How to Get Started with 3D Printing (Without Spending a Fortune)

VIDEO INDEX SKILLET TWO CENTS VITALS APP DIRECTORY GEAR How to Get Started with 3D Printing (Without Spending a Fortune) Alan Henry 9/18/13 8:00amFiled to: 3D PRINTING 277.3K 61 21 If you've heard the hype around 3D printing, you may think that we're in for a new boom in high-tech manufacturing, or that Star Trek-style replicators are on their way to becoming real any day now. Well, a lot of that is true, but what exactly is 3D printing, and how can you—without a million dollars—use it right now? Here's what you need to know. 3D printers aren't out of reach. Sure, if you want one at home, you're looking at spending between $500 to $2000 and up, depending on the features you want. But if you don't want to buy one, your local hackerspace likely has a 3D printer for use by paying members (membership fees vary, but $50-$100/mo is common). In some places, you can even find them at community colleges, vocational schools, or your local library. Before we get into where you can play with one, let's step back and look at what 3D printing is, exactly, and what you can use it for today. What Is 3D Printing? Simply, 3D printing is a method of creating a solid physical object from a digital 3D model. The reason it's called 3D "printing" is because the assembly process is similar to way you would print ink on paper. Most popular 3D printers are "extrusion printers," (meaning they spray their material out of maneuverable nozzles) where base material—usually thermoplastic filament—are laid down in layers that eventually create the finished product. 3D printing is an "additive" process, which means that the object is created by adding layers from bottom up, with each layer being printed on top of the last one over and over until the job is done. 3D printing has actually been around for a long time, mostly in industrial settings. Like any technology though, the hardware got smaller and cheaper and the software required got easier to use over time. We even have a Lifehacker Night School on 3D modeling. 3D printers—while still expensive—are cheaper than they've ever been, and work with a variety of 3D modeling programs. They've become extremely popular for people who want to make their own custom products and parts, like the DIY and maker communities. Intro to 3D Modeling: The Complete Guide We spent last week learning about the basics of 3D modeling using an application called Rhino 3D.… Read more Are 3D Printers Useful to Ordinary People Yet? What Can I Do With One? 3D printers are definitely useful for ordinary people, but the question is really whether ordinary people see a use for them yet. They can be imposing appliances, but that's changing. For example, the Zeus "all-in-one" 3D printer and copier, currently past its funding goal on Kickstarter, aims to make copying physical items and printing them so easy anyone can do it, without even having to model the original object first. It's a few years out, but before long 3D printing will be a ubiquitous technology, one everyone has access to. Still, whether it's useful to the average person right now depends on a basic question: Are you a DIY'er, hacker, or maker? If you're the DIY type, there's no question: they're useful. You can get involved now by buying your own printer or using one available to the public (more on that later.) From there, the sky's the limit. You can print your own objects, components for bigger projects, or even print complex, moving objects. For example, try printing a custom mount for your webcam, or print out broken appliance parts to get more mileage from your expensive equipment. You can even print your own smartphone case to your exacting specifications. Use a Cheap IKEA Lamp to Build an Affordable Desktop Camera Jig If you spend any time on video at your desk, either video chatting with friends or recording work… Read more If you can model it, you can print it. Even if you can't model it, you may be able to find someone else's model online that you can tweak. If you need to copy an item, you can even DIY your own 3D scanner, use it to model what you want to copy, and import it to Blender for printing. Like we said, the possibilities are endless. Make a 3D Scanner from a Webcam, Laser Pointer, and Free Software When you need to scan an image, you use a regular scanner, but what do you do when you need to scan … Read more If you're not a DIY enthusiast, keep an eye out for when 3D printed products make their way to you in other forms. ChocEdge will 3D print whatever you want...in chocolate (assuming, of course, you don't want to buy your own chocolate printer.) TwinKind will even 3D print a tiny action figure—of you! Doctors and hospitals are already experimenting with 3D printed prosthetics, like this exoskeleton that gave a little girl use of her arms again. If any part of her exoskeleton breaks, or she grows out of it, it can be cheaply reprinted or refitted to her. NASA is experimenting with 3D food printers for space travel, and just issued a grant for a 3D pizza printer. Finally, who hasn't heard of the Liberator, the first 3D printed gun, which is now on display at London's V&A Museum. More practically, companies like Shapeways and Sculpteo will take your model or idea, and then 3D print the final object for you so you don't even need to invest in a printer. Both companies even offer marketplaces where you can sell those creations to others, and just browsing their marketplaces and models that other designers have uploaded can inspire you to make your own things. Thingiverse is probably the web's biggest site for 3D printing projects, patterns, and 3D models. If you're looking for something specific, check there first to see if someone's already made it, or at least made something close to it. In any case, you should expect to see 3D printing and 3D printed parts creep into your day-to-day life here in the next few years. The fuss over 3D printing technology has yet to subside, and frankly, why should it? If you can manufacture useful things at home instead of wait for a large company to make it for you—or sell you something that's not quite what you need but close enough, why wouldn't you want to? How Can I Try 3D Printing and Make My Ideas Real Things? If you're interested in 3D printing, you have a few options. First, you can head to your local hackerspace and become a member. Hackerspaces.org has a constantly-updated list of hackerspaces around the globe you can join, and many of them have open-house days so you can stop in and see the facilities before you pay to become a member. If a hackerspace near you has a 3D printer, members undoubtedly have access to it. In some cases, you'll have to either bring your own raw materials, or pony up a little more cash to keep the printer stockpiled with thermoplastics. If you're lucky, it's considered part of your membership fee. How to Find and Get Involved with A Hackerspace In Your Community Great DIY projects are often easy to do at home, but many require tools and space that you may not… Read more If you don't have a hackerspace near you, check with your local vocational schools, community colleges, or universities. Here in Washington DC, the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial Library just added a 3D printer that anyone can use as part of its Digital Commons project. Even if such a thing is unheard of where you are, it doesn't have to be. Get involved with your local library or community college, and make the case—you never know, they may spring for it and you may find yourself the local 3D printing expert. Finally, you can always turn to a professional 3D printing company with a line of industrial printers available to take your order. They can usually do crazy things with powdered materials, lasers, etching, and bring your idea to life in any shape or size you need, without the need for polishing, sanding, or a ton of post-processing after the fact. We mentioned Shapeways and Sculpteo above, both companies can take your ideas and bring them to life. It's a little hands-off compared to visiting a hackerspace and actually using a printer yourself, or buying one of your own, but they do have some resources you probably won't have access to regardless of where you turn.