3D Printing & Imaging

If you’re a maker, 3d printing is an incredibly useful tool to have in your arsenal. Not only can it help bring your projects to life faster, but it can also offer unique results that would be difficult (or impossible!) to achieve with traditional methods. In these blog posts, we’ll provide you with some essential information and tips regarding 3D printing for makers—including the basics of how to get started, plus creative tutorials for spicing up your projects. Whether you’re already familiar with 3d printing or are just starting out, these resources will help take your game-making skills even further!

Linear actuators without shafting

Linear actuators without shafting

A major obstacle standing in the way of total self-replication by rapid prototyping machines, notably RepRap, is that certain of the components, particularly ground shafting (or threaded rod) for the Cartesian robot’s linear actuators, require greater precision than the machines are currently capable of. Thingiverse user fdavies is engaged in a noble effort to design printable linear actuators that require no shafting and are instead based on the hinged Sarrus linkage (Wikipedia). Excelsior!

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Pepakura-cast Halo helmet

YouTuber utubewarrenj is part of a community of cosplayers that are using a pretty amazing low-tech process to go from digital models to relatively accurate, durable real-world objects. Basically, they print out, fold up, and tape together elaborate paper models (for an idea of how much work this is, check out this video by SeamusRocks99), then fiberglass over and/or cast liquid polymer resin into them to produce durable full-size artifacts, which is what he’s showing here.

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3D printable business card case

If you’re going to give out delicate custom business cards that were made using the aid of some fancy machine, you’d better have the geek cred and 3D printed business card holder to back them up. More: Adafruit’s business card makes art! 3D printed business card holder (another one) PCB business cards Business card caliper

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