MakerBot 3D Printing -- What would you make?

[duckabell]

My husband just showed me this cool link, makerbot.com. A company has designed a 3-D printer kit for less than $700. This machine lets you print off plastic 3-D models of toys, gears, inventions, prototypes and products at home. My husband wants to invest in one in the next few years. I wonder if this will make it a lot easier for people to start up companies on the cheap as previous 3-D printers have cost many thousand dollars and they will just be able to print their prototypes in their office. As a side note, the machine uses the same type of plastic that Legos are made out of.

 

I'm just curious if you or your kids had this what would you make? Would you use it as part of your homeschooling? It seems like it'd be a cool high school project and something potential engineers would enjoy. My husband says he'd start with toys and go from there.

[Giraffe]

My husband just showed me this cool link, makerbot.com. A company has designed a 3-D printer kit for less than $700. This machine lets you print off plastic 3-D models of toys, gears, inventions, prototypes and products at home. My husband wants to invest in one in the next few years. I wonder if this will make it a lot easier for people to start up companies on the cheap as previous 3-D printers have cost many thousand dollars and they will just be able to print their prototypes in their office. As a side note, the machine uses the same type of plastic that Legos are made out of.

 

I'm just curious if you or your kids had this what would you make? Would you use it as part of your homeschooling? It seems like it'd be a cool high school project and something potential engineers would enjoy. My husband says he'd start with toys and go from there.

 

I'm not sure what I'D do with it, but I know what my husband would like to do and does with one. No, we don't own one, but he is a member of a "Makerspace" and they have one for use by members. He brought home some simple shapes the other day and they were really cool.

 

So if you're interested in trying one out - see if you can find a Makerspace that has one and will let you try.

[duckabell]

That's really neat. I'm sure we have something similar in my area. My husband is extremely busy with school right now, but I'm sure when he finishes this will be something he looks into. I decided that if I were to build something it would probably simple counters for my kids like planes, trains, or some simple shapes. My husband was looking at projects people have done and found everything from a cathedral, to salt and pepper shakers, to cookie cutters.