Portable wooden CNC machine
Nick Santillan wrote in to share his collapsible wooden 3-axis CNC machine. He decided to make the machine portable because he didn’t have a permanent space to use, and needed to be able to move it easily.
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!
MAKE On Detroit Area Newsstand
Here’s the new issue of MAKE on the newsstand at Barnes and Noble in Dearborn, MI. It’s always a delight for me to find it and see MAKE next to other magazines. MAKE is like a little brother who somehow gets attention by being a bit different. At this newsstand, the computers and business categories […]
3D Fabbing State of the Art
3D printing and desktop manufacturing innovators tell us what’s currently on their radars.
The Revolution Will Be Squirted
An inside look at MakerBot Industries.
Shelter 2.0: Distributed manufacturing for emergencies
Bill writes in to tell about Shelter 2.0, a fabbed structure system that aims to leverage distributed manufacturing and shipping to provide durable emergency structures to situations of need.
The Shelter 2.0 was designed by Robert Bridges as a CNC-cut emergency shelter in the Guggenheim/Sketchup contest in 2009. The idea was that it would be partway between a tent and a real house and could be dis-assembled and re-assembled using some interesting CNC-cut joinery to make it easy.
Milled blocks designed in Sketchup
Recently, I had a class of 7th graders designing in Sketchup. One of the projects is to accurately design a block of 2″ x 2″ x 1.25″. These designs were then converted to G code with Millwizard by an 11th grader who then milled them in the high school across the street on a Taig Micromill. This was a fun project that helped illustrate the concepts and processes of separating the design from the manufacture of objects.
The way it worked out was that the middle schoolers would make some designs, and share them with the high schooler. If the files were designed correctly, proper size, no overhangs, then they would be converted to code and milled. He was able to process 4 files in one class period by cutting in 2 inch insulating foam. Then, the next time I met with the 7th graders, I gave them the blocks they designed.
Letters from the Fab Academy, Part 1
As part of our coverage of 3D printing, laser-cutting, CNC routing, and other forms of desktop fabbing — to coincide with the new “Your Desktop Factory” issue of MAKE — we’re thrilled to welcome guest contributor Shawn Wallace. Shawn is a member of AS220, the Providence, Rhode Island community arts space. From there, he weekly […]