Sleek and rugged
Panda Robotics, a 3D printer company based in Toronto & Seattle, is preparing to launch their new PandaBot on Kickstarter. The PandaBot is a rugged, consumer-oriented 3D printer that aims to fit in on anyone’s desk.
I had a chance to see a PandaBot prototype in action at a Ladies Learning Code event back in July. It made quite an impression! The sturdy metal frame really sets it apart from hobbyist gear, which traditionally has either a laser-cut wood chassis, or tent poles of threaded rods.
That’s not to say that I dislike the hobbyist look (in fact I love it!)… But if desktop 3D printing is going to be adopted more widely, it has to appeal to more than just the hacker aesthetic.
If Panda Robotics can get the software workflow right, the PandaBot might be just the device to get more people turning their ideas into physical objects.
The official website is short on tech specs for now, but there’s a mailing list that interested people can sign up for right on the front page: http://www.pandarobotics.com
Derek Quenneville is a 3D printing evangelist who posts weekly on the Ponoko blog. Follow him on Twitter @techknight.
Posted in 3D Printing, Derek Quenneville by Derek Quenneville | Comments are off for this post
Make your own stuff using: 3D Printing
-
-
-
-
Extra hold for extra hold
Thingiverse user phineasjw had problems with his 3D prints not fully sticking to his MakerBot’s build platform. Then he noticed a can of hairspray…
This is such an offbeat solution to a common hobbyist 3D printing problem that I just had to write about it. Making sure that the first layer of a print sticks to the platform is key to producing a high-quality object. If it doesn’t stick right, the edges can warp, or the entire object can come loose before the print is complete.
With that in mind, phineasjw’s solution was to spray a light mist of Aqua Net Extra Super Hold over his build platform’s kapton tape. Since doing so, he and other brave Thingiverse users say that they’ve had excellent results with their prints!
The full details are here, including templates for creating a cardboard mask to protect other components during hairspray application: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:28787
Derek Quenneville is a 3D printing evangelist who posts weekly on the Ponoko blog. Follow him on Twitter @techknight.
Posted in 3D Printing, Derek Quenneville by Derek Quenneville | Comments are off for this post
Make your own stuff using: 3D Printing
-
-
-
-
Custom pendants, printed in silver
The creator of Entoforms and ShapeWright (covered here and here, respectively) is at it again with a new web-based 3D model creator.
It’s a web app for designing pendants called The Variable Cross. Dolf Veenvliet (aka macouno) emailed me about it yesterday: (more…)
Posted in 3D Printing, Derek Quenneville by Derek Quenneville | Comments are off for this post
Make your own stuff using: 3D Printing
-
-
-
-
Epoxy’d, sanded, painted
After writing about David Hirmes’ Boolean Buddhas a few weeks ago, I was inspired to try painting one of my own 3D prints.
I decided to work on a print of Artec’s laser-scanned Sappho’s Head. It’s a model I’ve printed a few times before, usually with silver ABS: (more…)
Posted in 3D Printing, Derek Quenneville by Derek Quenneville | Comments are off for this post
Make your own stuff using: 3D Printing
-
-
-
-
Getting an early start on digital fabrication and more
On Wednesday, I stopped by Maker Kids here in Toronto to give a short talk about 3D printing, and to check out the space.
Started in 2010, Maker Kids is a small makerspace packed full of work tables and tools. Kids learn a variety of skills including electronics, programming, sewing, woodworking, and more.
For the summer camp program, participants work on a series of hands-on projects such as the awesomely-named Robot Knife Fight: (more…)
Posted in 3D Printing, Derek Quenneville by Derek Quenneville | Comments are off for this post
Make your own stuff using: 3D Printing
-
-
-
-
Your innards on the outside
A popular story in the last day or so has been news of a company called Fasotec that proposes to use medical scans of your unborn fetus to create a unique, 3D printed gift:
From what I can tell, the service hasn’t started yet, and will only be taking place at one clinic in Japan, but I think it’s important to make the availability of your own scans a normal thing. (Even if some might consider this specific service to be a bit creepy.) (more…)
Posted in 3D Printing, Derek Quenneville by Derek Quenneville | Comments are off for this post
Make your own stuff using: 3D Printing
-
-
-
-
Beautiful beaming Boolean Buddhas
In hobbyist 3D printing, the attractiveness of a print is greatly influenced by how much attention is paid to the characteristics of the output device. In my post last week, I wrote about jewelry designs that were iterated on until desirable surface patterns were produced.
In a similar vein, David Hirmes‘ new Boolean Buddhas collection is made beautiful not just by taking advantage of the characteristics of ABS plastic, but also simple finishing techniques.
I’ve written about some options for finishing a 3D print before, such as painting, sanding, and epoxying. Hirmes takes the painting option further by contrasting gold-painted surfaces with stark, natural ABS plastic, such as in the Buddha Bowl: (more…)
Posted in 3D Printing, Derek Quenneville by Derek Quenneville | Comments are off for this post
Make your own stuff using: 3D Printing
-
-
-
-
Procedurally generated and finely-tuned
Hot Pop Factory is a new 3D printed jewelry company started by architects Matt Compeau and Bi-Ying Miao. (Disclosure: they are also colleagues of mine at Site 3!)
What I love about their designs is that they’re tuned specifically for the 3D printer that they’re made on. Matt and Bi-Ying started with procedural designs in Rhino and Grasshopper, and then iterated over and over until they found the exact grain pattern that they wanted: (more…)
Posted in 3D Printing, Derek Quenneville, Jewellery by Derek Quenneville | Comments are off for this post
Make your own stuff using: 3D Printing
-
-
-
-
Fund your world-changing idea with $100,000
The 3D4D Challenge, a campaign to help the developing world and educate relevant social organizations, is closing to entries soon. Applicants have until July 31st, 2012 to submit their ideas on how to bring about positive change using 3D printing.
The idea behind the challenge is to attract the best options, mentor applicants on possible social implications, and finally hold a pitch session to select the winner.
That winner will receive $100,000 in funding that must be used to implement the selected plan.
This video explains: (more…)
Posted in 3D Printing, Derek Quenneville by Derek Quenneville | Comments are off for this post
Make your own stuff using: 3D Printing
-
-
-
-
Quick viewing without installing software
Processing a model for 3D printing on a hobbyist device does not always go smoothly. There are a variety of toolchains, each with their own quirks. Sometimes it’s necessary to double-check the final GCode output before sending it off to the printer.
The most popular tool for doing so is Pleasant3D for the Mac. Unfortunately, even though cross-platform tools do exist, there hasn’t been one with a similar ease of use. That’s where Joe Walnes’ web-based GCode viewer comes in. (more…)
Posted in 3D Printing, Derek Quenneville by Derek Quenneville | Comments are off for this post
Make your own stuff using: 3D Printing
-
-
-
-
RSS Feed
follow
like
see
watch
Submit
