Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab

I ran across this paper that explains one way to calculate support structures for 3D printing. 

http://cybertron.cg.tu-berlin.de/rapid_prototyping_11ws/slicer/

I found it relatively clear and easy to understand.

Of course, there are more than one way to skin this cat, so this isn't necessarily the way any given software works.

This is pretty cool:

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/next-4-d-printers/?src=twrhp

Just a friendly reminder that the Fab Lab has 6 sewing and knitting machines of various sorts as well as unusual fabrics, like conductive and heat-reactive material. Come over and make good use of them in their new exapandable location in the break room.

We could use more patron-created art up on our walls. Anyone who provides us with some sizable art (or even interactive creations!) to put up will not only get mad props but also 5$ worth of material or laser time, courtesy of Jeff Ginger.

Photo credit to Gemma Petrie.

Have you ever just wished you could lift your pen off the paper and see your drawing become a real three dimensional object? The folks at WobbleWorks have created a 3D printer pen to do just this. Check it out:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1351910088/3doodler-the-worlds-first-3d-printing-pen

Do you know what thermoplastics, edible materials, metal and titanium alloys, ceramic powders, plaster, paper, metal foil, plastic film, photopolymers, and liquid resins all have in common? They can all be used to print 3D objects. While the printers at the Champaign Urbana Community Fablab and the Urbana Free Library can only print using ABS plastic, there are commercial printers that can use all of the materials listed above. There are even companies that will print what you want, in whatever material you want. All you have to do is provide them with a 3D file of the object you would like to have printed.

When I was first told about the laser engraver I was told that I should always bring a PDF document to print. While looking through the epilogue website I see that you are supposed to be able to print in any format. Has anyone ever printed anything besides a PDF document? Would we have to set up the computer to do something different if we want to use a different file format? I am interested in printing some things that were drawn in autocad but am having a lot of trouble converting them to PDFs. I have scaling issues, and sometimes the drawings are just messed up once converted. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Jeff

The Creation Tech program at The Urbana Free Library has begun! 

There will be a series of workshops in February and March.  Check it out.

http://urbanafreelibrary.org/blogs/2013/01/31/creation-technology-your-l...

Ever since we got our new UP! 3D printer our old Makerbot 3D printer has been sitting on a shelf collecting dust. We benched it because we never got it to print successfully for more than 20-30 minutes at a time and never could figure out what the problem really was with the extruder.

If you're feeling adventurous come in and see if you can fix it! We'll give you unlimtied time with it (during open hours) and as much ABS plastic as you need for it. Should you manage to fix it we'll figure out some kind of prize.

I've updated several modules and the core files of the Drupal install. The good news is that this should cut down on the spam messages we've been all suffering. The bad news is that this may have set your user navigation links back to their defaults.

I wanted to be able to make Amharic letters and phrases quickly on the Epilog laser cutter.  Cutting a path is always faster than rastering an image, so I downloaded the Fidel, and then modified in Inkscape to create letter stencils.  These characters were modified such that "loops" (as in an "a" or "b") do not fall out when cut with the laser, but remain attached with a thin filament.  Thus, letters and phrases can be cut out rapidly in wood, cardboard or acrylic, and used as signage or for a stencil.

Instructables featured this project this weeK:

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-BioPrinter

From the BioPrinter Community Project at BioCurious.

What could possibly go wrong?

As if 3D printers weren't mind-blowing enough, iRobot (yes, the company responsible for the Roomba) has just filed a patent for a robot-assisted all-in-one fabricator that can print, mill, drill, and finish a final product — and all without human intervention. Read more about it at io9.

This project combines the well know image of "Kilroy Was Here" with sensor driven data aquired via an embedded microcontroller.

In her TED Talk, Ayah Bdeir (the creator of littleBits)  said "We want to encourage a world of creators, of inventors, of contributors. Because this world that we live in, this interactive world, is ours."