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Makercoins!

Hey guys, firstly an update on the printer...

I reached out to Cetus customer support and as usual they were quick to reply and after a brief back and forth they have agreed to ship me a new extruder cable and heater module.

It is so refreshing to have great customer service from a company, especially with the common belief that Chinese companies aren't as good as western ones in this regard.

On that note I'd just like to say that I also have a Chinese phone (Oneplus 3T) and it has been better than any other smart phone I have had previously, including Samsung and my work iPhone.

So I'd like to thank Jason and Cecilia from Cetus/Tiertime for all their help!

Anyway.

This week, as I'm still without a printer, I thought I would talk a bit about maker coins, what they are and why people have them.


So why should you create your own?  First off creating your own makercoin from scratch is a great way to learn modelling programs.  It can be as simple or as complex as you like and will allow you to learn some basic (or advanced) modelling techniques.

I mainly use mine to quickly test settings and new materials.  At a slightly smaller scale, my little Cetus can throw out a coin in 35 minutes allowing me to have a physical record of material and settings tests.


A nice makercoin can also be used a kind of calling card.  They are a fun little item to show people when talking about 3D printing which doesn't take long to print, doesn't take up a lot of room and will probably be something most people haven't seen before.

A few things to consider when designing your coin;
  • Give it some interesting geometry
    • Holes
    • Thin walls
    • Overhangs
    • Curved surfaces
    • Sharp edges and corners
    • Flat surfaces
  • Don't make it too big
  • Test out some modelling tools you haven't used before
  • Have fun designing and always follow 'the rule of cool'!

So guys, go and design your own coins, make them wacky and interesting and give them to your friends and colleagues to spread the interest in 3D printing!

I'll see you all next week.

Troez.


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