Shapeways Loves Makerbot

July 1, 2010

So what will I miss most now that I’ve left Shapeways?

My colleagues? No, what I will miss is the Shapeways Makerbot. We got a beautiful Makerbot Industries Cupcake CNC some weeks ago. Our Makerbot is quite noisy but we love it. Hans put it together for us and he is trying to add things to it all the time. We really wanted a 3D printer around the office and we’re very happy to have this now.

Our findings:

• The entire process of getting a Makerbot and putting it together is a lot of fun.
• Assembling a Makerbot is not difficult if you’re a Dremel owning techie type of person.
• Your Makerbot will not work all the time so you have to keep at it.
• You will get stuck but there is a great Makerbotting community out there to help you.
• Owning a Makerbot will make you feel like you came from the future.

Watch the rather noisy video of our Makerbot below (and I was kidding I’ll miss my colleagues a tonne!) .

Comments

• Madox
  July 1, 2010 at 11:57 am
  😛 Can we order something made by this? 😛

• Stijn van der Linden
  July 1, 2010 at 1:29 pm
  Second that ! 😀

• Dizingof
  July 1, 2010 at 3:38 pm
  I remember the first time i saw Makerbot i immediately reached for my wallet … But then i saw what comes out… :-/ Sure it’s a cool DIY/hobby thingy .. but not practical for real detailed 3D printing for my desktop. Better spend those $700 or $1000 ordering your designs from shapeways.com with way more material options and way more fine detailed resolution…

• Stijn van der Linden
  July 1, 2010 at 3:46 pm
  True, you don’t use makerbot for printing “pretty” things. But it is wonderful for functional mechanical parts or for other 3d printers/robot parts. I find the price for producing those using other means a bit too high. And it is a wonderful toy for hobbyist, always something to tweak and tinker about it 🙂

• Duann
  July 1, 2010 at 10:53 pm
  Cool, Keep us up to date on your full color 3D printer hack….

• Michael Williams
  July 1, 2010 at 5:59 pm
  When you say you’ll miss them a tonne, I’m guessing that’s a Metric Tonne, and not a US Ton right? :-P.

• Joris Peels
  July 2, 2010 at 6:48 am
  I actually meant a UK tonne.

• Bart
  July 2, 2010 at 7:07 am
  Dude, I miss you too! GROUPHUG!

• Luis Commins
  July 2, 2010 at 10:27 am
  Well, insofar as ‘detail’ and ‘quality’ coming out of these things: It really depends on what you’re after. If you want to prototype, or generate prototypes for clients, it will do the job.

• Ann Marie Shillito
  July 5, 2010 at 3:39 pm
  Joris, and we will miss you and your blogs a UK ton. All my best wishes with your next move.