Digital fabrication tools have revolutionized the way designers, engineers, and artisans express their creativity. With the right resources, you can learn to use these powerful instruments in no time! Whether it’s 3D printing or laser cutting that interests you, these articles will provide useful tutorials and inspiration for makers of all levels. Discover how digital fabrication can open up new possibilities so that your craftsmanship is truly extraordinary!
The MakerBot Replicator 2X is now available in the Maker Shed! This model is optimized for ABS printing and has two extruders, opening up a host of printing possibilities. In addition to printing two colors, you can use one extruder to print a support structure for the other, or print two small objects at the same time.
MAKE publisher Dale Dougherty looks at the current state of the 3D printing industry and asks: “How soon do you think we’ll get to one million printers and what will drive those sales?”
Imagine being about to 3D print customized characters, enemies, and props from your favorite computer games. That’s the idea behind Sandboxr.
Creators of Tinkercad announced earlier this week that they would no longer be developing the popular cloud-based CAD tool. We’re fans of Tinkercad here at Make, having written about and praised it on the blog and in our Ultimate Guide to 3D Printing, so this is sad news. The free version is still available to use between now and the end of April, and paying customers will have access until the end of 2013.
Here are a few other free alternatives to TinkerCAD, starting with what I think is the most beginner-friendly and ending with the least beginner-friendly.
Tinkercad, an extremely popular web-based 3D modeling tool, announced it will discontinue development and shut down. The company will shift its energies into a new 3D modeling environment and hardware service called Airstone.
Arthur Sacek‘s lathe works on floral foam. A project he has been working on since 2005, Arthur recently rebuilt the lathe using the still-robust RCX microcontroller brick, the precursor to the soon-to-be-replaced NXT brick. [via The NXT Step]
3D printers have exploded in popularity with promises of reinventing everything from manufacturing to entrepreneurship. While 3D printing has a few detractors and people who point out that it won’t live up to the hype, I believe 3D printing will actually do more than reinvent the way we design and build things. Ultimately, I believe it will dramatically improve lives in 3rd world countries by empowering everyone to improve their own lives.
