Progress report... and yes, I'm still alive!

enrico mazzarol
3 hours ago
2 min read

Hey everyone! 👋

First of all, I owe you all a huge apology.

I've been way behind on replying to messages lately. My inbox has completely exploded! 😅 Between emails, WhatsApp, Instagram, and X, you've absolutely buried me with hundreds of ideas, project suggestions, questions, and requests.

Seriously... thank you! ❤️

I'm working my way through everything, and I should be caught up within the next couple of days. Thanks so much for your patience!

That said, all this craziness hasn't stopped me from working on the projects I've already mentioned. In fact... they're finally starting to become real!

Project #1 – Ventilated Silica Box for the Snapmaker U1

The first project is a replacement for the Polydryer module with a ventilated Silica Box designed specifically for the Snapmaker U1 Spool Box.

While finishing this project I came up with... I don't even know... five, ten, maybe twenty different versions and improvements. 😂

At some point I had to tell myself, "Enrico... stop redesigning it and actually release something!"

So... here's Version 1.

And yes... I'm officially looking for testers! 😁

My main goal was to make it fully interchangeable with the original Polydryer module. That meant keeping exactly the same overall dimensions while making the Silica Box much more capable.

Instead of relying on passive airflow, this version uses forced ventilation with two fans—one pulling air in and one pushing it out—forcing the air through the silica gel for much better moisture absorption and airflow.

As for the electronics... well... you all know I'm pretty terrible at that stuff. 😂

So I didn't design any electronics myself, but I did leave plenty of room inside for a PCB or an Arduino. Add a few humidity and temperature sensors, and this thing could become a pretty smart little system... at least that's the idea!

I'd love to hear what you think. Any suggestions are more than welcome!

Project #2 – A Better Spool Holder for Cardboard Spools

This one came directly from your feedback.

Several of you pointed out that the previous Snapmaker U1 spool holder caused cardboard spools to rub against the support, creating unnecessary friction.

So I redesigned the entire mechanism.

The new version uses a lightweight cylindrical support with two bearings on the sides, allowing cardboard spools to rotate much more smoothly.

Hopefully, that solves the problem once and for all!

The new spool holder will be released in the next few days.

As for the ventilated Silica Box... I'm still looking for volunteers willing to test it thoroughly. If you're the kind of person who enjoys finding bugs, suggesting improvements, and giving detailed feedback... you're exactly who I'm looking for! 😄

And no... that's not everything.