Printable cross-link ellipse gears
Thiingiverse user natetrue created this printable version of user stickoutrock’s laser-cut cross-linked elliptical gear toy. Somebody post some video, please!
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!
Get started in accurate design with Sketchup
Sketchup is an easy-to-learn program for 3D modeling. While it gives you an easy way to design creatively, it is a bit more challening to design accurately. If you are going to make physical models of your designs, you will need to make them small enough to fit on the tool that will make the part. You can send the 3D models to a number of toos, including the ShopBot, CNC Mill and MakerBot, among others.
If you follow these pretty easy steps, you can get yourself and your students into the habit of designing accurately dimensioned objects. Here is a set of screenshots and a sample file that show the steps of this process.
Fab-your-own Lego
Check out the work of Ottawa maker Andrew Plumb. A few months ago, he created the .stl of a four-stud disk, uploaded it to Thingiverse, prototyped it on his Makerbot and then sent it off to fabbing service Shapeways to be output in plastic as well as bronze-infused steel. In more recent experiment, Plumb used […]
Full color 3D printing
I just found out that Shapeways is offering full color 3D printing using a Zcorp 650 3D printer. This isn’t painted, but rather embedded in the materials (there are binder, powder and five inkjet color cartridges used at print time).
Cool brain gear doodad
According to Thingiverse user mappum, who recently published an STL version of a similar gizmo these beautiful do-nothings are printed to test commercial rapid prototyping machines.
Printable chess set
This fun chess set ostensibly can be printed by a 3D printer, though there seem to be a lot of overhangs to me. Nevertheless it’s a fun idea. Basically, creator laird designed each piece to display what moves it can make in order to “make Chess approachable for kids.” The king has the tallest ‘body’ […]
Dremelfuge is a 3D printable centrifuge
Cathal Garvey in Cork, Ireland, developed this 3D printable centrifuge attachment for a rotary tool, dubbing it the “Dremelfuge.” What an awesome alternative to an expensive piece of lab equipment, congrats on paving the way for DIY science! If you don’t have access to a 3D printer to print your own, he’s made it available […]
