As a nearly lifelong 3D printing nerd, I have always dreamed of working with the sorts of machines and people that are now at POP.  Uncrating our first F900-class machine was an especially magical moment, which had taken almost 10 years of slow and steady growth to achieve.​

As you might have guessed from the vintage US flag hanging from the rafters, Independence Day is one of our favorite holidays, so we thought it would be fun to send something that celebrates Summer this year.  And what says summer more than barbecues?  We figured a nice Titanium spatula would be perfect.  After sampling a few commercially available offerings, we decided to make our own.  

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We often find humor in supersizing ordinary objects.  Not only can the exercise make us laugh, but it can also become thought-provoking and serve as the launching point into a more detailed study of something we are familiar with in everyday life or might take for granted.  This particular challenge was more of a chuckle... but it sure was fun: would a ~2.5x scale frisbee work?   

Casting is one of, if not the, oldest techniques used to create metal parts.  By pouring liquid metal into molds, complex shapes can be made simply, and even geometries that would be impractical to machine (thin and spindly, for example) can take shape quickly.  Pouring the metal is quick, but making the mold isn't always easy.  But with a wax 3D printer and plaster investment, it comes about as close to easy as I think the process can get!  In this article I'll run you through the process, in the context of a small art piece being cast from a silver-copper alloy (Ag/Cu).

One of the many things that drew me to the 3D printing process is its versatility.  Whether you need to prototype a mechanism, make a repair part, create a series of end-use parts, or make a piece of art, odds are that you can do it -- or at least get started -- with (the right) 3D printing technology.  Art isn't something that we have the chance to pursue very often at POP given our typical schedule rushing mechanical parts out the door, but we recently had some time to make a piece for the shop that we think is worth highlighting.  

We are often asked about vapor smoothing, and wanted to write a quick article describing how it works, as well when we recommend using it.  The process involves suspending FDM prints in a cloud of solvent vapor, which condenses on the print in a uniform film, melting the outer surfaces of the part, smoothing and fusing layers together.  It also greatly enhances the sheen of the part, resulting in a glossy finish.