Samwise Makers' News
Saturday, May 16, 2026
preFlight Slicer Adds Interlocking Perimeters and Expanded 3D Printing Features
preFlight, a free and open-source 3D printing slicer built on PrusaSlicer, has released a significant update bringing experimental features to FDM printing. Developed by oozeBot, the software introduces Interlocking Perimeters, a technique using its new Athena perimeter generator to increase layer bonding in the Z axis without altering layer heights, improving part strength. Additional features include mixed support types on the same print, Nip & Tuck seams for cleaner layer transitions, direct image embossing on print surfaces via the Relief Gizmo, and a cross-sectional clipping-plane preview. A full Python runtime is embedded in the slicing pipeline, and the GitHub repository is openly maintained for community contribution.
Sources: Hackaday
Jailbroken Nintendo Switch Runs Klipper, Cuts Prusa MK3S Print Time by 91%
Maker Cocoanix installed Klipper firmware on a jailbroken Nintendo Switch to dramatically accelerate an ageing Prusa MK3S. Klipper offloads complex motion processing to a faster general-purpose computer, freeing the printer's onboard microcontrollers to handle low-level motor control. The Switch, running Linux via jailbreak on its Tegra X1 processor, proved a capable host for Klipper's input shaping and pressure advance algorithms. Results were significant: a standard Benchy benchmark print dropped from 90 minutes to just 8 minutes. While a Raspberry Pi is the typical Klipper host, the jailbroken Switch demonstrates the software's platform flexibility across a variety of Linux-capable single-board and embedded systems.
Sources: Hackaday
Convert an IKEA SKAFTSARV Lamp Into a WLED Smart Light With an ESP32-C3
Maker simoneluconi has published a guide and GitHub repository for converting the IKEA SKAFTSARV LED accent lamp into a fully configurable smart home lighting device. The mod replaces the lamp's factory control board with an ESP32-C3 Super Mini board running WLED, an open-source LED control platform with built-in WiFi, Home Assistant integration, and native Android and iOS apps. The lamp contains 30 WS281x-type LEDs in GRB colour order, which WLED drives directly after the board swap. The conversion requires opening the sealed housing by breaking glued seams, but all components fit cleanly inside the original case, making the SKAFTSARV a viable low-cost smart accent lighting platform.
Sources: Hackaday
Cheap Solar Garden Lights Upgraded Into Wireless IoT Nodes With STM32 and NRF24L01+
Maker Mauro has shown how inexpensive solar-powered landscape lights can become wireless IoT nodes at minimal extra cost. An NRF24L01+ 2.4 GHz radio module and STM32 microcontroller were fitted inside the housing of a cheap dual-LED solar light, drawing power from the existing solar panel charging circuit. This secondary system operates independently of the light's original motion-triggered controller, adding on-demand LED switching via home automation platforms such as Home Assistant. Mauro released a companion Python library for communicating with the modified units. The project highlights how spare space inside mass-market solar lights, combined with their built-in power source, provides a ready-made platform for low-cost outdoor wireless sensors.
Sources: Hackaday
Researcher Reverse Engineers Hard Drive Firmware, Uncovers Backdoor Vendor Commands
Reverse engineer I Code 4 Coffee has published a detailed investigation into hard drive firmware internals, motivated by a project to exploit Xbox 360 consoles using modified drives. Working with multiple HDDs and an SSD, the researcher used firmware dumps acquired with a PC-3000 data recovery tool to disassemble and analyse onboard code. The work uncovered backdoor vendor commands accessible via the drive's diagnostic RS-232 port, providing a low-level firmware modification pathway. All technical findings and tools have been released on GitHub as HDDTools. The project fills a notable gap in public documentation, as most hard drive firmware analysis research is either proprietary, outdated, or not publicly accessible.
Sources: Hackaday
Maker Builds Precision Milling Attachment to Drill 0.1 mm Holes Without Breaking Bits
Mike of Chronova Engineering has built a custom milling machine attachment for drilling with 0.1 mm drill bits, a task near-impossible due to runout and breakage risk. The device uses a collet in the milling spindle to transfer rotation to a secondary spindle in a runout-compensating drill chuck, with a counterweighted lever and dial indicator enabling low-force, precise downward movements. Components were machined from steel and brass, with a titanium handle for reduced weight. After tracing excess runout to a damaged collet locating pin, Mike drilled a 0.1 mm hole 1.8 mm deep and demonstrated repeatability by drilling six such holes in the end of a thin steel wire.
Sources: Hackaday
Inside the Heathkit Factory: A History of the Kit Company That Taught a Generation
A documentary from the Unseen History channel revisits the rise and fall of Heathkit, the American electronics kit company that shaped generations of makers. Heathkit launched in 1947 with a $40 oscilloscope built from military surplus, at a time when comparable commercial instruments cost $400 or more. The company grew to employ over 1,800 people, producing kits spanning ham radio, test equipment, early personal computers, and the HERO 2000 robot. Heathkit manuals were celebrated for their completeness and clarity, teaching builders to understand what they assembled. After Zenith acquired the firm, dwindling kit interest and rising costs drove a slow decline; by 2012, six employees remained when operations ceased.
Sources: Hackaday
Top Crowdfunding
Kickstarter / Indiegogo
None this week — no confirmed live campaigns with funding data at publish time.
GitHub Trending
Makers & Hardware
1. davidmonterocrespo24/velxio — in-browser Arduino, ESP32 & Raspberry Pi emulator
2. wled/WLED — WiFi LED control firmware for ESP8266 and ESP32
3. grimdoomer/HDDTools — hard drive firmware research and reverse engineering toolkit
Upcoming Events
Open Hardware Summit — May 23–24, Berlin, Germany
Maker Faire Long Island — June 6, Stony Brook University, NY
Maker Faire Bay Area (20th anniversary) — Sep 25–27, Mare Island, CA
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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