3Doodler: The Worlds First 3D Printing Pen by WobbleWorks LLC. — Kickstarter.
Category: 3D Printing
I think we all know where this ends.
An almost-ridiculously thorough list of available 3D printers from Engadget. It’s amazing how many of these are on the market now.
There are a surprising number of companies and organizations currently invested in the space, be it through pre-fabricated models, kits or open-source, downloadable plans. We pulled together a list of some of the most prominent, which you can check out after the break.
via The shape of things to come: A consumer's guide to 3D printers.
The next stage up from 3D printing for quick manufacturing…fast and low-limit injection molding is available.
Some great news from Makerbot Industries today at CES 2013. Everyone’s favorite 3D printing company had three big announcements earlier today,and I was lucky enough to get to speak with Bre Pettis again (video on the way).
First up was the new hardware, the Makerbot Replicator 2X. An updated version of the Makerbot Replicator 2 that was announced late in 2012, now optimized for ABS plastic printing with an enclosed build area, heated build plate, dual extrusion, and a newly-redesigned build plate that Makerbot promises is thicker, flatter, and easier to maintain than ever. The original Replicator 2 was optimized for PLA plastic, a much more forgiving and easier to work with material. But serious hobbyists were really disappointed in the lack of ABS support, and it looks like the 2X is Makerbot’s answer. It’s coming out of the gate at $2799, available to order now.
The second announcement was an update to their new printing software, Makerware. The update will include support for dual extrusion in the layout process, enabling users to place multiple objects on the virtual build plate and choose the color for each on the fly.
The third announcement is one of the most interesting for libraries, I think. Makerbot’s online resource for printable objects, Thingiverse, has been updated to include an API. The Thingiverse API comes complete with a demo app, the Makerbot Customizer, a webapp that allows for easy, on the fly, in the browser altering of existing 3D objects. Very exciting stuff can be done with this moving forward, and I’m really interested to see how it might be used.
DEFCAD
Well, this didn’t take very long.
Welcome to DEFCAD, operated by Defense Distributed. This site is a makeshift response to Makerbot Industries’ decision to censor files uploaded in good faith at Thingiverse, specifically firearms-related files. We are hosting as many of the pulled files as we can find.
via DEFCAD.
In the wake of one of worst shooting incidents in American history, the 3D-printing firm Makerbot has deleted a collection of blueprints for gun components from Thingiverse, its popular user-generated content website that hosts 3D-printable files. Though Thingiverse has long banned designs for weapons and their components in its terms of service, it rarely enforced the rule until the last few days, when the company’s lawyer sent notices to users that their software models for gun parts were being purged from the site.
via 3D-Printing Firm Makerbot Cracks Down On Printable Gun Designs – Forbes.
3D printing with paper
via Make magazine
Here’s a really interesting new take on 3D printing that uses standard copy paper as its medium, cutting and shaping as it builds layer by layer. Obvious difficulties and advantages to this process, but one of the most interesting is featured in the second video…with the addition of some ink, you can easily do fully-color output.
But now, what’s being called the world’s first 3D printing photo booth is set to open for a limited time at the exhibition space EYE OF GYRE in Harajuku. From November 24 to January 14, 2013, people with reservations can go and have their portraits taken. Except, instead of a photograph, you’ll receive miniature replicas of yourselves.
via World’s First 3D Printing Photo Booth to Open in Japan | Spoon & Tamago.