The one where Devon can't let it go

A few years ago, Devon welded me a steampunk light switch for my studio. It was a sweet Mother’s Day present, but sadly, it kept falling apart. I didn’t want this well-intentioned gift to become a lifelong emotional burden for him, so I finally forced him to give up on it.

Or so I thought.

Apparently, he held on to that failure for years, because he surprised me recently with this 3D-printed version. He’s put more skill points into 3D printing than welding, and this one is solid.

Get the free design from 3dprintingworld. They paint it with iron paint, but Devon opted to print this light switch with iron-infused filament and rust it with hydrogen peroxide, salt and vinegar. Find the technique at Protopasta.

Now maybe he can find some peace.

MAKER MONDAY: A rose by any other name...

Roses are cut from MDF wood and spray painted. Photo by Monica Jones

… wouldn’t be called a rose. It would be called something else. This is basic vocabulary.

These laser-cut roses were a quick way to finish off our kids’ Easter baskets. I spray-painted them, but if you have more time than I did, adding more color would be a nice touch.

The 1/8 inch engineered wood I initially used was flimsy, so I tried 1/8-inch acrylic. It was was better, bit these are still fragile, so don’t expect them to last forever. If my kids really love them, I’ll try 1/4-inch wood.

Find the .svg files at Creative Fabrica. The bundle includes roses with different sayings, which you could use to make a bouquet if you’re feeling ambitious.

I bought a subscription to Creative Fabrica in a moment of weakness after I saw the 800th Facebook ad for it, but I have no regrets. Masterwork Tools gets a small commission from sales at Creative Fabrica through the link above, but I discovered we had an affiliate account after I decided to write this blog post. I’ve been using it for personal and commercial projects, since my membership gives me rights to use the designs in my own finished products. If that’s important to you, be sure to read the fine print. Sales rights end if you cancel your membership. You can also pay per design.

MAKER MONDAY: Don't fear the Reaper mins

Allow us to introduce the latest sound in death metal — the Rolling Bones! They really slay!

Devon brought these cute little guys to unlife with a corroded-metal technique (see below) that he learned from Monument Hobbies. Click this link for 10% off their paints.

The plastic mins are Barrow Wardens from Reaper. Seriously, don’t fear them. They’re tiny and harmless.

MAKER MONDAY: When life hands you melons, SMASH THEM WITH YOUR THIGHS!

Miniature is “Bae Victis” by Vae Victis. Painted by Devon Jones. Photo by Devon Jones

Miniature is “Bae Victis” by Vae Victis. Painted by Devon Jones. Photo by Devon Jones

Devon painted this Bae Victis min (from Vae Victis) as part of an ongoing project — a shadow box to commemorate our gaming group’s wrap of Paizo’s Skull & Shackles. He painted it as part of Vae Victis’s monthly paint-along, accessible through their Discord channel. You can find more info through their Patreon.

We finished that game a couple of years ago, but life happened. Better late than never.

This half-orc honors our tank, who wasn’t the best cook in the Shackles but excelled at smashing things. Spoon, we salute you!

MAKER MONDAY: Keychains are magic!

Our 10-year-old daughter is obsessed with unicorns, so I’ve been working out ways to unicorn all the things.

This keychain is a simple modification of the earrings in our store. I laser-cut them from white acrylic on our Glowforge and soldered the jump ring for extra durability. I hand-painted the colors with Posca pens and coated the base with UV resin for a smooth, glass-like finish.

Next, I’ll start dinosaur-ing all the things for our 6-year-old daughter.

You can find this keychain in our shop for $8.