Ponoko - Now Printing in 3D!

http://www.ponoko.com/make-and-sell/how-it-works

I found a project for the new 3D printing at Ponoko. The cup holder in the Carnavan broke, and they don't make them any more. We're all tired of having our sodas on the floor! So I just need to make a 3D model of the armature and send it off to Ponoko. I'm not sure of their print resolution, but I figure I can fine tune the printed piece with my rototool.

Carnavan: 2000 Mercury Villager that will occasionally eat hamburger or chicken.

Is this you?

Got big ideas? Or maybe not so big, just have this idea that won't let you sleep? Maybe you want a pocket computer, something that isn't available anywhere. Maybe you have a picture you painted that is waiting for a frame. Maybe you have a new way to organize a sock drawer, whatever, but you're not sure how to go from idea to item.

Fab Four Ten is my idea. It is a cross between a small factory and a reading room. A place where you can find people and machines and help. The place to go from idea to item. Walk in with a sketch and walk out with an artifact. Your neon-green rubber-band launcher is closer than you think!

Now don't get the idea that building a fab lab is something I just dreamed up. I'm following the great work of folks much smarter than myself. Read some of the other entries on this blog to find out more. I just want to build a fab lab in the Provo/Orem area. I want to make a place where you can realize your dreams.

Anyway, if this is you, we should talk. Live in Utah? Call me at 801.836.5510. Just leave a message with your name and a phone number and when you are available to chat. I'll ask a few questions and update you on the status of Fab410. Not living in Utah? I'm still interested in hearing from you, just email me: rsbohn (a) gmail (dot) com.

Center for Bits and Atoms

You know those replicators on Star Trek, the ones that are always serving up "Tea, Earl Grey, Hot," for Captain Picard? The folks at the Center for Bits and Atoms are doing the research to turn that dream into reality. The CBA was founded in 2001 by "Profs. Isaac Chuang, Neil Gershenfeld, Joseph Jacobson, and Scott Manalis, with Marvin Minsky." They like to say that it is a place for people who never saw a boundary between physical science and computer science. The Center is the only place I know of that is currently talking about 'avogadroscale engineering'.

The Center for Bits and Atoms at MIT

Prototype from Ponoko

Here you can see the prototype tombstones for the 'build your own graveyard cake kit'. Due to dimensional problems they wound up a little oversized. You can also see the untrustworthy ruler (where inches are 1.25 inches long).

What was it my dad said? Measure twice, cut once. Gotta listen to dad.

There is a lot of residue from the laser cutter as you can see in this picture (the white powdery stuff). That wipes off easily. There was some denser stuff around the letters but I was able to polish that out also. The black acrylic is highly reflective. The unetched side is covered with a protective layer that I was able to peel off easily.

I'm disappointed with the size problems here, but that's my fault. I should have printed out a proof page before I submitted the order. I am happy with the job Ponoko did and I will be sending in another order soon.

First Order from Ponoko

My first Ponoko order arrived yesterday. They processed the order Monday, so this arrived sooner than expected. I did some simple things on a small sheet of black acrylic, just to see how it would turn out. One of the items on the sheet was a ruler. I was going to use it in photographs to show how big things were. Unfortunately I had an error in my file, and the four inch ruler wound up just over five inches long. (Geometry Fail!)

I need a structure for a flight-sim cockpit I'm building. I think that will be my next Ponoko design.

www.ponoko.com

What is Fab 410?

I'm building a Fab Lab for the Provo-Orem Utah area. The first edition is a virtual fab, using online resources instead of physical machines. This makes it a bit less immediate, a bit harder than a fully furnished fab lab. Just a beginning though: I want to build out to the real thing over the next few months. Check back soon!

--Randall Bohn