3D modeling and printing

 

One thing I'm thankful occurred in my lifetime has been the widespread use of 3D printing at a cost-point that is accessible to hobbyists and makers. Its given many people the ability to go from a design in their head to an accurate physical model in hours. Alternately, designs can be shared online between those who have the resources to create technical designs and end users who can simply download a design and print it on their printer (or one in a library, etc)

As global health emergencies have impacted our way of life, the ability to quickly produce needed articles of PPE equipment or lifesaving hardware locally has been invaluable.

I've participated by 3D printing articles of PPE equipment and donating them to local medical facilities. I've been able to print designs that were created half a world away or practically next door, all shared through repositories like www.thingaverse.com 

In addition to downloading designs for 3D prints, I've been learning to model in 3D and create my own. A variety of online tools make this fairly simple and I've been able to make cases, test stands, 3D printer improvements and tools for other hobbies. Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to do more with this skill and sell some of the things I've created on Ebay and other online vendors.