Sincro: The 3D Printed Mechanical Clock, Optimized and Easy to AssembleCLICK HERE FOR DETAILS!My vision in short: Sincro is a gravity-driven mechanical clock, entirely 3D printable. It was designed from the ground up with three core goals: eliminating the typical complexity of printed clocks, drastically reducing internal friction, and running on the lowest possible suspended weight thanks to highly optimized geometries.The Idea: How Sincro was BornAnyone who has tried to print a 3D mechanical clock knows the most common frustrations: hours spent sanding components, gears getting stuck due to micro-imperfections in the print, and the need to use massive weights (often kilos of lead or sand) just to get the mechanism moving, risking structural failure over time.Sincro was born to solve all of this. I wanted to create a clock that wasn't just a beautiful styling exercise to look at, but a reliable, smooth-running project, and above all, fun and rewarding to assemble even for those who have never built a clockwork mechanism.Main Features & Technical Innovations"Plug and Play" Assembly & Setup: No more frustrations. Tolerances have been calibrated to the thousandth of a millimeter to ensure components fit together perfectly.Friction Kept to a Minimum: Thanks to an in-depth study of contact points and the strategic use of targeted tolerances, the components glide over each other, reducing mechanical resistance to almost zero.Ultra-Lightweight Geometries: Every single tooth, gear, and lever has been structurally optimized. This overall weight reduction allows Sincro to run with a fraction of the weight normally required by standard 3D printed clocks, preserving the lifespan of both the components and the driving cord.No Extreme Post-Processing: Forget about hours of sanding. If your printer is well-calibrated, the parts are ready to use straight off the build plate.Materials and Required Hardware (BOM) Sincro is designed to be accessible and durable. In addition to the 3D printed parts (which can easily be made in both PLA and PETG), basic hardware is required to ensure maximum smoothness and structural solidity:Self-tapping screws for a solid and quick assembly.Ball bearings to eliminate friction on the main rotation axes.1x M6 Threaded Rod for the pendulum, which provides the perfect weight and rigidity for oscillation.Fishing line for hanging the weightTo make the build process as seamless as possible, I am committed to keeping the required non-printed parts within the Bambu Lab ecosystem. Priority will be given to components that can be purchased directly from Maker's Supply, allowing you to order your hardware right alongside your filament. For any specific parts not available on Maker's Supply, I will provide direct purchase links to Amazon or similar easy-to-access websites. (You will find the exact measurements and detailed quantities in the included assembly manual).  Why I Need Your SupportThe Sincro project is now fundamentally complete and a huge success: the first prototypes (visible in these photos) have been running continuously for two weeks, with a deviation of just a few seconds per day. An exceptional result for a 3D printed mechanism, made even more extraordinary by the fact that the driving weight required to run it is only 800 grams. Furthermore, Sincro boasts an autonomy of about 6 days: the actual running time obviously depends on the vertical space available, but the mechanism is so efficient that it only consumes a weight drop of 25 cm per day.However, there are two major limitations I want to overcome to make this project accessible to everyone, and this is where your support comes in. I currently prototyped the clock on a large-format printer, which means the single-piece frame is too large for standard X and A series printers (with the exception of the new A2L). Additionally, the fine-tuning of the escapement timing still requires a lot of patience and manual precision.With the crowdfunding funds, I will focus on two fundamental upgrades:Sincro for Everyone (Even for the A1 Mini): I will use the funds to test and prototype dozens of frame configurations, finding the perfect cut points and designing ultra-rigid fastening systems. The ultimate goal is to release a modular version that anyone can print, regardless of their printer's build volume."Easy-Tune" Escapement: I will design, test, and build a simplified and intuitive mechanical system for calibrating and timing the escapement, making the clock's setup easy and accessible to everyone, without any frustration.What You Get by Supporting MeThe Complete Sincro File: All the optimized STL files and print profiles of the current working version.Assembly Guide and BOM: Access to the step-by-step instructions to assemble the clock without errors, along with the exact hardware list.Lifetime Updates: Future versions, including the universal modular frame and the simplified escapement, will be yours for free as soon as they are completed.Who I AmI am a maker passionate about mechanical engineering and 3D printing. With Sincro, I wanted to combine these two passions to prove that FDM 3D printing can be used to create functional, accessible, and easy-to-replicate precision mechanisms right at home.If you have any questions, assembly issues, or suggestions, leave a comment below. Have fun printing Sincro!

01 Print InspirationNeed something new for the printer? Here’s this week’s Weekly Print Inspiration to get your ideas flowing. 02 Community SpotlightWhat the community is sharing, reading, and talking about this week: 📌 #PrintClinic——Top Diagnoses of This WeekOur enthusiastic community members showed incredible skill in the #PrintClinic zone this week! We've picked the following 2 outstanding diagnosis cases, hoping they'll help anyone facing similar issues:📝 Case 1：【Jewelry Bottom Gaps】📝 Case 2：【Uneven Thickness on Plate】Printer/Filament: Bambu Lab A1 + PLA Silk🩺 Attending Helper: @waylaidwanderer💊 Core Prescription:  · Run manual flow calibration in Bambu Studio;  · Enable “single wall on first layer”;  · Use the Cool Plate for a cleaner bottom surface;  · Try other bottom surface patterns;  · If top-surface ironing is poor, use 25% ironing flow and 50 mm/s ironing speed.Printer/Filament: Bambu Lab A1 + PLA🩺 Attending Helper: @waylaidwanderer💊 Core Prescription:  · Check if the nozzle is too close to the bed;  · Slightly raise Z-offset or lower first-layer flow;  · Increase first-layer height to about 0.15 mm;  · Use a flow/Z-offset test to decide whether to tune flow or Z-offset.Confirmed by the poster!👉 [View full clinic record]Confirmed by the poster!👉 [View full clinic record] 📌 Community EventsKit Challenge Round 4: Wireless Inductive Coil Kit ChallengeRound 4 of the Limited Kit Challenge is down to its final 3 days. Share your idea now! 👉 Join Now 📌 Community ReadsFRACTURED - MagLev kit challenge——@FiornovaVFX Artist by day. Maker by night.——@MakerWorld#Kitchallenge #Maglevdiy#Creatorstory 📌 Trending Tag Highlights#ChildrensToysRC Rolling Soccer Ballby How To HomemadeRainbow Style Abacus educational toyby orama3dvibeAnzu - Eagle Gliderby mihai_ar 03 Featured Creator@shlomimarcovichshlomimarcovich is a plastic engineer and designer based in Tel Aviv, running a 3D printing studio where engineering meets aesthetics. His catalog splits into precision everyday objects and Pop Art statement pieces — including the witty "Vintage Upgrade Kit" series that turns knees, brain, heart, and lumbar into playful gag gifts.@Sofie Pop-upSofie Pop-up builds laser-cut pop-up cards with layered paper mechanics, clear fold logic, and animated open-close previews — a strong reference point for H2D / laser-and-cut users getting into paper engineering and giftable 2D design. 04 Featured Models & Collections✨Featured ModelsUSB Motorized Butterfly FigurineHodzinetsCyber Loop Lamp - futuristic Sci-Fi light - WLEDLightCore3DRealistic Standing Stork 1:4 ScaleDynamic Design Desk ✨Featured Collections【Party & Play】—— Print-and-play fun for game night.【FLEXI REALISTIC】——Take a look at all realistic animals.ozarkexpeditions3Dteapack 05 Design ChallengesNew and ongoing creative challenges — submit your design and join the fun!New This Week"The Breach" Design Contest Hosted By Creator: @everythingDNDCommunity Favorite Award 👉 #ThebreachcontestOngoing ChallengesChildren's Toy Design ContestCup Holder Design ContestMoku System Design ContestHosted By Creator: @SabreDesign & @CollecticraftCommunity Favorite Award 👉 #ChildrensToysCommunity Favorite Award 👉 #CupHolderCommunity Favorite Award 👉#MokuSystem ✍️ Join the Conversation: What's going on your printer this weekend? Share a photo, print time, or tip in the comments.See you in the next issue!Stay tuned for more curated picks and exciting events. See you in the next issue!

"FRACTURED" by Fiornova Kit Challenge - Magnetic Levitation DIY  WORK IN PROGRESS #1 I've been working for the past 2 weeks on the MagLev DIY kit challenge.  My entry is called "Fractured": a peaceful Calla Lily, quietly sitting in its vase, was mysteriously struck by a slicing force.  The vase was cut in two, the water splashing everywhere. the moment frozen in time.  The MagLev kit will expand on this frozen moment: the top part of the vase will literally levitate above the fracture.    My workflow I work in Blender for all of my projects.  My process is to block out the shapes first, then refine them as I go.  The blockout phase is now finished, and now the fun part begins: SIMULATIONS! To get the perfect frame for the frozen splash, I'm playing a lot with fluid sim. Here's how the process looks:   It's a matter of running different sims, once you get a convincing frame you litteraly stop the time and the mesh is blocked. This is just the rendered version of the water, and those colors are just placeholders, the final print will probably be in translucent petg or pla, I don't know yet, I need to experiment and prototype! :)  For the time being I'm going to continue to iterating in blender, next week I'm finally starting to test-print some parts, Once the first pieces of "Fractured" are physically in my hands, I'll make sure to update you.  Follow me if you want to see more before the launch.  Massimiliano Fiornova

When an idea comes to mind, I immediately start thinking about how everything is going to fit together. But when we talk about integrating hardware, things can get nasty fast.Fortunately, for the hardware coming from the Bambu Lab store, they provide creators with precise dummy models ready to work with. And yes, this is awesome... right up until your piece actually has to balance! 🤣  One of the traits of the MagLev kit is that achieving perfect balance can be tough. I usually rely on center of mass calculations in Fusion360 to figure out how to get the model's weight low and centered. This time, the basic shape was easy: it’s a disk, and the center of mass is clear. Taking into account that the heavy magnet drops that center significantly, the ship was easily able to stay floating perfectly. Or so I thought. With my alien ship, I faced an unexpected enemy: heat. Here in my region, it’s already getting really hot. I realized that if I left the MagLev kit light turned on and the air conditioner was off for a few hours, the ship would literally fall out of the sky. This usually happened overnight.It took me a few days of troubleshooting to realize I had to redesign the cover, adding some ventilation slots to allow bottom-to-top airflow and keep things cool.  And getting here wasn't a straightforward path. The design process is inherently iterative and, let's be honest, often messy. Before achieving the final model of my Floating Alien Maglev UFO that you can already download (link ;)), I went through a whole mountain of tests and failed prints.  This photo perfectly sums up the journey: a literal pile of "falis." Some were for testing magnet tolerances, others for experimenting with ventilation slot patterns, and many simply failed to achieve the perfect balance. Each one of these discarded prints taught me a lesson and brought me closer to the final design.Last but not least, once you try to balance a MagLev—even after having all the pieces perfectly in place—sometimes you just need a little help. It can be incredibly frustrating. That’s why I decided to design some custom helper tools. These allow anyone to perfectly balance the ship, even if you don't have the Jedi skills (or the patience) to do it by hand.  At the end of the day, all those iterations and troubleshooting hours were completely worth it. Seeing this little alien spinning peacefully on the desk is just mesmerizing. I hope you enjoy printing and assembling this UFO as much as I enjoyed designing it. Please, share your makes—I'd love to see what filament combinations you choose for your ships! Let me know how the balancing process goes for you (don't forget to use the helpers), and if you have any feedback, drop it in the comments. Happy printing, and keep your skies clear of falling UFOs! 🛸

First, THANK YOU. CryoPod has had an absolutely incredible response this past week, and that's entirely on you all. So before anything else: 🙏 thank you for every print, like, comment, and feedback.I thought it’d be fun to share how this thing actually came to be, the idea, the physics, the design choices, and the (many) things I got wrong along the way.☀️ The problemIt actually started by accident. I was browsing MakerWorld, stumbled onto the Cup Holder contest, and started poking through the trending models. Thing is, I’m not really a tea or giant-American-coffee person (my espresso does the job). So more than a cup holder, what I really wanted was a beer holder, a drink I’m rather fond of. And that’s when my mind went straight to Thailand and South-East Asia, where I spend a lot of my time. If you’ve been there, you know exactly what warm beer means. They hand you a koozie, but it is completely useless when it’s 35°C outside, it just slows the inevitable. I scrolled through the models and… nothing actually solved this. Nothing fought back against the heat. That’s when it clicked, helped along, probably, by the brutal heatwave that had just hit Italy too. What if, instead of freezing a koozie or the glass (which I do all the time), I made something I could freeze and then drop the can right into? Boom. The idea was simple: a double-wall holder with a hollow chamber you fill with water and freeze. Drop your can in, the ice melts slowly around it, and your drink stays genuinely cold for hours. Not “less warm”, cold. 🧪 The physics (kept simple)Here’s the fun part. A frozen koozie or a chilled steel cup only has the “cold” stored in its material, which runs out fast. CryoPod stores around 130g of ice in a sealed chamber. That ice sits at 0°C the entire time it’s melting, which means a few hours of constant cold instead of a quick chill that fades.The trick that took the most thought: ice expands ~9% when it freezes. Fill the chamber to the top and seal it, and the ice cracks your walls. So the chamber has internal ridges marking the safe fill level (~90%), leaving an air gap for the ice to expand into. Idiot-proof by design, because I am, occasionally, the idiot. 📐 Designing itFrom the start I refused to make a dumb, sterile cylinder full of water. For me the design is part of the function, if I’m going to carry it, hold it, and put it on a table next to my friends, it has to look and feel like something I actually want to use. Form and function aren’t separate here; a tool you enjoy holding is a tool you’ll actually use. So: knurled grip that works even when the pod is wet, snap-fit cap, and a colored accent ring you can print in any color to make it yours. One thing people ask: why doesn’t it cover the whole can? Deliberate. It keeps the print lighter and cheaper, lets you grab your drink without flipping the pod over, and honestly most of the cooling happens around the body where the liquid sits anyway. 🧩 Sizes & modularityEvery drink has a different diameter, so CryoPod comes as a family, Classic, Slim, Sleek, Tallboy, LongNeck, each tuned to a specific can or bottle. Same design language, same accent ring, just sized right.🛠️ The mistakes (because they matter)This community made the product better, full stop:Early prints seeped water over time, turns out FDM prints are slightly porous between layers (groundbreaking discovery, I know). I fixed it by going to solid walls (5+ perimeters, 6+ bottom layers, no infill). No more leaks.My first cap was a screw thread, a double headache. Annoying to use (too many turns), and a nightmare to keep parametric across all the different sizes. Scrapped it for a snap-fit and never looked back.I listed a can size that didn’t actually fit (sorry again to whoever printed that one 😅). Lesson learned: measure the real can, every time.Someone pointed out the thermodynamics of double-walls and air gaps, which is directly shaping the next version.That back-and-forth in the comments is genuinely my favorite part of this.🔜 What’s nextStill refining a few things, top of the list is a proper sealed gasket so it can go fully watertight. I’ll share updates as they actually happen (and not a moment before they work). For now, thank you again, stay cold out there, and if you print one, drop a photo and tell me if it works in your climate too. I’m guessing it does! Cheers from Italy 🇮🇹