Ten tutorials on digital fabrication January 17

Best of the blog 2011 – Tutorials

Knowledge-sharing is central to the open design and distributed manufacturing movements. Here are ten of the best tutorials from 2011: 3D printing and laser-cutting techniques, online resources, and software help.

1. Guide to optimising lines for laser cutting


David halves his lasercutting cost with a few simple line optimising techniques.

2. 3D print for low volume silicone molding


Here’s another great tutorial from David; this one demonstrating techniques for making silicone molds.

3. 3D modelling software


A comprehensive overview of a wide range of 3D modelling software packages.

4. Previewing your Ponoko 3D designs


You can get a 3D preview of your finished product when you upload a design file to your Personal Factory.

5. Online 3D mechanical resources


A handful of mechanical parts manufacturers now have their CAD catalogs online for you to tinker with.

6. Build a 3D printer at home (really)


If you’ve ever wanted to build your own stereolithographic UV-cured resin 3D printer, this Instructable has you covered!

7. Comic-style introduction to Arduino


This is a very nice introduction to working with everyone’s favourite microcontroller environment.

8. How to design a laser-cut project box


Here’s one I wrote: this is the technique I use for laser-cutting my project boxes, along with this follow-up tutorial on finishing.

9. A precise fit with ponoko


This is a great Instructable explaining how to work with Inkscape and Ponoko to get very precisely fitting parts.

10. Using repeat patterns for laser etching


Finally, here’s a nice one from Josh about laser-etching textures with Ponoko.

Posted in 3D Printing Tutorial, Laser Cutting Tutorial, Rich Decibels, Tutorials + Making Help, Various How-To by Rich Decibels | Comments are off for this post

Related posts:

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  3. Build a 3D printer at home (really)
  4. 10 excellent tips & tutorials on 3D printing

2 Responses to “Ten tutorials on digital fabrication”

  1. Matt F Says:
    January 17th, 2012 at 9:13 am

    Awesome summary. I’ve used some of these guides like the laser cutting optimization, and I’ve been looking for the 3d printing mechanical resources. Thanks!

  2. fabricación personal | Pearltrees Says:
    January 24th, 2012 at 12:15 am

    [...] Ten tutorials on digital fabrication « Ponoko – Blog You can get a 3D preview of your finished product when you upload a design file to your Personal Factory. [...]