It may not be your favorite shop accessory, but a sturdy pair of safety glasses is an absolutely critical piece of kit. Whether running a 2 x 4 through the table saw or simply sanding the final edges of a model, the last thing you need is dust in your eyes or worse—something much larger. Which is why we love the Classic Safety Glasses from SAS Safety. These no-bull safety glasses feature durable impact resistant polycarbonate 99.9% UV-resistant lens and offer additional protection with temple covers. Lightweight and comfortable with just the right amount of ‘Shop Boss’ style, you can’t go wrong with these no matter what gets thrown at…
It’s time for another round of apps that cover the spectrum of your beloved mobile device(s)! The Weekly App Smack is the best of new or updated design and productivity apps (and maybe a couple of fun ones, too) for the busy design or engineering professional and this week we have a list sure to make you more efficient. Do you have an app suggestion that has made your life easier or changed up your workflow? Let us know in the comments below or send it into tips@solidsmack.com. Hit it! Medium (iOS — Free) The best reads tailored just for you. Camera+ 2 (iOS – $2.99) Whether you’re a seasoned photographer…
The gig economy is great. You can hail a cheap cab home with Uber, get McDonald’s delivered with Postmates, beer with Drizly, sit back and watch someone from Task Rabbit assemble your Amazon delivered furniture while your hair is cut with Priv. The positive of the gig economy is that everything can be outsourced, however, therein lies the negative, everything can be outsourced. If you’re on Solidsmack, chances are you’re a 3D modeler, designer, engineer or something in-between. And, if you’ve been working or looking for a job in the last 10 years, it’s painfully obvious, you can be outsourced. By outsourced, I don’t mean overseas, I just mean, if…
Continuing the tradition of making miniatures of some of the world’s most remarkable automobile designs, LEGO and French car manufacturer Bugatti have teamed up to create one of the most complex block builds you’ll ever find: a 1:8 scale LEGO Bugatti Chiron. The stunning model measures 14cm high, 25cm wide, and is made up of 3,599 pieces which all play a part in crafting the car’s many features. To begin with, the cockpit has an 8-speed gearbox with a movable gearshift and steering wheel. Even the seats were recreated using different panel, beam, and tile LEGO blocks. You can also insert a top speed key to switch the rear wing…
When it comes to SubD topology, having the ability to construct a variety of meshes with clean polygon flows can mean the difference between yelling an obscene amount of profanities at your monitor or having a blast. Thanks to a new book from the renowned 3D artist, writer, and director William Vaughan, getting to that fun place won’t have to be so challenging after all. Vaughan’s comprehensive 125-page Pushing Points Topology Workbook includes over 60 exercises to train anybody in managing their mesh topology. Even those who may consider themselves “experts” at SubD could certainly learn a thing or two from the master modeler—whose portfolio spans across Nickelodeon and Pixar.…
Deadly objects crafted by and from molten metal are nothing new here on Solidsmack, but it isn’t every day you see an old hardware material get repurposed into a Southeast Asian curved knife. This is precisely what Australian knifemaker Steve has done with an old drill bit he found in one of his drawers. With lots of cutting, filing, and hammering, he transforms it into a karambit – a curved knife with origins in Indonesia resembling a claw. Steve begins by firing up the kiln and heating the tip of the drill bit. Though this used to be the most dangerous point of the object, he hammers it down flat…