A New (Robotic) Member of the Family

So I (Duane) don't normally write blog posts on our family blog, but Leah twisted my arm. Plus, I have something exciting to share.

I guess I'm less of a journaller and more of an abstract thinker (see this blog for my more abstract ramblings). Anyway, I'm here today, and thanks to Kelty, I have the WHOLE day to play on the newest gadget in our home: an Ultimaker 3D printer!



(In addition to the Macbook Pro, you'll notice our pet rat, Witzy, in the glass aquarium above the Ultimaker).

The Ultimaker is a DIY kit project--it's shipped to you as parts, and you get to assemble it on your own. The advantage is that if anything needs maintenance later on, well, you know how it goes together and you can fix it yourself. The disadvantage is, well, you have to build it yourself and it takes about 12 hours.

So what can you do with a 3D printer? Design stuff! Print things! The whole world is going to change, again! My prediction is that the ability to create things at home will be as life-changing as the introduction of the PC in 1970 or so. Just wait, you'll see :)

Here's what I've been making:

A plug for our bathroom tub.

It fits snugly.


A "child safety" clip for our cupboards.

I think it looks pretty stylish.

And here's a close-up.

And last but not least, a key rack, with semi-circular hooks.
This took about 1.5 hours to print.

I'm part of the community of "makers" who are creatively going about solving problems and making things just for fun. There's a web site called Thingiverse where I post what I create and share the source code and plans with others.

Here's to making the world a better place, one thing at a time :)