LIBRARY AS MAKERSPACE

We have had the Cube 2 3D printers for over a year now and I think it's time to weigh in the pros and cons. For the record, we also have an Ultimaker 2 as my comparison for features. It does come with an extra price tag $ for those features but well worth the staff time I've saved. Most of our 3D printing programs with these Cube machines occur with first time users usually ages 10 and up.  Even if you don't have a Cube it is good to know the limits of any 3D printing machine before purchasing. Cube Software.... Pros: is pretty easy to use. Unlike other printing software (Cura for Ultimaker*) I've used, there are limited options so it doesn't feel daunting to work with.  Is it solid or hollow? Supports yes or no? How large?  Cubify is an easy download off the website and you can download it to as many computers as you want. Our workflow is we create an object in Tinkercad , save as an .STL file then convert into Cubify. Cubify saves the options fro...

Today I'm experimenting with making jewelry accessories on the Cube 2 3D printer with tinkercad software.  If you know nothing about the tinkercad software, this brief video will get you through the basics. You can also see an earlier post on our blog. One thing to note is there's already a bunch of creations from other makers on the site. If you are having trouble designing something from scratch or want to add onto a design, it's an easy search away.  Find the magnify glass on the top right of the screen. That is what makes the maker community great. They are willing to share! For summer, I'll be making superhero emblems with the 3D printer with grades 5 & 6. This allows for both boys and girls to get in on the action. They can make them pendants, earrings, or just plain magnets. I have to admit I'm having a tough time with everything in MM. I've been Googling it to convert into inches! Here are the goals of the program: 1. Set up a tinker...

We were lucky enough to win a grant from 3D Systems and the ALA for two 3D desktop printers and now we are digging in to learn the ins and outs of how they work and what can be done with them. They come with 25 pre-set projects with which we can start. With young people and adults alike chomping at the bit to get their hands on 3D printing, we feel it is important to make access to them and the programs that support them easy and democratic. Matthew Scorza, a Duxbury resident and recent engineering grad, came in to see them and immediately got a hankering to use AutoDesk Inventor to create some cool designs to be printed.  In the interest of  getting comfortable with the machines, the filament, the printer designs, we had printed a Rook on Saturday. Matt added to that a simple map of Duxbury just to see how it handles detail. There is much to be learned about how to design a successful project in terms of getting the changes of filament layers to shift gradually enough ...