3D Printing…
There’s something of a friendly debate regarding 3d printing here at the Circle of Nerds. Some of us feel like they destroy the creative culture that has been built up around the cosplay community. Many creators have put in the extremely hard work of making costumes and props from scratch using physical models and have enjoyed a bit of income from selling those props on the internet. I myself have made a lot of money in the past making and selling boots for scout troopers. The fear is that with the advent of 3d printing, those makers will be out of business. Some of that fear is certainly justified. I made a scout trooper blaster on my 3d printer that is every bit as good as the two resin blasters I bought years ago from prop makers.
The other side of the coin sees 3d printing as a boon to the hobby. Props become truly affordable for the average person. Gone are the days of makers fleecing wannabee costumers with outlandish prices. That $200 prop blaster? Print that bitch out for less than the price of a $20 spool of filament and a free thingiverse account. Costuming becomes a more affordable and attainable hobby.
While I’m not going to stoke the fires of discontent here, I will offer you a few really cool things I’ve printed up since I bought my Creality Ender 3 Pro a few months ago.
5: The Orville phaser
The Orville is one of my favorite shows on TV (well, Hulu now, I guess) and one of the first things I wanted to print when I first got my 3d printer was something from the show. There are two versions of this gun available on thingiverse. One “whole” version, and one split version that’s hollowed out for adding fancy electronics. The STL is available here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2623867
4: Bahtinov mask
3d printers are extremely versatile machines and their uses far exceed that of simple cosplay. Scientists and makers across the world envision 3d printers that print human organs, Mars colonies, houses, and tons of other cool shit. This Bahtinov mask is a little device for aiding in the precise focusing of telescopes. I use this on my Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ to get those super sharp photos of the Orion Nebula and other Deep Sky Objects without the fear of wasting hours imaging only to find out you were slightly out of focus. STL: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1465929
3: 2×4 Mounting Brackets
Home remodeling is a pain in the ass on any budget, but it is hair-pullingly frustrating on a public school teachers salary. When I was replacing my front porch, mounting brackets for the porch railings at Home Depot were a whopping 9.99 each. At 4 per panel and 5 panels needed, this would have cost me $200 just in mounting brackets. Thingiverse had a model for free and the total cost was a $20 kilogram of filament. STL here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1664306
2: Aliens Pulse Rifle
This was one of the Holy Grails of props that I’ve always wanted. I first saw the movie Aliens in 1986 when my dad took 10 year-old me to see it in the theaters. I maintain to this day that Aliens is the perfect action movie. And the pulse rifle was the perfect blend of military/future technology. This model from thingiverse brings the pulse rifle into the realm of the affordable. Some assembly required…. Check it out here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2334265
1: Victorian Office Building
I’m a huge fan of Victorian literature. I also love models. This Victorian office building blends those two obsessions together into one huge and epic build. Sure, it took about 200 hours to print and assemble, and I likely have many more hours I will invest into the painting of this epic masterpiece, but when I’m done it’s sure to be pretty badass. I have no idea where to put it, or what the hell to do with it once I’m finished – I printed this beast up at 180% of the original size and it’s truly a monster. But it will look sweet wherever my wife will let me put it. Download it here for free on thingiverse.
