MakerBot Industries

Tartan ABS available in 3mm and 1.75mm by MakeALot

Did you know there’s more than one joke hiding in Thingiverse?

• Some are timely, such as MakeALot’s tartan 3mm ABS. ¹
• Some have been around a while like the QRCode-that-shall-not-be-scanned.
• While not a joke per-se, I think my all time favorite has got to be the “Tetris Music” block by tastybento.  After all, how many other object can be printed to their own theme music?!

I know there are a lot of Thingiverse jokes I’m missing.  Arguably, just about every derivative of the Gangsta is a joke…  What Things did I leave out?

Happy April 1st!

Tetris Music by tastybento

This is a bit of a joke: the shape is familiar, but it's the gcode you need to run. :-) The Makerbot sounds musical as it builds, but I thought I'd pipe a midi in and see what happens. Others have done this before, but I wanted to have a go. I fixed an electronic violin tuner to the makerbot and then moved the feedrate slider to different points to get the notes. Then I hacked a Python script from here (http://tim.cexx.org/?p=633) to make the gcode. I'm just doing one channel right now for simplicity. In theory I could append the musical gcode to the end of the shape, but as different people have different Skeinforge settings, I thought I'd leave them separate.

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Tartan ABS available in 3mm and 1.75mm by MakeALot

This has now exceeded it's shelf life and will not be available again until next year I managed to find a supplier of Tartan ABS in China. The supplier says that they are also able to manufacture spotted and striped versions, but only in 3mm. (apparently the spots are too big to fit on the 1.75 mm and the stripes slide off) I'm assured that the PLA versions will follow and an intriguing Sky-blue Pink that I can't wait to see. I'm already imagining all the things I can make: Holes for rivets, Sky hooks, Long weights, Left handed screwdrivers, Sharp string, the list is endless...Update: Shipping will start on the 31st of April.

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DO NOT PRINT, DO NOT SCAN by MakerBlock

The attached GCode will create a QRCode that can be printed with a MakerBot Unicorn, sized to print on a sticky note. I urge you, I implore you, I beg of you... whatever you do, do NOT print this. In fact, turn back now. Delete your browser history, close your browser, and try as hard as you can not to think about this. If by some twist of fate you find that someone has printed this QRCode, for heaven's sake and all that you hold to be good and true in this life, do not under any circumstances scan this code. Image courtesy of "me and the sysop" flickr.com/photos/82386510@N00/3602259318/

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1. I’ve always wanted to print a kilt! [↩]

After months of intensive research and development, MakerBot Industries is proud to announce a newly realized capacity of the MakerBot Thing-O-Matic 3D Printer- the ability to print listenable vinyl records from the desktop.

“The process of transcribing an audio file into a vinyl record is so simple, anyone can do it.” Said Chief Audio Engineer Isaac Dietz. “Right now, I’m using the Automated Build Platform to rip my entire MP3 collection to individual records!”

“It’s an exciting innovation for MakerBot, as we all grew up listening to vinyl. We all wish that more records were available with the latest hits,” said Audio R&D Associate Marisol Murphy. “I can never get enough Justin Bieber or Rebecca Black until I listened to them on my turntable.”

The process utilizes the MakerBot 96khz AudioNozzle™ technology to print audio waveforms in real time. Using the MakerBot Generation 4 Electronics microstepping capacity, the AudioNozzle™ modulates the amount of plastic deposited to create a high-fidelity waveform. The results often surpass the dynamic range of 24-bit recordings and can contain frequencies up to 57khz — even higher than the Nyquist frequency for 96khz digital recording. You can even record directly to your 3D Printer by attaching a microphone to your computer, and singing into it.

Says Ethan Hartman, Vice President of Audio Operations: “MakerBot’s pioneering spirit has always hearkened back to early inventors like Thomas Edison. We are honored to be able to re-invent the audio record for the personal manufacturing space in the burgeoning 20-teens.”

Pre-orders for the 96khz AudioNozzle™ will be available shortly.

MakerBot 3D Printed Vinyl Records can be downloaded from Thingiverse here.

Dragon Head Trophy by Tony Buser

A dragon headed printer?!  THIS is why I love DIY 3D printing!!!  Not only is this a great mashup, but it’s also a super sweet looking print.  It’s also a constant reminder that I don’t have enough dragon heads on my stuff. ^1 2 3

Dragon Head Trophy by tbuser

Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea. Then that kid chopped off his head. So now he hangs on the wall above his bed. Poetry FTW. Started when I simply added a base to make it easier to print and I got carried away. You can customize it relatively easily in OpenSCAD. Requires OpenSCAD League Gothic Font Module by avrgeek thingiverse.com/thing:6820

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1. Plus, you know, there’s the ecological impact of mounting real dragon heads on printers. [↩]
2. And the smell. [↩]
3. Even dragon pelts are smelly. [↩]