Makerbot TV S02E09 - Finishing Techniques

I haven't been following Makerbot Tv this season. I did come across an episode that answers the one question, that every maker of 3d printed objects has asked at some point.  How do I finish the objects that come out of 3d printers.  Here is the Makerbot crew explaining how they finish some of their projects.


I've heard of various other finishing techniques such as solvent dips, and other filler types where you more or less, as shown in the video, fill in the ridges to an even level using various compounds, such as clay, or automotive filler.  Then finished with a gloss protective coating.


Typically once you've created this "master model" a "master mold" is made out of silcone rubber and plaster and then copies are made out of various other materials.


Don't forget to head over to Makerbot.com and subscribe to their youtube channel if you want to follow all of the makerbot exploits.  


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Makerbot TV S02E01 - A History Lesson

Looks like Season 2 of Makerbot TV is up and running.  Bre Pettis gives us a brief history lesson on the history of the how the makerbot came to be, as well as a small insight into the founding of Makerbot Industries.  


Again, i'm not sure if I'm going to follow every episode, but if a video is interesting I'll be sure to post it here.  I've detailed on previous posts, about the series and what I would like to see on Makerbot TV, hint, PROJECTS! PROJECTS! PROJECTS!  Well see if they decide to give us more substance this time around.  

Check out the video below:


  
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MakerBot TV Season1 Episode12 - Season Finale

Well it looks like its the end for Makerbot TV for this season that is.  This "season finale" ends on a whimper and give away a maker bot to someone who made a coffee cup topper with your (or whomever's) lips as the drinking spout! Um, Ew!  Also, Creepy if you ask me,  let alone driking hot coffee with something that may have imperfections and holes, leaks and bacteria just waiting to happen, let alone is is really safe to drink a hot liquid from?  Yeah its the same plastic as legos but I'm pretty sure they don't recommend you make food utencils or dining plates out of the stuff for every day consumption, let alone at high temperatures!  


The rest of the episode is again lack luster and ends with an "awards show" for various creations they've highlighted.  Meh.  Not sure if I'm going to watch for season 2 if this is going to be the format.  


I still think they need to go the "make weekend project" route, with host Kip Kay!,  well I'd rather see Bre take that mantel again.  That is after all what a  lot of people started with, the weekend projects from make magazine, and got them excited to actually go out and make things!  


Except for a few episodes there wasn't a whole lot of "project" material other than "look what we did" or "we're selling this now".  Call me jaded (but don't call me shirley) I just was hoping for more from this series and all I got was some fluff pieces with a few chunks of meat and gristle. Well here is the video in case you're curious:





Here is some bonus video that may help make up for the so so video above:











Now  that's what I'm talking about (sort of), the botmobiles are especially cool!  All these are at Makerbot Projects.


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MakerBot TV Season1 Episode11 - Educational Program

Here is another episode from the weekly video series over at Makerbot Industries. This weeks episode is all about education and specifically the program they've started to get makerbot into schools called Curriculum.  If you'd like to know more check out the video below and then check out the site Educational Curriculum: http://curriculum.makerbot.com/ or you can always Email the MakerBot Education Team: education@makerbot.com.

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MakerBot TV Season1 Episode10 - Lets Talk Plastics!

Another great episode from the weekly video series over at Makerbot Industries.  This weeks episode talks about the three main plastics that can be used in the makerbot ABS(Lego), PLA(corn based bio-degrade), and PVA (water soluble).   There is also some info on the various settings you can start out with for each of the plastics and what you might expect for quality on some of the plastics and how to keep the PLA from wasting away from humidity!  So without further ado here is the video:



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Makerbot TV S01E09 - The Practical Application Episode (Finally!)

Episode 9 of Makerbot TV, from the weekly video series at Makerbot Industries,  is here!  Finally an episode that includes some actual benefits of owning a makerbot and clues you into why you would want one around the house.  


While most of the objects are indeed handy, and there are lots more on thingaverse, I believe its been stated on the forums for makerbot that the plastic, while "non-toxic" in its "cured form", shouldn't remain in contact with food stuff for lengthy times.  Also I'm not sure how safe a spatula would be considering the heat factor and the "remelting of the plastic", unless they're printing it in food safe silicon or some other food safe material of course!  


Regardless this episode illuminates what the future of small printable objects will be and instead of pop'n off down to the local hardware store for the latest "widget" to fix your "thingamabob" you'll just print out the item.  Don't worry about the hardware store they eventually might sell the very plastic spools of filament you'll need to print your objects, and of course other basic fasteners for larger projects!





BONUS! Here is Bre Pettis in a video titled Makerbotting 101.





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Makerbot TV S01E08 - Halloween and Hermit Crab Episode

Essentially this episode is, again, a little "lite" on content, but focuses on what you could make for the upcoming Halloween holiday. If I were a kid and got some piece of "Halloween" plastic ghost or pumpkin instead of candy that house would get egged for sure!  On the flip side,  instead making a spider ring or other accessories for your costume I think is more appropriate and proper use of a makerbot.


The second half of the video details the efforts of a group trying to provide hermit crab shells for hermit crabs.  Apparently there is a shortage of hermit crab shells "In the wild", I'm not sure if they mean pet shops or actually out in nature.  While it might seem noble I'm not sure if putting more plastic into "the wild" is the right approach, not to mention that the hermit crabs will make their homes out of anything that "fits" their current size really.  Also not sure how they came up with the data indicating the shortage.  You can check out more details here about the project.


Update: Apparently they are just protyping the shells in plastic and the final shell material has yet to be determined, and at this time no shells of any kind have been introduced "to the wild".  Again check out the above link if you would like more info on the project.





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Makerbot TV S01E07 - Bot Your Bike! - Pimp Your Ride Parody

Episode 7 of Makerbot TV, from the weekly video series at Makerbot Industries, has just been delivered.  This week the makerbot parody the "Pimp My Ride" MTV series and "Bot Your Bike!"  


The episode is entirely about creating items for your bike and the conversion of one bicyclists ride with the inclusion of a few trim pieces, accessories holders, and a full fledged makerbot running on battery! Neat!  


While the host this time around is a little "over the top", but "xzibit" was just as anoying on "pimp my ride", so I guess he's appropriate.  I'm still hoping for more "projects" episodes, which this is somewhat, so we'll have to wait and see what episode 8 will bring us!  
Runtime is 4:16.





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Makerbot TV S01E06 - Dual Extrusion MK7 (again?!)

Episode 6 of Makerbot TV, from the weekly video series at Makerbot Industries, has just been delivered.  Hmm, while this weeks episode is a bit informational, its rather light on actual makerbot "awesomeness" and is trending toward "infomercial" territory.  I would like to see more videos featuring the makerbot and something akin to make magazine "weekend projects"  videos rather than just a 5 min video of "hey we have brown filament and here is the MK7 extruder, ooo wow awesome", again.  I know I'd like it if the videos were longer and actually had projects featured. 


One nice bit in this episode is they do mention the updates to replicatorG ( 0026) and that older replicatorG code isn't compatible with the new 3.0 firmware so you need the 0026 update.


This video series has its good episodes but I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be watching these if the trend tends to be a 5 min info/fluff piece.  It almost seems like they're sitting around on a monday morning and say "oh nos! we have to do a video!"  Put some real substance in and if they run longer than 5min we'll be ok with that!


Oh well </rant> 


Here is the video in case you want to check it out for yourself. btw a mere 3:46 this time around...yah, exactly...

Makerbot TV S01E05 - How Artists Are Using Makerbot

Episode 5 of Makerbot TV, from the weekly video series at Makerbot Industries, has just been delivered to the masses.  This weeks episode features how two artists are using their makerbots in their artwork and there is also info on a contest where you too can win a makerbot!  Its an entertaining 4:52 min, so be sure to check out the following video and get perhaps get inspired to do some makerbot artwork of your own!





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Makerbot TV S01E04 - MK7 Extruder

Episode 4 of Makerbot TV, from the weekly video series at Makerbot Industries, has just been delivered to the masses.  While somewhat light on content this episode its still very entertaining.  This episode is primarily about the MK7 Extruder and its use of the new 1.75mm filament.


The MK7 is the "next big thing" for the makerbot machines, or any 3D printer machine based on the rep-rap model, because they've compacted the design so you can fit two into the same build area as the old stepstruder!  It should be noted that the MK7 itself doesn't have dual extrusion, you have to get TWO MK7's to do dual extrusion.


Dual extrusion, via the beta software, of two different colors of filament, or IMHO, two different types of plastics is a big jump forward for the home 3d printers!  The main reason you'd want to print out and item with two different types of plastics is that one plastic would be your end product while the second plastic could be some water based plastic that can be washed/melted/blasted away after you're done printing that's used as a support structure.  This use of a base plastic and a support plastic would allow for very complex prints in one go with out the need for assembly.  Very Cool.  Traditionally this was only available on high end 3d printers.


A Single MK7 is available for purchase and the dual extrusion software is still in beta(and requires two MK7's), but this new makerbot tech upgrade looks very promising.  Here is the fairly short video:





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Makerbot TV S01E03 - Maker Faire NYC

Over at Makerbot industries they're now producing a weekly video series of everything "awesome" about anything having to do with the Makerbot.

Makerbot TV episode 3 heads to the Maker Faire NYC of course! Check out all the 3D printed goodness featured at the NYC Faire and and the turtle racing track in action! Also the big news is that the new makerbot extruder the MK7 is a Dual Extruder! You can see some of the results in the video below such as the 3D printed Blue and Green Earth!


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Blackhat 2010 DMCA and ACTA Abuse Discussion

A must see discussion from last years Blackhat 2010 convention of how the DMCA and the ACTA can be used to essentially squelch fair use, thwart competitors, and obstruct dissenting opinions.  


Check out the video below, which weighs in at an hour and eleven min, then head over to project dod site, home.dod.net, for more info about them and to support their efforts to fight this abuse.  You can head over to Chris Mooney's page, who is the current active executive director of project dod, and one of the presenters in the video, to snag the white papers (.pdfs) on the presentation.





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Makerbot TV S01E02 Is Live!

Over at Makerbot industries they're now producing a weekly video series of everything "awesome" about anything having to do with the Makerbot.


The second  video is up and weighs in at 5:03  min.  I was kind of hoping for a more in depth and longer episode, at least 15 min, but it looks like they're trying to fit everything into 5 min webisodes.  Even so be sure to check it out after the jump.

This time around the video highlights the preparations for the upcoming Maker Faire NY, the developer of the turtle shell racer (irl mario cart anyone!) Skimbal, how to calibrate your Makerbot for optimal 3D printing, and a contest where the best design for a Makerbot mascot will win a Makerbot! (see video for details)

Ruby for Newbies - Nettuts Screencast Tutorial

Over at net.tutsplus.com Andrew Burgess just started up a new screencast tutorial series on the programing language Ruby.  Its a very basic look at what Ruby is and some of the initial steps of setting up the ruby environment and the first steps in learning the language.  The tutorial covers 1.92, the latest version of Ruby but Andrew indicates that you could follow along with 1.8 initially.  It looks like a very interesting programing language and I'm looking forward to the future screencasts.  Take a look at the video below and head over to nettuts youtube channel to subscribe so you don't miss any of the tutorials.





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First Steps with Arduino an O'Reilly Webcast

Over at the O'Reilly site senior editor Brian Jepson has created a webcast/podcast on how to get started with the Arduino Microcontroller, using one of the kits from the Maker Shed. Its about a 90 min video, very informative, especially for any who haven't played around with a microcontroller. 


The video was initially broadcast on 2010-06-16 and they were offering up a 15% discount on the three of the four kits, not sure how long they'll be offering the discount but if you've not picked up a kit yet this would be a perfect time to do so!

Enjoy the Video!

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