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!
Present Obama mentioned 3D printing in the State of the Union address on Tuesday night, announcing the launch of three manufacturing hubs that will focus on additive manufacturing. He suggested that congress creates “a network of 15 of these hubs” to ensure that the focus is on making America “a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing”. The creation of these hubs will surely bring new, high-tech job opportunities with them.
In preparation for the Maker Faire each season, the editors of MAKE have been divying up topical beats so we can cover more area. I’ve been covering the 3D printing beat, and thought I’d share some of the trends and technologies I’m seeing going into Maker Faire. Putting aside the IP, social, and political discussions […]
Crayon Creatures is a delightful service that takes advantage of Shapeways’ full color sandstone 3d printing technology to turn your child’s drawings into actual objects. Just check out the giraffified Llama (above), or visit their shop for other examples like the classic Hamster in a Speedboat.
A look at Matthew Borgatti’s recent “Print Your Own Robot: Part 7” which shows a working 3D-printed tentacle-bot in action!
Seventeen-year-old Easton LaChappelle has created a 3D printed robotic prosthetic arm controlled by brainwaves that he hopes will bring an affordable, functional artificial limb to the masses. Oh, and Heineken wants 5,000 arms for serving beer.
For months, controversy has been building around 24-year-old Austinite Cody Wilson, full-time law student and part-time director of Defense Distributed, a non-profit working to develop and freely distribute designs for working 3D-printable firearms. Even before Sandy Hook, their “WikiWeapon” project was controversial, placing the group squarely at the intersection of emerging debates over the uses and abuses of both crowdfunding and 3D printing. After the tragedy, that controversy assumed a sudden, violent urgency on the national stage, and Wilson became an even hotter media commodity. He receives death threats and strangers recognize him on the street. When I catch up to him, on Jan. 16, President Obama has just unveiled the most sweeping package of gun-control proposals the U.S. has seen in decades.
Printrbot founder Brook Drumm built the first 3D printer kit he purchased (the MakerBot Cupcake) with the help of his two daughters and his son, intentionally involving them in the process. His kids have grown up with 3D printers being common tools in their household. Here he shares with us his insights on how 3D […]
