fixing my past sins

Author: Catniped

index.html

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     <div style="display: flex; align-items: center; margin-left: 10%; margin-top: 10%;">
         <p class="title" style="margin-right: 0.5vw; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">Hi, i'm Catniped</p>
-        <img class="image1" style="margin-bottom: 0;" src="https://cdn.discordapp.com/avatars/365909768306688000/e3db77db5adcc44de8a431ad9707462f.webp?size=128" alt="My pfp"> 
+        <!-- <img class="image1" style="margin-bottom: 0;" src="https://cdn.discordapp.com/avatars/365909768306688000/e3db77db5adcc44de8a431ad9707462f.webp?size=128" alt="My pfp"> -->
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-    <p class="subtext" style="margin-left: 10%; margin-top: 0.1svw;">beware, most of this stuff is slightly outdated</p>
-    <p class="content">i do things, check them out:</p><br>
+    <p class="subtext" style="margin-left: 10%; margin-top: 0.1svw;">if you wonder why this is so outdated, i have developed an opera addiction<br>and spend my days awaiting my next therapy session. sue me for being dysfunctional.</p>
+    <p class="content">i do things, check them out:</p>
 
     <div class="content" style="display: flex;">
     <div class="links"><a href="projects.html">> project list</a><br>

posts/atomization.html

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         <p class="title" style="margin-right: 0.5vw; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">atomization furnace</p>
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     <p class="subtext" style="margin-left: 10%; margin-top: 0.1svw;">a diy centrifugal atomization furnace</p>
-    <p class="content">atomization furnaces fascinate me. which is why i decided to start working on designing my own! there are a few different types of atomization furnaces, like gas, water and plasma, but due to costs and difficulty i chose to build a centrifgal atomization furnace. this process uses a high rpm spinning disc (all the way up to 60k rpm, more is difficult, ill likely be using 24k) to atomize a melt of metal poured on top from a furnace. this method produces slightly larger average particle size than gas or water atomization, however ball milling can be used to grind the particle size down if we need a smaller one. gas and centrifugal atomization can be paired to very small particle sizes.
-    <br><br>in my design, i intend to use an induction heater to melt the metal, and a cnc machine spindle with a vfd to spin the atomizer disc. these can reach very high rpms, making them perfect for this purpose. i intend on using a plc for controlling the machine, as i have been getting into industrial automation engineering recently, and would like to give this project a proper electrical cabinet. there are many variables to think about and control here, like the temperature of the disc, kiln pressure, atmosphere, etc. that need consideration. in the upcoming future, i will be creating thermal studies to finish the remaining challenges and decisions. 
+    <p class="content">there are a few different types of atomization furnaces, like gas, water and plasma, but due to costs and difficulty i chose to build a centrifugal atomization furnace. this process uses a high rpm spinning disc (all the way up to 60k rpm, more is difficult, ill likely be using 24k) to atomize a melt of metal poured on top from a furnace. this method produces slightly larger average particle size than gas or water atomization, however ball milling can be used to grind the particle size down if we need a smaller one. gas and centrifugal atomization can be paired to produce very small average particle sizes.
+    <br><br>in my design, i intend to use an induction heater to melt the metal, and a cnc machine spindle with a vfd to spin the atomizer disc. these can reach very high rpms, making them perfect for this purpose. i intend on using a plc for controlling the machine, as i have been getting into industrial automation engineering recently, and would like to give this project a proper electrical cabinet. there are many variables to control here, like the temperature of the disc, kiln pressure, atmosphere, ...
     <br><br>this is a very big and expensive project, and i would like to do it as research. the future of this project is uncertain as of now.
     </p>
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posts/binderjetting.html

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         <p class="title" style="margin-right: 0.5vw; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">binder jetting</p>
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     <p class="subtext" style="margin-left: 10%; margin-top: 0.1svw;">my affordable powder 3DP project</p>
-    <p class="content">at the time of writing, this project started about a year ago (fall 2023). it has grown and branched off vastly since i started, which is the reason for why it is taking me so long to design a simple printer. 
+    <p class="content">at the time of writing, this project started about a year ago (fall 2023). it has grown and branched off vastly since i started, which is the reason why it is taking me so long to design a simple printer. 
     <br><br>in the beginning, i simply wanted to fork dragonator's Oasis binder jetting printer, making a few tweaks to make it cheaper or neater. however, my focus has shifted since, towards creating a well integrated ecosystem and workflow encompassing all the steps of creating a part using binder jetting, starting at the powder (or possibly even raw stock! check out <a href="atomization.html">the atomization furnace</a>), and ending at post-processing (sintering, tumbling). you can read about the specific machines/subprojects in detail in other articles on this site, but here is a summary of the workflow and covered steps:
 
     </p><div style="text-align:center; font-size:1.7vw; font-family: Poppins; -webkit-text-fill-color:rgb(195, 195, 195);">
         <i><a href="atomization.html">atomization</a> -> <a href="metallurgy-devices.html">mixing/ball milling</a> -> <a href="">printing</a> -> <a href="">curing/depowdering</a> -> <a href="metallurgy-devices.html">sintering</a> -> <a href="metallurgy-devices.html">tumbling/finishing</a></i></div>
     <br>
 
-    <p class="content">the printer itself is gonna be quite simmiliar to oasis, as it is using the same printhead. however, there will be improvements in mechanics (more stable/ballscrew z, more compact belt/motor configurations, an improved frame), and more importantly, software. as mentioned earlier, i aim to create a highly integrated workflow, without hacky steps (converting STLs to slices using STL to SVG in slic3r in original oasis workflow), and more alike to the workflow one may know from conventional hobbyist FDM 3D printing. this will be achieved via a custom slicer, and plugins for the Duet 3 board i will be using to control the printer. everything will fit inside a gcode file, and be manageable through the nice UI provided by Duet and custom DSF plugins.
-        <br><br>i intend on posting more about this soon, as i am starting to turn the designs into reality!
+    <p class="content">the printer itself is gonna be quite similar to oasis, as it is using the same printhead. however, there will be improvements in mechanics (more stable/ballscrew z, more compact belt/motor configurations, an improved frame), and more importantly, software. as mentioned earlier, i aim to create a highly integrated workflow, without hacky steps (converting STLs to slices using STL to SVG in slic3r in original oasis workflow), and more alike to the workflow one may know from conventional hobbyist FDM 3D printing. this will be achieved via a custom slicer, and plugins for the Duet 3 board i will be using to control the printer. everything will fit inside a gcode file, and be manageable through the nice UI provided by Duet and custom DSF plugins.
+        <br><br>update (fall 2025): i am working on this now as a research project to eventually produce a paper to be submitted to some competitions. ive discovered i would much rather spend my money on things other than perfecting simple cnc machines, and ive realised i can convert my cnc mill (same gantry type as oasis) into a simple binder jetting printer for barely any money. ive recently gotten the printhead working, i have access to a proper metallurgy lab now, and i have done significant work on the slicer over the summer (slicing and bin packing are practically finished). ive been very lazy but things are still looking up for this project, hopefully i can finally get off my ass and finish the printer soon!
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posts/ender3.html

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     <p class="subtext" style="margin-left: 10%; margin-top: 0.1svw;">all the mods ive done to my ender 3 + some other stuff</p>
     <p class="content"> i have installed an archetype mjolnir toolhead, carrying an orbiter v2.0, goliath hotend, and a switchwire servo mounted klicky probe. linear rail on x. 
     <br>
-    possibly plan on stiffening the frame and upgrading the motor setup to run my goliath hotend as fast as i can, however i might just build another printer until then.</p>
-    <br>
+    possibly plan on stiffening the frame and upgrading the motor setup to run my goliath hotend as fast as i can, however i might just build another printer until then.<br><br>(these are old pictures back from when the printer was still on the bench, it actually prints now lol)</p>
 
     </p><div style="text-align:center; font-size:1.2vw; font-family: Poppins;"><img src="../assets/ender3_1.jpg" class="image2"><br>
     <i style="-webkit-text-fill-color:rgb(195, 195, 195)">the printer with the new printhead installed</i></div><br>

posts/metallurgy-devices.html

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     <div style="display: flex; align-items: center; margin-left: 10%; margin-top: 5%;">
         <p class="title" style="margin-right: 0.5vw; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">powder metallurgy equipment</p>
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-    <p class="subtext" style="margin-left: 10%; margin-top: 0.1svw;">ball mills, tumblers, chemicals, furnaces and plenty more!</p>
+    <p class="subtext" style="margin-left: 10%; margin-top: 0.1svw;">ball mills, tumblers, furnaces and plenty more!</p>
     <p class="content">the process of metal 3D printing involves many steps and devices. some tasks are: mixing, grinding powder to smaller sizes (ball mills), part finishing (tumblers, chemical polishing, sanding), sintering (furnaces), ...
-    <br><br>in order to perform this process, i need to build machines to carry out these steps. a ball mill is crucial, and can usually also be used as a tumbler aswell. this is a pretty simple device, consisting of a cylindrical container for the powder and milling media, aswell as a motor to spin the container. after some inspiration from seeing a washing machine converted into a part dyer for MJF parts at TUKE, i have decided to combine a few steps into 1 machine, by doing a very simmiliar thing. i plan on attaching a VFD to a washing machine motor, to control and program the rpm. after that, i would add an extra internal drum to contain powder for ball milling/tumbling. this way, this machine could be used for mixing, milling, tumbling, chemical debinding, or other finishing processes.
-    <br><br>sintering is another major concern. it is quite simple to build a furnace that heats up to 1250C, however many materials i intend on printing with have a much higher sintering temperature than that (SiC and certain steel alloys sinter at >1400C). going past this point gets very expensive, with expensive materials required for the heaters, or specialized atmospheres being required. an incredible technique called microwave sintering could solve this, being an incredibly cheap way to achieve incredible temperatures. it is however difficult to control, which is why for materials such as aluminum that sinter at lower temperatures a normal furnace will likely be used. an even bigger concern is the atmosphere during sintering, as some materials may require an inert atmosphere in the chamber to achieve good results. i am currently thinking about using a custom tube furnace, which lets us create this atmosphere the most easily, however i am still working on this part.
+    <br><br>in order to perform this process, i need to build machines to carry out these steps. a ball mill is crucial, and can usually also be used as a tumbler aswell. this is a pretty simple device, consisting of a cylindrical container for the powder and milling media, aswell as a motor to spin the container. after getting some inspiration from seeing a washing machine converted into a part dyer for MJF parts at TUKE, i have decided to combine a few steps into 1 machine, by doing a very similar thing. i plan on attaching a VFD to a washing machine motor, to control and program the rpm. after that, i will add an extra internal drum to contain powder for ball milling/tumbling. this way, this machine could be used for mixing, milling, tumbling, chemical debinding, or other finishing processes. UPDATE: i now have access to an actual powder metallurgy lab, so this propably wont be happening. you actually need a high energy/planetary ball mill, which is more complicated in construction, for what i intended to do. converting a washing machine into one still sounds like a fun idea though.
+    <br><br>sintering is another major concern. it is quite simple to build a furnace that heats up to 1250C, however many materials i intend on printing with have a much higher sintering temperature than that (SiC and certain steel alloys sinter at >1400C). going past this point gets very expensive, with expensive materials required for the heaters, or an inert atmosphere being required. a technique called microwave sintering could solve this, being an incredibly cheap way to achieve great temperatures. it is however difficult to control, which is why for materials such as aluminum that sinter at lower temperatures a normal furnace will likely be used. an even bigger concern is the atmosphere during sintering, as some materials may require an inert atmosphere in the chamber to achieve good results. i am currently thinking about using a custom tube furnace, which lets us create this atmosphere the most easily, however i am still working on this part.
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posts/rapidproto.html

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-        <p class="title" style="margin-right: 0.5vw; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">home rapid prototyping</p>
+        <p class="title" style="margin-right: 0.5vw; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">my cncs</p>
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     <p class="subtext" style="margin-left: 10%; margin-top: 0.1svw;">my cncs and other prototyping equipment</p><br>