What are You Printing Now? Robert Nipper As active members in the 3D printing community, we are asked many questions about 3D printing in general, such as what the technology is capable of, and where it might be headed. The most common interaction, however, starts with the phrase “I was wondering…” The follow-up to that phrase is almost always a request to use the 3D printer to create something of use to the person asking the question. For example: are relief-carved, and not terribly complex, they are ideally suited to 3D printing. Dave took measurements of the existing rosettes and forwarded them to Steve, here in the Asheville, North Carolina offi ce. Steve then used Autodesk Inventor to design the new rosettes, and 3ds Max to compare and tweak the new digital versions using photos of the originals as a reference. “I was wondering if a 3D printer can make a new knob for my oven.” “I was wondering if you can 3D print a new handle for my trusty old…” “I was wondering if a 3D printer could print a convincing mask for Halloween.” As it turns out, the most recent person to start a conversation with this phrase was our good friend, Dave Micciche, from the CADLearning Corporate offi ce in Bedford, New Hampshire. Dave was wondering if we could 3D-print some decorative rosettes to match the existing door trim around the offi ce. He needed them because a new wall was constructed to create a new offi ce for our Business The existing rosettes in the Bedford offi ce are 4” Manager. Finding matching rosettes for the trim work around the door similar to the original style in square, and 1 ¼” tall. Four of them were needed to complete the project. You can see here that the the building was a real challenge. design is rather simple. It is just detailed enough So Dave asked, Can you print that? And we to be attractive, without being overly ornate or responded, Of course! Will you print them? We’ll be happy to! And that, my friends, is the answer to complex. the question, “What are you guys printing now?” A rosette is a small, square piece of decorative wood trim, found at the corners of some windows and doors. They have been in use for generations to dress up corners while eliminating the need for complicated miter cuts. Since most rosettes 3D printing each rosette will take about seven hours. This could have been reduced by using a lower infi ll setting, but that can sometimes lead to a less-than-ideal surface. One new feature of this print is the use of ‘helper’ discs. Using helper discs can eliminate the need www.cadlearning.com 27