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Post Card Sized Holders

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Working on some new multi level Business card holders, these glasses ones are great for those in the eye wear business.

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How I Launched SpellZen for Just $12

Launching a startup can feel daunting and expensive. But when I set out to build SpellZen.com, my goal was to create a simple, user-friendly spelling tool without breaking the bank. In the end, I spent just $12—all for the domain name. Here’s how I did it.

From Idea to Launch in Under a Month

I started working on SpellZen on December 16, 2023, and launched on January 12, 2025. In less than a month, I went from concept to a working site. During that time, I explored local LLMs like Ollama and OpenWebUI, and even dabbled with AI integrations in Minecraft—just to see what AI could really do.

I treated AI like a junior developer, clearly defining tasks, giving examples, and providing detailed guidelines. This approach allowed me to leverage AI effectively to produce reliable and adaptable code that met my goals.

What began as a desire for a quick, focused spelling and definition tool evolved into a more robust platform with scalability in mind. Despite the short timeline, SpellZen quickly became something I’m proud to call a startup.

Keeping Costs Low

1. Buying the Domain

I found SpellZen.com for $12 at a budget-friendly registrar—no fancy add-ons needed.

2. Building It Myself

I coded the site using .NET 9 and Blazor for a responsive, modern interface that prioritized speed and simplicity. AI played a major role in refining spell-check features, especially when it came to turning my prototypes into production-ready code. I approached AI like a collaborator, iteratively testing and improving its output until it aligned with my vision.

3. Hosting on Azure Free Tiers

I used Microsoft Azure—specifically a free-tier VM, CosmosDB, and Azure Active Directory B2C—to keep hosting costs at zero. SSL certificates came via Let’s Encrypt and win-acme, also free.

4. Caching and Rate Limiting

To keep performance strong and expenses low, I implemented caching and rate-limiting, which helped balance resource use without upgrading to pricier database tiers.

5. Core Features First

Instead of piling on features, I launched with spell-check, definitions, and usage examples. This “keep-it-simple” approach led to a solid MVP that I can expand on later.

6. Time Over Money

The real expense was my time—working late nights and early mornings to get SpellZen ready for launch. Even so, it was worth every minute to see the vision come to life in under a month.

Running Costs

While the initial launch cost was minimal, there are some ongoing expenses to keep SpellZen running smoothly:

AI API Usage: I opted for a low-token application setup to minimize costs associated with the AI API. This ensures that SpellZen remains efficient without incurring hefty fees.

VM IP Address Fee: There is a small fee for the IP address that the Azure Virtual Machine uses. However, with the $200 Azure credit you receive upon opening an account, this cost is significantly offset, allowing the credit to go a long way in covering these minor expenses.

These running costs are kept to a minimum, ensuring that SpellZen remains affordable while providing a reliable service to its users.

The Hiccups (and How I Fixed Them)

Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. I ran into a few bumps:

CosmosDB Free-Tier Limitations: I initially expected multiple free containers but discovered I only got one. A quick fix (with AI’s coding help) got the database structure updated fast.

Azure AD B2C Challenges: The documentation for Azure Active Directory B2C lacked clarity. Trying out different configurations tested my patience, but ultimately, it worked—and saved me from picking a costlier solution like Auth0.

AI Output Issues: Sometimes, the AI-generated code didn’t align with my expectations. At times, it added or removed code in unexpected ways, requiring extra review and debugging. While frustrating, these instances reminded me to double-check everything and to treat AI output as a starting point, not a final solution.

SSL Setup: I was used to paying more than $60 for an SSL. Let’s Encrypt and win-acme made things free and simple to set up on a VM. Though I initially dreaded using Let’s Encrypt, win-acme made the process surprisingly easy.

These hiccups were frustrating at times, but they taught me how to be resourceful and confirmed that sticking to free or low-cost solutions can still yield professional results.

Why I Believe It’s Worth It

By starting small, I gave myself the space to learn, adapt, and grow. SpellZen is now more than just a website—it’s a foundation that can evolve alongside its users. It’s also a demonstration of how AI can be harnessed for good: to help us communicate more effectively without overwhelming complexity.

AI for Good

I believe AI should make life better. SpellZen is a small example of how AI can help people sharpen their skills and write with confidence. Hopefully, it encourages others to use AI in ways that build us up, spark creativity, and simplify everyday tasks.

My Takeaway

You don’t need a huge budget to make something meaningful. If you have a clear vision and you’re willing to put in the work, you can build and launch your idea—even for the price of a few snacks. So, if you’ve been sitting on a project, start small, stay focused, and bring it to life. You never know where it might lead.

Ready to see it for yourself? Check out SpellZen.com. And remember—don’t Google it… SpellZen it!

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Big News: SpellZen.com is Live!

My new site, SpellZen.com, launched today, and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you! If you’re like me and always Googling words to check your spelling, it’s time to try something better. Don’t Google it—SpellZen it!

I built SpellZen as a tool I wanted for myself—something simple, fast, and easy to use. Whether it’s a tricky word or a full sentence, SpellZen helps you catch mistakes, learn the right spellings, and even see how to use words correctly.

The best part? I got this site up and running for just $12—the cost of the domain name—plus my time and effort building and setting everything up. It’s proof that with a little work and creativity, you can bring an idea to life without breaking the bank.

I’m so eager to see where this goes! I’m looking forward to growing the site and expanding its features while keeping it simple and focused on helping you find the words you want.

SpellZen is here to make writing easier for everyone. So, if you’re tired of second-guessing your spelling, give it a try today!

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Trying out Hueforge on a couple of album covers with mixed results so far, more to come

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Happy to get this listing up, stepping up the listing image quality some 😂. Got some new designs in the works for things from CD stands to Business card holders all using this interchangeable plate system.

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Valentines Project

The idea for this project was to make a valentine and use some of the Color Change Filament that I have been sitting on. Made the artwork in Canva then took the SVG's over to Fusion 360 to turn it into a model and with Bambu Studio and a 3D printer made it into physical item.

It was harder finding sunny times to get the color change version to work. Project only took a couple of hours in total with only 6 revisions.

FYI Sunlight Color change filament, at least this stuff from Inland needs direct sunlight to change color. Windows seem to filter out most of the light needed.

You can download the files and print it for yourself at MakerWorld

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Case In Box(CIB) Nintendo NES Game Stands

New NES Stands coming down the pipeline, these turned out really nice and the name plates can easily be removed and put back on! Designing more plates and need to create version for lose carts and carts in the sleeves

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Gucci (The Cat) enjoying some water and learning to spell his name. The name plate was printed on the A1. The water fountain is an AONBOY off Amazon so far its worked well and its quiet.

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Gift project from 2021 I have come a long way but this turned out nice.

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Put together some quick 3D prints from line art done by an art teacher I know to show some examples of using 3D printing for artwork. Maybe these examples will lead to some new projects designs with original artwork.

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Did these Stand about a year ago, look so much better printed on the A1.

Etsy and Cults

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The new MN Flags with a extra variant 😂

The Bambu A1 does a great job with these multi color prints. You can get these New Minnesota Flag magnates on my Etsy shop if you like.

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Showing the prototype versions off

Putting out more designs this year to see what sticks. Boxed Nintendo display stand (CIB). Can be found on Etsy and Cults. These are easy to print (or just buy) and work for more than NES games.

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Should have took more pictures of this project, they were decorations for a baby shower. This print is modified to be in Vase mode so they can print pretty quick. There is actually a full elephant family (sorry missing pics of those.. and they were cute). I should remove the personation and upload the remixed files to Thigaverse. 

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2 Final Prototypes for new NES Display Holders, a sleeved sized one with spacer and CIB size. Up for sale soon at 3d.wurm.us 

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Amethyst after a few weeks through the tumbling processes