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!
Here’s a set of chassis parts for a line-following robot, made on a RepRap machine, by a member of the IEEE Robotic Club at Rutgers. The mechanical and electronics parts were part of a kit everybody got. This builder created this RepRap body to go with his kit. RepRapBot Mrk II Chassis for Line Following […]
This beehive bracelet was modeled using OpenSCAD, a tool I’m looking forward to exploring! It was made by Thingiverse user Catarina; she printed it on her MakerBot. Stylish!
For 40 years, Michael Chesko has been mapping the country of his dreams.
Santa’s got the coolest tools. How else could he and his elves build all those gifts in time? Now, thanks to custom fabrication services, we can all get access to the Santa Claus Machines. From bespoke action figures, to interplanetary terrain models, from one-of-a-kind sneakers, to tailor-made machine parts, there has never been a better time to harness advanced fabrication tools to build objects of your own design!
Electron Beam Free-Form Fabrication (EBF3) is a rapid prototyping technology developed by Karen Taminger of NASA’s Langley Research Center. Dr. Taminger is prone to market EBF3 by analogy to Star Trek style “replicator” technology, which is nothing but shameless hype. Still, the basic idea is an interesting twist on extrusion-based 3D printing technologies (although there’s not really any “extrusion” going on), and is under development with an eye towards space-based fabrication. Working in outer space would eliminate the system’s major ground-based shortcoming, which is the requirement for maintaining a vacuum or inert atmosphere to prevent oxidation of the weld.
It’s been a while since my last build entry, mostly because the finish takes a few days to apply, and yet another few days to fully cure. I’m just happy it’s done! I want to start building…and printing!
I planned on writing an entry about burning bootloaders & updating the firmware, but I just realized my kit comes all ready to go! Yea! If you are making you own boards from scratch, or purchased a non-assembled kit, check out these detailed instructions on burning bootloaders and updating firmware before going any further.
