I have not forgotten about my blog...

 I've just been really, really, busy, and I've been forced to prioritize my free time.

 I have loads of pictures I need to upload to this clunky, obsolete platform through its clunky, obsolete web interface... and I've been telling myself pictures are worth a thousand words, so I have been waiting to upload the pics and therefore not writing any words. 

current efforts:

(workshop)
1. moisture extraction system for air compressor
2. The 'Surgical Style' Work Light

(3D printing)
1. a metal housing for the electronic parts of the
    temperature control system I designed for the
    printer's environmental enclosure
2. finishing setup of an OctoPrint (R-Pi) & webcam,
    just waiting on a longer camera cable now
3. new all-metal heatbreak, currently waiting for it to
    arrive
4. waiting for 5VDC isolator connector to arrive
    (for USB connection between Raspberry Pi & Ender 3V2)

 

 For the moment, I am more focused on the 3DP efforts than the shop stuff because frankly, it's just more interesting.

 Plus, I've had the printer up and dialed in to what's considered "good enough" for most people (judging from other people's calcubes, benchies, etc) and various minor upgrades and work on the work area have kept the printer from running for a while now, so I'm pretty eager to wrap up this upgrade session and go back to printing to see how much difference the upgrades (mainly the heatbreak and controled-temperature tent) will make on my prints.

 Funny thing about 3D printing: it takes a long time.  So if you're really into it, keeping the printer up and actually printing is important.  So that's been chaffing at me; I got stuff I wanna MAKE!

 Secondarily, if you're a noob like me, and/or you're not made of money, knowing that the currently running print is still, yanno, printing, and not making spaghettini, is a pretty big deal.  I don't want to leave a print looking good, go to work, and come home nine hours later to find that it all went to hell five minutes after I walked out the door, and I've just wasted a pound of filament -- oh wait I've already done that once. 

So... I'm really looking forward to having the webcam available, assuming I can convince myself that the camera and printer controls can be placed on the web without compromising the security of my home network... I haven't made up my mind about that yet.

And that's where I'm at.  Pictures and more words to follow when I get another moment.