Recent supporters
Payton F bought 20 coffees.
Micronics buyout has made me sad, you do not. As others have said, resist any big company interference and what you can do will be bigger than Voron. Keep at it king, can’t wait to see what becomes of the SLM project. Hope to be one of the many to enjoy the fruits of that big brain.
Goodtoknow bought 30 coffees.
When I was younger, my high school cad teacher introduced me to 3d printing and robotics. I was amazed that it had become so accessible, and it introduced to me to the awesomeness of engineering; machining, metallurgy, mechatronics, designing, prototyping, need I go on? I'd spend literal hours going down rabbit holes of diy and shop projects, with at home manufacturing being my personal favorite.
I did eventually save up to venture into 3d printing on my own time, but later on I always wanted to do more ambitious projects. So I looked all over the web for affordable designs on cnc machines and metal 3d printing, only able to find ditched projects, exaggerated products, and ones sold to competitor corporations. To be honest, I didn't expect much once I saw that you had stopped uploading, I completely thought it was another ditched project, thinking I wouldn't touch a cnc mill or metal printer without a degree and only to manufacture someone else's design, never to see one of my own.
I was having a pretty hard time with figuring out what I was going to do with my life from then on. I felt that I was just another dumb kid who could make some plastic toys on his desk, that I couldn't possibly become an engineer, much less a successful one, and design something that would actually be interesting and worthwhile, that It'd be best to bury the dream and find a career with a decent paycheck rather than one I loved.
Then I got a ping that you'd uploaded, and I decided to watch the video out of curiosity. I was thinking along the lines of, "Maybe he got on offer on his design form a business, at least he found some success, good for him." As I watched I felt uplifted, it wasn't another ditched project, you had worked on it through the entire 2 years, and I felt a little less burdened. It was just enough to motivate me to return to my projects, which motivated me to reconsider my career, and now I'm in a college with fully paid tuition with scholarships as an ME major. All I want to do is say thank you for your dedication to this project, it was the nudge I needed to get me out the slum I was in to strive for something I loved, and I don't really know where I'd be if it weren't for that. I wish you the best in your endeavors.
(sorry for the essay, I just wanted you to know your work is appreciated)
Hey man. I really appreciate you sharing that. I'm glad that you are pursuing a higher level of education in engineering. I am sure it will serve you well. I wish you all the best for your future studies. If you are wondering about the state of things, yes I am still working on it. The part density is in the 90% range now. Thanks for that very generous donation too!
Alex Boesenberg bought 30 coffees.
I admire your talent, dedication and willingness to share your failures and successes publicly. You're tackling complex problems with ingenuity and grit. Well done, Sir!
