The Deliberate Art of Voluntary Obsolescence

Taking stock and looking around at what might need replacing is just one of the items on the agenda for August. It makes for an idle window to scope out gadgets. Naturally, this meant checking in on my hobbyist 3D printer, the 2020 Flashforge Adventurer 3. It sits quietly out of the way, perpetually plugged in and ready for the mere two or three assignments I give it each year. I decided to see where my white-and-black, acrylic Easy-Bake® Oven actually fits into the modern technological landscape.

As it turns out, the answer is "in a museum."

A brief dip into the 2026 marketplace revealed that additive manufacturing has been completely conquered by high-speed consumer robotics. The shiny new benchmark is the Bambu Lab P2S, a thousand-dollar enclosed gantry that handles four-colour filament swaps, runs on artificial intelligence to spot errors, and connects directly to your smartphone so you can watch plastic melt in real time. It also prints at five times the speed of my Flashforge. While my aging machine plods along at a stately, glacial pace, the new rigs whip across the build plate in a complete blur.

Take a classic demo example like a tiny plastic desk frog. If I hypothetically wanted to print one with royal blue eyes instead of monochrome green, the modern software makes it look effortless. You just click a digital paintbrush to colour the eyeballs blue while leaving the skin green. The hardware then executes this marvel by cutting the green filament, retracting the line, feeding the blue spool, and purging a mountain of sacrificial plastic down a rear waste chute on every single layer. It is a four-hour mechanical ballet to deposit eighty milligrams of eye colour. Meanwhile, any sensible adult with a $3.99 CAD jar of Testors® enamel and a wooden toothpick can achieve the exact same artistic triumph in six seconds, utterly humiliating a thousand dollars worth of automated Shenzhen robotics.

The real joy of the exercise wasn't buying anything. It was the pure, academic pleasure of finding out how far the hardware has advanced while my Adventurer 3 lived out its quiet existence. Spending money on hyper-niche, techno-curiosity hobbies that spend 98% of their operational lives parked on standby is a classic Dennis ailment.

The hardware upgrade to a multi-colour appliance is probably inevitable eventually, but the beauty of voluntary obsolescence is that the timeline can be deferred indefinitely. For now, the Adventurer 3 remains in active semi-retirement. In fact, the trusty old box is humming away on a print job right this second, while the credit card stays firmly in my wallet. The thousand-dollar printer upgrade can wait for some other year, while any hypothetical desk frog can get its blue eyes courtesy of a tiny brush and a steady hand.

Tubs and Rings

 

This was the season's first hint of an atmospheric river, previously known in local weather terms as a pineapple express. A low pressure system lines up dumping a load of rain stretching from the area around the Hawaiian islands. The other end of the hose generally hits the coast of Washington State or British Columbia. These sort of days are fine for spending a little extra time in the hot tub downstairs. I did that. 

I also printed up a number of rings. I like wearing a ring but I tend to lose them. It's not worth it to buy a good one as it is never long before it is gone. So, I have taken to 3D printing a half dozen at a time. The PLA thermoplastic comes on cheap spools of filament. I could get hundreds from a roll. One hasn't been removed from the build plate below.

   

Online Orders

 

I did a fair amount of online buying today. First, I needed a few supplies for my aging Flashforge 3D printer.  I ordered from a company in Ontario.  My Adventurer 3 is five years old, so I thought I'd buy a few spare parts while they're still available. I really don't have many reasons for having a PLA printer. In fact, there's a box of useless printed junk not far from me. However, the device is just nerdy enough to spark my occasional interest. It's fascinating watching it add one layer at a time to an object. 

Next, I also looked on our drug store chain and found their standard niacin tablets are on sale. The usual $12 a bottle is like $7 something. I take a gram or two per day. It helps with blood lipids and slightly lowers blood pressure. I won't have the package delivered to the house but rather chose the free pick up at the store. Sometimes during a sale, there aren't many bottles on the shelf. 

In addition, Jay also ordered some supplements and nuts via Amazon. We selected the option to have it all delivered in one box. That seemed to make more sense than a quick delivery. None of the items are needed right away. 

These purchases caused me to consider my very first online order via the Internet. We'd just arrived in Canada in 1996, I wanted a globe and ordered this one directly from the National Geographic website.

 

Three Pictures from Today

I'm just adding three pictures to represent things I did today.  

First, above, shows the waiting area of my car dealership in Coquitlam.  I received a recall notice for an update to my battery management software.  My appointment was at 8:30 am so I didn't have to wait.  The technician took around 35 minutes to complete the procedure.  As our Canadian Superstore is very close to the Lougheed Hyundai, I popped in to exchange a SodaStream cylinder and I got three bottles of wine.  I have decided to start a little collection of red wines and keep at least dozen or so in the apartment.

The next photo was taken along Carnarvon Street in the rain.  I walked to the Thrift Store on the other side of downtown.  I did buy a pair of trousers.  They are size 36.  Last summer I had to squeeze into 38s and now I squeeze into pants that are two sizes smaller.

Later in the afternoon, I tried running an object in my 3D printer.  It didn't work well, so I took it apart and put in one of the new spare extruder nozzles I had.  I hardly printed at all last summer and fall.  However seeing how smoothly it prints now has reignited my interest.  I suppose that means I have to get hold of some additional filament.  My Flashforge Adventurer 3 uses 0.5kg spools that are rare and pricier than common, generic 1kg type.

We're watching Disney+ at the moment.  Years ago, I joined when it first began but only subscribed for a short time.  I had to request to change my password but the site remembered my email.  I just thought we could check it out for a month or so and watch whatever we can binge.  I heard the Hulu series called, Mid-Century Modern should premier next week.

Snowflake Decorations for the Tree

Several summers back, I got a 3D printer more for its educational value than its potential utility.  There's not a lot I need to make with my Flashforge Adventurer 3™.  However, I have found downloading 3D files and using the software interesting.  I have fooled around with different colours and made dozens and dozens of objects.

Last November, I printed a few Christmas tree ornaments for friends.  I started printing when a few were visiting so they could see how a hobby 3D printer works.  Even printing small objects can take quite a while.  One wasn't completed by the time they left for home.

So this year, I wanted to ensure that I could give out new ornaments early.  I started the process yesterday in order to have plenty of time.  We leave for the winter in less than four weeks.  Yet, we have plans to meet up next weekend.   

 

What's New on the Thingiverse?

I checked thingiverse.com this evening.

   

I see news reports indicating substantial heatwaves occurring elsewhere. Here, in this part of British Columbia, we stubbornly sat under grey skies with a high temperature of around 17°C or 62°F. I'm sorry but that seems to me to be a little too cool for June!  

Anyway, it was a suitable afternoon to fire up the old 3D printer. I had not tried printing anything new in quite some time. I noticed a noise of the filament knocking last night when I reprinted a replacement ring in black.  It was just a kink in the spool of filament.  

So, a short time ago, I found an interesting shape and it is literally taking shape at the moment. The Flashforge slicing software, 'Flashprint 5', is shown in the photo. My Adventurer 3 printer sits in the entry utility closet though.  I can check on the progress by viewing the image from its tiny built-in camera.  This is another device that is on my home wifi network.

3D Printing for the Season

In the afternoon before the guys were over for dinner on Saturday, I decided to print a Christmas tree ornament as a gift. The problem is my 3D printer can take quite a while to print a large or complex project.   I didn't start in time for it to complete.  They did get to check on its progress during the entire evening.  When the guests left, there was going to be a few hours before it'd be completed.  When our bedtime came, it was still printing. That is not a problem as I knew I could just leave the Flashforge running and turn it off in the morning. 

However, I forgot about my home automation nighttime routine. In bed, I say "OK Google, good night." The phrase begins a cascade of commands: several night lights turn on, the air purifier turns off its display and sets the fan to medium, our white noise machine starts, and all lights in the apartment are confirmed as off. Unfortunately, I hadn't made an exception for my 3D printer and it was also switched off.  Oops!  There's no recovery mode for an Adventurer 3.

   

So yesterday, I reprinted the object. Then, I had the idea to send it through the post to Dover Crescent. Jay made a small box by 'Frankensteining' a handy Amazon box. The postal outlet said the ball with a circumference of 23-mm would cost over $11 for normal delivery to an address only 15 km away. That seemed a bit much for an item with $0.35 cents of plastic printing filament!

   

I started another for the other guests today. It'll be done this evening for those on Harwood Street.  But now it looks as though the ornaments will have to be delivered in person for Christmas of 2022!

 

Making an Object Out of Thin Air

 

It'd be hard to justify the investment in my 3D printer for the practicality of the items I have made. The parts I printed for securing by drone's propellers during travel being a lone exception. That is not the point though. My Flashforge Adventurer 3 is a relatively cheap, but geeky, way to introduce myself to the technology. I don't know which I find more amazing: the hardware or the software! 

First, being able to accurately shoot a thick fishline of corn-based plastic through a 0.4 mm glue gun at around 400°F sounds pretty sophisticated. Then, the fact the bed and nozzle are accurate enough to create an object out of thin air is pretty amazing too. This isn't a typical creation where one starts with a block of material and whittles away until it becomes the object.  Rather, the process starts by adding layer upon layer of material to nothing. 

However, without software, the physical components could do nothing. I load a 3-D project file on a tiny application on my PC and the software figuratively slices an object into minuscule layers from the bottom up. Then, it creates a file for the printer so the information that can direct the nozzle to apply the hot plastic to the right place at the right time, in the right order.

   

The implications boggle. In the future, when the tech is more advanced, people may not have to buy certain items at a store.  They will, instead, be able to order only the plans or even download public domain copies. Many simple objects could simply be created directly by an end-user. Imagine how that could affect transportation, distribution, warehousing, and retail!

From Flour to PLA

I tried baking my updated 'Carnarvon Street Bread Recipe' in the bread machine. It had a good rise and consistency, but it was not sweet enough. Also, I could've included a bit more liquid in the mixture as the surface was cracked and imperfect. For these reasons, I made some more modifications to my recipe. When I get it just right, as Goldilocks says, I'll include it here again.

   

I did want to prove that just because I pick up a new hobby, I don't necessarily give up on old ones. I have to say, I have not created many objects with my 3D printer since being back in BC. Last summer, I bought the Flashforge and went through quite a lot of filament. Just as with all electronic gadgets, I needed to update its software today. It seems as though most of life is a continuing upgrade nowadays. I did get excited when my Adventurer 3 beeped upon being switched on. Excuse me while I wander around Thingiverse for a bit.

I Wear a Plastic Ring

I like having a ring on my finger. The trouble is it's never worth it to buy good ones because I frequently misplace them. Losing a ring is no longer a problem.

One purchase I made last summer was my little 3D printer. It rested nicely in the front closet over the winter while we were away.  Yesterday, I turned it on to allow it to update its software. I let the nozzle heat up and thought I should give it a test run at a little object. The unit contains most of the files I have ever printed or attempted to print. 

I looked down at my hand and realized I wasn't wearing a ring. Where did I leave my most recent one?  Perhaps, I left it by the sink in Mazatlan. I printed one called Celtic-21 last night in brown. Today, I don't know where it is. We've not been out of the apartment as we're under quarantine, so maybe they simply vanish. I must've bought magical, disappearing filament. 

I'm creating another.

Looking for Problems

I put a new spool of filament in my 3D-printer.  It was labeled as brown.  I guess a thermoplastic polyester cannot be named 'rust'.

I found this toothbrush mini-cover design on thingiverse.com.  Good when traveling, I thought.  Finding things I want to print in my Flashforge Adventurer 3 is almost as time consuming as their actually printing.  There are a number of online places where one can discover three-dimensional objects for printing.  

Hum, now, what is something I could print that I would actually use?  I have a solution looking for problems.

Trying Some Gray PLA Filament

Today, I took no photos of our activities as our usual grocery shopping in Coquitlam was about the only thing we did. We were happy because we had some rain today and it is now clear enough to see Surrey across the Fraser River from us. The air advisory that had been in effect here for 10 days has been lifted.

   

For today's post, I'll include a photo taken moments ago. My 3D-printer is still working on the print-in-place model. The idea is probably more profound than the results will be. Being able to produce objects with pieces that are already assembled really seems like magic. I have already printed some chain bracelets which are permanently linked together. I'm not so sure about this one, but in a few hours more, I'll be able to test it.

   

We're Not Letting It Slow Us Down

In 2020, I would venture that a fair number of hobby, 3D-printers have produced this object.

 

Of course, it's a coronavirus model.  I printed it this afternoon. 

COVID-19 has surely affected the world. We didn't know if we would be able to head off to a warm spot for the winter of 2020/21. Prior to the travel restrictions, we had been thinking of a lot of new and different options. Since our early retirement, we've generally avoided this area's dreary winter months. 

It appears that none of our original ideas for this winter will come to pass. However, we have stumbled upon a new plan for a less-distant destination. In fact, we picked up some one-way tickets on the WestJet website last night. A 25% discount ended at midnight.  We will ride out the situation by adapting as new circumstances develop. We've chosen a beach city we've never seen except through Internet photos. We can travel nearly all the way there on a non-stop from Vancouver in less than six hours.

A Rather Ordinary Friday

 

The long weekend is nearly upon us. We won't be going anywhere special, even provincially. For a change, though, the forecast for this part of September is great with a high-pressure system holding sway.

This morning, we drove across the river to the closest Home Depot in Surrey. We have found the industrial-strength drain cleaner is better than a dozen bottles of the supermarket type for cleaning our laundry drain. I think washing in cold water all the time is why we need to have some on hand. The detergents specifically designed for it still leave a little residue during after each wash. When at the Home Depot, Jay enjoys walking around the garden center. I know he gets a kick out of the $CA 20 price tag for a tiny, potted tropical plant. They grow like weeds in Sri Lanka and have to be culled.

Oh, we also bought a gallon of paint for the area above our new beadboard and for our kitchen.  It's obviously been a while as, although I bought the one-coat-covers-anything quality, I was surprised to shell out more $US 30 for a one-gallon can.  Buttercup will undoubtedly be an improvement to what's on the walls now.

I printed a different top prop holder for my drone.  I think it'll work better when in the case.  It was printed with clear filament because I finally used up the sample, translucent-red PLA that came with my 3D printer.  The last section of it is the top photo in today's blog entry.

A Wireframe Octahedron

I got a 3D printer at the age of 61. At last, I'm finally interested in studying geometry.

Why Did 65 Billion Chickens Cross the Road?

Today was a typical Saturday. We went grocery shopping at the Canadian Superstore on the Lougheed Highway. Perhaps we left a little earlier than usual. The weather was a mix of sun and clouds and it has remained that way throughout the day. We enjoyed the weather from home this afternoon. 

Right now, I'm printing another plastic bracelet in my 3D printer. I did a section of chain the other day and didn't pay much attention as it was being created. Today, I looked closely trying to figure how it printed because the chain was fully formed and no links needed connecting.  Let me quote Arthur C Clark's third law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." I was pretty sure I'd put photo of one of the chains or its creation here. 

Then, Jay came up with this for dinner.

   

The Internet maintains that humans consume over 65 billion chickens per year. Of course, that is pretty much impossible to verify. It will probably become the most-used figure though. And it's people like me who are partly responsible for helping to fossilize that quantity as 'net knowledge'. So, I am happy to do my part. This one of 65 billion was delicious.

Testing 1-2-3. Here's 3DBenchy!

More than five years ago, 3DBenchy began to show up on print beds everywhere. It was designed by Creative Tools as a benchmark for testing 3D printers. It contains a number of points which are difficult to produce.  If you do an Internet search, I'm sure you can find images of both successes and failures.

 

You may note that I have already included a number of objects in my blog over the last week.  I received my Flashforge Adventurer 3 last Tuesday.  However, I had not printed my own 3DBenchy.  So yesterday, my little transparent tug joined hundreds of thousands of other others in existence.  I am happy with it.

Another Trip to IKEA / A Fresh Dragon's Egg

We visited the Coquitlam IKEA again this morning.  I wanted to pick up a new light for my bedside table.  I saw their 10" glass globe lights online.  I even bought an additional wi-fi light bulb a week ago in anticipation of getting a white FADO globe.  I think it'll look good when I say, "Hey Google, turn on my bedside lamp and change the colour to purple."  All four of our living room lights and the three in the bedroom are connected to my Google Home account through the Smart Life app.  I enjoy being the boss of my lights.

I'm replacing a halogen desk light which dates back to the era I had a dedicated computer desk.  It has found a new home in the closet next to my 3-D printer.  The printer's LED and the closet ceiling light offer as much light as I need.  But I think I'll put both the desk light and the printer on a smart switch so I can shout in order to turn them on and off too.

Being such a nerd takes a lot of effort.  For example, I changed the spool of filament in my printer to a transparent one.  I printed this dragon's egg container in three pieces.  This version has a flat bottom so it'll stand upright.

Hum.  What can I store in there?

The COVID-19 Polylactic-Acid Ducky

This week, I printed this 'rubber' ducky as one of my first ever filled objects.  I'm still testing my new Flashforge Adventurer 3.  This is not a solid 3D fill but instead contains a 15% infill of hexagonal chambers.

 

Our traditional rubber ducks are not in our apartment and I grew a little sad after not having seen them for so long. They were last sighted in Richmond during the time of the Canuck Thanksgiving last October. 

My red PLA attempt is a poor replacement for the usual duck swap we have had with Vancouver friends for years! During more normal times, we attend and host 'duck dinners' at friends' houses. The bag of fowl are passed along between members of the group. This has been the method used to signal whose turn is up next for hosting. Because of this unusal summer situation, we've not met up with these folks at all.

Never Too Old to Learn Something New

I am interested in testing out my new 3D printer.  I found a rather complex object for a trial print.  Many 3D objects are saved as .stl CAD files.   There are a lot of websites to help both hobbyists and professionals.

I located a basket and opened it in FlashPrint, the software that came with my Flashforge printer.  I resized so it was considerably smaller.  The program 'slices' an object into horizonal layers.  The printhead then starts at the base and extrudes plastic through a nozzle layer-by-layer.  It obviously can work with very small tolerances. 

As a print is created, it is fun and interesting to watch its progress.  It takes a long time to do a detailed print.  For example, this small basket took over six hours!  During the print, I also watched via my PC because there is a small camera built inside my Adventurer 3.

This process is such a new and different way of creating an object. Throughout history, in most cases, artisans have traditionally taken a large block of something and gotten rid of material until the object was formed.  Here though, we started with just a spool of plastic wire and built something by only adding material.

Owing to the way they are created, some 3D objects must be positioned uniquely so that the layers can added from bottom to top.  I wanted to see how this PLA type of natural plastic would work with a smaller base and sides that grow increasingly wider.  As you can see by looking below, it worked well.  PLA is made from materials such as corn and sugarcane and is biodegradable.  My printer can use other types of plastic as well.  I'm going to enjoy playing and learning about this topic.