# Ep040: 3D Printed Everything, Strength v Toughness, Blades of Fiber, and What Can't Coffee Do?

- Show: [Hackaday Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast)
- Published: 2019-10-18
- Length: 55m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-18-ep040-3d-printed-everything-strength-v-toughness-blades-of-fiber-and-what-cant-c
- Listen: https://hackaday.libsyn.com/ep040-3d-printed-everything-strength-v-toughness-blades-of-fiber-and-what-cant-coffee-do

## Summary

Hackaday editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams discuss the launch of the Prusa Mini 3D printer, noting its 180mm build volume and 32-bit STM32 processor. They highlight research from Washington State University on adding 20% coffee grounds to PLA filament to increase impact toughness by 400%, and showcase several 3D-printed mechanical projects, including a hoverboard-powered tracked robot and a high-torque servo gearbox. The episode also covers the disposal challenges of carbon fiber wind turbine blades and the repurposing of vintage VTech toy computers containing Z80 processors.

## Chapters

- [0:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-18-ep040-3d-printed-everything-strength-v-toughness-blades-of-fiber-and-what-cant-c#t=3) Introduction: Hackaday Podcast Episode 40
- [1:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-18-ep040-3d-printed-everything-strength-v-toughness-blades-of-fiber-and-what-cant-c#t=60) Prusa Mini 3D Printer Launch and Design
- [8:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-18-ep040-3d-printed-everything-strength-v-toughness-blades-of-fiber-and-what-cant-c#t=501) Coffee Grounds in PLA Filament for Toughness
- [13:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-18-ep040-3d-printed-everything-strength-v-toughness-blades-of-fiber-and-what-cant-c#t=783) Hoverboard Tracked Robot and 3D Printed Gearboxes
- [26:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-18-ep040-3d-printed-everything-strength-v-toughness-blades-of-fiber-and-what-cant-c#t=1592) Restoring Vintage Toggle Switches
- [32:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-18-ep040-3d-printed-everything-strength-v-toughness-blades-of-fiber-and-what-cant-c#t=1956) Repurposing VTech Toy Computers with Z80
- [43:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-18-ep040-3d-printed-everything-strength-v-toughness-blades-of-fiber-and-what-cant-c#t=2595) Fire Lookout Towers and Wind Turbine Blade Disposal

## Topics

- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Prusa (company)
- Prusa Mini (product)
- STM32 (chip)
- Z80 (chip)
- VTech (company)
- ABOV (company)
- Marlin (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [230. 3D Printing Gets the Hannah Montana Treatment](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2025-10-07-230-3d-printing-gets-the-hannah-montana-treatment) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [12. Ford Trucks Made From Trash, NASA’s Ingenuity Drone, Snake-Inspired Nonslip Shoes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2021-04-06-12-ford-trucks-made-from-trash-nasas-ingenuity-drone-snake-inspired-nonslip-shoe) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [423: Accountabili-buddies](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2023-12-15-423-accountabili-buddies) (Making It)
- [100. Weaving Nanomaterials With 3D Printed Machine](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-12-13-100-weaving-nanomaterials-with-3d-printed-machine) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [Episode 155: Brain tornado-ing and pretzels](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2018-02-09-episode-155-brain-tornado-ing-and-pretzels) (Making It)

## Citing this page

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