Ep 281: Metal Clay, Desiccants, Silica Gel, and Keeping Filament Dry

Hackaday Podcast · 26 Jul 2024 · 38m · Episode 281

What this episode covers

Hackaday editors Elliot Williams and Christina Panos discuss a variety of hardware hacks, including Leah Beakley’s use of metal clay for 3D printing bronze and Marcine Plaza’s mechanical keyboard laptop. They also cover Aaron Wayne’s use of X-ray CT scanning to identify contents of sealed Pokémon card packs and Action Lab’s technique for welding wood through friction. The episode concludes with a deep dive into the material science of hygroscopic 3D printing filaments, specifically how water degrades nylon and PLA, and the importance of proper storage with desiccants like silica gel.

Mentioned

Companies
Ali Express, LCSC, DigiKey, Mauser
Chips
ESP32
Materials
silica gel, bronze clay, nylon, PLA
Also
Leah Beakley, Marcine Plaza, Aaron Wayne, Action Lab, Big Clive, Maya Posch, Arduino

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