I was in the market for some pepper spray after recently hearing of a close call a relative had, and she was thankfully saved by her loyal doggo.  I had previously given her some pepper spray, but I don't know if she had it with her at the time, or even if it is expired or not.  This time I decided to get her Fox Labs pepper spray, which I hear works pretty well.  I first checked out Amazon, and was gonna buy the Mean Green (because it should make the bad guy pretty easy to spot).  But then I went to the Fox Labs site to see what other types they had, and I found that they have a BOGO deal for their One-Point-Four 2oz spray, which should be a an effective deterrent.  The text on the site says to add two to the cart and then use code "BlackFridayBOGO" which will take off the price of one of them.  It looks like the deal is going until 7am GMT on November 5th (its about 7 bucks for shipping).  If ordering, check your local laws to make sure you can own pepper spray, and if there are restrictions on the potency of it.  The smaller 2oz sprays are small enough to fit in a pocket (well sometimes lol), but should fit in any purse.  The downside from being handy though, is that they are limited in range and duration.  A few 1 second bursts at about 12 feet seems reasonable though.  I found this video of the Fox Five-Point-Three spray in use, which looks pretty effective (no idea who that guy is, but thanks to him for putting himself on YT getting sprayed for science :D).

Note this post has been updated due to new info in the listing regarding the Raspberry Pi (which does not appear to be included anymore).

This is a was a pretty good deal on a Voron v2.4, which is on sale at AliExpress right now.  I say it "was" a pretty good deal because it looks like the Pi they had offered originally is no longer offered. The listing text shows that the Pi is not included now - even though the picture in the listing still shows it.  Without a Pi, it is still a reasonably good deal for a 350mm Voron R2.4 kit in my opinion.  When I ordered mine for about the same price a couple months ago, I ordered it with the knowledge I may not get a Pi with it, even though it was in the BOM for the kit at the time.  In other words, if you order one I suggest checking with the seller to find out of they have any of the Pi's left, and if one will be included in your kit.   

I'm still building my FYSETC 2.4 R1.3 kit, and so far have been happy with it.  The printer in the listing also appears to be a R1.3 (not the latest R2).  I do not really consider that a big deal though, since the R1.3 can be built as a R2, which is what I am doing.  The main difference seems to be swapping two of the MGN9 rails on the X, with one 400mm MGN12 rail  (I paid about $16 for one of these rails).  The other differences between the R2 and R1.3 seems modest in cost though, most changes seem to be related to the printed parts. 

I posted a parts inventory for my FYSETC V2.4 R1.3 kit here (which I bought a couple months ago from the same seller).  In the link you will find some of the pro's and con's of the kit I received along with pics of the parts I received.   The biggest con I found with the FYSETC kit is the non-standard hole sizing on the bed (which is not a functional problem, but also not the spec).  There are certainly better kits out there, but this seems like a decent budget kit, and I don't think I could source it for less.  It was certainly a better deal with the Pi, but it's not a bad deal without it now.  

​The link is not a referral, so I'm not making anything off this.  I just wanted to share the deal.  It is possible that the prices could change, and if you are setting up an account for the first time they may offer additional coupons.  Also be sure to check that the listing still includes the Pi if you decide to jump on this (in case they remove the Pi from the listing later - edit it looks like they did pull the Pi from the listing description). 

I checked to see if some of the coupon codes on the listing page would work with this deal, and even though they were on the same page as the Voron, they did not apply (those were "US15" and "US40").  It would be worth trying those coupons anyway at checkout, just in case they apply in your case though.  

FYSETC also have great prices right now on other Voron printers.

Update: I edited this post since I was originally thinking this was an V2.4 R2.  But after looking at the pics, I think it is the same kit I bought, which is an V2.4 R1.3.  

Update 2: I found this FYSETC carbon fiber X-axis "tube" which replaces the stock aluminum X-Axis extrusion on the Voron 2.4 350mm design (only for the 350mm size printer).  The price was only $16.53 after the discounts which is a heck of a deak for one of these, so I picked one up (I have not yet started on the X-Axis so it should be a drop in replacement for the extrusion).  

Update 3 (PLEASE READ): The listing says "Please note :the kit no including the raspberry pie motherboard, thank you" (but the listing Pic still shows the Pi3B+ as a "free gift"). Thanks to Gymoniphon at Reddit for pointing that out.  If ordering this or planning to, I suggest contacting the seller to clarify what is included if you order this kit.

I picked up a couple "Boruit V3" 900 lumen flashlights from AliExpress recently, and was so impressed with them, that I ordered several more as I get ready to assemble some gifts for Christmas.  I'm of course gonna keep a couple of them since they are super handy for being so small.  I've been using the black light shown in some of the pics (pardon the lint) almost daily, and also tested the clear model as well.  Being so small they are easy to keep loose in a pocket even without a keychain, which makes them my most used light.  I may design and print a small clip so it can mount on the bill of a cap though since that would be the only thing to make it more useful.

These lights use USB-C to recharge, and include some side LED's (white, UV, red, red flashing and red/blue flashing modes).  The side modes are a lesser used so it's cool that there is a separate (right side) button to control them, while the main LED's have just four modes from high to dim (controlled by the left button).  For some reason the manual claims there are 5 modes on the main LEDs, but there are only 4 (which is plenty).  The UV LED is modest but it does work.  It may struggle to find scorpions with it from more than a half dozen feet, but will work to check out UV security features or printing.  The butt end has a neodymium magnet which tends to grab anything within reach and glom onto other items on a keychain, but is a nice feature.  I have not tested the water resistance, which they claim is IP65, so I'd not plan to dunk it.  The USB port has a rubber cover but I don't know how well it would hold out water.  It should be fine in the rain though. 

Since buying the first couple lights, I have received a few more which are destined as gifts, and while testing them I noted that (on high) the black version is a bit dimmer than the glow in the dark (GITD) / clear version.  This was consistent across several I tested.  But what was a bit concerning is that the clear version (which seems to be brighter on high) also gets hot after running on high for about 5 minutes.  I never really noted an issue with the black version getting hot while running on high, so I suspect that the GITD/clear versions, which I received may run the LED's at a bit higher current for some reason.  It is almost like the GITD/clear version starts up in a turbo mode compared to the black version.  Unfortunately the 2nd brightest mode on the GITD/clear version is probably 25% less bright than the high mode on the black version (but it stays cool).  Therefore stepping down a notch on the GITD/clear version will not really equal the normal high mode on the black version - but the 2nd brightest mode on the GITD/clear version is plenty usable.  So in a nutshell, if you tend to use a light on high for more than 5 minutes at a time, then the black version is probably a safer bet.  If you want the brightest light but don't mind stepping down to the 2nd brightest mode for normal use, and like the fact the light will glow in the dark, the GITD/clear version would be a better pick.

Runtime is good with at least 80 minutes for the black version on high (and it did not get hot), and the same time for the GITD/clear version on the 2nd highest setting, which also remained cool (they could have run longer but I shut them both off at 80 minutes).

I think both lights have their use, but the one I keep in my pocket is the black version.  I wish it were glow in the dark but that is honestly not something I would use much anyway.  I prefer to just turn on the light and use it without worrying about the light heating up.  Being mostly plastic, I doubt the LEDs will have much in the way of heatsinking, so if using the GITD/clear light, it makes sense to stick to the 2nd highest mode normally and only use the highest mode occasionally.  Below are some pics of the lights including one beam shot of the high modes of the black (left) and GITD/clear lights (right) and one of the GITD/clear light after being charged up with a flashlight for a few seconds so it would glow (I adjusted the image to appear close to how it actually appeared).  Pardon the pocket lint.

If you pick one of these up for Christmas gifts, it would be good to order soon if buying from AliExpress (since it can take several weeks to deliver).  Amazon also sells them but expect to pay more (but you will of course get it sooner).

I have some more lights from AliExpress, which I have received in the past couple days and will post reviews for them as well.

I bought several "6 in 1 metal pen Multifunction Tool Ballpoint Pen(s)" from AliExpress to give as part of several Christmas gifts this year, along with some flashlights which I will post a review on later.  I found out (unfortunately) that there is a metal version of these pens, and a plastic version (which I would term a cheap knock off).  The metal version is all around better but it is unfortunate that most sellers seem to offer the plastic version for almost as much.  Although both versions look very similar there are some differences, such as the clip, and also the fact that the metal version has shiny silver (chome plated metal) threads where the back cap screws on, while the plastic version is just painted plastic threads. 

I checked the accuracy of both pens and found the following:

METAL:
metric scale 0-70mm (measured 70.31mm)
inch scale 0-3in (measured 3.014in)

PLASTIC:
metric scale 0-70mm (measured 70.52mm)
inch scale 0-3in (measured 2.991in)

The bubble level is much easier to view on the metal pen vs the plastic pen, probably due to the metal pen being silver inside the barrel vs the black plastic of the plastic pen.  

The screwdriver on the metal version seems to be actually usable, while the plastic version has a lot of play and uses a magnet to hold the bit in.  It is a bit difficult to extract the bit on the metal version but there is very little play and it feels solid.  The cap that goes over the screwdriver bit (which has the rubber tip) is much easier to replace or remove on the metal version thanks to more precise threading of the metal vs. plastic.   Getting the cap back on the plastic version takes a bit of effort but it does go on. 

I did not test the rubber stylus but there is little difference between the plastic and metal versions so there will not be much difference there.

I initially thought the cross hatched part of the pen which is held between the fingers on the metal version would be less comfortable than the plastic version, but did not find that to be the case.  The texture is smooth, and not bad for writing with.  The plastic version has a similar but less pronounced texture which is just as comfortable to use (possibly slightly better being plastic which will not get cold or hot if left in a car).  It is possible to switch the silver textured part which holds the ink cartridge between the plastic and metal versions as well (so a pen with a metal body could be assembled using the silver plastic cartridge holder from a plastic pen).   

There are some other minor differences between the plastic and metal versions (such as the length of the parts).  Overall the metal version is much higher quality in almost every way.  The only improvement would be to add a magnet to hold the bit (which is held by friction from an o-ring which works really well).

I purchased the metal version here, and the plastic version here.   I have not purchased these from Amazon but these appear to be similar though shorter aluminum (metal) versions at Amazon (which is sold as a pack of 6 pens), and this one appears to be the identical (metal) version to what I bought from AliExpress.  Aside from asking the seller which type they sell (plastic or metal), the biggest visual difference is the clip, which on the plastic version is mounted to the side of the barrel.  While on the metal version, the clip mounts like a washer between the barrel and the threaded end piece which holds the screwdriver.

Below are some pics for comparison (metal is on the left and plastic is on the right).

I did not receive anything for writing this review, just posting some observations on a cool stocking stuffer I found.

My search for the perfect "NozzleCam" for my 3D printers continues... but I could be close.  The postman delivered a OV5640 USB Webcam which I previously ordered from AliExpress.  I had a feeling the model I purchased could be a problem, since it has autofocus.  In any case I did some tests with it and it does work with the Raspberry Pi, and the minimum distance where it can focus on an object is about 40mm in front of the lens.  The autofocus is pretty slow, hunting and missing a lot, and I think it will have a problem as a nozzle camera.  Further, the driver does not support disabling the autofocus and manually setting the focus (some of them do).  After testing, I ordered another fixed focus model which will be several weeks to arrive.

​This highest resolution at which this camera supports 30 fps is 1920x1080 (which I think will be fine).  The maximum resolution is 2592x1944 at 15 fps.

​Below is the output of "v4l2-ctl --all --device /dev/video0" the area highlighted in white is where it would show if the camera supports any focus control options (but there are none listed).  It's a bit of a bummer since this driver seems to be the same used for most of the modular type USB webcams I have found, even the 4k models.  Hopefully a fixed focus camera will work better.

In the pics below, you will see my very poor setup, since I just wanted to test the closest distance the object could be, and still be in focus (about 40mm). The other pics show the module and the cable, which was included.  The module is quite small and compact and gets warm (while the camera gets hot).  I would probably try and heat sink the camera, and possibly the board if using it for a nozzle camera.

I will update this post again, with hopefully a better test setup, when I get the fixed focus camera (which is also an OV6540).

I set up a temporary test on my printer to get a more real world pic of the nozzle with this camera.  It seems to work, and I think if I can get the fixed focus version (which has a slightly narrower field of view), it may work.  If not I will test a 100° camera.  Also yes, this nozzle is very dirty, I am gonna clean it now and fix the boot (to boot).  This is positioned roughly where my old endoscope camera was positioned but in line with the BL-touch probe (so it is far enough away from the nozzle that it should not get overheated hopefully).  The camera will need to be moved up and angled downward more to work properly, if I ran the printer like this the camera would hit the bed before the nozzle (this is only a test).  The image quality is not spectacular, but it will do.

The LCD Case Mod by "Spaghetti-Bolognese" on Github adds a small button over the E-stop button (among other things).  It looks like the Voron design has changed a bit since that was made however, since the screen now has a bezel which covers the screws.  I wanted the button however, so I remixed the model and used the Voron R2.4 STEP files ​to make two versions.  One fully covers the scree bezel (which was a bit of a hack), and another version is pretty much stock, aside from the button.  Both will require some more supports, and I will not post them until I can test the files.  I plan to print and use the fully covered screen version since I have zapped too many things to count, and previously had to replace the screen on my delta due to zapping the metal screen bezel.

Update 10/8/2022: Printed the base and it looks good, the button operation works well so I think it should be good (but I still need to print the bezel).

I made a change to the version which covers the metal bezel, it will now print flat, as nature intended.  I also made a slight adjustment to the location of the button which will require reprinting the part shown above... unfortunately I'm used to that sort of thing though.

I finished the design and have it printed, but it is not yet uploaded.

This started out like a simple idea and has turned into a project.  Turns out that cramming all the stuff I want to cram in this thing is much harder than I thought.  The idea of this is to be able to extend the LED's, the MicroSD and a couple USB 3.0 ports from the Pi to the front panel on the Voron skirt.  I plan to backlight the Raspberry Pi logo, the USB ports, and the status LED's using some "sequin" LED's designed for the Adafruit Lilly Pad.  I had earlier thought about backlighting the SD card symbol but I thought it would not really add much.  Right now all the pretty stuff is done, and I have modeled how the LED's can be attached (they will be glued into some form fitting pockets), but figuring out how the insert will go into the skirt part and not get pulled out or pushed in, is a problem I have yet to solve.  I could just glue it in I guess, but I would like to have some screws as well (if I can figure out where the screws could go).  For now, here are some pics on the progress (the large pic is the current status, the other two were prior versions).  These all look pretty much the same, since most of the work has been done under the hood.

Update 10/7/2022: I decided to make the insert clip into the "frame" of the skirt.  It will have six clips so hopefully it will be secure.  I am now just waiting on parts to get the final dimensions and probably spend way to much time adjusting the model.

I made a new page to keep all my Voron stuff together, you can find it here.

The small debris which my printer creates was getting out of hand.  I normally dyson out my enclosure after a print to clean up the scraps, but thought a small bucket may be a simpler solution.  I designed this while working on the belted z remix, and it just sticks on the side of the CR10S Pro using five 12x3 cylinder magnets, and it prints without supports.  The magnets are held in using some superglue (I use Gorilla Superglue Gel) and I plan to glue the frame to the bucket on mine.  I made one minor change between my printed part and the model posted to printables, which is to lower the height of the bucket by 1.6mm since I found that mine was just a bit too tall (my printer uses the stock feet).  If the printer is raised or uses non-stock feet, it may be necessary to add something to the base or you can adjust the model since I will include the STEP file.  This was printed using eSun Fire Engine Red PETG and Duramic 3D Black PETG.  You can find the STL and STEP files here:

​ www.printables.com/model/284470-scraps-bucket-for-a-creality-cr10s-pro

I use Weebly to host this site (which is free so no complaints), and they are switching over to Square (which bought them in 2018).  I received an email asking me to create an account on Square, even though I did that weeks ago (yet still keep getting the emails). I also linked the site to square weeks ago, but cannot see anywhere to manage it from Square.  I think I have done what was asked to keep the site going in the move to Square but am not 100% sure.  I've looked through the FAQ's on how to check if the site was moved over, but anything mentioned does not seem to correspond to what I see on the dashboards.  It does however look like going forward, or possibly even with the transition to Square, the blog may go "bye bye" or become unusable for me, since Square does not seem to be a blogging platform (they are e-sales).  I cannot be sure though, since I cannot make heads or tails of exactly how it may or may not work with the move to square.  In any case, I backed up the site, but if it does get turned into mashed potatoes with the move, I will try and get the site back up somewhere, but likely will not be rebuilding it as it was (I will probably need to move it to a blogging friendly platform). 

If the worst happens, I won't be blaming Weebly though (aside from poorly explaining what should be expected).  It will have been a long run with them, and they have been excellent, in fact if this is one of the last posts, let it live somewhere in the Internets as a "thank you to Weebly for hosting this Stoopid site for this long!"  And thank you to anyone visiting, for stopping by to see what stoopid stuff is new.  If you see this domain go dark for a while, it won't be for long since I will then  be looking for a new home, and will try and get at least some of the content back up somewhere.  But please be patient, there are a number of things going on, and I have a few projects as well (but the blog is important to me, so I will try and revive it somewhere if it goes away).  The domain will not change regardless, it will remain as www.mystoopidstuff.com.  Thanks again and Good Luck with all your projects!