MakerBot Industries

The humble maple seed

A few days ago @mostley aka Sven H. suggested another design challenge – designing a “maple leaf copter.” ¹  For those of you who haven’t seen one, a maple seed has a long thin wing-like structure.  As the seeds fall, they spin rapidly.  The better the particular seed is balanced, the slower it falls and the faster it spins.  While there are some artificial models, such as this origami version, a 3D printable version would make an incredible quick-printing demonstration piece and all-around super cool toy.  Some of these links, especially this discussion forum with pictures and diagrams or perhaps a review of the origami model, might help you design your own.

So, to everyone who reads this blog…  I hereby challenge you to a “maple seed copter” design race.  All you have to do is design and upload a printable maple seed-inspired copter to Thingiverse and tag it with “mapleseed.”  There’s no prize money on this one, just bragging rights, so it’s open to everyone, enter as many times as you like, and make something awesome!  The winning design, determined by the number of likes + comments, will be announced Monday morning on the blog.  Good luck!

(Although, if are motivated by money, the $50.00 prize for the disc shooter challenge is still up for grabs!)

1. Photo courtesy of Armand Agasi [↩]

The title says it all. Or does it.

A father/daughter project of assembling a Thing-O-Matic didn’t stop when the last nut was bolted into place. A paint job was in order, but that meant the famed MakerBot logo had to go…temporarily of course. Instead of merely repainting the logo, Tinkerer and his daughter took it upon themselves to take that logo and render it in three dimensions, and then paint it.

What really gets me is this line in the description: “I created a 3D text of the MakerBot name/logo that you can print out to add bling to your printer.” Make sure to take a look at Tinkerer’s bot – it’s smokin’ hot.

MakerBot 3D Text Logo by Tinkerer

I created a 3D text of the MakerBot name/logo that you can print out to add bling to your printer or maybe blend into other objects like key chains or what have you. I created this in Solidworks (because that is what I know) so I attached the native part file in addition to the STL file. My daughter and I finished building our Makerbot Thing-O-Matic last week and we decided to paint it red on the outside and white on the inside. This obliterated the nice logo's that Makerbot prints on the wood, so that is what we decided to create this 3D printed logo to attach onto the front of the bot.

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And the bar is raised once again, thanks to sirmakesalot.  This one takes two full Thing-O-Matic beds to create its parts, but, just like a real V-8, it’s obviously worth it.  Just look at it — after this, how can you go back to an inline-4, with its unbalanced vibrations and ridiculous whining?

I foresee a whole new generation of gearheads using this print to explain to their significant others why a Challenger is a better car than a Corolla.  Now if there were only a print to help explain turbochargers…

But seriously, folks — sirmakesalot has really done some amazing things here with his motor series.  Thingiverse has a lot of amazingly productive modelers, and even among them, he’s a star.  Thanks for making  Thingiverse extra awesome!

Printable V8 motor by sirmakesalot

Here is a motor with a v8 configuration. It is two halves mounted ninety degrees from each other with the same crank shaft, connectors and pistons as the four cylinder just more of them. It is worth noting that they can be alternatively mounted flat or opposing piston configuration. I opted for the muscle of the V8! I have added the crank shaft parts layout and the source file as separate files so if any parts brake, you don't have to print the whole thing again! UPDATE: I have uploaded the fixed STL files, no more errors from Skeinforge! Thank you all for your valuable input as I am still learning too. I have added a larger piston file but it requires good printer settings.

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Thingiverse user Seanz0rz has done it!  Fully-printable PLA utensils!  Ok, our PLA supply is not food-grade, so I don’t receommend actually eating with these, nor is it the first viable spoon or fork (or spork, for that matter) but nevertheless it’s something of an achievement.  Totally normal-looking utensils! Printable on a MakerBot!

If there were some sort of global utensil apocalypse, wherein stainless-steel implements suddenly vanished from drawers everywhere, those with 3d printers could lead the way toward re-building our utensil culture.  Or something like that.

Even better, it’s a great example of what Thingiverse users can do when they set their minds to solving household problems.  While safety concerns may hold us back from recommending full-scale adoption here, we are clearly not far from a vast selection of print-on-demand household items.  Well done!

Knife, Spoon, & Fork by Seanz0rz

Here are some models of a knife, spoon, and fork. with the exception of the knife, these will need support material. Solidworks files included so you can make changes. i believe these are the first of their kind at least on Thingiverse. hopefully these will inspire others to create different models as well! They turn out to be fragile when printed. I will eventually update the stl's to create more robust utensils. the knife is almost at that point.

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Wow, just one short week after I issued the challenge (or request, really…) sirmakesalot comes through with this amazing print.

Ok, so this doesn’t have a fully-working valve assembly or intake/exhaust manifolds, sure.  But the thingiverse community (sirmakesalot anyway) knocked this one out pretty quickly…and that makes my head dance with ideas about fully-printable, crowd-sourced engine upgrades.  Sure, we can reprogram ECUs, and there are even some intrepid souls out there converting their hybrids to plug-in…but this is really exciting stuff.  Want to bore out your engine?  Just print a new block and some new cylinders.  Taller cruising gear?  Print it out!  I bet there’ll be parametric scripts to generate custom transmissions.  The only question is…who will have them?  Just your mechanic, or will your Tesla econobox come with the source code?

Ok, we can’t run gasoline through these ABS models (yet), but this is amazing work.  Her’s a big tip of the cap to sirmakesalot and his inspiring work.

4 cylinder motor by sirmakesalot

Like my single cylinder motor? Well here is a four cylinder demonstration model. I like to make mechanical things and this was something I wanted to model in 3d. The printable v8 is on the way! It was brought to my attention that the STL files weren't all they could be so I have fixed them, no more Skieinforge errors! I have added a larger set of pistons but it requires really good settings.

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Head on over to the MakeProjects site to catch Brian Jepson’s From Kinect to MakerBot guide-in-progress for how to transform captured Kinect data on through to the STLs you need to 3D print with your MakerBot Thing-O-Matic.

His guide picks up where Kyle McDonald’s great 3D Printing with Kinect post leaves off — a great tutorial to take you from the initial STL you create using Kyle’s KinectToSTL tool through to a scaled-down, MakerBot-printable  STL. Bonus points for using only open source tools for the entire chain!

Those looking to learn more about the Open Kinect movement should check out the Open Kinect Project (offers MeetUps in certain cities) and consider attending conferences such as Art && Code 3D: Kinect-Hacking Conference, on October 21-23rd at Carnegie Mellon University.

There have been a few people asking for easier to install binary releases for Kyle’s KinectToSTL tool, compiled also for Windows and Linux. There are some complications that require fuss, not to mention the need to make changes to the code to suit the latest OpenFrameworks release (according to Matt and Kyle). If you accomplish this work, drop a comment back here and we will happily trumpet your triumph to the world.

The awesome folks over at blablabLAB just took their show on the road to Romania, where they continued their “Be Your Own Souvenir” project, this time printing the scans on their brand-new Thing-O-Matics!

Check out the video about their project here.

They sent along a few pictures, and I’m struck by the fact that this looks like a very fun event.  More photos after the jump!

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This position is in the heart of the action of a growing start-up and demands a person who wants to work hard, has technical knowledge and writing skills. You’ve got questions to answer, orders to process, and jobs to track.

You’ll be responsible for eloquently representing a growing DIY 3D printer and technology company to it’s customers directly. Via email, on the phone, or in person. You’ll help customers solve their technical challenges, sooth their nerves, and reinforce our brand. It’s a challenge, but it’s a dynamic, fun one. The person best suited for this position is a detail oriented problem solver with a mind for mechanical, electronic, and software troubleshooting challenges. You’ll put your strong interpersonal and written skills to the test.

We need you to answer emails, but that’s the tip of the iceberg. You should be a self starter proficient and comfortable with Mac, PC, and Linux operating systems. Experience with WordPress or Zendesk a plus. The office tools we use much of the time should be a no-brainer. Current MakerBot Operators preferred! If you’ve had experience with DIY technology, that could be very helpful. You will be processing orders, so an interest in participating directly in a multifaceted online store is a final requirement. Full time, on-site only.

Desire to offer revolutionary technologies and change the world a plus.
Help democratize manufacturing and reinforce MakerBot as a global brand.

Submit your cover letter, resume, and linkedin profile (preferred)

Brooklyn. Easy access to subway.

No phone calls, please.

Please respond to http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/csr/2550478297.html

After scanning Stephen Colbert‘s head in preparation for Bre’s appearance on the Colbert Report, we encouraged Thingiverse users to mashup the Colbert model with all sorts of other objects. (And got to work ourselves.)

Not content to confine ourselves to mashups, we initiated the MakerBot Space Program with a mission to send a bust of Stephen Colbert into space on a weather balloon with a Flipcam and a GPS enabled cell phone.

Special thanks to Bre Pettis, Jonathan Monaghan, Keith Ozar, Luke Schantz, Anney Fresh, Eddie Codel, Mariko Kosaka, Stephen Colbert, and Dave Neff for the R&D, launch, and recovery of this, our first MakerBot Space Mission.

UPDATE: Check out some of the great pieces written about this project at BoingBoing, Gizmodo, Makezine, TechCrunch, CBS News, Mashable, The Huffington Post, and Laughing Squid!

I love SideLong‘s Door UnJam. SideLong, who hails from Melbourne, Australia has a problem when his house…oscillates. (That can happen when your house is built on sand.) The problem is that door frame to the entrance of his home shifts in relation to the actual door, resulting in a stuck door, and inevitably, some frustration.

Looking for a better solution than repeatedly damaging/bending what he could find to open the door, he looked to his most powerful tool: his MakerBot. Now, after placing the UnJams underneath his door prior to leaving home, he’s able to easily open his door upon his return, by simply stepping on his UnJam, lining up the door with the door frame.

Now I know this isn’t an issue most of us deal with on a regular basis, but this is a fantastic example of a user seeing a legitimate problem, designing and printing a solution, and sharing it for the rest of us.

Door UnJam by Sidelong

My house is built on shifting sand and is continually oscillating between Brunswick and Coburg (in Melbourne, Aust) with the direction of travel depending on the weather. This means that my front door frame has a disconcerting habit of moving and getting stuck; really stuck! It's very frustrating to get home and find that I can't get in, because the door has moved and the lock tongue is jammed into the frame. So before I managed to destroy all the screwdrivers/bike levers in the house I designed this small thing, which I call the Door UnJam, to do exactly that.

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