Jam-packed with eight different projects contributed by a roster of experienced Makers, this book uses 3D printers as a starting point for a number of creative challenges. Perfect for the intermediate Maker with some 3D-printing, soldering, and electronics experience, this book utilizes all of the core Maker skills—from electronics to soldering, software to hand assembly—to sharpen your techniques, guarantee success, and get you thinking about the next thing you’d like to build. Some projects you'll build from scratch; others take you through the process of modifying a  store-bought item. All have free files for download on Github. Whether you’ve never used a 3D printer or simply let yours gather dust in the workshop, this book will get you Making—and get you thinking about what you’d like to make next! 

Projects Included

• A 3D-printed LED lamp
• A '50s-style Raygun pen
• A smart SkyCam
• Animatronic eyes
• An inverted trike RC
• Chauncey the Wrylon Flower Care Robot (first envisioned in 1913!)
• A two-axis camera gimbal
• A BubbleBot

Meet the Authors

Brook Drumm

Brook is the founder and CEO of Printrbot, Inc. Brook is an American maker who set out to start a side business in his garage. After a wildly successful Kickstarter in 2011, Brook was catapulted to the white-hot intersection of crowd funding, 3D printing, and the exploding maker culture. Printrbot is an example of what blood, sweat, and tears can produce if you set your mind and heart on what you are passionate about.

James Floyd Kelly

James is a writer who lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife and two young sons. He has degrees in Industrial Engineering and English and enjoys making things, writing about those things, and training young makers. He has written over 25 books on a variety of subjects from Lego robotics to open source software to building your own CNC machine and 3D printer.

John Edgar Park

John is a producer at Disney Research. He has worked in animation production at Disney for 10 years and has worked in computer graphics since 1994 at various companies, including IBM, Novalogic game studio, and Sony Pictures Imageworks. John was the host and co-writer of the Emmy Award-nominated series Make: Television. He regularly demos his projects at Maker Faires, and builds and writes about technology projects for Make: magazine and other places online and in print.

Brian Roe

Brian is a tinkerer at heart and a Mechanical Designer by trade. His diverse career has led him down many interesting paths. He has worked as a creature creator for Hollywood films, and was part of a successful combat robot team for the show Battlebots. He also assisted with the design of the 3D cameras used for the film Avatar. Currently, he’s an engineer at Printrbot and working on The 10,000 Year Clock project for The Long Now Foundation.

Steven Bolin

Steven is Printrbot’s Production Manager and R&D department assistant. He has always enjoyed working with his hands, from construction to just projects around the house, and finds designing and building 3D printers an absolute joy. As a father of two kids and a former Youth Pastor, he loves making and playing with toys and 3D printing naturally lends itself to this hobby. Steven hopes to continue developing new products that incorporate 3D printing into everyday life.

Rick Winscot

Rick has code in brain, soldering iron in hand, and Art Blakey blaring in the background. He transforms techno-babble into reality… and is strangely fond of the ellipsis.

John Baichtal

John writes books about toys, tools, robots, and hobby electronics. His first book was The Cult of Lego, an exploration of the culture and work of adult Lego builders. He’s also the author of Maker Pro, Robot Builder, and The Locksmith’s Apprentice, a fantasy novel. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and three children.

Nick Ernst

Nick served in the Marine Corps for eight years, then decided to go back toschool to pursue a career in Electronics Engineering. Before working on electronics at Printrbot Inc., he spent two years at Parallax Inc. as the lead developer of the Elev-8 multi-rotor platform. He’s a Maker at heart, and enjoys tinkering and hacking on all shapes and sizes of electronics. He believes that if it ain’t broken, you haven’t tinkered enough!

Caleb Cotter

Caleb is an R&D Specialist at Printrbot. He’s a maker with a passion for 3D printing and rapid prototyping, and is fascinated with the opportunities presented by desktop manufacturing. When he’s not in his garage hacking—he’s still in his garage wrenching on his car.