In this series, “Letters from the Fab Academy,” Shawn Wallace, member of AS220, the Providence, RI community arts space, shares his experiences with the Fab Academy, a distributed learning collaborative, built on the infrastructure of the Fab Lab network. — Gareth
3D Scanning
By Shawn Wallace
Victor Freundt prints a project using the ZCorp printer at the Barcelona Fab Lab.
When working with 3D scanning and printing equipment, it quickly becomes apparent that objects are nowhere near as fungible as MP3s. We’ll have to wait a while for the day when every teenager is capable of casually copying real-world objects. However, it is surprisingly easy to hack together a crude 3D scanner from commodity cameras, projectors, and hardware you probably have in a couple of junk drawers in your shop.
A good place to start is with the Modela mini mill, which has a piezo-based needle sensor attachment that can be used for scanning small objects. The machine records the plunge depth at the point it contacts the object and the software that comes with the Modela (Dr. Picza) converts these points into a 3D mesh. Here’s an example of using Dr. Picza to scan a small shell from Benito Juarez from the Barcelona Fab Academy site:
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RepRapper Forrest Higgs designed an interlocking beamed structure that could be 3D printed — thus advancing the RepRap’s stated purpose of someday being able to print new RepRaps. Currently much of the support structure cannot be printed. But what if printable girders could be stacked on top of each other? Higgs’ project may not be the final word but it’s definitely an interesting development. [via The RepRap Blog]
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Cathal Garvey’s proposing a mousetrap design challenge:
I have a problem. There lives in my house a tiny mouse, and as I am friend to all animals I wish him no harm.
The live mousetrap I tried didn’t work: crafty mouse escaped it repeatedly. I also invented a few wacky methods involving pitfalls, narrow bottles full of bloating foods and even tried to suck him out onto a vacuum cleaner head covered with cheesecloth. No avail!
I am offering a bounty for something:
$25 to the first design that catches the mouse. It must:
- Not harm the mouse
- Be printable on a MakerBot
- Work
Mouse get!
MakerBot’s throwing in a free t-shirt if that winning design also appears on Thingiverse under an open license!
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From MAKE magazine:
MAKE Volume 21 is the Desktop Manufacturing issue, with how-to articles on making three-dimensional parts using inexpensive computer-controlled manufacturing equipment. Both additive (RepRap, CandyFab) and subtractive (Lumenlab Micro CNC) systems are covered. Also in this issue: instructions for making a cigar box guitar, building your own CNC for under $800, running a mini electric bike with a cordless drill, making a magic photo cube, and tons more. If you’re a subscriber, you may have your issue in hand already, and can access the Digital Edition. Otherwise, you can pick up MAKE 21 in the Maker Shed or look for it on newsstands near you!
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Recently we featured a lively point-counterpoint post featuring Dale Dougherty and Joel Johnson debating the merits of Chris Anderson’s Atoms are the New Bits article in Wired. Now the Thingiverse blog is weighing in with this thoughtful opinion piece by Allan Ecker titled Atoms are not the New Bits. Yet.. What do you think, readers?
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I like this nifty, 3D printed Arduino case that I saw on Shapeways:
IHeartEngineering says:
This is a modular case for the Arduino Microcontroller. It has been designed to fit 6 across in a 1U Rack with a little room to spare. M3 Screws are suggested and not included. The holes have not been drilled or tapped, so you can use #4-40 screws as well.
You can have one made in a variety of materials with prices starting at $77.71. Now, that seems pretty expensive for a project case, but I imagine it’s much cheaper than having an injection mold made.
I like the rounded corners, in fact I’m jealous of them. Since I tend to make stuff for laser cut construction there are certain unavoidable 90 degree angles. Unless I bust out a router or get crazy with the sandpaper.
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The correct name for the MakerBot 3D printer is the Cupcake CNC, suggesting that all sorts of attachments could be substituted for the usual plastruder — in this case, Andrew “Clothbot” Plumb created an assembly out of some makerbotted connectors and a length of MakerBeam, allowing the mounting of the business end of a Dremel Flex-Shaft. The result? A mini CNC mill slash drill press.
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Michiel Cornelissen is offering a kit which consists of a dozen 3D-printed, five-sided connectors. Add thirty hexagonal pencils and build an icosahedron! Cornelissen describes the kit as building a lampshade but that seems kinda iffy to me — it’s not like it would shade anything. But if you ask me, you never need an excuse to play with icosahedrons. [via the Ponoko blog]
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Sierpinski tetrahedron
By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics
A classic 3D fractal is the Sierpinski tetrahedron, which is a tetrahedron of tetrahedra of tetrahedra, etc. This fifth-order model is about 8.5 inches along its edges. It is made from nylon by selective laser sintering. If you have access to additive fabrication machines, you can make your own copy of it using the STL file available here.
The Sierpinski tetrahedron is so elegant that it has inspired many people to construct it in many materials. Alexander Graham Bell made giant kites with wood frames in this form. I love this geekly romantic photo of him kissing his wife in one.
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Fashion design students Naim Josefi and Souzan Youssouf created the shoes using a technique called selective laser sintering, and displayed them at the Stockholm Fashion Show. [via core77]
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So I don’t want to go too far down the “funny warning signs” rabbit hole (you could get a whole blog out of that, I think), but a commenter on last Tuesday’s “Big Scary Laser” post linked to this design, of hers, to be mounted on robot power tools. I get a huge kick out of the giant menacing robot with the buzz-saw hand. [Thanks, Jennifer Elaan!]
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