issues we’ve previously experienced.

Washing and drying the 3D printing plates is important for bed adhesion

Gallery - Print plate drying rack

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July 2021 – DIY Tools

Nick — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 21:30:23 +0000

I have always been a DIY kind of guy which is why I decided to pursue a career in engineering. The Lannix Design printing enclosure was fully mapped out in CAD software before a tool was picked up.

Building the enclosure required the use of conventional tools but I realized a better result could be achieved with the use of custom designed templates for perfect hole positioning. Again using CAD software it was simple to model what was required and print them overnight. Too easy!

House renovations were also underway at this time so I tried my hand at solving some problems we faced as we were working. The tiles on the vanity splashback stuck out too far, preventing the tap shroud from screwing on. I designed an extension for it and printed several test pieces to try until we found the perfect fit. Problem solved!

The tall basin in the vanities meant that a standard length caulking nozzle wouldn’t reach behind it to make the silicon seal. Once I had modelled the thread section in CAD and confirmed that it fit well, the body was extended to 150mm overall which was the perfect length. Job done!

CAD and 3D printing are the perfect combination for getting any job done around the house or workshop. Let me know if there’s something I can do for you!

Drilling template for perfect door handle positioning

Gallery - 3D printed tools produced at Lannix Design

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June 2021 – Enclosure Upgrades

Nick — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 21:30:57 +0000

The 3D printing enclosure has been a work in progress for the past few months as more upgrades have been added to further improve print quality and safety.

The addition of cameras and WIFI controlled power switches mean that long prints can be monitored and stopped from anywhere in the world if something isn’t right. When trying out new filaments, it is wise to stop a test print short if it doesn’t like a certain speed or temperature setting.

Other improvements are the concrete pavers and foam blocks underneath each printer that act as a damper to prevent vibrations affecting print quality. A cheap and simple upgrade that makes quite a difference.

Lastly, an air purifier has been ordered to extract any fumes building up in the workshop. Future plans to experiment with ABS and ASA filaments require this as the fumes released by printing with them are toxic to people and the environment. I’d rather keep them out of the atmosphere!

Prusa i3 MK3S 3D printers in the 3D printing enclosure

Gallery - 3D Printing Enclosure Upgrades

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April 2021 – The Beginning

Nick — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 21:30:03 +0000

COVID 19 has affected us all in some way. Lannix Design was created in response to the uncertainty that the pandemic has brought with it. The business has been created as a way to turn what was a hobby into a real business.

3D printers can be temperamental and are affected by temperature and humidity fluctuations. In order to make the end product more consistent and of a higher quality, an enclosure is required to insulate the machines from these atmospheric changes.

Stage one of the enclosure’s implementation is now complete and has made a huge difference to print quality. Check out some of the images below which include some 3D printed templates and brackets that aided in the construction of the enclosure.

Future additions to this project will include an air filtration system governed by a microcontroller. This will allow the use of filaments which emit unpleasant fumes, which will be captured in activated carbon and HEPA filters.

Design concept – 3D printer enclosure/laser cutter bench

Tools – Lannix Design

New Affiliate Link With Neewer!

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3D Printed Drilling Templates

Gallery - 3D Printed Drilling Templates

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Reusing Empty Filament Spools For Storage

Design

Gallery - Filament Spool Parts Organiser CAD Model

Building

Materials

Tools

Assembly

Gallery - Filament Spool Parts Organiser CAD Model

Conclusion

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January 2022 – English Phone Booth

Gallery - Creating a crown template

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December 2021 – Downloading models for 3D printing

Websites with free 3D models

Websites with 3D models worth paying for!

See more of our work

November 2021 – Prusa i3 MK3S+ Build Guide – Part 1

Building the main frame

Gallery - Main Frame Assembly (Prusa guide page 15)

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September 2021 – Printing Plate Drying Rack

Gallery - Print plate drying rack

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July 2021 – DIY Tools

Gallery - 3D printed tools produced at Lannix Design

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June 2021 – Enclosure Upgrades

Gallery - 3D Printing Enclosure Upgrades

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April 2021 – The Beginning

Gallery - 3D printed parts to make 3D printed parts!

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