Fermenting Solutions 2026.02: Under Threat of Sensorship

Published: Sat, 02/28/26

Updated: Sat, 02/28/26

I'll spare you from my last month's AI related trials and tribulations 😉 At this point, you're probably sick of hearing about OpenClaw and Vibe Coding. I'll just mention that the fact that VeniceAI's API is completely OpenAI compatible makes if very easy to setup a privacy preserving OpenClaw instance. Instead, I'll focus on another project that's been occupying my time.

A few months ago, I wrote about a project I was working on to modify an old 3D printer into a laser cutter/engraver. I've been working on designing a 3D printed mount to attach the laser head to the old printer. So far, I've printed 3 different prototypes and I'm not really a fan of any of them. It didn't help that my first attempt was done based on the downloaded spec sheet before I had the physical laser head in hand, which ended up not even being remotely accurate. While doing this, I've become distracted by another long overdue problem that I've never created a solution for.

I built my first 3D printer in 2015. I've upgraded this printer many times over the years and it's still my preferred one to use. Maybe needless to say, but this printer predates many conveniences that are now standard features on modern 3D printers. One of those features is a filament runout sensor. Because of this, I have a filament spool "graveyard" of spools. I just couldn't bring myself to attempting a print with an amount of filament that might not be "enough" to complete the project. It would be fantastic if I could use up all of this abandoned filament to print these mount prototypes which up until now have been complete throwaways (I've also been thinking about ways of 'recycling' my 3D printed trash, but that's a project for another time).

I use OctoPrint running on a Raspberry Pi to control my 3D printers. This makes it reasonably easy to wire the filament runout sensor into the Pi's GPIO pins. OctoPrint has plugins that will respond to a signal on the Pi and pause the print and alert me that I need to change the filament. I just need to figure out how to best mount the sensor to my 3D printer so that I can make the most out of all of this old filament... and finally get back to building my laser cutter!

image generated by Venice.AI using this email newsletter as a starting point

In other news, I'm starting to think about my first backpacking trip of the year. One of my traditions when doing this is to update my gear list. I do this so that I can evaluate any potential new purchases in terms of lightening my pack and/or making my trips more enjoyable. If you're interested in seeing my current gear, or following along as it evolves throughout the year, you can always check out my latest items here.

Thoughts On Workspace Accessories

With all these various projects in progress that require me to endlessly contemplate them in front of the computer, my desk space is at a premium. Over the years, I've always strived to have my work area serve many purposes. The key to this has always been using the right accessories. If you're interested in some of my faves which happen to all come from the same manufacturer, check out:

FluidStance Review - Transmutable Explorations

The right accessories create the perfect work environment. Mine uses several of FluidStance's products. Read on for my FluidStance review.

Examine Study of the Month

I use Examine.com to inform many of the 'health' related experiments that I do. I've written numerous times about my biggest health related focus being the reduction of visceral fat. This recent study that looked at the impact of low-carb vs low-fat diet on visceral fat seems to backup what I've seen in my own testing.

Examine the Study

Favorite Relevant Purchase

I'm going to depart this month from a single product favorite purchase to recommending an entire company. Taking inventory of my backpacking gear reminded me how much of a fan I am of a great Pennsylvania based business - Hilltop Packs. I own and use many of their products including this beautiful food bag featuring the Threddies building in Perkasie. I love the fact that they used this in their blog post about their move to D50T fabric! You can use coupon code JDONMOYER for 10% off anything you purchase from them.

Favorite Purchase

J checked in on Untappd!

Back to hoppy dominance... I'm really enjoying the modern take on west coast IPAs. My favorite check-in this month though was Free Will Brewing's Blood & Guts. This dark sour ale with cherries hasn't been brewed in quite some time. A friend had a bottle from 2014 and we honestly couldn't believe how well this held up! I wish I would have grabbed a few more of these while they were still being produced.

Many of the beers I've had over the last month are available via Tavour. You can get $10 off your first order by using my link.

Interested in learning more about the joys of beer? I provide several guided beer tasting experiences.

See Favorite Check-in

Fermented Solutions

My interest in resurrecting this old printer filament made me start to think about how badly it's degraded over time. Humidity is the enemy of filament and even though I've kept these spools in boxes packed with desiccant, I'm sure a lot of it is in rough shape. I reached out to a company that I've done some product testing for in the past and inquired about their new filament dryer. They ended up sending me one to test out. I plan to do some side by side testing with the old way that I've stored my filament and a properly 'dried' version in order to see how print quality is impacted.

Despite my avoidance discussing them here, if you've been using OpenClaw or dabbled in Vibe Coding, I'm interested in hearing about your experiences. Drop me a line or use it as a topic of conversation the next time I see you!

Happy Fermenting!

Questions?? Want a deeper dive on something discussed here? Reply to this message to continue the conversation.

Just signed up or forwarded this message? View past issues or become a subscriber

273 Green Hill Rd.
Telford PA 18969
USA

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options