Mitch at MRRF 2022

TL;DR: Mitch and his backpack printer have become a staple at RepRap festivals all over the United States. We caught up with him last week and asked him all the questions everyone has been dying to know the answers to! Read on to find out all the juicy details he shared exclusively with E3D. 

Hi Mitch, go ahead and introduce yourself to our community. 

Hi E3D! I'm Mitch, I am obsessed with 3D printing, CNC, robotics, and electronics and I work as an automation specialist, where I program systems for food manufacturing facilities in the United States. It was my 3D printing hobby that got me into industrial automation, learning mechanical and electrical troubleshooting. I’ve also been on the TV show BattleBots (2020/2021 seasons) with the Team SubZero. The show was televised in over 15 countries and watched by over 5 million viewers! Battles with Cobalt and Shatter were stuff of legend. Check them out here. 

Mitch with Team SubZero on BattleBots

How long have you been working with 3D printers & what got you into 3D printing?  

I’ve been into combat robots since the early 2000s. I followed Make Magazine and learned about RepRap and Makerbot. With 3D printers, it looked like an easier path to making robot parts than building a CNC machine.

I bought my first 3D printer which was a Makerbot Cupcake back in 2010 and I've never looked back since. 

3D printed CNC machine build, the PrintNC

Your backpack printer has become a staple at community events all over the United States. Tell us how you came up with the concept. 

I went to my first MRRF and realized that I wouldn’t want to sit at a booth and not see the rest of the event. That's when I realized that I could battery power my SeeMeCNC Eris Delta and carry it around. Naomi Wu made a video with a backpack delta printer and I thought it was a neat idea so I came up with a frame design and battery pack system and showed up to MRRF 2018. Everyone loved it! 

The next year I wanted a more reliable backpack printer so I built the second one based on the SeeMeCNC H2 Kit with custom and high end parts. It’s been refined a little more each event and I’m really surprised with everyone’s reactions, it’s been fun.    

Mitch carrying his world famous backpack printer

What’s the best 3D printer you’ve ever used?  

My SeeMeCNC Artemis Delta has been a rock solid machine for over 5 years, I only recently added a Revo HotEnd to it which makes it even more reliable, not to forget the super quick nozzle changes which make my life so much easier. Right now my LDO Voron V0.1 is becoming my favourite; it’s fast, it has lots of features with Klipper, and it can print high temp materials reliably.  

Mitch rides a Onewheel with an active 3D printer on his back!

What would your dream 3D printer setup be?     

I would like a ToolChanger printer with low waste multi-material. I can see that technology getting better in the next couple years. A laser sintered metal printer and one of those colour PolyJet printers would be cool but one can dream.      

What advances would you like to see in 3D printing in the coming years?

I think CAD/CAM software can improve and become more available. Slicing software will become easier to use, more reliable, and have better support structures. The improvements in printer firmware has been monumental for FDM printing. I also see big improvement in SLA printing software and post-processing.

Team SubZero make it to the Vegas slot machines! 

Attending any industry events this year?

The first Rocky Mountain RepRap Festival (RMRRF) is the next one I plan on attending and hopefully ERRF later this year. 

Mitch with friends at ERRF 2019

What’s your next big project?

I’m working to finish my PrintNC (open source CNC router). I think instead of another backpack printer, I’d like to build a robot that I can drive around conventions with my Voron V0.1 on top. Unfortunately, I start more projects than I finish, hah! 

Is there anything else you'd like to share with the community?

Over the last decade, I’ve met the most amazing people in the 3D printing community. I only briefly knew Sanjay and I have never met someone as passionate and knowledgeable as him, he is missed.  

Get involved in the E3D community!      

We'd like to thank Mitch for sharing his work and so much more with us. If you want to stay up to date with Mitch and his latest projects make sure to follow all his socials here! 

Find lots of other hints and tips from other 3D printing enthusiasts to make your 3D prints better! Join the conversation on Discord, follow our blog, and keep in touch on our socials. Do you have an impressive 3D printing project you’d like us to highlight? Get in touch and we can feature you!