Shed News – JOSH'S MANCAVE LIVE

31/01/202531/01/2025

Time to go down the organization rabbit hole

Week 1

As i started to touch on in my last post my little work shops becoming too cluttered, so i am going to lighten its load and make sure every thing has a place in it this going to be my next project. as for me to start pushing out content i need my work space to work so how am i going to achieve this. will be updating this post explaining each bit as i go.

First up time to clear my cheep plastic draws full of odds and sods so i need a 3d printer draw so have removed the bits out of it taken a measurement of 39 by 35 cm. been looking as solutions for the draws to organise it. have Decided on Gridfinity on makers world as lots of boxes and holders for exactly what i need. so i have a cheep roll of barbie pink filament that’s been kicking the cave around for a fair few years, don’t ask. loaded it into my Bamboo labs X1C and made the base plates to fill the draw there are small size plates for to fill over spill in the draw size plates so i can fill the voids ither sides.

been removing a lot of failed project and things i don’t have the time to complete. old equipment that i no longer need as i have moved on to newer stuff in my absence

nice and quick to print might super glue these draw base to stop it moving around

now to print some bits. First draw is going to be for all my 3d printing bits

ready to print off to the printer it goes

Well i have been printing bits over the last few days this is not the final layout as still finding bits in the cave its bad i must stop buying projects to do need this to make life easy.

week later and i am still removing stuff as i have had enough of tripping over stuff and want to get to the stage of being able to work on bits when i need to. The printer draw is done now working on nuts bolts crimps bearings and etc.

have printed some sanding disc wall holders that i might use to free up draw or box space.

draws were a good starting blocks but feel like i need to upgrade these draws to proper metal work shop too box will see how we go as have seen a nice one on SGS but £190 for it.

The plan is to make a work bench above it for soldering sanding etc keeping dirty jobs off the main desk

So i am starting to to put a game plan together to get the cave up to fill run mode as then might start selling my services to be able to fun new equipment. as i still have a few things on my list i want the cave to have.

14/03/2020

Will be offline for a short while.

Due to current global issues, i have had to go into armageddon mode, As keeping the family business going in my main priority so once i have sorted remote access for all my staff. made provisions for all aspects of the business. will start blogging again and if we get locked down in the next week or so will have some time on my hands to sort some small projects with my backlog of bits i wanna do.

12/08/2019

Been tiding up and braking 3d printers

Currently, have 3 non-working printers the joys of life. I will be doing some repairs this week as started on 2 projects as in did the design work then for my printers to let me down so have a half-written project that i cannot show yet as i didn’t manage to make the parts.

As I keep thinking i have solved my issues with the Prusa mk3 for it to fail again so i think i am going to walk away from it for day or so fresh eyes. I have compiled the latest version custom firmware so will flash it shortly and see if i can get the CR-10 back on working list. before i tackle the 2 Prusa machines.

meanwhile, i have finished off the CNC and vinal cutter dye-sublimation printer racking.

have since swapped the CNC machine around by 180 degrees for ease of cabling.

Just got to make some bits for CNC enclosure and i also want to add the limit switches this week to the CNC machine will have to see what time i get as i have some more jobs coming up.

giving my self to the end of the week to get the cave to a state of working use. think i need to sell some equipment i don’t use, make room. going to move some more stuff off my workbench as need the room. will add some more pictures showing this later.

09/08/201909/08/2019

Quick update of lack of posing this week.

I am working on 2 or 3 projects in the background and taking on private work to help pay off some of my outlays on the cave as this is a hobby and not a sponsored site i wish it was but as i am not a celebrity of youtube yet for the time being i am doing things the old fashioned way.

only part of the 100+ badges batches that i am currently doing for a kids camp who wanted to stop using plastics as name badges as wood is good for the environment.

As someone who has a list of equipment on my wishlist, i keep my eyes on eBay and facebook market place for deals on second-hand equipment. i have been after a dye sublimation printer for some time as had some mugs leftover from heat transfer vinyl job i did a while back. so the other day one popped up on facebook market place so i decided to go for it. so got a printer with some ink left in it, pneumatic mug heater and sublimation paper, 20 mugs white and heat sensitive and a refillable ink cartridge system with ink. So on Wednesday, i took a drive to go get it and last night i set i tall up int he cave. i will start testing over the next few days i have ordered a new wast ink bin for the printer as one installed is full. but now means i can do full-colour mugs so more private work to help fund my hobby. when my sub-business i fully and running will add links to the site.

Ricoh SG3110DN with sublimation ink installed mugs and pack of paper.

inks that came with the printer might swap the ink for a better brand.

Automated heat press that came with the bundle.

lots of sublimation paper for the printer

will be testing over the next few days to make sure all works fine. new post on projects coming soon just had a week of private work going on should be clear by mid next week.

Managed to figure out the issue with my 3d printer well 1 of three the second big scale printer just needs a flash of the control box and rewiring. the third one is going to be an interesting project in its own right.

but next up is starting to prepare the CNC machine for use so waist board i have to go get from the local DIY store is 55cm x 38cm. then it’s going to be to who fix it to the aluminium bed probably with some carpet double-sided tape.

i am then going to add limit switches still working on way to do this easily have figured out the control box wiring just need to figure out where i am going to mount the ball arm micro switches. i have also designed a converter for vacuum inlet but more of that to come.

i am also going make some wall mount filament spool holders as Prusa has designed some for free download that i will make need to make 6 of them, 4 for the MMU and 1 for Prusa mk3 and one for large format printer.

Evening update as having a rest from the current private job i am doing. I wanted to play with my new toys so did a mancave mug for fun think the colours are off a little bit but still learning could also be the inks are old so might install a new set. so far impressed well worth the money.

time for some rest

26/07/201926/07/2019

Just lighting update

As i did promise to do an update of some shots of my lighting all wired here a preview of it in action,

I am running 3 wifi controllers so all lights can be controlled via my mobile phone or Alexa or other automation systems i am yet to install.

i have installed 3 sets one for mood lighting that the equipment lights centre lights are if i need more lighting in the cave and laser bed lights are for the 50w lights

What’s happening next in the cave:

CNC machine home and limit switches.
CR-10 fixing it getting it printing
Automation of lights via Alexa.
Printing wall mounted filaments spool boxes
Learning CAM for CNC machine.

20/06/201920/06/2019

Spring cleaning in progress as fed up of not being able to use all my machines lack of space.

Have in a three-meter Octagon is not the easiest of places to house as much equipment as i have. also as it has windows on 4 sides. So as i have Wednesday off with my son i had been into the local DIY store to grab some screws bits for another project i have been doing. This was a few weeks ago.

I picked up some 10 cm x 5 cm timber and sheet of plyboard to make a cover that went over the winds so i could mount my parts boxes. i had managed to hand saw down the sheet of ply and mounted over the window.

i then added screwed new parts draw i had picked up in the Aldi for £8.99 and my Budweiser sign. looked ok but was just a place to put parts.

Window cover board that i put to give me more storage space.

It worked well but was not quite what i wanted. I had just designed a template for holding Placemat and Coaster.

New jig for holding wooden placemats as have a dinner set to do for our house.

I then started to run a batch of placemats and coasters for our holiday rental property.

Engraved in Wooden placemat The Hollies Logo our rental property in wales.

As this was running I thought i would make a start reorganising things. so the Budweiser sign has been relegated to the attic. i move 2 of my other parts boxes around and dump bins allowing for a new shelf.

makes more sense having all my nuts and bolts fuses crimps and components in one place.

I then moved the dump bins racking so they were next to each other. I had an IKEA shelf we were going to use in the house. that i have installed for the moment above the racking.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 2019-06-19-23.17.29.jpg — *Just got to sort through all dump bins and add to other storage.*

i have started to print brackets for filament storage from the 3D printing nerds channel. So i will have shelving for the 2 boxes of filament i have freeing up more space hopefully. However, my Prusa decided to jam yesterday so will have to wait till come back from wales next week to fix.

As i am working on the map and paid jobs i thought i would get everything up and running and remove bits i don’t need down to wales.

As then can do stuff when i am not in London so my K40 is going to be shipped off to wales along with the Prusa MK2s MMU and clear some space up for stock and parts.

this will be happening next month as will use a man and a van to transport bed and other bits as holiday rental property we have been developing is finally coming online should be available to rent in the next few months.

Next racking unit to sort is the CNC and vinyl cutter as its become a dumping ground and remove redundant bits ie water buckets for cooling as changed for a smaller type.

will be nice to actually get in the cave and be able just to work. Will be adding a download section to the web site so all my projects can be downloaded for free. maybe a project section to get some feedback and collaborate with some other bloggers.

Right got a 208 mile drive later after the day job hoping it will be a easy run.

25/04/201925/04/2019

Back and rested

Right got back London late last night this week is nearly done will be installing a new bed to the 50 watt laser tomorrow as just had to pay a minimal custom charge.

Should be delivered by parcel force tomorrow so fingers crossed. Tonight operation is fix the new heat bed and add the EZout to my CR-10 as manage to drop control box and rip wires out. before leaving to go to wales.

Still having issues with prob on and off might order a replacement as wanting my CR-10 back up and running.

Next project: end stops on my CNC machine so some drilling and tapping are required to mount end stops and some more mods for the control box as it’s sitting there taking up space if it’s not being used.

just about up to date to with getting steaming solution working will take it for a test drive soon then will probably start to do some small streams on a Wednesday.

Will add another post later hopefully with CR-10 news hoping for good news but got to recompile firmware as well. not happening as son is ill will resume tomorrow

15/04/201915/04/2019

As last week went to pot

Not setting any goals this week as its a busy weekday job and some RNR. I have got to go pick up some screws today so i can mount my baffle board to window for more tools and space for parts. then got to re assemble gun rack for my air soft weapons and hang some other bit. on new baffle board.

Then depending on time, it’s on to the Prusa Mk2s MMU as I am on a roll of fixing stuff the last couple of week. If I can/cannot fix it will be starting the mammoth print of bits for the Haribo edition as again its bits taking up space that can be used other projects.

Will also be my first time running PETG as a material. hopefully will be easy learning curve.

On other current projects:

Wist, I wait for the EZout probe to clear customs. I am going to run some more calibration prints probably tonight. as did try doing bigger print but had some issues with print sticking to the bed. probably just a tweek to the z hight offset.

over the weekend I have built octopi set up that I am currently getting up to speed via TeamViewer for plugins and adding stream feed to the studio might give it a quick test later see things are running right. once I have finalised that will clone the card and do it for the Prusa Mk3 using the pins off the controller board.

What next up in the cave:

Getting limit switches wired into the CNC machine. then I need to learn how to use it so will probably do this via stream so hopefully will get some help with getting all going.

12/04/201913/04/2019

Life is good today

CR-10 fixed don’t know how or why but all back in action god knows what cause of the problem. i ran a m48 probe test spat out some numbers. thought would give it one more go and did some more bed scraping but was for the greater good, i am now running a pre done profile with Simplify3D wish me luck. will post picture once it done

Before I fixed the CR-10 I have been running some squash ball feet for the printer, on my Prusa mk3. As they were all done and i managed to pick up some . . squash balls on the way home. AI decided to fit them see if dampeners will help with a ringing issue I have currently on te CR-10

nice and easy to fit using printers standard hard ware t-nuts and 4 dunlop double dots

been setting up my stream pad applications are all set just working what short cuts i am going to need. I have swapped over to streamlabs OBS. so I currently working on a setup just designing scenes for the system. I have written system layout ready so I can figure out what i need to need to buy camera wise and lighting. aiming to get some stuff up soon little nervous about the response I will get to my streaming.

and one finished cube next to 1 and 2 think its the best .

The first one is lasted version of print new profile. as the other 2 are relay wobbly.

now for the gramazon print if all is good or do I wait for EZOUT before I print. something that long as would be an pain in the arse if I run out of filament.

As i was on a roll with squash balls so brought 4 more and printed some more feet for my Mk3 will be fitting them tonight.

Will be fitting the feet tomorrow as today been with my boy so just been running bits in the background have set 90 % of my stream studio up and the stream deck is coming together.

done some diy cutting of boards and 2 x 4 for a frame im hanging in the cave for new tool rack will take some pictures when its up cheap way to add space

I have printed a frame mounted pi case for the CR-10 that i have modified through breakage so now open frame as the supports popped out the frame when they were removed.

will add some images tomorrow going to set up octopi tomorrow on the CR-10 as will make printing remotely easier also going to do the same for the prusa as have a spare pi kicking around.

05/04/201905/04/2019

added a second monitor to the mix

So its bye bye to my Budweiser sign for the man cave as i needed the wall space for a second monitor as makes life easier when i am working.

So weekend plans if time permits going to hit my 3d printers as i need to clear a blockage on the Prusa i3 Mk3 extruder and going to swap heated beds on the CR-10 for a silicon heated bed. so should heat up in 30 seconds, not 10 mins.

So when are you going live?

Just need to build my OBS studio and configure my stream deck and we are about good to go live added new camera lighting and mic to the cave. touch would i should have some broadcasts soon as well as my regulare tinkering blog posts.