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!

My favorite laser-cutter offering 3D printer parts kit deal

My favorite laser-cutter offering 3D printer parts kit deal

I’ve been hiring Angus Hines of Carrolton, VA, for a couple of months now for all my contract laser-cutting, and I can’t say enough good things about him. But, heck, I’ve never met him, so let’s focus on the empirical: Angus consistently quotes me about half what the big-laser cutters want to charge on the same jobs. (Hopefully he knows that, and I haven’t just shot myself in the foot by pointing it out.) Seriously, Angus himself says, “one of my goals is to help bring the price of DIY tech down to a more reasonable level.”

Now Angus is offering a kit of all the acrylic parts for the open-source Fab@Home Model 2 3D printer at about 75% of what the Fab@Home preferred vendors are charging. [Thanks, Angus!]

Continue Reading Sean Michael Ragan

MakerBots at Cambridge Mini Maker Faire

At the Cambridge Mini Maker Faire, we had a whole mess of Makerbots. People were very curious about all the plastic being extruded and had lots of questions of the hardy Makerbotters. I had a chance (since I was in the next booth over) to ask a few questions of my own.

Want to know more about the Makerbot? Get your hands on a copy of MAKE, Volume 21. The Makerbot site is full of good info, and you can see and share lots of designs for parts that can be made over at Thingiverse.

Continue Reading Chris Connors
Computer-assisted ice construction

Computer-assisted ice construction

Scholars from Québec’s McGill University converted a FAB@HOME 3D printer to output in ice. Currently, the practical applications of this project include commercial and industrial part modeling, and construction for the ice-tourism industry. For instance, small-scale ice models represent economical alternatives to intricate 3D models of architectural objects, be they scale models of buildings, site […]

Continue Reading John Baichtal2
Bottle opener ring for bartenders

Bottle opener ring for bartenders

Dustin Wallace, whose Oriboto Robotagami I am always raving about, also makes this wicked-looking wearable bottle opener intended for beverage-slangin’ professionals. You can wear it on the top or bottom of your palm. It’s good-looking, provides plenty of leverage, and seems like it might come in handy when the guys in black cowboy hats start smashing bottles over people’s heads.

Continue Reading Sean Michael Ragan2
MAKE/MakerBot giveaway update

MAKE/MakerBot giveaway update

We’re racking up the entries for the MAKE/MakerBot CupCake CNC kit giveaway! Design a 3D object and put it on Thingiverse for a chance to win your own 3D printer! Bre’s been tagging Thingiverse things with “makeentry” (169 so far) to organize them on their end, but you can also see all the entries so […]

Continue Reading Becky Stern
Makerbot heated conveyor belt

Makerbot heated conveyor belt

Charles Pax of NYC Resistor is working on a neat project, a heated conveyor belt allowing you to print multiple objects without having to manually remove each output — the conveyor rolls the items off into a hopper as it’s completed, while still packing the same benefits as the heated build platform. The secret is […]

Continue Reading John Baichtal2