Episode notes
3D printing parts for Bitcoin mining with @ZuccThis
What's up guys? zucc_this here with another byte-sized bitcoin. Lets get right into it and talk about 3d printing and how it can be leveraged for home mining and general individual sovereignty. To start I'd like to make a comparison of home 3d printing to bitcoin.
One aspect of bitcoin that makes it a powerful tool for the sovereign individual is its' ability to dis-intermediate the traditional financial system. Likewise, 3d printing is a way to side-step the legacy plastics manufacturing industry. Typically plastic goods are made with injection moulding ñ an expensive process that really only makes sense at scale. Injection moulding still has its place, but 3d printing allows you to print nearly anything you can dream up at home. Of course, there are engineering and practical limitations. These days you can get an Ender 3 3d printer that works fairly well for 200 USD on Amazon. For the more serious mining pleb $1000 can get you a Prusa which is a workhorse that will run day after day and produce amazing results.
The most obvious application for home Bitcoin mining is in producing fan shrouds. For most in-home ASIC installs we need to direct the heat somewhere. I measured the temp in the duct from my Whatsminer maybe 6 feet from the duct and had 140∞ F. Bitcoin ASICs are primarily designed to be run at scale in mining farms where heat mitigation is handled MUCH differently than we do at home. There are many clever individuals out they're doing cool shit with their excess heat but the most simple method (though not always easy) is to duct the heat outside or into an existing HVAC system. To go from the miner to an HVAC duct you need a shroud or fan adapter that goes between the exhaust fan and the duct. These are easily printed by most consumer grade machines in PETG. Iím not even gonna try to pronounce its actual chemical name but suffice to say this is a material than can withstand the heat from the miner. There are several resources out there that offer up the files for MicroBT and Bitmain ASICS for free.
In my personal setup I had to add a couple fans for the PSU on the intake side to keep things cool, and with a little CAD and 3d printing I was able to design brackets to get the airflow exactly where I need it. I also designed and printed a hold/cold side barrier the helps keep cool airflow where it needs to be. With winter coming I also need to re-design my ducting that leads to the cold air return duct in my furnace. Last winter I was able to heat my home entirely with 2 M30s Whatsminers. I have an average size 2 story home in the frozen north of the US where itís not uncommon to see sub-zero temps. My new duct setup will need some funky duct adapters and bends due to the layout of my basement. This is where 3d printing and the ability to CAD really shines. Most of these home mining setups are quite unique and there aren't many cookie cutter solutions that work out of the box. I've also seen some pretty interesting usage of 3d printing in immersion setups.
That said, the sky REALLY is the limit. Aside from Bitcoin mining projects having the ability to 3d print and design things for myself has been an absolute game changer. I've been able to repair many things around the house that would normally get tossed ñ this helps justify the mini-print farm I have going to my wife. I also have a focus on 3d printed firearms. If code is free speech how do we protect our right to speech? In a world of ever increasing gun control the work by 3d printed gun devs is invaluable. Will Bitcoin alone take down ñ or at least scale back ñ the state? I don't think so. Will 3d printed firearms stop authoritarians from authoritarian shit? Nah. Much like Bitcoin, 3d printing is a tool that is accessible to ANYONE who is seeking to carve out a little freedom for themselves. Use the tools. Later.
If you have any questions please reach out. Also make sure to follow on twitter and check out everything we are doing for #plebminermonth
Show guest
twitter - @ZuccThis
Website - asicfanshrouds.com | ASIC fan duct adapters
twitter - @MaxBitbuybit
twitter - @bitbuybitpod
Website - https://ungovernablemisfits.com
As always please feel free to reach out and ask me any questions.
Today you can exchange $1 for 4680 Sats (Sale ends soon.)
Thank you Foundation Devices for sponsoring the show. Use code BITBUYBIT at check out for $10 off your purchase
