The Widget Weekly project is a way to motivate myself to learn about 3D modeling and 3D printing. Inspired by Jonathan Coulton’s Thing a Week.
My wife has wanted a 3D printer for at least five years, since around 2013. I was interested too, but at that time 3D printers were still firmly in the hobbyist realm and far from being an affordable consumer product. I consider myself a maker and a fixer, but I have my limits; I don’t like being an early adopter and I didn’t want to go through tons of troubleshooting and failed prints. But the tech continues to evolve, and now in 2018 after waiting and watching 3D printing tech for a long time I finally feel comfortable jumping in.
I chose the Original Prusa i3 MK3 (kit) for its excellent reviews and its many ease-of-use features. It will be our first 3D printer. Of course I want to print toys, art, figurines, etc. (I have a growing collection on Thingiverse) but I want to make useful and practical things, too. And that means learning to model. I told myself that if I did get a 3D printer, it should be used as more than a toy machine. It’s an incredibly useful tool if you know how to use it. Being able to model and create my own things from scratch will let me use it to the fullest of its potential. So it’s time to start learning.
Goal:
Using CAD tools and a 3D printer, create an original thing every week for one year.
Rules: Guidelines:
- Challenge myself. I am here to learn, by success or by failure. I should not be afraid to get complicated.
- Mix things up. I should try different programs and different ideas. I should not make the same kind of thing every week.
- Document it online. This blog is mostly for myself, but having an audience (however small) is part of the motivation.
- Share it. When appropriate I will post my models publicly.
- Remember to have fun. =D
- Original doesn’t mean completely unique, but unique to me. At the end I should have 52 different things, however I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel. I can and should copy, transform, and combine existing designs. It’s not just great practice, it’s necessary.
“Copying is how we learn. We can’t introduce anything new until we’re fluent in the language of our domain, and we do that through emulation.”
– Kirby Ferguson, Everything is a Remix
Timeline:
- The project begins after receiving and assembling our new printer.
- Estimated Apr-May 2018. UPDATE: It’s here!
- Printer received! Assembled and working on May 12, 2018. Project is underway.
- A week is Monday – Sunday.
Widget Weekly 