porksnort

3D printing can be cost effective for small production runs too. There are large format printers both FDM and SLA with print quality, large bed size and speed more than sufficient.

Injection molding is only cheap when print runs are huge. In a rapidly developing space like drone warfare, a lot of plastic parts get changed frequently enough that injection molding becomes cost prohibitive, due to small production runs between design changes.

Take the example of a propeller vs a custom bracket to hold a new type of clip for ammo.

Propellers can be standardized according to motor, frame geometry, and power source parameters, so they can be mass produced with injection molding by the ton.

A bracket needed to test out a new configuration may only be made in runs of a few hundred before some other update changes things again.

All this is to say that drone warfare is logistically an insanely complex supply chain to manage.

3D printing will have a role in drones that see combat until the day the designs are completely perfect and never need to be changed again. Then the economy of scales can overcome the high setup costs of building an injection mold.

And the Pentagon will stockpile them by the billions to give SkyNet something to work with later. yay.

Yes, regarding the mesh. I was wondering if a flexible mesh might be better. Toynbee tiles seem to become illegible mostly because individual pieces shift over time and make them look more of a jumble, this becomes more pronounced as the individual pieces become smaller. I was thinking more fiberglass, too, but even burlap would be fine probably.

A good flexible adhesive on the back of the pieces then pressed firmly into the fiberglass/cloth and weighted until set up.

One thing to consider is that the asphalt crack filler needs to be pressed into and around the pieces, serving a role similar to grout in tile. So the order of operations would be important. That’s more of an assembly issue, I guess.

There are numerous open source tile mosaic softwares out there that will generate the tiling, including the needed gaps for ‘grout’.

And Armstrong Flooring makes VCT in a huge array of colors. A source for vinyl tile of specific colors

Super fun, I am going to talk with my local folks and find a good location for a small test of these ideas. Such fun, thanks for engaging

Yeah, it’s intriguing.

I have given it some thought and they could be made even more durable by using vinyl flooring adhesive to adhere the mosaic pieces to a backing of wire mesh.

The usual method uses only asphalt crack filler, which is still necessary, but it also requires one to assemble the design backwards. Adhering to metal mesh first would allow one to assemble it front the viewer’s perspective and reduce shifting of the pieces over time for more durability.

Not to mention that a basic CNC machine could cut the vinyl very precisely and in elaborate shapes. One could really take the quality and durability of the designs up a notch or two using the old noggin and modern Maker tools.

So now I am going to have to think of a place locally to do this….

Duh, because they know they are cute, but love being told they are cute.

Source: am cute

Reminds of something my dear old grandpa said to me growing up: “If a hot girl DMs you about crypto, block him!”

But, but KPI’s are how we know line go up.

Checkmate, artists!

Has anyone heard of Toynbee Tiles? These are interesting by themselves but the relevant point is how they are made.

You make a mosaic out of vinyl flooring chunks on a backing of paper and roofing tar as mastic.

You place them paper side up on asphalt pavement in hot weather. As cars drive over them, the paper and tar wear off revealing the vinyl mosaic.

Just a thought that a group of people could quickly make a rainbow crosswalk that can’t be painted over.

Toynbee Tiles

Ahh, so he went to the Henry Kissinger School of Becoming the Very Thing that Damged You Initially.

There is a whole suite of special Hells for that type.

This seems like a good crowd to workshop a drag name. Everyone seems to enjoy speculating what the JD in JD Vance stands for. So here is my new drag name:

Jizzedina Davenport.

Thoughts?

On days when a spring cleaning or packing and organizing frenzy is needed, the Katamari Damacy sound track is perfect. Nice continuity of themes, but varying tempos and energy help make a sustainable work session.

Large construction equipment has less security usually than a mid-priced sedan. A complete setup for welding iron and steel can be had for under $250USD. Many older farms have scrap metal laying around.

We need to revive the entrepreneurial spirit in order to make these dreams come true.

Stop growing alfalfa in the goddamn desert, maybe? Stacys and Chads letting the tap run while they brush each other’s teeth is not the problem here.