MakerBot Industries

Printed birdfeeder by araspitfire

I like this birdfeeder design by araspitfire for repurposing, recycling, and of course, for using 3D printed parts.  It looks too large for printing on a MakerBot Cupcake or Thing-O-Matic, but from the way it is displayed, I think it’s a pretty safe bet the birdfeeder outer ring can be printed on a RepRap Mendel.

I’ve got some family who live in Michigan.  One year for someone’s birthday we bought a hummingbird feeder online and had it shipped to us in the Bay Area, so we could gift wrap it and send it to him.  Now, take a moment and ask yourself – what would be funnier than a hummingbird feeder with a carbon footprint going all the way back to China?

Answer: A hummingbird feeder made in Michigan, shipped to California, only to be shipped back to Michigan.

Imagine if a loved one had their own 3D printer, you could just e-mail them a digital file of a lovely design that you thought they would enjoy – rather than shipping something from their home state/country, wrapping it, and shipping it back to them.