Welcome to the (laser-cut) dollhouse

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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April 15th, 2009

Fascinating little piece (no dollhouse puns intended) on the Ponoko blog:

Mass customization and rapid manufacturing are still considered to be in the early stages of popular usage, but there’s at least one hobby that has embraced both from the beginning. Think Victorian architecture, painted lady grilles, miniature side chairs, and tiny four poster beds. For years dollhouses have been literal play grounds for laser-cut design and customization.

After the jump are five companies keeping the dollhouse tradition alive with current manufacturing technologies.

Early Adoption of Mass Customization and Laser Tech–Dollhouses [via Brian Jepson’s Twitter feed]