18th October 2021
Starting to use the Prussa!
Here I go, learning how to use this thing that took 6months to arrive during lockdown and then sat under my desk for 6months as I grappled to teach students technical skills online.
My aim is to learn how to use it and analyse this process as a digital visitor, so that I can know my student’s learning, at least from this point of view. I know many students feel quite nervous about learning this particular skill, having talked to them this term.
I’ve unpacked the printer, which came flat-pack, self-assembly and now, Finally, I’m having a go at doing a print.
The handbook asks me to ‘flash the firmware’ so I google that and it tells me this:
‘The most basic example of firmware would be the BIOS that comes with the motherboard of your PC. … This process is called “flashing firmware” or simply “flashing”. This becomes necessary when the device becomes incompatible with newer operating systems or to simply enhance the performance of the device.’
So it means to overwrite the existing firmware or data. I’ve put in a FAT32 formatted memory stick and I’m going to attempt to ‘unpack’ it also a term I’m not familiar with, I google it:
It means; like a 1 GB game will take like 3 sec to download but after the 1 GB is finished downloading It will “Unpack” or just restart the download and it will take longer than the first download.
It means to extract the information from the Zip file, which is where its currently stored on the memory stick. If I don’t do this and turn it into a .BBF file then the Prusa can’t read/see it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4wBpW8UWx4 – link to a guy talking about his first prints.
So exciting to get going with this and to work out that I actually love learning new things once I take the first leap. For me, its getting started that is the main comfort-zone issue. I also am getting in-person advice from a technician at Chelsea who has these printers up and running. I’m going to pack this one into my bicycle basket and cycle it over to get his input on why the material (the filament) won’t connect to the plate.
I did take the Prusa to Chelsea and learned that I’d done a good job assembling it which was a relief. I will make a filmed section detailing this because it was a key part of my learning how to ‘befriend’ the equipment. I would like to ask my participants if they also have a sense of making friends with technical equipment. I know that this is also a relationship that you can have with your work as artist. I know that can sound pretentious but actually the relationship that you build with yourself around your work and your comfort zone is the most important one of your life. It becomes the bond that will sustain you even after you are in a studio far from University life, and throughout the coming years when you are up against the slings and arrows of trying to forge a pathway as an artist.
The information that comes with this printer is really excellent, lowest-common-denominator, stuff. You can access so much online support and the accompanying booklet was also extremely accessible. This is a link to Josef Prusa talking through using the Prusa mini = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA954VvdquA
The problem was the filament-extrusion nozzle was incorrectly positioned. The technician showed me how to solve this and also gave me a bottle of solution to clean the plate because it has to be spotless. I find it difficult to ask for help and recognise that students will also be in this position. I’m wondering how I can be the most approachable when I’m in the studios so that students can ask for help when they’re feeling like people are assuming that they already know something!