Next General Meeting:
Meeting Preview: DIY 3D Printing
Date:Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Location: Danbury Hospital Auditorium
24 Hospital Avenue, Danbury, CT, doors open at 6:30 p.m.

By Rob Limbaugh

We have reached a point in society where technology available to consumers is of sufficient quality that at-home innovation is thriving. Perhaps you are familiar with the 'Maker Faire', or 'Make Magazine'. Google Sketch-up, Instructables, Circuit Bending, and the like are sites, apps, and terms that float about the lexicon of today's do-it-yourselfers.

These people have backgrounds in many various interests that converge together to make some great things. One of those rapidly growing movements is in the area of home-built fabrication machines. With a few motors, control circuitry, frame, and a tool-head, you can make anything from a simple plotter to a computer controlled milling machine to a 3D printer and many other types of machines. Essentially, we all have access to the details on how to build our own computer-controlled machine shops from freely available information! You could make signs, banners, circuit boards, molds, etc.!

In December, the newly formed group CT Hackerspace of Waterbury will take everyone on a journey of their first group project: Building a 3D Printer.

A 3D printer is also called a 'Rapid Prototyping Machine'. It works like an inkjet printer but instead of 'printing' with ink it 'prints' material--usually a plastic--layer by layer. As a layer is completed the part bed is lowered (or the print head is raised) to print the next layer. These layers add together to make a three-dimensional object. A popular open source 3D printer design is called the 'RepRap'. A popular pre-fabricated 3D printer is the 'MakerBot'.

Have you been interested in building your own computer-controlled workshop? Have you wanted to prototype designs at home? Are you already working on your own? This would be a great time to invite your friends, colleagues, and neighbors, and join us Tuesday, December 7 at our next general meeting. Areas of discussion will include how to make or obtain parts, how to interface the hardware, where to get the software for control, cost and time expectations, and why build-your-own in the first place.

DACS meetings are held at the Danbury Hospital auditorium. (Click here for directions.) Activities begin at 6:30 p.m. with registration and casual networking. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. with annual members meeting and other regular features. The main presentation begins at 8:00 p.m. The meeting is scheduled to adjourn at 9:30 p.m.

DACS General Meetings are free and open to the public. Members and prior attendees are encouraged to extend invitations to anyone interested in this topic.