Bitey Doorbell Piranha
What are you waiting for? Ring it already. From Thingiverse user Alekseev_D.
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!
Printable Robot Spider
Enviably agile and purposeful, the mobile robot makes its way through grounds rendered off-limits to humans as the result of a chemical accident. Depressions, ruts and other obstacles are no match for this eight-legged high-tech journeyman. Its mission: with a camera and measurement equipment on board, it will provide emergency responders with an image of […]
Crank Your Panavise in Turbo Mode
We’ve previously covered a popular mod to the Panavise Jr., which makes it easier to quickly open and close the tool. Even the people at Panavise liked the idea so much that they started manufacturing it. Chris from The New Hobbyist has taken this mod to “a whole ‘nother” level with his 3D printed drill bit which allows him to use the speed of his drill to open an close the vise. Getting the design right on his so-called “Panavise Jr. Speed Winder” took six revisions, but his persistence paid off and now Chris is sharing his design with us slow-winding folks. Thank you, sir!
Math Monday: Catenary Arch Toy
Here is a seven-piece arch in the shape of a catenary, similar to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. If you have access to a 3D printer, you can make the pieces using the files available here.
Zero to Maker: Adventures in 3D Scanning
Then, SNAP! Andrew and I both jumped as all of the cameras shuttered simultaneously. That was it: quick and painless. I took my turn in the chair, and remained unphased as the simul-shutter snapped my photo….later that night, I had a 3D model of my head swirling around on my iPhone screen.
Plywood Living Hinge Design for Laser Cutters
Another cool technique for your bag of CNC panel-cutting tricks. The booklets and photos shown here are from the Dutch firm Snijlab lasersnijden (which, obviously, translates as “Snijlab Laser Ninjas”). The method is kind of like kerf-bending, but the cuts go all the way through the substrate.
Can DigiFab and Manual Craftsmanship Co-Exist?
Among MAKE readers, we’re nearly unanimous in agreeing that the rise of digital fabrication is a complete game-changer for crafters, hackers, and tinkerers of all stripes. Laser cutters, CNC mills, and 3D printers have altered the way we think about design, and raised the bar for quality and precision in our work. I’m a passionate adopter of these technologies, but am also wary of the cultural shift they represent as they become more ubiquitous.
