3D Thursday

Free Alternatives to Tinkercad

Free Alternatives to Tinkercad

By Eric Weinhoffer

Eric Weinhoffer

Eric is a Mechanical Engineer with interests in machining, mass manufacturing, product design and kinetic art. While not building things, he enjoys skiing, cycling, and juggling.

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Creators of Tinkercad announced earlier this week that they would no longer be developing the popular cloud-based CAD tool. We’re fans of Tinkercad here at Make, having written about and praised it on the blog and in our Ultimate Guide to 3D Printing, so this is sad news. The free version is still available to use between now and the end of April, and paying customers will have access until the end of 2013.

Here are a few other free alternatives to TinkerCAD, starting with what I think is the most beginner-friendly and ending with the least beginner-friendly.

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Intellectual Property and the Future of @Home Manufacturing

Intellectual Property and the Future of @Home Manufacturing

By Adam B. Levine

Adam B. Levine

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Like it or not, the ability to pirate physical objects and functional electronics is nearly upon us. In this article we devote some time and space to thinking about that possible future, and what might be done to avoid it. Additive manufacturing makes the entire design process “think it up, design or scan it, create it on-site.” So where does the “research to make sure you’re not conflicting with anyone elses existing intellectual property” step come into play? Before or after you hit the print button?

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The DeltaMaker: Robot Meets 3D Printer

The DeltaMaker: Robot Meets 3D Printer

By Eric Weinhoffer

Eric Weinhoffer

Eric is a Mechanical Engineer with interests in machining, mass manufacturing, product design and kinetic art. While not building things, he enjoys skiing, cycling, and juggling.

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The DeltaMaker, a recent success on Kickstarter, is an elegant 3D printer built on a delta robot platform. Delta robots have been used for picking and packaging applications in factories for decades, thanks to their impressive speed and agility. The DeltaMaker uses MakerSlide aluminum extrusions paired with Delrin v-wheels on bearings to move quicker than normal printers; the Z axis in particular isn’t limited by the low speed of a threaded rod, so it can move just as quickly as the other axes.

I spoke with the company’s mechanical engineer, Zack Monninger to discuss their success on Kickstarter and what’s next.

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Top 3D Services: Part 2

Top 3D Services: Part 2

By Eric Weinhoffer

Eric Weinhoffer

Eric is a Mechanical Engineer with interests in machining, mass manufacturing, product design and kinetic art. While not building things, he enjoys skiing, cycling, and juggling.

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Last week I introduced slicing and CAD software, two key ingredients in a custom 3D Print. This week I’m going to cover the actual use of your machine, how to view and find 3D models, and venture into the still-budding world of DIY 3D scanning. Just like last time, all services listed are free (at least to a certain extent).

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Top 3D Services: Part 1

Top 3D Services: Part 1

By Eric Weinhoffer

Eric Weinhoffer

Eric is a Mechanical Engineer with interests in machining, mass manufacturing, product design and kinetic art. While not building things, he enjoys skiing, cycling, and juggling.

View more articles by Eric Weinhoffer
34

Let’s be honest, 3D CAD (computer aided design) is challenging to learn. Training your brain to manipulate and visualize parts in three dimensions is a learned skill. So where do you start? Thankfully, there’s a multitude of free tools available for everyone to try their hand at 3D design. And many of them don’t even require a download anymore. A simple web app will get you pretty far.

I’ve compiled the best resources I know of for dealing with 3D parts and I will list them here in two parts. This week I’m going to focus on 3D part creation and slicing, the two first steps in printing out a part on a 3D printer. Everything listed is free to use (at least to a certain extent)

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Soluble Support 3D Printing Experiments with HIPS

Soluble Support 3D Printing Experiments with HIPS

By Brian Jepson

Brian Jepson

I'm a tinkerer and finally reached the point where I fix more things than I break. When I'm not tinkering, I'm probably editing a book for Maker Media.

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Check out Matt Stultz’ experiments with HIPS (High Impact Poly Styrene), which can be printed along with ABS and dissolved away with Limonene, letting you make complicated models and parts.

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