- filed in technology on 22. August 2008
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3D rapid prototyping the easy way
A recent interest in 3D have made my eyes open to a whole new world of DIY projects. From the scary thought of a DIY 3D printer that has the ability to replicate, costing about 400 USD to make yourself. To a commercial 3D desktop solution costing 4995 USD, that could make the rapid prototyping available to every design studio or school.
But the RepRap DIY solution is still a bit crude and not for everyone to build, and the desktop model from Desktop Factory is not available yet. So in the meantime, i’ve found this brilliant solution:
- Create your “watertight” 3D model in your favorite 3D software (The free open source Blender works just fine.)
- Upload it to Shapeways website.
- Choose material, calculate cost and hit order.
- 10 days later you receive your 3D printed model in the mail.
There are of course a few buts ... You have to follow the rules of creating a model for printing, which are a bit different than creating 3D stuff for simple rendering. But the site has an excellent guide on doing this, and helper software for you to download.
Another but: It’s expensive, you pay around 2.5 USD per cm 3 of plastic. The price varies with your choise of material.
But all in all a GREAT service if you want to see that precious 3D model of your newest industrial design idea or just want a print of your favorite 3D creature creation :)
