TF//001
The Last Courier
A mineralised courier robot, curled protectively around a sealed delivery capsule. Delivery status: still active.
TF//000
The First Signal
A fist-sized beacon fragment that still points at a sky it has never seen.
Digital STL files. No physical item will be shipped.
FreePersonal-use licence
The free specimen is being prepared. Join Field Notes in the footer to hear when it surfaces.
- Format
- STL files
- Parts
- 2
- Size
- 48 × 40 × 62 mm
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Updates
- Free file updates by email
- Version
- v0.9.0
Recovery record
It was catalogued as a mineral concretion for years.
Then a conservator noticed the seam. Concretions do not have seams, and they do not carry a folded antenna dish the size of a thumbnail.
The First Signal is the smallest specimen in the archive and the first one most field members restore. It asks very little of a printer and gives back a surprising amount of surface.
The record, in plain terms
| What is this? | Digital STL package for resin 3D printing |
|---|---|
| Digital or physical? | Digital download only — no physical item will be shipped. |
| Files included | the-first-signal_body.stl; the-first-signal_dish.stl; README-first-signal.txt (print notes and licence) |
| Print size | 48 × 40 × 62 mm assembled at intended scale |
| Parts | 2 |
| Pre-supported? | No — unsupported STLs with documented orientation notes. Pre-supported files are planned as a free update. |
| Intended printer | MSLA/DLP resin printers (small build plates are fine) |
| Skill level | Beginner |
| Recommended layer height | 35–50 µm |
| Assembly | Two parts, single keyed joint. No magnets. |
| Test-print status | Not yet test printed — files pending final production. |
| Licences | Personal-use licence (free) |
| File updates | Delivered by email to the address from your order, at no extra cost. |
| Current version | v0.9.0 |
Package contents
- the-first-signal_body.stl
- the-first-signal_dish.stl
- README-first-signal.txt (print notes and licence)
Delivered as a versioned ZIP archive through a secure, expiring download link. Files never leave your order — sharing or reselling the digital files is not permitted under either licence.
Before you press print
Orient parts so large flat faces avoid the build plate; the documented orientation notes in the package give a tested starting point per part. Add supports to overhangs steeper than 50° — the geometry avoids fragile islands where possible.
Two parts, single keyed joint. No magnets.
Recommended layer height: 35–50 µm. Wash and cure before assembly; test-fit keyed joints dry before glue. The Print Guide covers resin choice, supports, hollowing and safety in detail.
Scale honestly
At the intended 1:1 scale the assembled specimen measures 48 × 40 × 62 mm. Uniform rescaling works, but below ~80% fine mechanical detail drops beneath what a 50 µm pixel can resolve, and keyed joints need re-test-fitting at any new scale.
Evidence plates
These are archival reconstruction plates — the working placeholder art of the archive. Final artwork, raw prints and painted evidence photographs replace them as production assets are completed, clearly labelled per image.
Two ways to hold it
Personal — print, paint, display and gift physical prints. No selling.
The short version above is a summary; the licence comparison and terms are authoritative.
Restoration record
v0.9.0Pre-release package placeholder. Final files pending.
Purchasers receive every future file update for this specimen by email, free.
Field questions
Is The First Signal really free?
Yes. You give an email address only so the secure download link can be delivered. Marketing mail is a separate, optional, unchecked choice.
Is this a physical object?
No. You receive digital STL files to print yourself on a resin 3D printer. No physical item will be shipped.
Which licence applies to the free specimen?
The personal-use licence: print, paint, display and gift it. Selling prints or sharing the files is not permitted.
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