Lithophanes (or "Lithopanes" as I have been known to incorrectly call them :-) are super easy to make, thanks to some cool web based tools which allow uploading an image, setting some parameters and they spit out a STL ready to slice.  I have never gotten into printing lithophanes until recently, since I thought they wouldn't look good, however, seeing some of the really good ones that are occasionally posted to reddit or thingiverse changed my mind on that.  People are getting amazing results with 0.1mm resolution prints.  The one thing that seems lacking for lithophanes however, are many cool ways to display them.

Recently I saw some GE LED "CoverLite" night lights, and thought they may be ideal as a lithophane light source.  I ordered some to test, and after removing the cover from the LED, I'm sure they will work now.  I'm working on a Star Wars themed lithophane to help celebrate a close relative's new baby, and it will be based off a GE CoverLite source. 

I'm printing the lithophane now, using an image that is 1300x864 pixels.  That size is just what I arbitrarily cropped the image to, and then designed the holder around the STL that was created (so if I use this again, I will need to start with the same size image if I want it to fit). 

I used these settings (see pics below) on https://3dp.rocks/lithophane/, and it created a lithophane that is an outward facing arc about 70mm tall and 94mm wide (tip to tip, not along the arc).  The first test lithophane which was generated looked great when I tried printing it, unfortunately I had used a wrong setting, thinking I could make a lithophane with a flat front face, however it would take way too much light for that to work, so I am using the design facing out for my next attempt.  One thing that was suggested in a video (sorry I lost the link otherwise I would credit the person), they said to set the "Image Setting" slider to "Positive Image", otherwise it would look like a negative image when backlit (I believe).    

These 3 images below are from https://3dp.rocks/lithophane/:

I'm still testing these settings however, and I need to print the holder and see if it will work, but I'm hopeful.  If it all works out, I may try a Christmas ornament or maybe a small desk lamp with some other pics of the new baby.  If it works out well enough to give it as a gift, I will post it up to Thingiverse or Prusa Printers with instructions on how to get a compatible lithophane to fit the holder.

I'm using some TacBears white PLA which is almost a milkjug white and I thought pretty much only good for lithophanes.  I would not recommend that filamaent otherwise, but it so far has been OK (I did have one clog on the 2nd test print though).  For the holder, I'm gonna use some Polymaker Glitter (Dark Blue) PLA which I got on a Cyber Monday sale for $23.99.

For some reason Ford decided to use a plastic hose for the wiper squirters on the C-max, which may work if the hose was static, but here the squirters are mounted on the hood, so the hose must flex every time the hood is opened and closed.  When I saw the plastic hose I thought it was just some plastic conduit over a rubber hose, but nope, there is no other hose inside.  They really just used plastic.  Thanks to their design decision which probably saved them less than a buck and helped boost some nameless VP's star in the company, there was an inevitable leak, right where the hose has to flex.  Not a huge deal, but annoying when I have to find this out the hard way, with a dirty windshield and no squirters to spray it with (fortunately I had a case of unsweetened seltzer water on hand which was handy).

To hopefully fix this, I ordered this kit, which has an assortment of connectors, but I only needed two of the the 1-1 couplers.  The kit looks similar to many others on Amazon, and works well.  The included connectors went right into the remaining hose without much complaint.  I measured the inside and outside diameters of the stock hose and it was 7mm outside and 5mm inside, though it is corrugated.

The install was simple aside from a crazy double reverse latching hose clamp, which surely deserves a design award.  I had to set a flat screwdriver in a vice (set to pry one side open) while using another flat screwdriver in one hand (to pry the other side), and held the clip in the other hand, in order to open it up.  The only thing that makes sense is that Ford has access to 3 handed alien tech, likely through their connections with the lizard persons...who I assume also have 3 hands.  Oddly the other hose clamps were of the simple (human based) one side clip design, so I'm not sure why they made this one extra spicy:

The CR10S Pro is a great printer out of the box, but I have made some minor upgrades, most of these things were done when parts wore out or failed:  The one linked is the v2 which has an upgraded BLTouch probe vs the capacitive probe which is stock on the V1 which I own.

• Replaced the stock Capacitive sensor with an Inductive Sensor (LJ18A3-8-Z/BX), more info is here.
• Replaced the brass z-axis nuts with POM anti-backlash nuts, more info is here.
• Swapped the wheels on the Y-axis with polycarbonate wheels.  I'm still testing these and have seen some white dust from them but they did solve a problem due to a faulty bearing on one of the old wheels.
• Added a PEI sheet (310x320mm) which works great (sometimes too well on PETG and TPU though).  The GizmoDorks PEI sheet linked is great since it is thick enough to be sanded if needed.  I would sugget knocking down the corners with a razor or file though, snce the stock bed has a fillet and the sheet does not (I cut my finger on the edge before I got smart and trimmed them down).
  
• Added the extruder arm fix from Tinymachines.
  
• Added a printed cable chain for the ribbon cable (V2 version here).
• Added a strain relief cable chain on the bed cable
• Added a filament guide
• Extended the micro-sd card from the display to make it easier to upgrade.
• Updated the firmware to Tinymachines (and now DGUS Reloaded)
• Micro-Swiss All Metal Hotend for the CR10S Pro (note that the CR10S Pro has a specific hot end and tne normal CR10 hot end will not work).  This was probably the best upgrade on my printer so far, however the stock hot end is no slouch either.  Some folks have different opinions of this hot end though, it has been very solid for my printer.
• It's not specific to this printer, but I also use an OctoPi with it, which runs on a Pi 4B (4G), though I have another running on a 3B+ without issues.  Now the best option is probably the Pi Zero 2 W for only $15, though there are some compromises with that vs the full size Pi3B and Pi4's.
• I also use these leveling blocks to keep the x-axis gantry in proper trim (which I rarely need to mess with thanks to the anti-backlast nuts).
  

I saw a thread on Reddit regading a worn Y-Axis belt on a CR10S Pro V2, and thought I would check mine.  Fortunately it looks OK, however I can see a potential problem with the alignment of the pulley (or maybe its fine since it's not worn).  It looks however as though the tensioner should be a few mm lower.  The simple fix would be to just raise or lower the gear, but since mine is working nicely and shows no sign of wear, I'm not touching it unless that changes.  It may be that when there is wear, it is due to the gear being set just a mm too low, causing the belt to be dragging down on the idler which is a couple of stacked flange bearings.  

After thinking about this, I think the way mine is set up is correct (and of course I had nothing to do with that :D).  I think this because one edge of the belt is held in place by the lip of the flange bearing, which probably helps it to stay in position.  Also with the belt biased to the lower bearing on the idler, it may keep it from wandering or distorting as much (vs being centered on the idler between the flange bearings).  Likely the belt is just lightly riding on the lower flange bearing, but if there was more pressure there, it would probably be worn.

I saw this over on Slickdeals today, and it is a great price for a CR10 Smart for $299 with a coupon code (SMT100).  I would buy one but I have no space and it is very similar to my CR10S Pro anyway. 

The positives that I see with this printer are:

• zero offset probe (load cell type)
• nicely design frame with extra stiffeners
• seems like it is well put together inside and out, and easy to assemble
  
• full size CR10 class printer 300x300x400 volume
  
• Price is great at 300 bucks!
  

downsides are:

• Will likely be more difficult to upgrade due to the color touchscreen
• the USB port by default only works for a compatible camera (so no Octoprint in the stock config).  It is an easy fix but requires re-configuring some connections (but no soldering).  Also the mod leaves a hole in the case.
• I have not heard great things about Creality's Cloud app and don't trust it.  It is a requirement if you want to print remotely with this printer - unless you do the simple mod to re-enable an actual USB port, or use the SD card to print.  I would definitely lock things down on the network if the stock network functions of the printer were going to be used.  Even barring nefarious stuff, they seem to have problems with software even when it is 90% written for them (Marlin), so I don't think I would trust their code for the network module, which is going to act as a client for their cloud service. 
  
• Some poor reviews of the printer (though that is an issue with all printers more or less).  Still if planning to buy, it would be good to watch some videos of reviews good and bad.
  

Some other things to be aware of is that the bed is fixed and I have read some comments about the touch probe being difficult, but there are downsides to every printer.  I think if one is willing to do some simple mods to get the USB port back and bypass the need for Creality's cloud, then it is a very worthwhile printer for the price.  If you would like a printer to tinker with then it may not be the best due to the touchscreen and again the USB, but if you tinker with printers then you probably know how easy it would be to swap the board and the screen if needed.

Below is the link to slickdeals where I saw this deal today:

slickdeals.net/f/15365593-cr-10-smart-3d-printer-pre-black-friday-deal-100-off-100-off-discount-code-free-shipping-299?src=frontpage

I need to pass an Ethernet cable through the back cover of my enclosure so I am making this.  It is to allow me to run the cable for the display for my JKTech Smart Controller, which I extended using Ethernet, into the enclosure (and then it will go into an electronics compartment I'm still working on.  The shell of my enclosure is 4mm thick so that's what these are designed for.  These pass through grommets are untested while I wait for a 7' Monoprice Slimrun Cat6 Cable. 

There are two versions shown, one is designed for a 3/4" hole and should pass the Ethernet RJ45 through, while the smaller one is only designed to pass the cable through.  Since I plan to cut one end off the cable anyway, I will be using the smaller design.  The split design is not really needed for the smaller one for my use, but I want to see if it will work (and I think it may be more handy for other types of cables like USB where I may not want to cut the end off).  The orange and cyan color parts are meant to be printed in TPU and will act as a cable strain relief and grommet.  I may post one or both of these if ithey work out OK.

I wasn't sure what to call this thing, but I think "candy ladder" fits.  It's designed to have small trays to fit Halloween candies and I plan to mount it on the door for the kids to grab one (or probably all of 'em LOL).

It will mount with a command strip (or could be hung with a screw or nail) which will stick to a custom hanger.  The eyes will light up using RGB slow changing LED's.  There will be a AAA battery holder which will power two (2 pin) 5mm RGB LED's in parallel, with a 150 Ohm resistor, all mounted in the skull.  The LEDs are optional since the eyes could be printed in any color as well as clear for the LED's.  The vertebrae are linked with small paper clips bent as the hinge pins, and I plan to add another command strip to anchor it on the bottom (on the tombstone).  

I'm not gonna be able to test this print prior to Halloween, but I will post it up once I can verify some of the parts fit.

The print should fit on an Ender3 size printer.

Update 10/25/2021 - It's down to the wire, but I think I can get this tested and posted tomorrow.  I had printed some parts today, but they needed some refinements so I had to do a re-design of the vertebrae and the hinges.  The vertebrae will take longer to print, but they look better I think and may be stronger.

This is now uploaded, you can find it at the link below.  I'm gonna enter this into the Prusa Halloween Contest so if you like it please add a like over there (thanks!):

www.prusaprinters.org/prints/83424-socially-distanced-halloween-candy-dispenser-ladde

The version at Thingiverse has been updated recently with an updated version of the sign which can print in 3 different colors.  I didn't update the Prusa version yet because I think it would DQ my entry in the Halloween Contest (I noticed that when I made a minor update to my Solar LED's which were entered in the Prusa Halloween Contest, that the entry disappeared).

www.thingiverse.com/thing:5030838


The build guide is here.

Quick project to make a magnetic key hook and 4x6 photo frame.  The Photo slides in from the back of the frame, and I plan to use some clear transparency film to protect the photo from the keys.  The frame will use five 12x3mm cylinder magnets  to attach it (to a fridge in this case).  I'm printing it now to test.

Edit - decided to make this instead:

The Halloween Solar LED Toppers are now published on PrusaPrinters and Instructables.  I've entered this design in the Halloween contests at each site, so if you like them, please give them a like, and if you print them please post a print.  Although I entered the contest at Instructables, my post does not yet show up on their contest page because it is pending approval by their moderators.  I will post them in a few days on Thingiverse as well.  The STEP files are currently only on PrusaPrinters since Instructables does not like the .STP file format. 

www.prusaprinters.org/prints/82330-halloween-yard-solar-rgb-led-toppers-ghost-bat-and

www.instructables.com/Halloween-Yard-Solar-RGB-LED-Toppers-Ghost-Bat-and/

www.thingiverse.com/thing:5036069

Here is the link to the RGB Solar LED lights I used for this:
www.harborfreight.com/solar-decorative-led-lights-3-pc-69462.html

My Dad has an older BlueRidge (by Jacuzzi) model 45-400 spa that has been a real trooper, though I noticed that there are a lot of flakes from the finish now in the water, but that's another story.  So it is showing it's age, but he has kept it going and just repaired a leaky connection to the pump, which was either missing a gasket all these years, or it just disintegrated.  Unfortunately a couple days after refilling the tub, there was a PS1, and then PS2 errors on the display and it won't heat.  The P1 error only showed up once according to my Dad, and now it just shows a PS2 error (I only saw the PS2 error).  Looking that up, the error relates to the pressure switch on the heater, and after ruling out the easy stuff like clogged filters (which darned if they won't be with all that plastic finish floating around in there), but nope, it was not that.

So I started looking for the pressure switch, and no, it wasn't under the cover with a wingnut like I saw in a youtube video, but it was under a black cover on the heater, which had I looked at it for 20 seconds, would have been an obvious place to check, since it was slowly dripping from the base of the cover.  After taking the cover off, this is what I found:

I didn't even need to test this to see it was busted :D  That part on the right which is hanging should have been welded to the round pressure switch on the left.  I have no idea how this was working till now, since clearly the diaphragm must have failed a long time ago. 

I took another pic of the label to get the model number:

And here is a pic of the wiring diagram from the inside cover, note that the pressure switch shows going to P12, P13 which on this spa are blue wires going to the right side of the board.

I can't take the pressure switch out right now, since the spa is not drained, but I think it has a plastic 1/8" NPT connector and it looks like the range goes (edit) from 1 PSI to I don't know what, though it is really corroded and I can't be sure about that.  Unfortunately I haven't found the decoder ring to make sense of the model number, and I can't seem to find the exact model to replace it.

I'm still searching for a replacement, but will update here with what I find to swap it out with.

Update 10/22/2021 - I contacted the manufacturer and they provided me the info on the TecMark Model 3037P-CX pressure switch.  They advised that it was an older model for a company (which made the spa) that is no longer in business, but said that I could replace it with either a "4037P, or a 4010P", but also warned that I would have to "calibrate the switch on site."  They also noted that the "CX" specified that the original switch was set to change contacts (switch) on a pressure fall (edit) at 2.5 psi (+/- 0.5 psi).  So I will set the knob on the pressure switch to 2.5 psi to test it.

That was good news since I have purchased a 4010P, which looked like it fit the spec and was plastic (so it won't rust out), and has a range of 1-5 psi.  This is the one I bought.  It can be found a few bucks cheaper at other stores, but I have prime so shipping makes up for the slightly higher price.  My local spa place said they had some that would be compatible for under $40, but I wanted to make sure I got one that was at least OEM quality.

It should be noted that the way this switch works, simply replacing it without adjusting the pressure is not safe and likely would not work.  My understanding is that this switch is designed to trigger when water starts flowing through the heater element, and that is a safety feature.  It lets the processor know if there is a fault with the pump, and to shut down the heater (if no water is flowing over the heater).  That way the heater will not keep running with no water flow through it. 

After watching several youtube videos on this subject, I learned that there are some spas which use temperature probes to measure a differential of temperatures between the input and output of a heater element to perform a similar check.  But my Dad's spa shown here only has one temperature probe clamped to the heater, and one pressure switch which is also installed in the heater housing.  Based on what I have found regarding the error codes, I think the PS2 error he was getting right off the bat when turning on or resetting the spa, indicates that the normally open pressure switch (NO) was triggered (closed) with the pump off.   That is odd though, since it appears that there is no way for it to have been closed having the mount for the switch broken as it was.  Still it's clearly worn and faulty, so I will replace it and go from there if new codes pop up afterwards.

Update 10/28/2021 - My Dad installed the pressure switch and said it cleared the error.  I had set the switch to 2.5psi prior which is what I think the old one was set for.  From what I read, the spa will do a check every 96 hours and pop a PS2 error if it detects that the switch is on with the pump off, so it will be a few days to be sure it will not have a further problem, but he said he did a reset and did not see the error which is good news.