Hello Snapmaker Community,

The post Giving Thanks to Snapmaker Amazing StarMakers! appeared first on | Blog.

Hello Snapmaker Community,

The Top StarMakers will receive a $200 coupon, and all StarMakers will receive a $100 coupon.

Additionally, some StarMakers will be awarded the “Group Expert” badge in the community to highlight their expertise and leadership.

The post Giving Thanks to Snapmaker Amazing StarMakers! appeared first on | Blog.

Project: Custom Wedding Invitation Stamp

Designed and Created By: John Abraham

John’s Platform: Mellowpine CNC and Lasers

John’s YouTube Channel: Mellowpine Lasers

3D Printer: Snapmaker 2.0

Software used:

Adobe Illustrator (Rubber Stamp Design)

SketchUp (Handle 3D Model)

Snapmaker Luban

Materials:

Rubber Sheet

Pine

White PLA Filament

Glue

Acrylic Paint

Envelopes

Laser Engraving Settings:

100% Power

75 mm/min Speed

Line Filled Engraving

Line Spacing 0.1 mm

3D Printer Settings:

Normal Quality Preset

Layer Resolution 0.16 mm

Hi makers,

I recently got my hands on the Snapmaker 2.0 3-in-1 machine, and I was wondering about making something that can be used as a business idea.

My eyes fell upon an invitation card left by my friend for their wedding. That’s when it occurred to me why not make customized wedding stamps? They make your invitations look better, and it is a good project for the Snapmaker machine.

I decided I’ll 3D print the handle, use a piece of wood as the base, and laser engrave a rubber sheet for the actual stamp.

For my first try, I thought it would be better to make a plain base. You can also use the CNC module to carve some design onto the base.

After a few tests and tweaks, I finally had a good product. I will explain each step in detail to show you how I made it.

The design files are linked at the end of this article.

We play around with lasers and CNC at Mellowpine.

3D Printing the Handle

I made a simple handle design using SketchUp software and saved it as an STL file. Once the STL file was ready, I imported it onto Snapmaker Luban software for 3D printing.

You can use wood PLA or any other PLA based on what kind of look you prefer. I had some white PLA left over from a previous project, so I chose a black-and-white color scheme.

The normal quality preset on the Snapmaker Luban software gives you a good-quality finish. It has a layer height of 0.16 mm. You can try the high-quality preset if you want a smoother finish.

It took about an hour to 3D print the handle, and I printed out several of these while working on the rubber stamp design.

Preparing the Design

I used LightBurn for running the operations and Illustrator for making the designs. While making the designs for rubber stamps, you should keep a few things in mind. The size of all parts of the design should be thick enough to provide good structural stability. If any portion of the design is too thin, it will tear or burn up when engraving. Another thing you need to do is to invert the image so that the parts you need on your stamp are white and everything else is black. You should also make sure the area around the design is black.

You should also flip the image horizontally to ensure it looks right when stamping it. I wasted a couple of pieces because I forgot to flip the design.

Laser Engraving the Rubber Stamp Heads

I used a plain rubber sheet I found in a local store for the stamp head. You can get these rubber sheets from Amazon or local stores.

Rubber is a soft material and burns when laser engraved, so you should engrave it at low power and high speeds with multiple passes if you need more depth.

Laser engraving rubber produces smoke, and you should make sure to arrange good ventilation when laser engraving rubber.

Before engraving the rubber sheet, clean it with a wet rag or use alcohol.

On the 1.6 W laser module on Snapmaker 2.0, which is the one you get with the machine, I engraved the sheet at 100% power and 75 mm/min speed. It took me around 3 hours to engrave a 40 x 40 mm design. The depth was sufficient even at 1 pass. If you need more depth or if the edges are not perfect, you can try increasing the speed and number of passes.

If you get the 10W module, you can engrave at around 1200 mm/min, which means you can do the same job in about 15 minutes. If the edges you get are burnt, you can reduce the power and increase the speed.

After the engraving, you will have to remove the burnt rubber from the sheet. I used a stiff brush to do it. You can also use an old toothbrush if you do not have one. Make sure you’ve cleaned it well and cut out the design from the sheet using a scissor or blade.

Making the Base

As I did, you can include the base in your 3D print design or make one out of wood. I had a 6mm thick pine board, so I made the base out of pine and painted it in the color I liked.

Putting it all together

Once everything was ready, I used some glue to put them all together.

Overall, the project turned out to be really good and easy. It is a good idea to make a side income without much effort if you have a machine like the 3-in-1 3D printer.

The post StarMaker | Custom Wedding Invitation Stamp appeared first on | Blog.

Project: Moving Neon with my logo

Designed and created by: Mariusz Dragan

URL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVX4GK2Rfw_kAGsTiBKFW8Q

3D printer: Snapmaker F350 + CNC module

Software: Inkscape, Tinkercad, Fusion 360, Luban, Cura

Hi Makers,

I present to you my project, made with the use of a 3D printer and CNC module with Snapmaker F350. I named this one – The Mechaneon.

The whole story begins in late 2021. A good friend introduced me to Snapmaker. I decided to use this tool to attempt printing the first three-dimensional projects in my life. I started with small elements like earrings and plates. The first bigger project consisting of several parts was a hanging logo design for my fiancée.

After it was finished, I decided that I was ready to start implementing the idea of a mechanical neon with my logo. The main inspiration was planetary gear. I create double helical gears in Fusion 360 using an addon named Shivel Planetary Gear Maker. This shape of the teeth prevents them from slipping and allows for quieter operation.

Piece by piece, I designed parts of the mechanism. For design, I use free software – my favorite vector app – Inkscape, Tinkercad, and Fusion 360 – home license.

Then I started to make the design into reality.

Most of the parts were printed by PET-G, the most exposed to a load of ASA filament. After some time, I discovered the possibility of changing the color of the filament during printing using Cura. It was a key discovery that amplified my creativity even further.

The design also included bearings, a lot of screws, threads melted into the plastic, a few pipes, and some cables. The Neon LED part is over 5 meters long. I closed the mechanism in a case consisting of … two baking molds. There are four plates around the mechanism. They can be easily replaced with others. I used epoxy resin to fill the letters.

Another element of the design that I got to know (using the child’s curiosity about the world, that I mentioned at the beginning) was the stepper motor driving the planetary gear. There were a lot of glitches along the way to the current sound and work culture of the mechanism. Fortunately, the problems were solved. Practice is the best tutor.

When I finished the neon, I missed the cover for power supplies, the stepper motor driver, and the Arduino. I was thinking about how to do it, however, I did not want to print it all. In the meantime, I bought a CNC module for my Snapmaker. In the end, I found a solution, in my fiancée’s office … She parted with it, without much hesitation. The basis of my power supply and switches housing is…. a tissue box.

For this part of the project, I mainly utilized the CNC. I cut out the vents, and made the plexiglass posts for screwing the individual elements. I was very satisfied with the milling of 10mm Plexiglas parts for mounting the switches. It fits perfectly into the existing opening in the box. The case is connected to the neon light via the MIDI socket. At the very end, I put a fan with a speed controller regulated by the temperature. The whole thing can be hung on the wall. It allows you to turn on/off and adjust the brightness of the neon, as well as turn on and off the stepper motor.

The next step of this design is to make it waterproof. I have done some of the work during the assembly process. I will finish it soon and put it outside.

Let’s see the final:

If someone had told me six months ago that I would build such a structure myself, I would not believe it. Today I am proud to present it on the exhibition site of my photo studio. The satisfaction is huge – the neon is eye-catching and it looks just like I imagined. Self-made, combining computer design, 3D printing, and CNC milling with manual work. Looking at it, I take great pride in my creation, and I’m eager to further experiment and create!

Check out a full video on my youtube channel:

The post StarMaker | Mechanical Neon of My Company appeared first on | Blog.

Project: The Windmill and Grassland

Printed by: Aki

3D Printer: Snapmaker 2.0 A250T

Software: Fusion 360,Snapmaker Luban

Materials:

・PLA Filament (7 colors)

・Aquarium Soil

・Aquatic plants(6 types)

Living things:

・Tropical Fish(2 types)

・Shrimp

Equipments:

・Water tank(25cm glass cube)

・LED(For growing water plants)

・Filter(For water quality improvement)

・Water Pump(For rotating wingsof the windmill)

・Heater(Option,For water temperature heating)

Hi Makers,

I’m Aki, an engineer from Japan. This is my entry work for the 9th Snapmaking Contest ”Revive In Spring”.

I really wanted a 10W Laser Module (winning prize), so I challenged myself to enter this contest and won a prize.

I have been doing aquariums for over 10 years and It’s my strong point. When I knew that the contest was about plants, I immediately decided to use aquatic plants as my key idea. I then came up with several ideas to represent spring with aquatic plants.

The first idea was to create a Japanese castle and cherry blossoms in the water tank to recreate ‘Hanami’. ‘Hanami’ is the Japanese culture of drinking and eating while viewing cherry blossoms in the spring, and in my area, it is popular to do so under a castle.

However, this idea would have required a complex structure, which would have been difficult for my design skills. And there are a few water plants to represent small pink flowers.

So I wanted to make it simpler and smaller, but more dynamic and fresh. I chose a windmill with moving parts made by the 3D printer and a green grassland that was matched by the revival of spring.

In addition,I also added small colorful shrimp and tropical fish that match the spring grassland. The shrimp eat moss and help maintain the aquatic plants.

I wanted to show the movement of the windmill and the activity of the creatures, so I entered the contest with a video.If you would like to see it, please visit the contest result page.

Notes:

• The effect of PLA materials on water quality is minimal, but I do not guarantee that all manufacturers’ materials are healthy. Please know the risk.
• Some filaments may lose their color over time in the water.
• It is not that difficult to keep tropical fish and shrimp or grow aquatic plants, but if you are a beginner, it’s recommended that you research how to grow them beforehand.Although a heater does not appear in this work, it is necessary to warm the water temperature during the cold season. (e.g. tropical fish:20℃<, shrimp:10℃<) Aquatic plants grow better with dedicated LED and CO2addition.

The Making process:

1. Think about the general structure and functions you want to include.
2. Design each part taking into account dimensions and shape.
3. Prototype each component and test if functionality can be achieved.
4. Combine each componentand set up the aquarium.

2-3 process are now much more efficient and easier than in the past, thanks to free modeling software and 3D printers like Snapmaker. I recommend that you make minor modifications over several iterations without thinking too hard.

1 Structure and Functions

For the windmill, I provided the function of rotating blades and a structure to hide the filter for a better appearance.

As for the grassland, the back of the tank is higher, and creates a foundation and steps as an accent to enhance the windmill.In addition, the rotation of the blades can be remotely controlled by a switch from an iPad. This is done by using Apple Homekit compatible power strip.

First, draw a picture of what you want to make. You can draw by hand or use painting software. I often use Microsoft PowerPointbecause I’m a terrible painter.

2 Design dimensions and Shape

Once conceptualized, the design process begins. Measure the shape and size of each part and design them in software. In order to rotate the windmill blades slowly, I useda stream of water to turn them. All the parts are laid out, and the 3D models show how it will look when completed.

3 Prototype and test

This is where Snapmaker comes in.Even if the entire process of 2 is not completed, print and test each part and adjust the model repeatedly to make each part better.

In particular, moving parts and filter inlet were implemented individually until they work well.

4 Set up the aquarium

After the parts are completed, they are assembled into the aquarium. All PLA objects float on water, so require a weight to be placed inside.I used some flat stones and the space for them should be taken into account when designing.

After assembly is complete, lay out the soil and plant the aquatic plants, when that’s done, fill with water and activate LEDs and filter. Aquatic plants can be bought at a tropical fish store. I had an idea of the type of water plants to usebeforehand, but when I was looking at the items at the store, I remembered my originalconcept of cherry blossoms and decided to add a few reddish water plants as well. This idea also turned out to be a nice accent.

Immediately after the water is added, it is muddy and the water quality is not stable, so wait a few days before adding living creatures. The time it takes for the water to stabilize will vary depending on the water used, so please refer to the information on tropical fish keeping in your area.

When the water becomes clear, add shrimp and fish. Regular cleaning of the glass surface and water changes will keep it in good condition.

Afterword:

At the time of this writing, more than 1 month has passed since the contest, the water plants have grown even more and It’s time to trim each plant. The shrimp have embraced eggs and the fish were healthy.

In aquariums, the emphasis is usually on how to represent nature. However, 3D printers can create architecture with high definition, creating new possibilities for the expression of artificial landscapes.

In the future, new works may appear in the aquarium community as well.

The post StarMaker | An Aquariums with Windmill and Grassland appeared first on | Blog.

Project: Custom-made Mother’s Day Gift

Designed and created by: Mike Dyer

Mike’s platform: MD Creative Works

3D printer: Snapmaker 2.0 A350 with 1600mW Laser Module

Photo Edit Program: Photoshop; Gimp

Materials:

• Black Walnut (406 x 330 x 44 mm)
• Odie’s oil

Laser Engraving Settings：

• 100% Laser Power 
• Work speeds most set to about 500
• Vector setting except the flag is grayscale
• Manually focus, go down until it lightly touches the surface, and then bring it back up 4mm on the Z-axis

Hello Fellow Makers,

I’m Mike. A customer came to me with a picture of a sign. They wanted to make it into a wooden plaque for Mother’s Day. The final product turned out beautiful, and I’m pretty proud of this work. All the work was realized by using the 1.6W Laser Module on my Snapmaker 2.0 – making it a remarkable example of the type of things you can create using this module.

So, here I will lay out the process that I took to create this using my Snapmaker machine.

First, I had to select a piece of material to do the laser engraving. I decided to cut off a chunk of black walnut out of an available piece. Once I had the canvas picked out for my project, I think I made a mock-up of what the project could look like for the customer’s approval and a guideline for myself to reference what I wanted the outcome to be. I did this by superimposing the original photo the customer sent onto the piece I had chosen; using a program such as Photoshop or Gimp would be the free option.

This project was a bit bigger than the bed of the machine, and some elements needed different settings. Therefore, I needed to set up multiple laser jobs to complete the project. Each element had to be separated and prepped before I could start the etching job. I used the large title from the original sign, but the smaller text was all retyped so that the result would be clear. I was also able to use the exact graphic of the soldier from the original picture and found an American flag graphic that was suitable online. The flag graphic was made slightly transparent and faded out on the edges so that there would be no hard lines. It is just the backdrop of the project, so I didn’t want anything that would particularly stand out.

Once all graphics were ready to go and I had my wood sanded to a smooth finish, I had to etch each element into the wood one at a time while moving the wood on the bed for the text on the sides. It is VERY important to note that you must adjust the origin before starting the next job when you move the thing you are lasering on. It would help if you made a reference spot for your work origin with a pencil before you begin and ensure that your project is perfectly parallel with the bed before starting the next steps. Any mistakes could mean resanding down the entire thing and starting over.

Each file was set up using Luban and ran one at a time. It’s best if you can run your files on a sample piece to ensure you have the desired effect before moving on to the actual project. A sample of the same material that you are using is best to see the result.

From the initial concept to the final result, I made the project look exactly like I had hoped, and I was pretty impressed with the result. It became a project I was very proud of, and I was happy that my client could give his mother such a fantastic gift. It remains an excellent example of what can be realized with just a block of wood and your Snapmaker.

The post StarMaker | Custom-made Mother’s Day Gift with Laser Engraving appeared first on | Blog.

Project: Cat chilling on a wool ball
Designed and printed by: Benjamin Schmid

Benjamin’s Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DreamRefuge

Software used for the Design: ZBrush
3D printer: Snapmaker 2.0 A350

Supplies:
Eryone PLA+ Black
Eryone PLA+ White
Rambery Silk PinkGiantarm
TopZeal  PLA Transparent-Green
Noulei PLA Silk Red
Silicone Glue

Total number of 3D printed parts: 25

Hello fellow Makers,

I’m Benjamin from Germany. I’m a quality assurance technician in an investment casting company at work. I have also operated since ten years two industrial wax printers from Solidscape for prototypes, so 3D printing is not something new for me. Privately I use Zbrush to design segmented figures for assembling and print those parts with the Snapmaker. I do this primarily for personal projects.

Since childhood, I have been a creative person who likes drawing stuff, modeling things with polymer clay, inventing board games. Then my first PC came to me, and my most used software became the Corel Graphic-Suite ( back in 1992, there even was a VHS-Tutorial Video for it :-o). I made many fractals with Ultrafractal and Xenodream, fantasy art with Poser and Vue d’Esprit, company logos, and advertising brochures for acquaintances with a mix of all those programs.

In 2007 I bought ZBrush and I wasn’t very comfortable with it in the beginning since the UI was and is rather.. well.. different. Over the years it lived quite through a massive evolution regarding freedom of digital sculpting with less and less worrying about the correct work order and technical limitations. Eventually it became one of my favorite programs. And with the Snapmaker I’m now able to transform those digital dreams into physical gifts.

The Snapmaker is my first private printer, and it appealed to me because of its versatility with the additional laser and milling head. I use the print feature now, but what do I know what other creative ideas will emerge over time. My projects are seldom planned out much beforehand.

If I need some inspiration, I often ask a friend or acquaintance for their favorite color and/or animal, and I design something with this basic information, just for the sake of it. I find the greatest joy in making something for other people, which awakens positive feelings in them. A few told me that looking at my printed gifts made their days a bit brighter. Hearing such words is really the best thing. Mostly I have a loose concept in mind, and it fleshes out while I’m modeling. Sculpting unexpected things often makes me explore new tools and features of ZBrush.

I just had preset the color pink and the animal cat for this project.

Surprisingly the wool ball was the easiest part of this project. I used the curve and array features of ZBrush. I made a ring with a curve in the form of a twisted rope. I then multiplied this with the array function and changed the scale and rotation of the iterations.

The cat was born out of ZSpheres ( a simple method to draft the general form and pose ).

As soon as I was happy with the overall form, a mesh was generated from the draft, and I started sculpting.

After forming a rough form, the first things to do are a few facial features. It’s an enormous guidance for the overall feel of the sculpture.

When the overall form was as good as finished ( details still missing ), I decided to cut the model for the different parts. I mask areas which can then be extracted as a new mesh. I then duplicated those new meshes and inflated them a small amount. Now I heavily use the Live Boolean functions to cut away those inflated meshes from the original model. So I get the cavities I need for the separated parts to fit in. I estimated the amount I inflated those meshes based on experience. Making segmented objects out of different filaments instead of painting them is a personal challenge.

The parts of the model then continued to be detailed until I was pleased with them.

Here are all parts of the project separated from each other.

The Live Boolean feature is a great help in ZBrush, which finds overlapping parts and faulty connections. You can subtract volumes from each other, move and scale those subtractions and see the results in real-time.

For the fitting between the cat and the wool ball, I used an inflated copy of the cat model for subtraction. The wool ball was then hollowed out with a scaled-down and smoothed copy of itself.

The printing of the parts was relatively effortless; just for a few of the more tricky parts, I’m still looking for the perfect print orientation.

Some parts were then glued together, whereas a few parts are fit and held without glue, like the eyes ( lucky guess regarding the fitting ).

The finished cat snaps on the wool ball, so no glue is needed for this final connection. I hope it was an interesting read, and I wish us all many years of making loveable things with our Snapmaker. Love and Peace.

Benjamin

About StarMaker Program

StarMaker Program is a series of long-term plans aiming at stimulating the communication within our community as well as the connection between users and the Snapmaker team. Leading users who contribute to skills teaching, inspiration sharing, product feedback and community maintenance will be awarded star honor and other rewards.

Previous Works

• StarMaker | Turning Wood into Art with Your Ideas
• StarMaker | My Miniature Dreams. A Bed for Royalty
• StarMaker | 3D Printing Allowed Creation for My Channel
• StarMaker | A Jump Rope Prosthetic for My Dear Niece
• StarMaker | Fusing Traditional Ceramic Processes with Modern Making Methods
• StarMaker | SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule Model Build | Snapmaker

The post StarMaker | Transform Digital Dreams Into Physical Gifts Through 3D Printing appeared first on | Blog.

Collaged and machined by: Eugene Fedorov (https://www.facebook.com/eugene.fedorov)

CNC instrument: Snapmaker 2.0 A250 in the Enclosure

Dimensions: 150x192x17 mm

Supplies and Tools:

1. Pine wood board, 8”x7”x3/4”    x1
2. STL files with 3D elements for the Collage (from free and paid sources)
3. LLPT Double-Sided Tape for Woodworking
4. ¼” ER11 Collar       x1
5. SpeTool Carbide Flat End Mill Upcut  ¼” (6.35 mm) diameter     x1
6. SpeTool Carbide Tapered Ball End Mill R0.5mm         x1
7. SpeTool Carbide Tapered Ball End Mill R0.25mm         x1
8. MinWax Wood Finish Penetrating Stain Red Chestnut 232
9. MinWax Wood Finish Penetrating Stain Natural 209
10. Dremel 4000 rotary electric hand tool or analog
11. Horsehair brush 1” wheel for Dremel
12. Cotton 1” polishing wheel for Dremel
13. Medium sandpaper

Software:

1. Blender
2. Fusion 360 (hobby licence)
3. Snapmaker Luban

Total machining time: Approximately 12 hours

Total number of CNC paths: 4

Being laid off before retirement makes thinking of transforming a hobby into a source of revenue, since getting a new job looks not straightforward. That was the idea behind starting a Halloween collection of wooden bas-reliefs to test the market and the potential to sell such crafts created with Snapmaker. Meanwhile, I got hired again, so the urgency to sell is not here anymore, unless I decide to retire soon…

Looking for ready-to-cut STL models that would fit into Halloween aesthetics on free and commercial sites, I noticed that they are rather scarce. Overall, I could locate and buy few of them on eBay. Obviously, I have cut those bas-reliefs first, after adding frames to most of them in Blender:

Machining was done using the same Fusion 360 workflow as described a bit further.

During my research for those STL models, I noticed that different skulls, skeletons, pumpkins, bats, spiders and witches are also available as STL models, so I got an idea to create my own design compiling those elements into a single collaged bas-relief.

This was done in Blender by thoroughly scaling, rotating and aligning individual objects on a common working surface.

Overall, 27 different objects (including rough terrain and elements of the frame) are included in this design. Some were purchased, some found in free STL collections, other, like stones, were designed in Blender itself. That was the most laborious part of the whole project.

Then the final design was exported in STL format, thus started the manufacturing itself.

The workflow, already fine-tuned with previous models, consisted of following four CNC paths, calculated in Fusion 360:

1. 3D Pocket path (to remove major part of the stock):
   1. ¼” Flat End Mill bit
   1. 750 mm/min (to be reduced to 400 mm/min or less on hardwood, can be increased up to 1500 mm/min on rigid polyurethane foam)
   1. 1mm step down (to be reduced to 0.5mm on hardwood)
   1. 0.5mm stock to leave (radial and axial)
2. Parallel path (to render the relief):
   1. R0.5mm Tapered Ball End Mill bit
   1. 600 mm/min (to be reduced to 400 mm/min or less on hardwood, can be increased up to 900 mm/min on rigid polyurethane foam)
   1. 0.15mm stepover
   1. Direction perpendicular to wood grain (very important!)
3. Pencil path (to accentuate the fine details):
   1. R0.25mm Tapered Ball End Mill bit
   1. 400 mm/min
4. 3D Contour path (to cut the relief out of the stock board):
   1. ¼” Flat End Mill bit
   1. 400 mm/min (to be reduced to 300 mm/min or less on hardwood)

To simplify tool changing and zeroing (as explained by Rodney Shank in his tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfqBKqzxl44 ), the stock in Fusion 360 was defined in a way that its X dimension was 15-20mm larger than the real stock board. This way it was easy to choose a virtual stock point residing always on the surface of the wasteboard as the Snapmaker instrument zero point:

The stock board was fixed on the wasteboard using a special double-sided tape for woodworking. This way there is no potential interference from fixtures, and all the surface of the stock can be machined. Yet, care should be taken to minimize eventual sliding of the stock board.

The transfer of CNC paths to Snapmaker was performed via WiFi using Luban software:

Once the machining completed, the sides of the relief were slightly sanded, and the relief itself was cleared from wood debris using Dremel rotative tool with a horsehair wheel (for hardwood, use thin steel wire wheel).

There are different options for finish, this bas-relief was treated with a mixture of Red Chestnut and Natural oil-based (1:5) penetrating stains and wiped after 15 minutes (according to the manufacturer’s instructions). The second layer was applied the same way 24 hrs later with Natural stain alone. After drying the second layer (24 hrs at least), the relief was polished with Dremel (cotton polishing wheel).

In short, to obtain best results, it is important to start with dry aged wood and sharp bits. Everything else will be handled by Snapmaker!

DISCLAIMER

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Snapmaker, and the mentioned sites/links are not related to Snapmaker.

About StarMaker Program

StarMaker Program is a series of long-term plans aiming at stimulating the communication within our community as well as the connection between users and the Snapmaker team. Leading users who contribute to skills teaching, inspiration sharing, product feedback and community maintenance will be awarded star honor and other rewards.

Previous Works

• StarMaker | Turning Wood into Art with Your Ideas
• StarMaker | My Miniature Dreams. A Bed for Royalty
• StarMaker | 3D Printing Allowed Creation for My Channel
• StarMaker | A Jump Rope Prosthetic for My Dear Niece
• StarMaker | Fusing Traditional Ceramic Processes with Modern Making Methods
• StarMaker | SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule Model Build | Snapmaker

The post StarMaker | Halloween CNC Bas-Relief Collage | Not as creepy as it may look appeared first on | Blog.

I’m a 44yo IT manager living in New Caledonia.

For years I’ve been watching videos and tutorials on the internet about DIY projects of any kind, mostly 3D printing and CNC works because the processes are quite hypnotizing.

A year ago, I discovered the Snapmaker and realized that all these theories could become more than theories without having to move for a bigger flat. I don’t have room to dedicate to craft-making. I read everything I could find about the Snapmaker and 6 months later the A350 was on my doorstep. So… besides the bench, I’ve printed a lot of useful things like the cyclone for my soundproof enclosure with an integrated vacuum. I was ready for CNC!

After spending some nights on my CAD program and watching many tutorials, I became familiar with terms like “overstep” or “tapered ball-end milling bit” (yes). I had a great result with the fairy work.

Model: Download free OBJ file Fairy • 3D print object ・ Cults (cults3d.com)

Wood: Araucaria

Size : 24x19x3cm

Pass 1 – Roughing :

• Path: 3D pocket clearing: 1mm deep
• Tool: Cleaning bottom engraving router bit (10mm large; shank: ¼)

Pass 2 – Finishing

• Path: 3D Parallel
• Tool: Tapered Ball Nose End Mill (0,5mm radius; shank: ¼)

Total: 37 hours

It was a first and my paths were not tuned so the carving was very long but really fascinating to watch, it works so well!

My next project was Nefertiti which is a statue that I love. It’s a combination of a beautiful STL from Scan the World, the open-source museum, and a vector carving for the hieroglyph. The result is amazing and has found a good place in my living room.

Model:  3D Printable Bust of Nefertiti at the Neues Museum, Berlin by Scan The World (myminifactory.com)

Wood: Durian

Size : 34x24x4cm

Pass 1 – Roughing :

• Path: 3D pocket clearing: 1mm deep
• Tool: Cleaning bottom engraving router bit (10mm large; shank: ¼)

Pass 2 – Finishing

• Path: 3D Parallel
• Tool: Tapered Ball Nose End Mill (0,5mm radius; shank: ¼)

Total: 40 hours

Then I wanted to push the organic feeling of the shape and found the perfect model: The old man. At the proper hour, when the sun goes down and the shadows appear, he looks at you right in the eyes.

Model :  Télécharger fichier STL gratuit Saint Pierre • Design à imprimer en 3D ・ Cults (cults3d.com)

Wood: Mahogany

Size : 34x24x4cm

Pass 1 – Roughing :

• Path: 3D pocket clearing: 1mm deep
• Tool: Cleaning bottom engraving router bit (10mm large; shank: ¼)

Pass 2 – Finishing

• Path: 3D Parallel
• Tool: Tapered Ball Nose End Mill (0,5mm radius; shank: ¼)

Total: 35 hours

Now I am thinking about what will be next. So many projects come to my mind!

About StarMaker Program

StarMaker Program is a series of long-term plans aiming at stimulating the communication within our community as well as the connection between users and the Snapmaker team. Leading users who contribute to skills teaching, inspiration sharing, product feedback and community maintenance will be awarded star honor and other rewards. Join now!

Previous Works

• StarMaker | My Miniature Dreams. A Bed for Royalty
• StarMaker | 3D Printing Allowed Creation for My Channel
• StarMaker | A Jump Rope Prosthetic for My Dear Niece
• StarMaker | Fusing Traditional Ceramic Processes with Modern Making Methods
• StarMaker | SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule Model Build | Snapmaker

The post StarMaker | Turning Wood into Art with Your Ideas appeared first on | Blog.

Hi, my name is Isabel Leal, and I am a Miniaturist Artist.

We are @guiltyminiatures and this is my assistant.

I have been doing miniatures for 3 years now. I am not good at all with technology so for me to get the Snapmaker was a big step. I needed to learn software but after that everything became easier.

At the moment I am using just the laser cutting function. All the miniatures you see on the pictures are cut by the Snapmaker.

How do I get the work done? I design my idea in the Adobe illustrator and save it in a SVG file and upload it to Luban and convert to GCode.

I prefer to copy the file to the USB stick.

Made by: Isabel Leal (Instagram: @guiltyminiatures)

Scale: 1/12

Laser cutting module: Snapmaker 2.0 A250

Software: Adobe Illustrator and Luban

Supplies:

• 3mm Birchwood
• 1.5mm Birchwood

Cutting time: 10 hours to cut all parts

Total number of lasers cut parts: depends on design

Printer settings: 

• Jog speed: 1500mm/min
• Work speed: 120mm/min
• Passes: 4
• Thickness 3mm/1.5mm

Now I cannot live without the Snapmaker. Before I used to draw the pieces of the miniature on the wood and cut it with a Scroll Saw and after spending hours sanding every piece of wood to perfection, I would glue the parts. Later, I will paint and decorate the miniature.

To complete a project could take me a full 3 days before the Snapmaker.

Now it is AMAZING!!!

I design the idea, put it on the USB and the Snapmaker does the hard work for me. I don’t even need to sand any part.

To cut all the parts can take few sessions and a couple of days depending on the complexity of the design, but I don’t need to be there I can be doing something else.

For me I want to inspire the new generation into the Miniature world and to be able to combine that with affordable technology is amazing.

I am not young I am close to 50 so to be able to develop my skills using modern technology and preserving the beauty of designing Miniatures is the best Art I could recommend.

All the Minis you see have been cut by the Snapmaker.

About StarMaker Program

StarMaker Program is a series of long-term plans aiming at stimulating the communication within our community as well as the connection between users and the Snapmaker team. Leading users who contribute to skills teaching, inspiration sharing, product feedback and community maintenance will be awarded star honor and other rewards. Join now!

Previous Works

• StarMaker | 3D Printing Allowed Creation for My Channel
• StarMaker | A Jump Rope Prosthetic for My Dear Niece
• StarMaker | Fusing Traditional Ceramic Processes with Modern Making Methods
• StarMaker | SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule Model Build | Snapmaker

The post StarMaker | My Miniature Dreams. A Bed for Royalty. appeared first on | Blog.