Toronto Public Library has 3d printing for a very reasonable price. So innovative!
esterday I attended a course at the Toronto Public Library (TPL) called Introduction to 3D Design. The topic is broad, so we did not cover much in the 1.5 hour class. Still, it was a good introduction, enough to get me going on research on the topic.
The TPL has created Digital Innovation Hubs within their libraries, one of which is near my house. These are special rooms within the library that house specialized computers, 3d printers, Arduino units and much more. I was especially interested in the 3D Design & Printing. There are 2 classes to take, one of which I did yesterday, and another which I am booked in late August.
Once you find the course you want you can book online. The TPL uses Eventbright. They send you an event ticket, which has a bar code and a QR code. You print this and take it to your class.
These special Hubs allow me to digitally design and manipulate my objects at home, on my own computer, and then return to the library to print a prototype. The 3d printers are expensive, around $2,500 and the plastic coils are also expensive at $70/each colour. This adds up, especially if you only print very rarely. By going to the library I am able to experiment with the technology in an inexpensive way. I use my own computer, download open source software and have at it.
Before I can print I need to take the 3d Printing Certification course, only 1 hour long.
My Intro to 3d Design class quickly covered Fusion 360, Sculptris, openSCAD and Sketchup. We did a simple 3d coffee cup in Fusion 360. All these programs are quite detailed so there was no in-depth learning, but you get an introduction as to what they are good at and how they work. All the packages can be downloaded and used with a free and renewable license. openSCAD is open source, with a GPL license and free to use.
My local library has 2 larger 3d printers and one tiny one, as well as about 8 Macs, and one other nondescript desktop. It is all good, but expensive. Printing only costs you $1/session and $0.06/minute with a 2 hr limit. That means the max cost is $7-8CAD.
I find the TPL quite innovative to think in this way. I can also “borrow” musical instruments, just like books and DVDs. I am looking forward to learning the technology and creating new objects.
