Konichiwa, SolidWorks ninjas. Welcome to the dojo (Designing Objects Journeymen Organization). Let’s flip roll right into our training regime. Mid Plane Is Your Symmetrical Friend As we take our 2D sketches from the flat world into the third Extruded Boss/Base Feature dimension we have options. Some options utilize references as drivers. When not using reference drivers but creating stand-alone geometry, I default to the Mid Plane option over the Blind option. Particularly, when the shape created will serve as starting geometry that is built off (and/or is) the primary geometric volume. Why Design Using Midplanes? A Mid Plane extrude creates part symmetry about a plane using one feature. Symmetry can…

Battle-worn stiltbots of the rim village hollows hung in the root-wrenched cliffs. Once they took flight our stunners would be useless unless we could disable the plasma shields with the blast charge of these links. Paul Chadeisson – These ships. So many. Orbiting planets, landing aircraft, carrying out missions, some abandoned. Amazing work, and more city, space, and environment shots. Big Box Collection – Remember when video games came in boxes. The good ol’ days. This is a 3D collection of the boxes of video game past. The Swiss Machine – 70 step basketball trick shot and one of the most impressive Rub Goldberg builds I’ve yet seen. Super Violin…

If you happen to own stock in Nano Dimension, it’s definitely your lucky week, as the price quadrupled after a surprise announcement.  The company announced a breakthrough in its technology that will be of significant interest to the industry. Nano Dimension produces equipment to 3D print circuit boards. While circuit boards are essentially 2D structures, the company’s DragonFly device is able to 3D print three-dimensional printed circuit boards (PCBs).  The company previously expanded its application footprint in 2019 but suffered some layoffs later in the year due to poor results. It seems they may be in for a bit of a turnaround as a result of the latest news. Nano…

Remember those ridiculous abominations on wheels in the mid to late 2010s called “hoverboards”? Oh, what’s that? They’re still around? *Shakes head* So you remember they don’t actually hover? I know, it’s 2020. Where are our priorities? To poke fun (we think) at the wheeled monstrosities, YouTuber The Q creates a monstrosity of his own. It’s technically still a hoverboard, a flat board between a pair of wheels, but he gives it some elevation by slapping on some chunky ol’ Formula 1 tires. Here’s how he managed to create a toy even the most seasoned racer would enjoy: 1. Craft Specialized Bearings As the standard hoverboard isn’t meant to attach…

You can’t go wrong making your own DIY dowel table. With it, you can stack countless things, have a place to eat, or simply kick your legs up on it after a long day, or, yeah… MAKE OTHER THINGS. Using 1” dowels, a stack of 2x4s, some 4x4s, and barrels of glue, Rob from Make Things shows how you can make your own high-end, super sturdy 2×4 dowel table for under $100 in materials: 1. Mark The 2x4s On Center Since the tabletop will be made from 19 2x4s stacked side by side via dowels, he marks each piece of wood on center and places marks 8-inches apart for eight…

You’ve got so much work, you could use an extra hand, am I right? Well, how about a Heavy Loader or ten? Unfortunately, our model of the week won’t pick up the slack but it will pick up your spirits when you gaze upon the army of 10-inch bot loaders you’ve printed to share your workspace. The totally poseable Heavy Loader 3D model comes from Cults3D user JWOONG, Industrial and Space Designer, who say I “Do not need paint, Do not need extra parts such as bolts, nuts and etc. Only need a 3D printer. Just print it and build it.” We’re totally down with that JWOONG and totally down…