3D Printing... it's incredibly addictive...
Perhaps you're wondering what I'm doing the last few days, weeks and month? Don't panic! My time as a photoholic isn't over yet but at the moment there are so many things keeping me busy and I don't have the energy to create those kind of sophisticated and crazy images people are probably expecting from me.
As you know Judith is pregnant with child Nr. 4 (it will be a boy... really... you don't believe... we do neither... but we will see in approx. 15 weeks), I have a lot do to in my regular job, the girls are pretty demanding right now, my Phantom 4 needs some fresh air from time to time (and so do I), I have still a lot to do in Hyrule (Zelda Breath of the Wild) and finally I've found something new (at least for me) that really takes my attention at the moment entirely:
3D Printing
Fews weeks ago I thought it would be great to bring my 3D creations not only to images but to real form and function. I ordered the (in my opinion slightely overhyped) Prusa i3 MK2. I had to assemble the whole thing and there was always and ugly issue I had to fight against.
Don't get me wrong: The Prusa is basically a very fine machine which is (or was) able to deliver very decent quality prints (at least during the short periods it was running without issues).
Below you see a little turtle that was printed with a glow-in-the-dark fillament (fillament is the "ammuniation" of the most 3D printers).
I had really a lot of issues with the Prusa and didn't want to spend my whole leisure time fiddling around on that little machine.
I restartet the evaluation and meanwhile I'm absolutely sure: If you want a reliable printer with a certain build space, dual color, WLAN etc. you have to spend a few dollars (3000.-to 5000.- I guess).
At one point I stumbled over the not (yet) very well known Raise3D N2.
Wow! This machine was a dream... at least "on the paper". I had a few hard nights reading about this printer, watching every single youtube movie and get all the information I could. The final fact that got me convinced was a distributor here in Switzerland who made a really great impression and I got the feeling this could all lead to a happy end.
Meanwhile the N2 is here in my little attic... printing day and night of course.
I don't know exactelly what it is but 3D printing is really addictive. I guess it's the whole workflow from an idea to the final little product or object. Usually I'm creating images. Of course I can print them but it still remains some kind of virtual.
If you design a 3D object and can finally hold it in your hands this has something devine. It's just such a great feeling to be a maker.
Actually I've planned to use the printer to create art-objects or special designs but at the moment I'm printing things for our household (a station to hold out toothbrush loaders, a MP3 player for Mila (I broke her old one while changing batteries etc...):
At the beginning I was trying to create the meshes for the printing software with Cinema4D and ZBrush. For certain obects like the cucumber below absolutely great but not for things like the MP3 player above.
I soon realized how much easier it would be to create those technical things in a parametric manner in a classic CAD like Autocad Fusion 360. So I'm about to learn this at the moment and it's almost as much fun as the 3D printing itself.
Well of course this is not a very thorough blog about 3D printing. Just wanted to tell you guys what I'm at to at the moment and why it's a little quieter on my channels the last few days.
Stay tuned and hey... go into 3D printing. It definitely takes some time to learn the whole workflow but it's so worth it imho!!!
Little update:
I had quite a few issues with my Raise3D N2. Guess it was a "monday model". I stumbled over a Zortrax M300 special offer and ordered. Thought I was able to sell it if I'm not happy with it. But I was absolutely happy and so I sold the Raise3D and kept the Zortrax.
La stampa 3D ha davvero qualcosa di coinvolgente: si parte magari da un piccolo progetto per curiosità e, una volta capito quante cose si possono personalizzare e creare da zero, vengono subito nuove idee. La parte più interessante è proprio vedere un modello digitale trasformarsi in un oggetto reale e utilizzabile.
È un po’ la stessa curiosità che mi porta a esplorare online argomenti molto diversi; recentemente, ad esempio, mi sono imbattuto in Winshark Italia. Con la stampa 3D, però, il bello è che ogni nuovo progetto permette anche di imparare qualcosa su design, materiali e prototipazione.
I can understand why 3D printing became such a distraction after reading about the jump from the troublesome Prusa to the Raise3D N2. What I found most interesting was the shift from simply printing objects to learning how to design them properly. The example of creating household items, like the toothbrush station and MP3 player, makes the hobby feel much more practical than just printing random models. I also liked the point about being able to hold something that started as an idea on a screen. That physical result must be pretty satisfying. It reminds me that even a Statement Of Purpose Writing Service UK has to turn an idea into something tangible and personal.
I can understand how 3D printing becomes addictive because there’s always another idea to design, tweak, and print. Sometimes focusing on a new creative hobby is exactly what you need when you don’t have the energy for more demanding photography projects. I also found https://posido.ch interesting for seeing different 3D printing ideas and projects. The photography inspiration will probably come back naturally when the time feels right.
thanks.....
This is a great example of how a hobby can completely take over your free time. I can definitely understand the appeal of seeing something go from an idea on a screen to an actual physical object, even if getting the printer to behave can be half the battle. The glow-in-the-dark turtle is a fun little result, and it’s easy to see why 3D printing became such a distraction. I also like the honest part about the Prusa, because real-world tinkering often looks very different from the polished demos. There’s something satisfying about discovering a new obsession like this, especially when it leads to experimenting with new ideas and designs. spin mama fits naturally for anyone browsing for more interesting distractions.