Since All3DP last saw the RepRap Micron, it has gone from micron-precision proof-of-concept patterns to a much more complete 3D-printing workflow: redesigned kinematics, new resin chemistry, micron-scale layers, sliced toolpaths, multi-layer structures, and now its first recognizable 3DBenchy.

judging by the response to last week's poll. That's incredible to see, and we'll work on a way of doing a proper survey of all the specific machines you've all operated over the years. My first contact with a 3D printer was a Monoprice Select Mini, which didn't print particularly well and died after a fruitless Christmas spent trying to print ornaments and decorations. I had much greater success with a Wanhao Duplicator 6 afterwards.

Was your first contact with 3D printing better than mine? Is your first printer still in service?

If your 3D printer farm has reached the point where “just open another browser tab” no longer qualifies as management, Watchtower would like a word. Now on Kickstarter, the locally hosted dashboard corrals Bambu Lab, Klipper, OctoPrint, and PrusaLink machines into one interface, with camera feeds, filament tracking, error monitoring, job queues, and automatic routing of prints to suitable machines. Its makers are leaning heavily on local operation rather than funneling your print farm through yet another cloud account – a concept apparently novel enough to be a selling point in 2026.