The Dragon Print That Would Not Sit Still

From the garage

This week the main thing on the table is reticulating dragons, because apparently one dragon is not enough and also apparently it has to wiggle like it pays rent here.

We started with a white dragon that looked pretty clean from far away, but up close it had a few tiny spaghetti spots under the chin and one foot came out looking like it was invented during an earthquake. Still, the body moved, the tail was awesome, and the spikes looked mean, so we are calling that one a win with evidence.

The hard part is getting the joints loose enough to move without making the dragon feel cheap. If the bed is too hot, the tiny pieces get a little fused together. If the bed is too cold, the dragon starts lifting at the corners and then the whole thing becomes modern art, which is not what we ordered.

We are trying a slower first layer, a little more cooling after the first few layers, and less drama when somebody touches the printer table. That last rule is impossible because people keep walking by like the printer is not performing surgery for nine hours.

Next version gets color. Maybe blue and white, maybe orange, maybe something that looks radioactive in a good way. The goal is a dragon that can sit on a desk and make boring homework look less boring.

// Fun Notes

Shop takeaways

What worked
The best parts usually come from one clean setting change and then leaving the printer alone.

What got weird
Tiny details, supports, and wiggly joints still find new ways to be dramatic.

Next test
Change one thing, print again, compare it, and pretend that was the plan the whole time.

The Lovable Idiots builders.

// Written from the garage

Miles and the crew

These notes are part build log, part mistake tracker, and part proof that the printer was definitely doing something suspicious.