Hi, I’m Mike, better known as 3DPrinterMike.
I started 3D printing in 2021 with a resin printer, and I loved it so much I bought a second one about two months later. The thing is, I had no idea what I was doing. When a print failed, I didn’t have the slightest clue what to adjust, or what safety precautions I should have been taking. Reliable information was hard to find, and when people asked questions online, the answers were too often rude.
Resin was going so well that I decided to try FDM too. I bought a printer every review called plug and play. That was not my experience. I printed one Mandalorian helmet, and then came weeks of painful bed leveling, a bent carriage and a lot of frustration. My wife had to be tired of seeing printer parts all over the kitchen table. Around the same time, the screen on my newest resin printer died within a couple of prints. The warranty covered it, but I was discouraged. I gave up on FDM, printed less and less, and picked up a new addiction called League of Legends.
In 2024 I decided to give FDM another shot. The Bambu Lab A1 was seamless, and it got me into my first life-size project, a B1 battle droid. That build was taking so long that I added an Elegoo Centauri Carbon, and my first impressions of it became my first long-form YouTube video. I ran into some issues with it, and I’ll admit I’m not a patient person :P. After my early experiences, I was worried I was headed down the same road again. But I didn’t see anyone talking about the problems I was having, so I did.
That video led to another, and another, each doing better than the last. Like a lot of people around 30, I’d always wondered what it would be like to make content. One thing led to another, and here we are.
Why I built Tinker Signal
This is the site I wish I’d had in 2021. 3D printing explained so anyone can understand it, with no gatekeeping and no question too basic. The guides stick to facts and primary sources, the price tracker uses official store prices, and when something goes wrong, I’ll tell you. You can read how we use AI and our affiliate disclosure.
Where else to find me
- YouTube, with a live stream every Friday
- The newsletter: the week in making, once a week by email
- The Cantina: if you want to support the channel, it’s the members-only community for it on Discord. Join through Patreon or a YouTube channel membership
Want to help the site grow? Here are a few ways to boost the signal.
I truly appreciate everyone following along on this journey.