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…

Get that stretch out of your system with this week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist. It’s fashioned up, ready to make you pull your shoulder blades back and knock out another week of meaningful work while you bob your head to the beat. Whether you’re in the shop milling aluminum, sketching the latest product prototypes or modeling up a 3D storm, consider these tracks as a tool for your process. This week we’ll kick things off with “Everlasting Sigh” from Moses Sumney before riding into the sweet sounds of Flap Jack, Pure X, Deep Cuts, Beach House, The Go and others before smoothing things out with “Porch” from Longbeard. Rock! Have…

Despite countless attempts at making the everyday camera wearable, the device still sticks out like a sore thumb. Ultimately, if it’s not hanging at the end of a selfie stick, it’s sitting on the top of your head like a GoPro. This is the issue the FOMO camera wants to address. It may look like normal pin badge (and for the most part it is), but underneath its plastic exterior is a camera that records every single thing you see. The button’s dimensions run at a radius of 0.98”, a diameter of 1.97”, and a thickness of 0.47”. It weighs 1.41oz—making it about as heavy as a pair of AA…

As 3D professionals, we require a certain level of ambiance in our office space. It shouldn’t surprise anyone when they step inside an engineer’s cubicle and it suddenly feels like a 1920’s lounge complete with stage, singer and the smell of old reference books and even older whiskey. Lamps are an important part of this. While you may opt for an opulent art-deco piece to cover up as many foam ceiling tiles as possible, there are easier, less job-threatening ways to light your space. Wildrose Builds has developed a simple, 3d printed dowel lamp + low poly shade design that’s sure to match your taste in lighting – if not,…

Last June 2017, Apple announced that it would be making headway in the Augmented Reality department with its new ARKit. Though they may be playing a wee amount of catch up with other AR platform initiatives such as Google Tango, ARKit is approaching it differently, aimed at augmenting your 3D space with a simple software update, a point and a tap to be transported into that immersive experience. The developer demos coming out are starting to show the possibilities for 3D modeling. Osama Abdel-Karim, a developer of iOS/Mac apps and an expert on the subject, uses ARKit to create a 3D sketch and modeling tool which allows him to create objects…

Well, ladies and gents, as we celebrate the end of summer with BBQs, camping, and one our final water balloon fights, it’s also time to start getting prepped for the months ahead. And for many of us, this means applying a fresh layer of waterproof fabric wax to all of our canvas shoes, hats, jackets, rucksacks, and more. But when it comes to fabric waxes, not all are equal. Our choice? Portland, Oregon’s own Otter Wax brand. Otter Wax offers long-lasting protection from the elements and contains only all-natural ingredients from renewable resources. It is also the first and only water repellent wax that doesn’t utilize paraffin, silicone, or other…