The culmination of a dream – Chuganation’s 3D Lab

Hi! My name is Charles Harding, the Founder of the Chuganation’s 3D Lab brand and the designer for some of their products. Many people have asked me where my business started from, so I have decided to post this for educational purposes.

First let’s begin by giving a backstory about Chuganation’s 3D Lab. This brand is comprised of a team of dedicated key players that make the brand special. You have myself, Charles Harding, who runs the online store and maintains the booth at Antiques Treasures and More.

I curate spectacular designs from some amazing designers. We currently have reseller contracts with Flexi-Factory, Cinderwing3D, 3D Design Bros, and ForgeCore. In utilizing these memberships, we have several published catalogs of over 70 products and over 5,500 hours of machine time. (That’s a lot of hours!) Personally, I love hearing the machines run while I work. It is truly soothing for me to know that I put in a 3D model, and I got out a tangible item once the machines have completed the job.

  We have two machines who fabricate the design and one retired machine. “Betsy” was our first machine. Becky was the second fabrication machine we acquired. Becky has run for over 3,500 hours and continues to use the original nozzle. Next, we acquired “Artsy”. The vision for Artsy was to support creative fabrications without hindering the production of other items being sold online or in the shop; however, we quickly saw an opportunity to shift that vision and use both machines for production fabrications. They are the workhorses behind the brand and together our machines have run for more than 5,500 hours.

  The name ‘Chuganation’ is derived from the ‘chuga’ sound that a locomotive makes as it traverses the ‘nation’ hence when you put them together, it makes Chuga-nation. The lab stands for our promise to always lay new tracks or ourselves and for our clients. Due to this explorative nature (and the adaptation of the beaker and laboratory theme) we added 'Lab' to the end. Our slogan, ‘Crafting dreams one layer at a time’ comes from the additive manufacturing process that we employ to fabricate our items. Our products start out as a roll of plastic, a 3D model, and potential. One layer at a time, our machines fabricate the model. We strive to provide the best experience for our customers. Our lab believes in providing exceeding quality in our services and fabrications.

That’s a glimpse at the brand as it is now, but how did we get here? How did I, a software programmer and computer engineer decide to transition to 3D printing as a hobby? I’m glad you asked. Project “FURFOO” started out as an R&D project of mine a few years back.

  To prototype repeatable and sustainable enclosures I decided to purchase a 3D Printer which I named “Betsy”. It was great at teaching me the ropes of 3D printing and how the machines work; however, it was not a production-grade machine that I needed to make my projects a success.

  In iteration 1, I acquired a set of calibers and 3D modeling software and embarked on making my first enclosure. The material of choice was this dark green PETG. Betsy fabricated this enclosure in 3 days which was a lot of time. One of the gears slipped causing a very noticeable shift in the final print. It was a great learning experience as none of my measurements were even CLOSE to what I measured. (I’ve gotten better I promise.) I loved the concept of designing this enclosure and the possibilities that Betsy brought me as far as fabricating fidgets and other trinkets for the family. Hence I decided to try again.

  Iteration 2 started immediately after. The drawing board was wiped clean and a new form took shape. One that was much more minimalistic in nature. It was more affordable, and only had enough space for the components. In iteration 2, the display fit, the components fit, and the control panel was seemingly a success; however, this iteration did not stand the test of time. The internal controller computer overheated and thus was missing feeding times.

At this time, I was extremely invested in this project. Many people called me ‘lazy’ and ‘foolish’ for spending so much time and energy on this project. To me, it was never about achieving the final result of an automatic cat feeder. It had turn into an educational project that I was determined to complete.

Before beginning iteration 3, I decided to take a break and think it through, how could I make this control enclosure more efficient. I considered that heat rises, so I designed a cylindrical enclosure with an open top as a test. I was not pleased with the way that the components fit as well as the lack of visual appeal. The computer still overheated causing problems and didn’t have a display anymore.

Now with the vision of creating a more appealing product, I decided to put a pawprint on the base as well as the controller. Iteration 3 featured a more ‘homelike’ appearance and included the name of the project. It was the first iteration made by Becky. Iteration 3 did not have enough space for the components to fit safely. Iteration 3 included an embedded fan for circulation and a spot for a filter.

The final iteration of the project to date comprised of making the same enclosure bigger. (Much bigger). This iteration works; however, was never deployed to the house as we moved right after. At this time, I was hooked on other fabrications and designing new enclosures. Hence Chuganation’s 3D Lab was officially adopted as the branding name. After this iteration was complete, my time was dedicated to developing an online storefront.

  Project Furfoo was more than just a cat feeder for me. It was a timed switch that triggered a motor and released food down a chute, making our fur baby happy and ensuring she was fed. Project “Furfoo” was derived from project Switchbot. A smart device that has 8 outputs that can individually be toggled from the UI. Switchbot had no true purpose around the house so it didn’t demand a dedicated enclosure so I bought one online. I wanted to expand my knowledge of electronics while spending time with family and while also expanding my knowledge of software which is where Project Switchbot started. It started out as a very big smart power strip and quickly converted to a low voltage DC project due to both safety concerns and my need for the project.