Fermenting Solutions 2026.06: The Great Work-around

Published: Tue, 06/30/26

Updated: Tue, 06/30/26

Alchemical research and development from Transmutable Explorations

In alchemy, calcination is one of the 12 vital processes performed as part of the Magnum Opus (The Great Work). Calcination is specifically the process of breaking a substance down by heat or force to clear away the impurities and prepare it for transformation.

I mentioned the failure of my desktop computer last month. This became my own "calcination" event. In the vacuum left by that failure, and a move to a laptop-only setup, a new workspace architecture emerged. What initially seemed like a major loss of capability, became the catalyst for a massive upgrade in my physical environment.
The result was a 3D printing spree. I spent the last few weeks using this as an excuse to fully dive into making the most of my newly finished filament runout sensor and slowly growing FreeCAD skills, turning raw filament into the specialized tools I needed to make a laptop-centric life feel like a power-user experience.

After feeling the liberation brought on by the additional desk space provided by using my newly purchased laptop riser... It started with creating a Fluidstance board hanger that I attached to the side of my standing desk that allowed me to get the board out of the way when I wasn't using it.

All this prototyping at my desk required better lighting so I made good on my threat of moving toward all Fluidstance desktop gear and purchased an Illum Desk Light from them (side note, I was told that once these are gone, they will not be made any more). From there, it spiraled into speaker mounts, additional cable management, and a general obsession with reclaiming as much desktop space as possible.

Of course, all of this 3D printing would not be complete without the need to reflash the firmware on my printer. I'm never sure what causes this, but it coincided with my first attempt at taking an existing model and just modifying the screw hole locations on it. In FreeCAD, this involves converting something that is efficient as far as the 3D printer is concerned into something much more complex. This allows you to remove 'features' from the model, but I missed the step of actually 'simplifying' the model before sending it off to the printer. My guess is that it likely was too much for my franken-printer to handle.

As is the normal process for when this occurs, I took this opportunity to move to the latest version of the Marlin firmware. If you (or anyone you know) still uses the printrboard rev F, I did the hard work of getting it working with the latest version of the Marlin firmware.

Thoughts on Prototyping with Raspberry Pi

This drive to optimize my desktop environment naturally arose from optimizing the printer itself. Over the last few months, I've mentioned some electronic prototyping projects, most notably my filament runout sensor for my 3d printer. I wrote a blog post about prototyping using the Raspberry Pi specifically in the context of building this sensor. If the goal is a seamless flow from intent to object, one of the biggest blockers in 3D printing is the moment a 20-hour print dies because you ran out of filament at 3 AM.

It’s a simple tool, but it represents a core principle: reducing friction so that the pursuit of whatever my current Magnum Opus is, can happen unattended. If you're interested in knowing more...

Check it Out!

Examine Study of the Month

Once my external environment was stabilized, what better way to proceed than turning my attention to my internal one.

I use Examine.com to inform many of the 'health' related experiments that I do. I've written before about how I love 'exercise snacks'. I think the preferred term for this now has become Vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA). My favorite examine study of the month reenforces my belief that this 'exercise' is one of the best. Check out Which exercise intensity is best for reducing body fat in older adults?

Favorite Relevant Purchase

I love dark chocolate! That same drive that lead me to desktop "purity" led me to Raaka’s 100% Cacao Minis. It is the ultimate sensory transformation... No sugars, no fillers. Everything stripped away so that the raw, potent heart of the cacao bean can shine. Good 100% dark chocolate, is unbelievably difficult to find. The 100% bars are great also, but the minis are the perfect form factor for me.

About 2 years ago, I discovered Raaka and have been ordering almost all of my chocolate from this company in Brooklyn ever since. I've tried many of their varieties and they are all fantastic! If you want to evaluate my favorite chocolate for yourself, use my link and you'll get 20% off your first order.

J Checked in on Untappd!

Lot's of good beers this month and even better 'firsts' in the locations that I've had them. The Stirling Hotel in New Jersey, great spot for outdoor live music and a fantastic tap list. Hang Dog Brewery... this place won't necessarily win awards for its beers, but the setting and outdoor adventure course makes it definitely worth a visit. Finally, it was the first time I was able to make it to the Troubles End Biergarten. Just like the original, this also provides a great location, great beers and great food!

My favorite check-in this month was actually an adjunct stout. If you know me, this doesn't happen often. Bourbon Barrel Rocky Road Whangdoodle from The Veil Brewing Co. is a 12% ABV Imperial Milk Stout brewed with Chocolate aged in Bourbon Barrels for 36 months, conditioned on Chocolate, Almonds, Cashews and Marshmallow with other natural flavors. I love Rocky Road ice cream and this totally hit the spot.

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.

The Solutions

As we just hit the Summer Solstice, I'm looking forward to a different kind of transformation... Moving from getting my garden started to reaping the rewards from all of that hard work! I hope that also leads to even more "rewards" from Transmutable Trades. I recently made the best trade so far... I acquired some Egyptian walking onions in exchange for a few bulbs of my hardneck garlic. The abundance economy is booming!

I'm absolutely sure that reclaiming more desktop space is in the cards for next month. As I'm writing this, I'm in the midst of designing an 'organizer' for keeping all of my various Ledger devices, remotes and flash memory spread across my desk in their appropriate places. I'm curious, what are your favorite desktop/workspace optimizations? Drop me a line and let me know!

Happy Fermenting!

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