Recently I've been obsessing over the MakerBot Cupcake CNC by MakerBot Industries. This is a device that you can buy for under $1000 that will print, yes PRINT, 3D objects out of plastic right at your desk. It's an open source project with a huge community that helps improve the design and prepares digital files for making other things, which you can download for free at Thingiverse. Need a new mount for your camera? Maybe a door stop? Want to prototype a toy for your kid? Just download the file, print it up, and you have it in your hands that day.
The MakerBot has been making the rounds and popping up in the news for the last year. I heard about it a month or so ago and this month it was featured in both Make Magazine and Wired! That's a pretty sure way to go mainstream with this DIY project. It sounds like they've even ramped up production, making hundreds of these to ship each month to people like me who can't wait to build them and print things out.
I'll confess that my interest isn't just in 3D printing. I've have limited skills in 3D rendering and even less when it comes to the art of design. My strength, however, is in improving the design. I've already read through their wiki and the forum set up for the MakerBot. What I've learned is that you get better builds if you can modify the printing area so that it warms up. You can also get tighter control on what you build if you include digital magnetic encoders on the motor. I'd even want to put up an LCD display so I could get real-time feedback from the machine. That of course got me thinking about modifying the electronics to work directly with an Arduino Mega. And of course, how about connecting it directly to the internet? The possibilities are endless.
Of course this MakerBot Madness that I've fallen into isn't new. Lots of people currently share this same feeling across the world. I just feel I've got to be a part of it. I'm going to start saving my pennies now. Maybe I can buy a MakerBot in batch 12 or 13. By then I'll have practiced making 3D parts more and have a place prepared to put it.
Keep an eye out here on my blog. I expect some cool things are coming down the pipe and you won't want to miss it!
MakerBot Madness
Recently I've been obsessing over the MakerBot Cupcake CNC by MakerBot Industries. This is a device that you can buy for under $1000 that will print, yes PRINT, 3D objects out of plastic right at your desk. It's an open source project with a huge community that helps improve the design and prepares digital files for making other things, which you can download for free at Thingiverse. Need a new mount for your camera? Maybe a door stop? Want to prototype a toy for your kid? Just download the file, print it up, and you have it in your hands that day.
The MakerBot has been making the rounds and popping up in the news for the last year. I heard about it a month or so ago and this month it was featured in both Make Magazine and Wired! That's a pretty sure way to go mainstream with this DIY project. It sounds like they've even ramped up production, making hundreds of these to ship each month to people like me who can't wait to build them and print things out.
I'll confess that my interest isn't just in 3D printing. I've have limited skills in 3D rendering and even less when it comes to the art of design. My strength, however, is in improving the design. I've already read through their wiki and the forum set up for the MakerBot. What I've learned is that you get better builds if you can modify the printing area so that it warms up. You can also get tighter control on what you build if you include digital magnetic encoders on the motor. I'd even want to put up an LCD display so I could get real-time feedback from the machine. That of course got me thinking about modifying the electronics to work directly with an Arduino Mega. And of course, how about connecting it directly to the internet? The possibilities are endless.
Of course this MakerBot Madness that I've fallen into isn't new. Lots of people currently share this same feeling across the world. I just feel I've got to be a part of it. I'm going to start saving my pennies now. Maybe I can buy a MakerBot in batch 12 or 13. By then I'll have practiced making 3D parts more and have a place prepared to put it.
Keep an eye out here on my blog. I expect some cool things are coming down the pipe and you won't want to miss it!