
3D PRINTING
Articles about 3D Printing, also called additive manufacturing. 3d printing builds a three-dimensional object from a computer-aided design model, usually layer by layer. 3D Printer Basics


Are 3D Printers the Ultimate Scale Modeler’s Tool?
Recently updated on March 8th, 2023 at 03:08 pmIn my youth I spent hours building precision scale models of various military fighting vehicles from kits made by Tamiya. They were intricately detailed and I would do everything I could to make them look...
Rapid Prototyping With ProtoLabs
Recently updated on May 17th, 2023 at 01:08 pmProtoLabs bills itself as the “Fastest Provider of CNC Machined and Injection Molded Parts.” They were founded in 1999 by Larry Lukis, a successful computer entrepreneur who was dissatisfied with how hard...
GE Angel’s Trumpet: The Toy You Wish You Had in Your Shop
3D Printing? Yeah, so what. I’ve seen lots of 3D printers. They’re inaccurate as heck, they only produce plastic, and it takes more sanding and bondo than my mother-in-law’s crashed Vista Cruiser station wagon to get a part to look...
Demystifying CAD File Formats
Recently updated on August 30th, 2023 at 12:15 pmCAD File Formats can be a confusing mess when you’re just starting out. There are so many questions that come up: – What’s the best format to use for exchanging information between...
3D Printing for RC Plane Modelers and Drone Builders
I was an avid model builder in my youth, and carried it forward into adulthood when I was much younger by building RC (Radio Controlled) Planes. My biggest problem was that the planes took a long time to build relative to the length of time I could fly one before...
The Secret of Quick CNC Christmas Ornaments from Clip Art
Recently updated on March 16th, 2023 at 03:05 pmA great deal of CNC involves precisely dimensioned drawings and 3D models from CAD software. But sometimes you want to create something where precision isn’t the point. Sometimes you want to make...
Secrets of Going From CAD, Image, DXF, or STL to GCode for CNC and 3D Printing
When you’re starting out with CNC or 3D Printing, the first thing you’ll want to get your arms around is creating some sort of model, drawing, or representation of your part. Most of the time this is a function of a CAD program, but not always. You may...
A Bargain From Autodesk I Couldn't Resist
Recently updated on October 2nd, 2017 at 11:39 amI need another CAD program like a hole in the head. Currently I use Rhino3D and SolidWorks, and I’m very happy with them. Rhino3D is my goto program for quick and dirty one-offs and weird shapes like rifle...
Who Else Wants to Be a Superhero?
Recently updated on March 21st, 2023 at 04:31 pmIt’s Halloween this week, so what better time to write about this crazy hobby known as “Cosplay?” Wikipedia says, “Cosplay is short for costume play, and is a performance art in which participants...
The Ultimate Tony Start Inspired Workshop, Part 5
This is part 5 of our Ultimate Tony Stark Inspired Workshop Series. In this installment, we’ll be taking a look at what sort of 3D Printers a workshop like this might include. There are a number of different 3D Printing technologies available, and no one...