3DP Shootout Team: Who are 3D Printers For?
This weekend 21 new 3D printers are showing their stuff in MAKE’s second annual 3D Printer Shootout. So who’s going to buy these things, anyway?
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!
This weekend 21 new 3D printers are showing their stuff in MAKE’s second annual 3D Printer Shootout. So who’s going to buy these things, anyway?
UPS Stores announced Wednesday that it will start offering 3D printing services in a select number of its retail stores, making it the first national U.S. retailer to do so. The first store to offer the service is in San Diego. The company plans to offer the service in a Washington D.C. store next week. There are plans to offer the service at four more stores but those haven’t been determined yet, says Brandon Olson, public relations supervisor for UPS Stores.
Ivan Sentch is 3D-printing a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 on his Solidoodle desktop 3D printer, 4 inches by 4 inches at a time. The Auckland, New Zealand resident is about 72% done printing the body, and he expects to pay a mere $2,000 NZD for the plastic to make the plug — versus the $12k–$15k for a CNC-cut foam plug, which is what is normally used in replica car projects.
MAKE is excited to announce that our second 3D Printing Shootout Weekend will be held this Friday, Aug, 2 through Sunday, Aug. 4. This year the testing is bigger than ever with a team of 15 testers carefully reviewing 21 printers of all makes and models. The results of the testing will be featured in the buying guide section of MAKE’s forthcoming special 3D printing issue available in mid-November.
This gearbox by Ultimaker power user Barnacules consists of a triple planetary gear, 3D-printed with support material that is cut off after the print.
Dublin, Ireland’s second Mini Maker Faire is set for Saturday, July 27. Last year’s event drew 5,500 attendees and 35 maker exhibits. This year’s free event promises to be even bigger with more makers. In particular, there’s been a jump in the number of fabrication makers who will showing off everything from homemade CNC machines to 3D scanning booths.
A beekeeper and a 3D printer were brought together, along with 80,000 bees, to create some astonishing objects as a promo for Dewar’s Highlander Honey called The 3-B Printing Project.