3D Printer for Home, Education and Rapid Prototyping

Artistic Action Figures and 3D Printing

Ben Mininberg is an artistic action figure designer, who 3D prints his own creations. He recently upgraded to using the H800 3D printer.

3D-printed action figure by MininbergMininberg has been artistically inclined for as long as he can remember. “I’ve loved robot characters, and a had a zillion Transformers,” he explains. “I always had a creative hobby, whether it be making things, drawing, or being artistic in some other way. At one point, I started making lots of model kits, but later decided it was more fun to come up with my own characters. So now, I design almost all my own action figures, and print them in ABS plastic so they can have articulated, mobile joints.” [Read more…]

Announcing the Afinia 3D Printer-Inspired Educators eBook!

Afinia 3D Printer Inspired Educators eBookAs technology progresses, so must curricula. The educators featured in this eBook have incorporated 3D printing technology into their students’ learning. This provides them with knowledge and experiences that will motivate, intrigue, and benefit them in countless ways.

Thanks to each educator for telling their inspiring story. We hope you enjoy the ideas and experiences they’ve shared with us.

Download the Afinia 3D Printer-Inspired Educators: Stories of Success, Volume III.

If you’d like to read more stories of success, download our first eBook or second eBook, as well.

Jeff Tucker Goes Big with the H800 3D Printer

Jeff Tucker is a former Marine who currently works as a government contractor. In his spare time, he enjoys 3D printing RC car bodies and accessories for sale through his company, Inventeo3D.

Tucker has been a fan of the Afinia brand since 2013, when he got his first Afinia H479 3D printer. Here’s where you can read more about Tucker’s work with the H479 3D printer.

“Hiring” the Best 3D Printer

3D-printed Star Wars display base
Tucker’s light-up 3D-printed Star Wars display stand base, printed on his new Afinia H800 3D printer.

“Before I got the Afinia H800 3D printer, I had a couple of other large-build 3D printers. I sold them both because they were so unreliable. I look at my 3D printers like an employee. If it isn’t working, I get rid of it. On top of not working well, replacement parts were incredibly expensive. It ends up being extremely cost prohibitive when you need to drop $300-$400 on a new extruder.”

“When I first saw the news of the H800, I read all about the features and dove into more research. [Read more…]

Hobbyist Jeff Tucker 3D Prints for RC Car Bodies and Accessories

Jeff Tucker is an RC hobbyist and 3D printer enthusiast living in California. He creates bodies and accessories for RC cars using his Afinia H479 3D printer and sells them through his website, www.inventeo3d.com.

Ready, Set, Action

“I began 3D printing about 3 years ago, when I was creating action figures. They were very popular around that time, and I wanted something to print customized heads for the figures. I’d print celebrities or characters, like [Read more…]

3D Printing for Santa’s Little Helpers

Trevor Phillips is a media producer, and owner of Trevics Media, based in Seattle, WA. In the past, he’s worked for well-known TV series, including NCIS, CSI, and Dexter.

If you’ve seen the popular television series NCIS or CSI, chances are you’ve seen some of Trevor Phillips’ work. Phillips is a media producer/playback artist who recently left Las Angeles to settle down in Seattle and start Trevics Media, a company offering video production, media, and animation services. “My job in LA was to create playback graphics,” explains Phillips. “For example, in NCIS when the cast enters Abby’s lab and works on the computer, the DNA scans and other computer images were often created by me. Now, I do a wide variety of things including TV commercials and corporate media.” [Read more…]

Using 3D Printing for Unmanned Aerial Systems

Matt Trani is the co-owner of Vertical Vision, an unmanned aerial systems company that goes above and beyond the normal scope of hobbyist remote controlled and/or unmanned vehicles.

 Putting it all Together, With the Help of 3D

3D Printed Unmanned Aerial System
The Scout is made up mainly of 3D printed parters, as well as a circuit board and carbon fiber tubes.

“I didn’t have any 3D printing experience before I started my company,” admits Trani. “Actually, being introduced to 3D printing was a large part of what allowed me to start the company. I have an office at Saint Louis University, where I had the opportunity to engage with SLU students who showed me how to use AutoDesk programs.” It was after learning 3D design that Trani knew that with the help of 3D printing, his dream could become a reality. “I realized that using this technology, I could make my idea of creating unmanned aerial systems (UAS) a reality, at little cost.” [Read more…]

Afinia H800 Review from Hobbyist Jerod H.

The Afinia H800 has received its first user rating on the Afinia 3D store site, earning 5 of 5 stars:

“This is an amazing printer. I had the h480 printer for years and loved it, but it was to[sic] small for some of my projects. This printer is even easier to set up and works perfectly every time. The large print volume is great and the enclosed print area keeps the parts from warping. I wish the software would let you adjust the temps to make it easier to use other brands and types of material, but I’m sure I can find a work around for that. I highly recommend this printer. I have had several other brands and afinia is by far the best.” – Jerod H., CA

If you’ve used the Afinia H800 3D Printer and wish to leave a review, please do so on our store website.

Integrating 3D Printing and Technology at Harrisburg South Middle School

Travis Lape is the technology integrationist at Harrisburg South Middle School. Lape strongly advocates using new technology to enhance and engage students in learning. His goal is to create learning experiences that empower and equip students with necessary skills to effectively produce and consume content across multiple media platforms.

Using Tech to the Fullest

As the Technology Integrationist at Harrisburg South Middle School (HSMS), Lape works mainly with teachers to integrate technology into the classroom. “I team up with teachers to collaborate on lesson plans, ensuring technology is being used in a way that provides teachers and students its maximum benefits. [Read more…]

3D Printing and How to Make Almost Anything

Jeffry Abel is an Engineering and ECAD instructor at Century College in White Bear Lake, MN. Abel has many years of 3D printing experience under his belt, and teaches both introductory, advanced students, and community members the art of 3D design, 3D printing, and making, through courses such as “How to Make Almost Anything.”

The Introduction to 3D Printing, and the Afinia 3D Printer

3D printing test
Abel’s class printed a test block to check the accuracy of dimensions of the printer.

As an Engineering and ECAD instructor, Jeff Abel is a 3D printing expert. “I began using 3D printers in 2004, to do prototyping for medical industry projects,” explains Abel. “When I began working for Century College in 2012, they already had their Fab Lab, which consisted of a number of tools, including some non-Afinia 3D printers. Right around the time I started is when we added the Afinia 3D Printers to our arsenal of equipment.” [Read more…]

3D Printing for Physics: Small Prints, Large Impact

James Wetzel, Ph.D. is a research scientist at the University of Iowa. Recently, Wetzel has undertaken a project to 3D print 100 1:120-scale models of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector to help people understand the experiment.

Working With – and Discovering – the Unknown

On a regular basis, James Wetzel works with materials and concepts that a large number of people have never heard of. Currently, Wetzel is collaborating on the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment, which investigates (and helps discover) new or hypothesized physics particles, such as the Higgs boson and particles that make up dark matter. Wetzel explains, “Many people are surprised to learn that this “compact” structure is actually five stories tall and seven stories wide. However, it is very dense – every nook and cranny has electronics in it!” [Read more…]