June 25, 2025
    |   No Comments
    |   cyork92
    |   4:06 am

Anomaly Report #042: MRRF 2025
Battle Bots, Bunkers & Build Plate Folklore

Filed under: ChronoNet Frequency 3D-42X
Location: Midwest RepRap Festival (MRRF), Goshen, Indiana
Status: Mildly overwhelmed, totally inspired

The air smelled of melted filament and giddy chaos. Rows of machines hummed like ritual drums in a plastic-scented temple. Neon lights flickered across battle bots, benchies, and banana-shaped mini bikes. I had entered the Midwest RepRap Festival 2025, and friends… the Lab has seen some things.

I thought I was coming to see printers.
I didn’t realize I was stepping into a full-blown maker multiverse.

DANCE, DANCE, REBELLION!

🔍 Unexpected Discovery: The Rise of Maker Software Sorcery

The most surprising part of MRRF this year wasn’t hardware.
It was the next-level software quietly redefining what it means to be a maker.

One of the standout innovations came from FigBash, who developed a tool that lets you import any STL and generate a fully-articulated, customizable action figure. Multiple sizes. Optional accessories. Posable limbs. The works. It’s all managed via an accessible interface and available through the Discord server linked here. If you’ve ever wanted to clone yourself in 1:18 scale, this is your moment.

Another jaw-dropper was Printventory — a brilliant utility that helps you organize, tag, and search your 3D model collection. Just point it at your Downloads folder (or wherever you hoard STL files), and it maps out your models like a visual database. Future plans even include AI interaction so you can talk to your library.

Printventory showcased at MRRF 2025
ADHD much? Us too…

“Printventory, where’s that cursed squirrel vase model I downloaded in 2022?”
“Second shelf, behind the Wrench Gnome and next to ‘WhyDidIMakeThis_v3.stl.’”

🤖 The Machines Are Alive… and Punching Each Other

Let’s talk robotics.
Not a section of the event.
A full-on robotic uprising.

There were robot dogs, servo-powered T-800s, full-size Star Wars droids, and a lot of machines that didn’t just move — they battled.

Mini battle bots dueled in acrylic cages. Demolition derby vehicles crashed Mad Max-style. And some makers rode around on actual 3D-printed mini bikes.

@ACRogers (X profile) brought both a demolition derby robot tank and a rideable bike. His table had one other project that stood out (not yet on Printables) — more on that when I remember what blew my mind.

Star Wars Droid Builders stole the show with full-size droids and animatronic spellbooks. My 5-year-old had a dance-off with a droid, and now I think he wants to live at MRRF.

MidnightWolfShow streamed much of the event live and may have been raising awareness for autism. If I’m remembering correctly — what a legend.

Want a taste of the RC Drag Races? Watch this build video by one of the participating makers. I need to build one of these for next time.

♻️ Recreating Filament from Bottles

The Recreator 3D Pultrusion System is a machine that turns 2-liter soda bottles into filament. Seriously.

You can buy a kit or build it yourself from the open-source BOM. Eco-warrior meets hacker-core. I’ll be diving deeper into this one soon.

The Recreator3D, open sourcing filament!

🧬 Print Wizards and Hardware Sorcery

  • LDO Motors demoed their Stealth Changer system
  • Chris Riley had an IDEX machine front and center
  • Bondtech showed off their sleek new INDEX system
  • Ferrari exhibited his Gen 2 modular drawer setup
  • Someone was doing custom rail engraving — and I need it
  • I saw a squeaky CPU toy. Yes. A CPU. That squeaks.

MRRF isn’t just about showing off — it’s about sharing the weirdest, wildest, most wonderful things you’ve dared to make.

🎭 Vibes from the Void

MRRF 2025 wasn’t just an event.
It was a celebration of chaos, curiosity, and creativity.

You’ll see rides, robots, relics, rail mods, and rogue slicer settings all under one roof. It was messy, noisy, joyful… and deeply human.

🧭 Next Up: 3DPrintopia

We’re not done.
3DPrintopia lands in September, and we’ll be there — documenting, building, and myth-making in real time.

If MRRF is the summit, 3DPrintopia is the secret expedition.

📎 Maker Links & Credits

Some labs make test prints.
Ours makes folklore.

— Dr. Defiant