3D Printed Lab Equipment: €200 Mounts That Match €2,000 Gear
A Umeå University thesis shows 3D printed lab equipment, from sub-€200 rotation mounts to a sub-$350 biofilm rocker, can match commercial instruments.
Bambu Lab's Security Overhaul Turns One: $52K Bug Bounties and a Rebuilt Trust Stack
One year after the OrcaSlicer backlash, Bambu Lab's Trust Center has grown to 100+ researchers, payouts reaching $52K per vulnerability, and four international security certifications.
PrusaSlicer 3.0: A Rewrite That Finally Makes the Slicer Feel Like the Hardware
PrusaSlicer 3.0 is a ground-up rewrite — faster launch, faster slicing, and preset management that no longer feels like a liability compared to Bambu Studio.
PrusaSlicer 3.0 Preview: The Biggest Slicer Rewrite in Its History
PrusaSlicer 3.0's public preview drops the 9-bed limit, introduces a .yaml profile system built for multi-tool printers, and replaces the UI from scratch — with a Lua plugin marketplace coming.
Linux 3D Printing Workflows Don't Have to Mean Thin Sculpting Options
A BambuLab community member's search for solid modeling tools on Linux surfaces an underappreciated stack of open-source options that work across Linux, Windows, and Mac.
MeltCalc: A Polymer Chemist Built the Hot End + Material Database FDM Printers Always Needed
Robert Samples built MeltCalc to replace manufacturer flow rate claims with thermodynamic modeling. 64 hot ends, 36 polymers, open source. Here's why realistic specs change how you set up your printer.
Bambu Labs' August 2026 Privacy Policy: What It Collects and How to Limit It
Bambu Lab's updated privacy policy — effective August 7, 2026 — collects printing files and job metadata by default. Here's what that means and which settings give owners control.
Can AI and 3D Printing Finally Deliver the Prosumer?
Forty-five years after Alvin Toffler coined "prosumer," AI design tools and 3D printing may finally let everyday makers create their own products.
Insta360 Opens Luna Ultra to 3D Printing — With $11,160 in Prizes
Insta360 becomes the first camera brand with an official MakerWorld presence, releasing official Luna Ultra design files for a joint contest with Bambu Lab running through August 9.
BambuHelper Now Supports Round Displays, Smart Plug Power Monitoring, and Chamber Light Control
BambuHelper's latest update adds a 1.28" GC9A01 round display, Tasmota smart plug power monitoring with door-safe auto-off, and chamber light control — all flashed from the browser in one click.
OpenCAL Brings Layerless Volumetric 3D Printing to DIY Makers
OpenCAL is an open-source computed axial lithography build that prints inch-scale objects in about 3 minutes — no layer lines, no support structures, made from off-the-shelf parts.
Bambu Lab's 60,000 Daily Network Requests: What the Community Found and Why It Matters
A community member discovered their Bambu Lab printer generating 60,000+ network requests per day — reigniting the debate about cloud-connected printer architecture, data practices, and offline capability.
How Pogačar and Fairlight Cycles Are Using 3D Printing for Bike Components
Professional cyclists and boutique framebuilders are using material extrusion 3D printing for cable guides, cockpit holders, and wiring housings — small custom components where the technology's economics and precision make the most sense.
A Bike-Powered Shredder Turns 3D Printer Waste Into Feedstock — and Reveals Why Recycling Plastic Is Hard
Educator Brogan M Pratt built a stationary-bike-powered plastic shredder for his students in the Netherlands. The 15kg flywheel and gear reduction process 3D printing waste into shredded feedstock for filament re-extrusion or compression molding. The educational point lands harder than the hardware.
California AB 2047 Would Require 3D Printers to Block Firearm Files — The Technology Doesn't Exist
California's AB 2047 passed the Assembly and is in the Senate. It would require all 3D printers sold after March 2029 to include DOJ-approved firearm-blocking technology. Critics say the blocking tech isn't real and the bill regulates a tool without addressing the crime.
Bambuddy Is Walking Away From Bambu Lab's Cloud — and the Community Is Paying Attention
Bambuddy, the open-source self-hosted alternative to Bambu Lab's cloud infrastructure, is discontinuing its Bambu Lab cloud service support. The move is the latest chapter in the ongoing conflict between Bambu Lab's cloud lockdown and the open-source printing community.
Build a $20 Smart Home Macropad With a 3D Printer and an ESP32
Six switches, a rotary encoder, and an OLED display — Prusa's open build replaces expensive commercial controllers with a fully customizable Home Assistant interface for under $20.
Orca Slicer vs Bambu Studio: Which Should You Actually Use in 2026?
Orca Slicer and Bambu Studio have diverged significantly. Here's what each does better — and why many experienced makers keep both installed for different jobs.
Baltobu: How Bambu Lab's Legal Threat Became an Open Source Enforcement Test
SFC found two AGPL violations in Bambu Lab's software and launched a $250K reverse-engineering project. What happens next matters for every 3D printer owner.
Bambu Lab's C&D Problem: What the OrcaSlicer Dispute Means for Every Printer You Own
Bambu Lab threatened legal action against an open-source developer who restored features the company disabled. The community response has turned a compliance dispute into a purchasing question.
Bambu Lab vs. OrcaSlicer: When Open Source Meets Ecosystem Control
Bambu Lab threatened a developer who restored cloud printing using AGPL-licensed code the company itself inherited from PrusaSlicer. The open-source 3D printing paradox explained.