In 2011, I purchased my first 3D printer at the Bay Area Maker Faire, a 3D Systems Rapman, and that began my love affair with 3D printing. I quickly began acquiring different 3D printers, such as:
- the Makerbot Replicator Dual,
- the Printrbot Simple Metal,
- the Cetus MK3,
- the Stacker 500 (a Kickstarter project)
- the Deltaprintr (another Kickstarter project),
- a couple of Monoprice Select Minis,
- a couple of Crealty Ender 3s,
- and a anycubic Photon S (my first step into resin printing)
However, then my attentions turned away from 3D printing to CNC cutting machines, such as routers and lasers, and I found myself doing less and less 3D printing. Then came along Bambu Labs’ X1-Carbon 3D printer, accompanied with its Automatic Material System (AMS), which allows for multi-color and multi-material prints. Its potential seemed only limited by my imagination.
I realized that I graduated from tinkering with 3D printers and the intricate process of printing to wanting a machine that would just print. The X1-Carbon looked to be that machine with:
- a polished user interface,
- remote online connectivity and monitoring,
- and AI detection tools to reduce print failures.
One of the greatest thing about technology, especially cutting edge technology like 3D printing, is its ability to captivate young minds.
As I soon as I began a print job, my son and nephews gathered in front of the printer, fascinated with the slow process of making, wondering and asking what was being made. Of course, I fuel that curiosity by showing them the online 3D model repositories, such as:
As they browsed those catalogs of 3D objects, their minds spun in their heads at the possibilities.
Hopefully, this 3D printer will present me an opportunity to connect to the younger ones in my life, to teach them that the world is open to their imaginations and creativity.
