Practical 3D Printers: The Science and Art of 3D P
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Desktop or DIY 3D printers are devices you can either buy preassembled as a kit, or build from a collection of parts to design and print physical objects including replacement household parts, custom toys, and even art, science, or engineering projects. Maybe you have one, or maybe you’re thinking about buying or building one.
Practical 3D Printers takes you beyond how to build a 3D printer, to calibrating, customizing, and creating amazing models, including 3D printed text, a warship model, a robot platform, windup toys, and arcade-inspired alien invaders. You’ll learn about the different types of personal 3D printers and how they work; from the MakerBot to the RepRap printers like the Huxley and Mendel, as well as the whiteAnt CNC featured in the Apress book Printing in Plastic.
You’ll discover how easy it is to find and design 3D models using web-based 3D modeling, and even how to create a 3D model from a 2D image. After learning the basics, this book will walk you through building multi-part models with a steampunk warship project, working with meshes to build your own action heroes, and creating an autonomous robot chassis. Finally, you’ll find even more bonus projects to build, including wind-up walkers, faceted vases for the home, and a handful of useful upgrades to modify and improve your 3D printer.
ASIN : B00936LYYS
Publisher : Apress; 1st ed. edition (September 25, 2012)
Publication date : September 25, 2012
Language : English
File size : 10.6 MB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Not Enabled
Print length : 357 pages
13 reviews for Practical 3D Printers: The Science and Art of 3D P
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Original price was: $54.99.$24.50Current price is: $24.50.
C. Krause –
Essential if you are building a RepRap
I was waiting for Josef Prusa`s book to come out when I decided to buy this on Kindle. I was six months into my first build of a Mendel Prusa V2 finding it difficult to get a clear step-by-step guide all in one place. The RepRap community and Wiki are great, but not so concise. When I first started reading this book, I wasn’t that impressed. As I progressed on my build I found myself referring to it more and finally relying on it. While the author tries to be circumspect this is clearly aimed at the RepRap Mendel. This is a good thing, as it doesn’t try to be a generic and meaningless overview. There are an incredible number of resources, and just about every link is relevant and even exciting.The author takes you from basic hardware, firmware in enough specific detail to really be useful for for the most popular electronics. He introduces the best open source software tools and model sources and walks you through a very practical project. Lots of tips, like using a wet method to mount Kaptan tape on the heated bed, which is almost impossible to do any other way. I found it worth the price now that I’m actually extending plastic .
John Santiago –
Good information for beginners
I read this book after building my first printer; wish I would have read it before. This book has a lot of good information for anyone getting into 3d printing.
R. Hulslander –
I’ll second the good reviews
Yup this was a good book.I am new to 3D printing so just trying to learn the basics so I learned a lot.I am also trying to learn 3D CAD so the instructions in using OpenSCAD were a real eye opener.Ralph
CharlesBabbage –
Best Hobbyist 3D Printing Book Available
This is a “No Fluff” book full of first hand experience. I own the Makergear Mosaic M1 pictured on the front, and examples using the printer are throughout the book. I also own a Makerbot Thing-o-matic, and a RepRap Prusa which is also covered quite well in the book. There are a few things that aren’t exactly right, but Cartesian printers and CNC in general can be exacting and complicated so there’s no real faulting him for being a bit off.He covers many of the new technology like Slic3r and Printrbot. I’ve read about half the book now and I’m quite pleased at the detail and currency of the book.This is the best hobbyist 3D printing book available and will be a great place to start for many years.
Rick Cook –
At the dawn of 3-D printing
This book is a good general introduction to 3D printers, how they work and how to use them. It also serves as a forceful reminder of how undeveloped they are. Today’s inexpensive 3D printers are barely to the Apple I stage of development. The equivalents of the Apple II and TRS-80 3D printers are still well in the future. The software needed to do useful things with them — especially designing parts is even less developed.Still if you want in on the ground floor of what may well be the next personal computer craze, this will help you get started.
Kodiak Biker –
a 3D printer primer, best read on Kindle or a laptop
Got the “Kindle” version of this book and am reading it on both the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (most convenient when waiting for Jr at the dentist) and on a Mac Book Pro (2009) at home. Graphics are excellent – detailed and full color. Agree with most of the positive reviews – this is a good starting point for those who have no prior knowledge of DIY 3D printer hardware and software. Giving the fast-moving arena for RepRap, its best to go to the links provided to get up to date on developments of interest to you (after you read this book). For example, the MendelMax 3D printer is now at build 2.0, but 1.5 is still a solid design (and less $$).
harold r –
just ok
it was interesting as far as knowledge of the first types of 3-d and how they work but the book was not what i expected i wanted something more up to date i should of did more research first
Eric D. Joseph –
Better than RepRap wikis
I’ve been looking into getting a 3D printer for a couple of months but just wasn’t feeling confident in my ability to assemble and troubleshoot a homemade Rep Rap. The RepRap wikis are too segmented to find everything in one place. This book does a VERY good job of breaking everything down into understandable chunks. Hardware, kits, CAD, slicers, other software (although rapidly becoming dated), and firmware. Now I’m saving up my money to take the plunge into 3D printing. (Pictures on my tablet looked good, someone was saying the pics in paperback were bad)
Kman –
I have had a Prusa Mendel for several months and have it up and running so I was hoping this would help me tweak it for perfect prints. But he glazes over important setup issues: leveling the bed “perfectly” , adjusting the various axis etc.. The book does well explaining the various software/Firmware and has some handy photos of the same object printed with different settings – which there should be lots more to make this a better book! but if your like me and want to get the tips for perfect prints look elsewhere, if your a beginner … OK at best
EDOUARD FONTAINE –
Un très bon résumé des différentes options possibles, et beaucoup de liens internet.Explication détaillée des différents programmes open source disponibles.Destiné à ceux qui se lancent dans la construction d’une imprimante 3D.Correspond vraiment ce que je cherchait.
Baspro –
I read 4 or 5 books regarding 3D printing and all of them fall in the same class of this book! I can confirm that this book covers all the technical and important issues that you should know in order to engage in this technology. The author uses simple and clear way to guide you through the basics, tools, and skills you will need supported with clever suggestions and recommendations for future work and next steps. Absolutely recommended 5 starts book!
UGK –
Eine bunte Mischung bietet dieses Buch. Nach einer (in diesem Anspruchsrahmen verzeihlich) lückenhaften Übersicht über Rapid-Prototyping-Verfahren eine Beschreibung von Selbstbau-Druckern, wobei der Autor wohl eine Affinität für MDF-Konstruktionen hat, über deren Vor- und Nachteile er mir etwas zu wenig sagt, aber gut… – dann folgt eine EInführung in den Bereich der kostenlosen Entwurfs- und Konstruktionsprogramme, am Beispiel recht tümelig wirkender kleiner Schiffsmodelle aus dem Bereich Graue Flotte, deren Anmutung aber eher was für die Baukastenecke ist, dann aber auch wieder handfeste technische Tricks, die zeigen, daß der Autor viel von der Technik versteht.Ich hab nicht ganz verstanden, für welche Zielgruppe das Buch gemacht ist, sicher hauptsächlich für den amerikanischen Markt der Tinkerer und Feierabend-Tüftler. Die überwiegend in imperialen Maßen (“zöllig”) gehaltenen Bauhinweise machen den unmittelbaren Nachbau in Europa etwas schwierig. Aber sei’s drum. Interessante Lektüre, für Leute, die gerne mal gucken, was andere basteln, zumindest anregend. Kein Muß im Regal, aber auch nicht abzuraten. Nice to have, sozusagen, nicht die vorderste Wellenfront der Innovation, aber solide gemacht.
Rostislav –
It is perfect if you do not know anything about 3D printing. It will save you two weeks of reading different websites and papers. But if you get the basics – you can’t get anything more from it.