ParaGrafix, Inc.

07/29/2026

The printer is back together!

I reassembled it this morning, plugged it in, everything lit up properly, and ...

The touchscreen doesn't respond and the gantry didn't move when I sent a file over WiFi. Upon inspection, the contacts on the touch-screen cable are mangled - whether from resin exposure or physical damage cause by yours truly I can't say. The metal of the contacts has physically pulled away from the ribbon.

Of course I could buy a replacement cable ... which is attached to a replacement touchscreen and costs nearly half the price of buying a brand new printer.

Hmmmm. Shall I pay over 40% of the cost of a new printer for a replacement cable/touchscreen ... and still have the gantry issue which is likely caused by dirty, resin filled contacts somewhere with no guarantee that I'll be able to repair them?

I have just logged into the Elegoo site and am placing my order for a new printer.

07/28/2026

It's been one of *those* days ... well, technically, a week ago Friday was that day, but today was the day I had to finish dealing with the fallout.

So, a week ago Friday I walked into the shop ... and noticed that one of the resin printers was coated in resin. The dreaded leaky vat. I broke down the machine and cleaned it up as best I could with what I had on hand, then began researching how to get the rest of the resin out without disassembling the entire thing down to the circuit board level. (It's in 3 pieces: the case, the front panel, and the screen/lifter.)

The best reviewed cleaner out there is ResinAway, an Australian product that is occasionally available in the states. I emailed them and they replied that while they don't have any here right now, they were sending a pallet off within the next few weeks. A bit too late for my needs, but I've stuck it away for later reference.

Today I went out pick up the paper and ... there sitting on my front step was an Amazon box I hadn't ordered. It ends up one of my 2 best buds for the last 45 years ordered me a bottle of propylene glycol, the main ingredient in ResinAway!

After dealing with this morning's orders and some paperwork, I got down to attacking the remaining resin. It cleaned up the machine far better than I could have anticipated - it doesn't look new, but it doesn't look like the machine is melting. It even did a pretty good job of getting the sticky crud off the cover, which isopropyl alcohol doesn't even touch.

Tomorrow the machine gets reassembled and tested. Fingers crossed!

07/14/2026

I am pleased to announce my latest product ... America 250 decals for 1/144 and 1/200 scale Artemis kits!

These decals are ALPS printed and backed with white - each set includes a pair of logos with a "clear" white stripe, and a pair with the white printed in place. This allows builders to have a crisp, white stripe if they are painting their rocket off white, or to have the white of the solid rocket boosters provide the color (more accurate).

The decals have MSRPs of $17.95 and $15.95, respectively, and should be shipping by the end of this month.

1/144 scale: https://paragrafix.biz/product_detail.asp?PPartNum=PGX266

1/200 scale: https://paragrafix.biz/product_detail.asp?PPartNum=PGX267

And, yes! we are continuing work on the Airfix 1/144 scale Orion capsule and service module*. We expect to be shipping around the end of August and will post a link once we have pricing and availability tied down.

Once that set is ready, we'll be working on updating it for the Revell kit (we will have to create a new ICPS (upper stage) since only its shell is included, and we may have to create a new launch abort system). And then, finally, we will get to work on the 1/200 scale version for the AMT kit.

06/19/2026

I have finally "remastered" the Perfect Grade Millennium Falcon parts that used to be available through Shapeways and they're available for immediate shipping!

No more modifying kit part to work with our photoetch - these parts are direct replacements for the kit pieces.

BONUS: Now includes all four seats so even they don't have to be modified!

https://paragrafix.biz/product_detail.asp?PPartNum=PGX264

06/18/2026

In memory of Brian Johnson, his Concept Hawk Interior is on sale for 20% off through next Thursday, June 25.

List Price: $33.95, Sale Price: $27.16, a savings of $6.79!

Famed British special affects artist Brian Johnson has shared his concept design for the Mark IX cockpit exclusively with ParaGrafix.

06/17/2026

If you are calling the ParaGrafix office from a Massachusetts number we don't recognize, please don't be offended when we reject your call.

We have been receiving at least 4 calls a day from random Massachusetts numbers trying to sell the homeowner new siding and roofing.

The whistle (it was cheaper than an air horn) when I'd get connected to the call center didn't slow down the calls, so now I have to dump all local calls.

Please drop us an email using one of the links on our contact page and we'll happily call you back: https://paragrafix.biz/contact.asp

This only applies to MASSACHUSETTS NUMBERS that we don't recognize or aren't in our address book.

06/05/2026

But wait! there's more!

Here is the completed first prototype of the Orion Capsule add-on for the 1/144 scale SLS Artemis kit from Airfix. The white parts belong to the Airfix kit and the gray parts are ours.

In addition to using the stand, the various components (stage adapter, the tank top below the stage adapter, the service module, and the capsule) can be displayed on the rocket itself.

Rather than using the rotating latches like the kit does, all of our parts are linked with magnets. (You can see the magnet holding the Command Module to the stand in the first picture below.)

There is still a lot of detailing left to do, including finalizing the photoetch design for the solar panels and decals. The PE is first on the list to be finalized as it will take roughly 2 months to get back from the factory.

I anticipate having this for sale in mid- to late-August. Pricing is still to be determined.

Special thanks to Aodhan Stansfield for making the beautiful "coming soon" sign, and Steve Iverson* for displaying this model on his table at Wonderfest.

* CultTVman's Hobbyshop

06/05/2026

The Zero Gravity Toilet Instructions are getting closer to production!

Shown is the next-to-most-recent prototype, that I filled, painted, filled, painted, filled, etc. for the week before leaving for Wonderfest ... and I still had to do final assembly on Monday morning, delaying my departure time by 45 minutes.

This start-to-finish build revealed a couple of issues with fit and finish that I'll address this weekend ... and print another prototype. If all goes well with this one, I'll get to work on the pricing and determine the expected delivery date. Luckily, all of the non-printed parts are readily available so I just have to build up an inventory of printed parts and get everything packaged.

Oh, one other quick thing to mention: I realized that I needed to be able to display this on a table, so I made a cover for the "missing" wall cleat, and a stand. These will be available as options.

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I entered it in the Wonderfest model competition, my first ever entry at any model contest*, and got a bronze! I didn't think it was even up to bronze standards (I was rushed on the filling and painting), so I'm especially pleased!

After I got home on Tuesday, I was thinking about how to display the medallion, and I came up a simple stand. 15 or 20 minutes with CAD, about 25 minutes on the printer, and voila, I had a stand. (I'm going to refine the design and put the STL up on Thingiverse and other sites.)

* I've had a few other models in the room, but they've been part of the airbrushing classes run by TAG Team Hobbies.

05/22/2026

Here's a real preview of the Orion capsule and service module.

I was worried that the tiny RCS rockets wouldn't be robust enough, but I intentionally abused 3 pairs of the ESM walls and the engine bells remained intact, so I'm sure they'll survive shipping.

I'm still working on the solar panel artwork (they'll be in photoetch with decals) so I've built this prototype with the panels in their stowed position. Both options will come with the kit.

EDIT: In case you missed it: that's a DIME, not a quarter. 😁

EDIT 2: I should have mentioned that the black cradle that the assembly is sitting on is a stand that will come with the kit to allow all of the parts to be displayed similarly to the Apollo stack at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. I'll be posting a picture of it in the next couple of days.

05/20/2026

Here's a quick teaser of our big announcement for Wonderfest this year.

Any thoughts on what it could be? 😉

We won't have pricing available at the show, but we expect to have all of the production issues worked out within a few weeks after we return.

Shipping will begin by mid-August.

P.S. This is a blacked out version of our 3D model, not simply a retouched NASA image.