Although the majority of us who own 3D printers are limited to a build envelope of probably under 12 inches in any direction, that doesn’t mean we can’t print larger objects by bonding multiple prints together. After all, most products we buy and use today are not one single piece, but are rather multiple parts which come together to form whatever product they make up.
Many of the DIY projects we cover which receive the most attention, are projects that make use of multiple 3D printed pieces bonded together to create a much larger end product. Take for example this cow, this gun, or this incredible 3D printed violin.
To take things a step further, combining 3D printing with crowdsourcing, one organization called We The Builders has continued to impress us all. The group, which was formed out of a hackathon in Baltimore, takes a unique approach to creating large scale 3D printed models. They do this by breaking a model down into numerous sections, which they then assign to individuals who wish to take part in its creation. Each person then prints their assigned section, which will easily fit within the build envelope of most desktop 3D printers, and then send it off to the We The Builders command post where the larger object is put together, much like a puzzle.
The last project that We the Builders took on was a Benjamin Franklin bust that was made up of 198 different 3D prints of various shapes, sizes and colors, all submitted by a growing community of 3D printing enthusiasts. It’s been a while since this print was pieced together, but We The Builders is finally back with a brand new project which promises to blow us all away.
Just announced, this latest project is called Edgar Allan Print (Poe), and as the name implies it’s a 3D printed caricature bust of Edgar Allan Poe. Originally designed by 3D sculptor Ryan Kittleson using ZBrush, this model features two different shades. You have the dark shades making up the hair and shirt, while a lighter shade makes up Poe’s face and scarf. Unlike project past, those participating will have to print using either lighter or darker filament, based on what area of the bust they are assigned.
“The neat thing we’re doing this time is guiding the final sculptures colors slightly, by asking people to print with darker colors for the hair and shirt, and lighter colors for the face and scarf,” explained Todd Blatt, a We The Builders organizer.
While this bust will be approximately the same height (33 inches) as the Ben Franklin and George Washington projects that We The Builders took on in the past, this bust is more complicated in the fact that there will be a staggering 250 different pieces making up the completed puzzle. This means that there is an even better opportunity for a larger group of individuals to take part in this creation.
You may sign up to become a part of this project, quite literally, at the We The Builders website, where an assigned model will be provided. All sections of the print are due by June 4th, so you better hurry. For those wishing to print more than one piece, simply send your first piece in and you will be able to claim a second one. Worried about shipping costs? Well don’t! Tinkerine Studios will reimbursing some of the shipping costs for this project. Once the project is complete a form will be sent to the participants which can be mailed in for a reimbursement. So, let’s get started on the creation of Edgar Allan Print!
Let us know if you have taken part in this project in the Edgar Allan Print forum thread on 3DPB.com.
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