Thinking of getting the Wifey a lab grown diamond something for her birthday. Anyone have a solid source? I tried Google but there are so many options and price points that it seems like some of them are probably scams
I mean I'd guess major retailers like Zales wouldn't be likely to scam you? Might not get the best price though.
I've heard good things about Brilliant Earth, and there are individual images of all the diamonds. Plus you don't have to talk to a human.
If you're looking for just the diamond online, no idea. But, I did do a fair bit of jewelry shopping this year so far what it's worth: Ross Simons - Horrible experience, was not happy with the product and boy was dealing with that a pain in the ass. Melanie Casey - Good experience, happy with the product. Eliette - Great experience, thrilled with the product. All of that said, still a far better experience in person locally. I won't buy jewelry online again.
I'm looking to get a much, much better 3d printer. I have one that I bought used, off Facebook marketplace, years ago, and I've never been real happy with it. If you were going to buy order one between now and Christmas, what would you get? I'm not real sure what I want my budget to be, but definitely don't want to spend multiple thousands of dollars. It will mainly be used by my kid, to print toys. I'll use to print parts when I have a need.
Without a second thought the creality , k series(under flagship on their website). They have something for every budget.
according to my 3D printing buddy: Bambu Labs, pick the one in your budget. If you're looking for finer resolution, get a resin printer. The material is more brittle, and you have fewer material options, but the resolution is way better.
Yeah, Bambu make nice machines. They are going through some community backlash right now over some new software restrictions they're doing. The Bambu software controversy centers on a firmware update that introduced "Authorization Control," which restricts third-party software access to 3D printers in favor of Bambu Lab's proprietary ecosystem.Critics argue this move toward a closed system undermines the open-source spirit that contributed to the company's growth and forces users into a locked-in model, especially with features like LAN-only mode now requiring cloud checks.Bambu Lab maintains the changes are necessary security enhancements to prevent attacks, but the community backlash was significant, leading to accusations of dishonesty and "bait and switch" tactics. It might not make any difference to you if you're not looking to mod the fuck out of your machine.
Dude, I'll be lucky if I can work it straight out of the box, without calling tech support. If it will reliably turn plastic filament into useful or fun objects, I ain't touching it. Is what Bambu is doing limiting in any way, when it comes to finding 3d models of toys and crap online, and printing them? Do you forsee or think restrictions will get worse in the future for bambu users? Or, other manufacturers following Bambu's lead?
I have a huge dislike for anything that makes you use there severs. Something happens and all the sudden you have a paper weight
The one I have is a pretty shitty, bottom dollar printer, that I bought for $100 a few years ago. It's frustrating, I had very little success printing anything but the most simple objects. I've wasted so much filament on prints that failed near completion. But, I always enjoyed trying to create stuff, the process of 3d printing. So, I'm hoping spending a substantial amount on a newer, higher quality printer, will be just as fun, and result in more successful prints. Also, my kid wants to do it. I'd like him to succeed with a capable printer, rather than quit because 95% of his prints fail.
Get one that has a heated bed and does an automatic bed levelling. That will be the biggest bang for buck to make printing successful and fun.
I think the lack of auto leveling caused the majority of my issues with my current on. I'd level it before starting, and it would work fine as long as my print wasn't very tall. It would need significant adjustments to get it back to level before starting the next print. Current printer had an extremely high failure rate for tall prints
Absolutely. I tried adding an aftermarket solution but eventually this was the number one motivation for me to upgrade to my current printer. I also got a heated enclosure so I could do more exotic prints, but the lack of bed leveling was my biggest pissoff.
We have access to a 3D printer in our new library. Of course, I'll have to find out the model, etc. I'll be talking with the librarians about printing things. They have to get a system in place for scheduling since it can take hours to 3D print something. (The library just opened) Anyway, I am interested in 3D printing replacement lids for my anchor and Pyrex glass storage containers. The lids are plastic and eventually crack beyond use. I ended up buying whole new sets of glassware with lids because the lids were just toast on about six of my pieces. I would love to get replacement lids. They are not reasonably priced online. Where do you go to find schematics for printing? Is it possible to take an object you want to duplicate and somehow scan it? I'm not really sure how to get started on this project.
There are 3d scanners, but I've never used one. Perhaps some of our other members have some experience with them. I am thinking about getting one along with the new printer.
Need some answers from the more tech saavy about what this whole Windows 11 thing. Do I NEED to upgrade or can I just keep running 10 even without the upgrades?
You should upgrade if you can. If you can't - your computer doesn't meet the requirements - you can snag another year of Windows 10 updates for free: https://www.engadget.com/computing/...-to-get-an-extra-year-for-free-125118616.html Generally, no, you should not run an out-of-support OS. It will work just fine, but you open yourself up to security issues. Given how much personal data and how many sensitive activities most of us perform on our computers, it's just not a good idea. If you never do anything but browse TiB on your laptop and do all of your banking/email/etc. on a supported mobile device like a phone, then it's not a huge deal. But it's important to remember that your email is probably the unlock key for every single account you have so even checking your email on your laptop should be considered a sensitive activity. If your computer meets the requirements, go ahead and upgrade. Windows 11 is fine. If not, snag your extra year of extended support, and think about a new computer sometime in the next year.