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Small Update for the Tapo C120 Camera Wall Wart Mount (Completed)

6/12/2025

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9 months ago, I posted a wall wart mount for the inexpensive (yet really quite good) Tapo C120 Camera.  The camera in that outdoor mount has been running since then outside, with no issues so far.  It has seen ran and frost, but no ice or snow.  But I had another look at the design recently, and decided to make a small change to improve the assembly process for the mount.  The update will change the design of the retaining rings, which in the first version use a cross bar as a means to turning them to tighten.  That bar however gets in the way of the USB cable, so I removed it, and instead added some slots for a tool that will be included.  The update is fully backwards compatible.  I'm running a test print now, and once it is done, it will, be updated. 

I will update it first on Makerworld soon.  I tried updating it on Printables, but it seems there is some problem there with uploading images, so I may circle back to update there later.

Update, the new v1.1 models are posted (and tested):

https://makerworld.com/en/models/722213-tapo-c120-camera-wall-wart-mount-v1-1#profileId-653148

https://www.printables.com/model/1047621-tapo-c120-camera-wall-wart-mount-v11

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Sometimes I Can't Help Myself

5/31/2025

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A relative needed a simple ramp to fit a doorway, to make a transition over a door sill.  It should be an easy job using plywood and a couple 2x4's.  But I had to check some angles, to see if I could use some scraps of plywood I had around, and so started drawing it out in CAD.  One thing lead to another, and I now have a 3D printing project in addition to building a simple ramp...I'm starting to think, that owning a 3D printer makes everything seem like it could use at least one printed part lol.

At least the ramp should be more durable, and have a gentler transition this way, but it is gonna take a few days to print all the parts.  I plan to print it in PETG, since it will reside outdoors, and PETG is a more resilient material in general, compared to PLA and ABS (which stinks to print anyway).  Fortunately the ramp is not needed soon, so this should work out. 

I did run into one issue during slicing, which was a bit frustrating though.  My printer is a Bambu X1C, which supposedly has a 256x256 bed (asterisk).  However when I tried to slice the first version of the large ramp end pieces, it failed, even though the print was under the max size.  I had carefully designed the parts with space around the "keep out" rectangle for the cutter, but the slicer balked, and would not allow slicing until I removed the 'keep out area" entirely.  To clarify, the "keep out" area was not intruded on, and there were several mm of space around it, so this seems like a bug.  I had read of this happening to other users, and it makes no sense that there is a 2nd, invisible "keep out" area in practice.  I found it was easier to just split the design up further, than deal with the slicer's shenanigans.  I could just print the clip to move the cutter stop out of the way and update the slicer, but I don't feel like messing with the printer since it is gonna run different jobs and swapping the parts out between is no fun.  It's rare that I need to print large parts like this however, so I'm not gonna dwell on it too much.    
I decided to rework the supports for the ramp, since the original design required ripping a couple 2x4's at a steep angle.  The new design just requires some square cuts and uses some printed shims to make up the angles.  It's not as pretty, but I don't think anyone is gonna go looking under the ramp.
6/1/2025:  I found that I had some 2x3 around, which makes this easier, so there was one more modest redesign.  It will be allow me to just cut down a pair of 2x3 to the width or the ramp, and trim the plywood.  The rest will all be printed parts.
6/4/2025:  The ramp turned out well, though I had to re-work it again, since I forgot to account for about 10mm of a carpeted matt that is going on it.  I have another to make, but it should go a lot quicker.  The printing however takes a couple days in total.
6/12/2025:  I was asked to make another ramp, and decided to simplify the design a bit by combining the base pads with a "shim" which sets the angle of the ramp.  These new parts slide over a 2x4 and for these ramps, four are used per 2x4.  I also found that there was a small bit of bounce on the ramp, so I added a 1x2 brace with similar slide on pad+shims.  The ramp is now very sold with two 2x4 and one 1x2 supports.  Making the ramps this way is pretty simple, since it just requires cutting down a 2x4 and 1x2 to the width of the ramp, and installing the slide on shims and tapered end parts.  For the 2nd ramp, I'm gonna print some spacers as well, to get the lumber set more accurately.  On the first ramp (shown), I just eyeballed the location of the braces which worked well, but took a bit of time to position things.  Each 2x4 is held to the ramp using four 2" wood screws, which were just screwed in from the top of the ramp when everything was in position. 
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Looking at an update to the Gridfinity Watchholder Remix

5/30/2025

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I've made several remixes of Luocheng Huang's very nice Gridfinity Watch Stand, which I modified to fit 1x2 and 3x2 Gridfinity Watch cases I'd previously designed, and they have been working really well.  But yesterday one of the users over on MakerWorld who made one of the remixed watch holders and my single watch case to go with it, suggested a really cool idea.  Their idea was to place some desiccant into the center of the holder, where it currently is just filled with plastic and air.  Since I really liked that idea, I worked on it for a while today and ended up with the design below.  It utilizes the TPU cover (in white) to hold a cover over the compartment for the desiccant.  The plan is for the orange pieces to be printed with an infill pattern as well, (no top or base layers), to form a grid, and then those parts will be glued into the lid and the case.  That should allow either a packet of desiccant or loose beads to be used inside the compartment.  To open the compartment, there is a slot to insert a flat screwdriver to pop the lid off (which has some bumps that engage with a groove in the TPU cover).  

The unfortunate part of this design is that I don't have the time to test it lol.  Hopefully it will get posted if I can get it tested sometime though.
6/12/2025:  This is still pending a test run to make sure it all fits, before I upload it.  The printer has been busy with some other projects that took priority, but those are nearing completion.
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Updated the Dummy 13 Astronaut Kit

5/20/2025

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There is a small update to the Dummy 13 Astronaut kit (single color version), which allows assembly without glue.  The helmet was reworked a bit to allow the visor and "stripe" to snap into place.  I've run multiple tests of the new helmet, and everything seems good, so I updated the model over on MakerWorld:

https://makerworld.com/en/models/189444-dummy13-goes-to-the-moon-astronaut-remix-kit-card#profileId-860644
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A1 Spares Case Allen Key Handles (Completed)

4/30/2025

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This seemed like a pretty small thing, but it turned out a bit harder than I thought lol.  I've heard that Bambu has changed the type of Allen keys they are sending with the A1 and A1 Mini, since I designed my A1/A1 Mini Spares Case.  The new keys are just plain old hex Keys with no molded plastic handles, so they no longer fit the case. So I decided to just make some quick handles that would fit the case, unfortunately getting the fit just right is not easy.  I've printed a half dozen versions of both sizes (there is a 2mm and 1.5mm key), and have not been super happy with any of them.  They started off easy to assemble by hand, but were too loose.  When I tightened them up, they felt very secure, but were more difficult to assemble.  The problem is, installing the keys in the handles takes a flat head screwdriver and a hammer to gently tap the key into the handle, so it can seat.  They do work though, and the handles seem very secure this way, but it's not the most ideal way to assemble something.  I'm running off what I hope will be the final design now, which I hope will be easier to assemble, but it may still need tools to get the handles installed.  

Update - I ran a couple more iterations and I think this is as good as it gets for now.  They will require a hammer and a flat screwdriver to install the Allen wrenches into the handles though.  I just started them by hand and then used the screwdriver to focus the hammer blows on the wrench with a few taps on each side, working the wrenches into the handles bit by bit.  It's not that hard, but not ideal.  Still they are nice and tight when installed and are otherwise exactly what I was hoping for.  I will post them later this week, and update this post with a link.  I plan to release them as part of the A1/A1 Mini Spares Case, and as a separate design as well.
​
Update 2 - I have a few minutes, so I updated the models on the A1/A1 Mini Spares Case.  You ca find them in the 3mf profile for the case (a1_spares_case_Ver1-6_rev9G.3mf).  I will post them seprately as well later.
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Gridfinity H2D Spares Bin

4/26/2025

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I decided to take some of the holders which were made for the H2D Spares Case, and use them for a Gridfinity H2D Spares bin design.  I like the way it turned out, but since I have no use for it, I'm not gonna test print it (but will post it in case somebody else would like to give it a try).  It will require (2) M3X10 SHCS, which are used to hold the cutter and wiper module in the bin.  It will also require either (4) 8x3 cylinder magnets, or an (4) 8x8x8 cube magnets, which are used to hold the hotends (however those magnets are optional). 

You can find the model here:

https://makerworld.com/en/models/1360047-h2d-gridfinity-spares-bin
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2 Clogs in a Row on My X1C's Extruder

4/26/2025

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I was running off some 2 color lids for my Gridfinity Latching Bins, and had two print failures in a row.  Both of them were clogs inside the extruder, and I think both were related to heat creep.  The reason for that suspicion is that my printer enclosure duct fan had a failed switch (which I have since replaced), but that meant that I ran the prints with no airflow through the enclosure.  The gray filament which clogged is High Speed PLA as well, which I think may be part of the issue (since PLA is the most likely to have heat creep issues being a lower temp material).  The clogs are due to the filament softening inside the extruder, where instead of gripping the filament, the gears smoosh it, and deform it to the point that a bulge forms, which can get stuck.  The first clog I just cleared, but the second time it happened, I decided to swap some components out.  I also found that the hotend was slightly bent, though not so much I'd normally swap it, but in this case I did (to rule it out as the cause).  I also swapped the cutter and gears, since they were looking a bit worn.  

The problem with a clog inside the extruder is that it will not pull out, and will not push in, so the only way to remove it is to remove the hotend or the extruder if that does not work.  The other problem is that a clog like this makes disconnecting the bowen tubes very hard.  So it helps to manually push about 1cm of filament in from the AMS end, which can get just enough slack to open one bowden coupler and clip the filament inside to release the tension in the tube.  From there, the clog may be removed from below the extruder (with the hotend removed), otherwise the extruder will have to come out.  Having a small cordless screwdriver and some hex bits for this is really handy for working on the extruder.  The only part which is a bit sketchy is removing the wires for everything.  The extruder wires originally had some glue on the connector, but even without it, care has to be taken when removing and re-installing the wires, since it is easy to misalign the connectors.  To pull the extruder, the stop screw on the cutter arm needs to be backed out to free the cutter, then all three of the hotend connectors need to be removed, along with the extruder connector (four total).  Then there are 3 screws that need to be removed to free the extruder from the toolhead.
​Once removed, there are a few more screws which hold the cover on.  Once those are removed, the screw which tensions the spring has to be backed off enough to loosen the idler (but note how tight it is before, since it has to be put back the same way).  Then the filament can be pushed through and the clog cut off, and the filament pulled or pushed through the until it's clear.  At that point, the yellow gear can be removed, though it will be tight still, and may require some work to remove.
When I compared the yellow gear to a spare I had, I found that it was a bit worn, so I swapped it out.  The new gear also has a helical tooth pattern between the smaller gear and the idler, which should help with backlash.  These are not very expensive, and will be a wear item, so it is a good idea (especially now) to keep a spare around.  The gear I removed will be kept as the new backup, until I get some more spares, since it is not horribly worn, but it is a bit worn.  Worn extruder gears will cause backlash in the extruder, and poor surface quality with inconsistent retractions - I doubt that was much of a problem with mine though. 
I gave the extruder a good cleaning with alcohol and swabs, and then put a very small drop of oil on each of the bearings and steel rods in the extruder.  Then the gear and hotend were swapped, I also replaced the cutter and re-assembled everything.  I've run another print using the same high speed gray PLA, without a problem (though it was a single color print).  I suspect the problem is solved, and really, I could have probably gotten by with just clearing the clog and cleaning things up, but it was a good time to overhaul things, with it all apart.  The real fix in this case, was likely lowering the temp inside the enclosure to avoid the softening of the filament inside the extruder.  Fixing the enclosure exhaust fan was a bigger job, but allowed me to re-print part of the enclosure back shell, so I could use a new 2.5" hose fitting, and a larger switch for the vent fan.    

Update 5/24/2025:  No new clogs since I cleaned, lubed and replaced the gears in the extruder.  Based on the minimal wear on the gears I can't say if that is just a coincidence, but I'm not changing them back to find out :D
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Circling Back on an Old Project to Get the Smaller Latching Lid Gridfinity Bins Uploaded

4/23/2025

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It has been some time since I stopped working on the small lidded bins.  Even though the models were mostly done, I still had to spend several hours fixing and updating the models (which somehow got rotated individually by 0.062°).  Then I had to spend another couple hours setting up the profiles and repairing quite a few of the STL's.  That is all done now (with the exception of the 3x3 bins, which will be uploaded later).  This has been a 'uge project, with over 100 models, so I'm trying to get it done (finally).  I just need to print a couple more bins to grab some pics, but I currently have uploaded the 1x1 and 2x2 models and profiles over on MakerWorld:

Gridfinity 1x1 Bins with Latching Lids v1.0
Gridfinity 2x2 Bins with Latching Lids v1.0
Gridfinity 2x3 Bins with Latching Lids v1.0
Gridfinity 1x2 Bins with Latching Lids v1.0
Gridfinity 1x3 Bins with Latching Lids v1.0
Gridfinity 1x4 Bins with Latching Lids v1.0

Still to come are:
Gridfinity 3x3 Bins with Latching Lids v1.0 (these will take longer)
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Added a Couple Remixes for DIN Clips

4/16/2025

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These were a couple quick remixes, which were made to help Voron builders.  They were a collaboration with Steiner-SE over at Printables.  The first is a bunch of DIN clips, which have 50mm and 55mm spacing (and now a 66.5mm version as well).  These clips have other optimizations which were suggested:

https://www.printables.com/model/1267457-stiffer-dinmount-50mm-and-55mm-din-clips-remix
The other remix was just to adjust the hole spacing on an existing Pi mount, to fit the above clips.  The hole spacing was originally 46mm center to center for the DIN clips, and the remix just moves them to 50mm center to center spacing.

https://www.printables.com/model/1267440-rpi-din-clips-mount-40mm-cooling-fan-remix-with-50
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Updated the Voron Cable Management Duct Remix to V3.0

4/10/2025

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This is a quick update to an old design.  The Remix of RyanDam's Cable Management Duct for VoronPrinters is now updated to version 3.0 (rev 1H).  The update adds some new zip tie mounts and improves the strength of the tines a bit further by adding some extra material to them.  The changes are small, but due to the number of ducts, it was a bit of work - but I think the changes are worth it.  I also updated the related models with the same changes.

Thanks to Steiner-SE over at Printables for suggesting the update.
Update 4/18/2025:  Some snap in endcaps were added to the main design (now v3.1).  ​Thanks to Steiner-SE over at Printables for suggesting the update.
Update 4/26/2025:  There are also now some additional lids for the 2x 221-415 WAGO box, which works with the duct system.  
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    Stoopid Me

    Welcome to my Stoopid corner of teh Internet.  It's mostly gonna be 3D printing stuff, but I also post some recipes, projects, and the occasional rant here as well.  More Stoopid stuff is updated regularly.

    I recently joined the Amazon Associate program, so some of the links on this site are Amazon affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.  This will help to support this site, and pay for more Stoopid Stuff.

    Currently, there are no active authorized sellers of my designs.  If you see my stuff (such as my Dummy 13 Weapons) for sale on Amazon, Etsy or AliExpress, the seller is using my designs without permission.

    If you want to help out with my parts and filament budget, you can also "Buy Me A Coffee" using the link below.
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