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Fab Lab Fun: Week 5

This story is the fifth in a series of posts called “FAB Lab Fun”.  FAB Labs, or Fabrication Laboratories, are defined as a global network of local labs, enabling invention by providing access to tools for digital fabrication and are most often offered as a community resource. Discover the hands-on experience of taking a FAB Lab class through staff member, Beth Stinnett. We hope you enjoy going with her along for the ride.

Week 5 in How to Build Almost Anything was centered around designing a keychain to 3D print on a MakerBot using 123D Design. 3D printing is defined as any of various processes used to make a three dimensional object.123D Design, which is free to download, is an amazing software program that allows users to create, design, modify and build in 3D format. Users can literally see their designs take shape on the monitor. Though the software is complex it is also user-friendly and after the keychain project I feel sure that I can open the program and get back to work on a new project.

This week we also had a chance to play around in a program called Sculptrise, which is referenced as digital clay. Users can manipulate “clay” on the screen just as they would on a wheel. Image using your computer’s mouse as if they were your fingers touching, bending and molding a piece of pottery! I was truly intrigued with this one and I’m wondering what to create/design/print with this for next week.

With time running out for this week, I wasn’t able to print my project from last week, but I hope to have it and my keychain to share with you next time. Until then, you can get caught up with the past weeks information here:

Week 1 | Week 2Week 3 | Week 4|