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!
Join me and fellow Make: Online contributor Sean Ragan this Friday for some LIVE 3D printing action using my MakerBot CupCake CNC machine. This will coincide with a Make: Projects 3D modeling tutorial using OpenSCAD, and will give you a chance to ask us questions about the models, the machine, and see it BZZTREEAAOOWWWing live […]
My first print! OK, this really isn’t my first print, it’s actually my second print. Not bad, huh? My first print was a “raft” that didn’t stick. I did a little research online and found that my temperature was probably too cold. I increased the temperature by about 15 Degrees C and it worked perfectly […]
Lets jump right in here. We’re getting close to the end! Start by attaching the motherboard and stepper driver boards to the right side of the CupCake CNC. Make sure to use the included plastic spacers to keep the electronics away from the wood. Now you can connect the four-pin Molex connectors from the power […]
Building the Plastruder isn’t too difficult, but it does take about two hours. I’m highlighting the general build process. You are going to want to follow the official directions carefully, double-checking everything. It’s not hard to build, but having a short, or other problem, can lead to disastrous results. I like how MakerBot Industries describes […]
Next up, is building and installing the Z stage. This is one of the easiest parts of the build. Start by attaching the wooded brackets to the Z stage. There are (4) “U” shaped brackets. The shape allows you to remove the entire Z stage easily for maintenance or part replacement. Also, it makes adjusting […]
It’s been a while since I last posted about my CupCake CNC build. OK, it’s been a really long time! Well I’m back on it, and I’m not stopping till it’s done. The good news is, we are on the home stretch. So let’s get back into the build by installing the X and Y […]
Wow, the holidays (and their aftermath) can really put the brakes on project building! But they’re over, and it’s time to get back to building my CupCake CNC. Next up, building the X stage. It’s another really easy part to the build, and it should only take about an hour or two to complete. My assembly is undergoing a little final QC in the picture above. Fortunately, it passed with flying colors.
