Creativity of a computing kind - Rep Rap 3D printing!
Mr Squidge is an engineer.
Over the years, I've gotten used to the greasy trousers, smell of Swarfega, and the hours he spends in the garage on our lovely Moggy Traveller.
There have been other projects too...his latest is a rep-rap 3-D printer.
Now, for those in the know, this is a printer that extrudes warm plastic into 3-D shapes...although certain entrepeneurial types have also 3-D printed chocolate, cement, precious metals...
For the last few months, Mr Squidge has been building his printer. It's not pretty to look at, being cobbled together from bits of wood and various bits which have been 3-D printed on another printer. My lounge had, for quite a while, cogs and screws and wires and circuit boards; they all moved into the dining room for a bit, then back to the lounge.
After a couple of hitches with the z-stop (the up-and-down control to you and me) this afternoon saw the inaugural printing of a 3-D object on the homemade printer.
*party poppers* *champagne corks*
*general flag waving and much merriment*
It's quite fascinating to see the thing working - just look at family Squidge! They're transfixed! - because a solid object actually isn't; the interior is filled with a honeycomb mesh to save on material. The nozzle on the print head whizzes back and forth and then lifts up about half a mill to the next layer, and it's off again.
By this evening, we had three small items manufactured - the largest is only 20mm square, but it was cause for a huge celebration.
Me - well, I'm a little more restrained in my response, because I know that now we've got to find a home for the printer... Once upon a time, I had a spare bedroom, y'know.
Having said that, I'm really proud of Mr Squidge - just don't tell him I said so. *winks*
Over the years, I've gotten used to the greasy trousers, smell of Swarfega, and the hours he spends in the garage on our lovely Moggy Traveller.
There have been other projects too...his latest is a rep-rap 3-D printer.
Now, for those in the know, this is a printer that extrudes warm plastic into 3-D shapes...although certain entrepeneurial types have also 3-D printed chocolate, cement, precious metals...
For the last few months, Mr Squidge has been building his printer. It's not pretty to look at, being cobbled together from bits of wood and various bits which have been 3-D printed on another printer. My lounge had, for quite a while, cogs and screws and wires and circuit boards; they all moved into the dining room for a bit, then back to the lounge.
After a couple of hitches with the z-stop (the up-and-down control to you and me) this afternoon saw the inaugural printing of a 3-D object on the homemade printer.
*party poppers* *champagne corks*
*general flag waving and much merriment*
It's quite fascinating to see the thing working - just look at family Squidge! They're transfixed! - because a solid object actually isn't; the interior is filled with a honeycomb mesh to save on material. The nozzle on the print head whizzes back and forth and then lifts up about half a mill to the next layer, and it's off again.
By this evening, we had three small items manufactured - the largest is only 20mm square, but it was cause for a huge celebration.
Me - well, I'm a little more restrained in my response, because I know that now we've got to find a home for the printer... Once upon a time, I had a spare bedroom, y'know.
Having said that, I'm really proud of Mr Squidge - just don't tell him I said so. *winks*