3-D PRINTING PENS
Doodling on Another Dimension
Doodling on Another Dimension
| By Ben Rubin | 4.29.13 |
Wobble Works out of Boston, MA introduces a game-changer with their 3-D printing pen. It's true that you might not see one of these in a store any time soon, but considering the 2.3 Million dollar margin they crushed their $30,000 goal on Kickstarter by, it is a good guess that these things are well on their way.
Dimensions within the Creative Process
Sculptors, architects, and even filmmakers traditionally begin their creative journey by documenting in 2-D. Sketches and photos are versatile, accessible, and inexpensive - but in the end they are often used to convey concepts that are meant to live in a 3 or 4 dimensional world. And what if you want to skip 2-D altogether? While sketching in 3-D can technically be accomplished with string or wire, the process of contorting an existing line is really different than creating a line from scratch.
Wire sketch of an alien invasion.
Made by yours truly. Maruata, Mexico. 2007.
I'm a Big Fan
For several years, I worked in a metal shop doing residential and industrial iron work, and found myself collecting scraps from jobs to create sculptures. I also got to play around with the shop's MIG welder and make wire people when no one was looking. MIGs work in many ways like the above mentioned 3-D pen, but use metal wire instead of plastic strips. Drawing with the MIG worked pretty well for simple stuff, but could turn into a (seriously) hot mess if you tried to get fancy. The biggest difference with a 3-D printing pen (aside from the price tag) is the facility of the thing: no safety gloves, no electrical ground issues, no tank of shielding gas, and best of all you can hold this thing intuitively like a pen (even if it is quite the chubby pen).
For several years, I worked in a metal shop doing residential and industrial iron work, and found myself collecting scraps from jobs to create sculptures. I also got to play around with the shop's MIG welder and make wire people when no one was looking. MIGs work in many ways like the above mentioned 3-D pen, but use metal wire instead of plastic strips. Drawing with the MIG worked pretty well for simple stuff, but could turn into a (seriously) hot mess if you tried to get fancy. The biggest difference with a 3-D printing pen (aside from the price tag) is the facility of the thing: no safety gloves, no electrical ground issues, no tank of shielding gas, and best of all you can hold this thing intuitively like a pen (even if it is quite the chubby pen).
For All the Doodlers Out There
check out their website: http://www.the3doodler.com/
check out their website: http://www.the3doodler.com/
