MIKE HELTONA PERSONAL WEBSITE, MORE OR LESS.

Making things is
the actual day job.

I'm an injection mold designer by trade, and I design with Cimatron. At home, that interest in making things has developed into a collection of 3D printers and models of my own.

There's something satisfying about taking geometry off a screen and turning it into an object you can actually hold. Or an object you can hold while deciding it needs one more revision.

I spend all day designing things.
To unwind, I design different things.

Things you can print.

02 / MY MAKERWORLD UPLOADS
PONZLL / ORIGINAL 3D MODELS

Made in CAD.
Shared on MakerWorld.

My uploaded 3D-printing models live on MakerWorld. Browse the designs and open individual models there for their files and details.

The model collection opens on MakerWorld. New uploads appear there without waiting for me to remember this website exists.

The entirely reasonable fleet.

Six filament printers. Two resin printers.
The word “enough” has not come up.

FILAMENT×1

Bambu Lab H2S

One of the six filament printers in the lineup.

1 MACHINE
FILAMENT / UPGRADED×2

Ender 5 Pro

Both fitted with all-metal hotend upgrades. Because owning printers also means finding things to change on them.

2 MACHINES / ALL-METAL HOTENDS
FILAMENT×2

Maker Select V2

Another pair in the collection. Apparently one of a thing isn't always a complete set.

2 MACHINES
FILAMENT×1

MP Mini Select

The mini in the lineup. Still counts toward the total, however conveniently I try to count it.

1 MACHINE
RESIN×1

Saturn 2

One half of the resin side of the workshop.

1 MACHINE
RESIN×1

Anycubic Photon

The other half. Filament apparently wasn't enough of a hobby on its own.

1 MACHINE
03 / THE WORKFLOW

Draw it.
Print it.
Reconsider it.

A very productive way to discover that I want to change one small thing.

01

Design in Cimatron.

The CAD software I use to turn an idea into a model.

02

Take it off the screen.

Printing makes the design physical. The printer collection gives it somewhere to go.

03

Share the models.

I upload models to MakerWorld so other people can print them too. A hobby is better when it becomes somebody else's problem as well.

A SIDE PROJECT WITH A DAY-JOB BACKGROUND

Professionally: injection molds.
Personally: an alarming commitment to making more things.