Maker Projects
Hands-on builds with materials, steps, troubleshooting, and AI enhancements. Filter by board and skill level.
Tool Review: Digital Calipers — Measured Habit Over Guesswork
Review standard: /review-standard. Calipers are the instrument that makes AI CAD honest. Versions & hardware ItemNotes InstrumentDigital calipers, 0.01 mm resolution class (±0.02 mm typical chea…
Tool Review: Mosquitto as a Workshop MQTT Broker (Measured Lab Notes)
Review standard: see /review-standard. This page states a measurement protocol you should re-run on your Pi — do not invent latency numbers without a stopwatch/log. Versions & hardware under test ItemValue …
Tool Review: OrcaSlicer for Functional Prints — Reproducible Comparison Protocol
Citation value comes from a reproducible protocol: same STL, same spool, three slicers, calipers after cool-down. Citation magnet pack: orca-slicer-comparison-magnet.zip — OpenSCAD test bracket, RESULTS.md, prof…
Tool Review: PlatformIO vs Arduino IDE for ESP32 — Reproducible Comparison
Citation magnet pack: platformio-vs-arduino-magnet.zip — same blink sketch, both toolchains, RESULTS.md for versions and timings. Review standard. Arduino IDE wins the first hour. PlatformIO wins the project that outli…
Getting Started with ESP32 for Beginners — First Project (Full Bench Guide)
USB data cable → DevKit → breadboard LED + resistor. If the LED never blinks, suspect the cable before the code. This is the long-form companion to the free ESP32 Starter Kit PDF. Goal: a first board that enumer…
Maker Guide: Choosing Between Pi, ESP32, or Arduino for Your Project
A decision tree for real projects: power, realtime needs, networking, cost, and how many times you’ll reflash at midnight.
Local AI on Raspberry Pi for Offline Maker Tools (Practical Limits)
Offline assist is for privacy and lab continuity — not for matching cloud frontier models on a $35 board. Stack map: see also the directory pages for local/offline AI and Ollama. What “works” vs what “wow” is …
Building a Custom CNC with ESP32 and 3D Printed Parts (Bench Protocol)
ESP32 as motion brain is only safe after mechanical baseline and E-stop path exist. Diagram ≠ commission. Review standard: /review-standard. This build is documented as a protocol + BOM. Real cut photos and dial…
Rebooting averyjparker.com — From Classic Tech Tips to Modern Maker Tech
Why this site is pivoting to AI tools, 3D printing, Raspberry Pi, and ESP32 — and how the old archive stays useful.
Raspberry Pi + ESP32 Mesh for Smart Home (Local MQTT Architecture)
Pi runs the broker; ESP32 nodes publish sensors and subscribe to commands. LAN only for v1. Companion to the paid ESP32 + Pi Project Bundle and free Pi weekend PDF. Goal: one broker, one publishing node, one com…
AI-Powered Design Workflow: Idea to 3D Print (Without Inventing Holes)
AI accelerates drafting. Calipers and a named slicer profile decide whether the part fits. Tool stacks: CAD AI stack · Maker Prompt Pack · calipers. Workflow stages StageHuman jobAI job 1. MeasureCali…
Raspberry Pi 5 as a 3D Printer Controller — Setup Guide (Ops-Focused)
Pi is the host: Klipper host + UI or OctoPrint. MCUs still run real-time stepper work — wire and power accordingly. Pair with OrcaSlicer review and the print farm AI stack (AI for notes only — never auto-flash u…
Using AI to Generate 3D Models and Code for Makers
Where ChatGPT/Claude/local models shine for CAD scripts and firmware — and where they invent fasteners that don’t exist.
ESP32 Home Automation with Sensors & Relays (Safe Bench Build)
Sensors publish; actuators subscribe. Keep v1 on low-voltage practice loads. Pairs with the Pi + ESP32 MQTT architecture and free ESP32 kit PDF. Scope & non-goals In scope: BME280/DHT class sensors, opto…
Troubleshooting Common 3D Printing Issues with AI Assistance
How to use photos + slicer settings with an LLM without accepting “just increase temperature” as a religion.
Using AI to Review a printer.cfg Diff (Safely)
Prompt patterns that force the model to cite risks instead of inventing pins.
Klipper Macros You Actually Use Every Print
Start/end gcode, filament change, and fail-safe shutdown macros.
Safe OTA Updates on ESP32 (Without Bricking the Lab)
Partition schemes, rollback, and staged fleet updates for a handful of boards.
Build a Local Prompt Library for Maker Tasks
Version prompts for CAD, firmware, and troubleshooting without losing the good ones.
When a Pi Zero 2 W Beats a Pi 5
Cost, power, and camera/GPIO tradeoffs for maker deployments.
PETG vs PLA for Functional Parts (Decision Guide)
Temperature, toughness, and when PLA is still the right call.
PlatformIO vs Arduino IDE for ESP32 in 2026
When PlatformIO pays off: envs, libraries, and CI-friendly firmware.
ESP32 Power Budget for Battery Projects (Measured Protocol)
Measured content: this is a protocol for numbers you take with a meter. Do not invent µA figures from marketing slides. Hardware under test (declare yours) ItemExample BoardESP32-WROOM DevKit vs bare module (…
Newsletter & Free ESP32 Kit — How to Get Project Drops
Join the list, download the free 5-project ESP32 kit, and see what’s coming next on the maker calendar.
3D Printing Business Basics — From Hobby to Side Hustle
This is the spine of the side-hustle maker track. Pair with 3D Printing Mastery books when you want depth on production habits. Cost model (minimum columns) LineHow to estimate Filament / resingrams used × co…
Legacy Tech Archive: Best Old Windows Security Tips (Still Useful in 2026)
What still holds from the classic averyjparker.com security posts — least privilege, backups, and skepticism — with modern notes.