| 3D Print Start Point: Recent Episodes
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How to Know If Digital Manufacturing Is Right for Your Application Wondering if 3D printing could help your business grow and be more profitable?3D design and printing has changed product design, development, manufacturing, and retail distribution. It is now considered an important integral part of a sustainable supply chain and business operation. But before […]
The greatest opportunities tend to come with a cost, and in moments of great disruption, you can either invest in them or let the times steer you away from the opportunities to be gained. Tom Hazzard and Tracy Hazzard took that massive leap of faith with 3D printing. Now, they are reaping the rewards […]
Color, pattern, and surface textures are the first things we react to when evaluating a product. For consumers to connect to 3D print products, 3D print textures need to be carefully considered and created as a part of the design process. This has been a challenging part of the 3D design process. Fresh from […]
With fast industry growth of 3D print products and expansion in the 3D manufacturing sector, 3D printers are moving from makers to business owners. 3D printers are putting us back in a mindset to manufacture and make, causing a shift that reaches out to the need for more personalization and mass customization. In this […]
3D design demands continuous learning, which is best acquired through experience. For Tom Hazzard and Tracy Hazzard, the thousands of hours they spent on designing 3D prints have led to more than a few lessons learned about how to best create 3D printed products. The order of the design process is essential for the […]
Change is constant, no matter what market you are in. However, with the current happenings in the world, the changes in the 3D printing industry have become even more accelerated than before. As such, finding 3D printing jobs and getting hired pose new challenges for many people out there who are looking to get […]
As we transition to distance learning around the world, teachers are struggling with how to teach innovatively every day in their classroom and in their school district. With the COVID-19 pandemic going on, this is becoming an even more important issue to tackle because of the technology challenges to consider. On today’s show, Cindi […]
Critical thinking is an important aspect of moving science and technology forward – and it is best taught through arts and humanities. 3D education in schools takes a step forward in this direction as it brings the arts back into the curriculum. Putting 3D printers in schools stimulates out-of-the-box thinking among the students by […]
Despite the fact that girls are enrolling in engineering and industrial design courses in greater numbers, the gender gap in these professions is still a palpable reality. Girls STEAM education aims to add excitement to STEM learning by adding the element of creativity to encourage more girls to see engineering and industrial design as […]
The word “sustainability” is even more important in a post-COVID-19 world, especially as it pertains to finding ways to supply, manufacture, and transport more efficiently in order to make a positive impact on the world’s carbon footprint. One of the most significant talking points in this discourse is the practice of 3D Print Sustainability, […]
Since it first took off, the 3D printing industry has reached a certain level of maturity, and the WTFFF 3D Print Podcast has been there since 2015 to document its development. After airing well over 500 episodes since it started, Tom and Tracy Hazzard finally wrap up Volume 3 of the podcast to make […]
After waiting to disclose, Tom shares a 3D printing project that he has completed for Amazon – the 3D Printed Echo Dot Holder Project. As a great real-world 3D product example, Tom takes us into the entire process of how the project came to be which involved rapid design and production. Amazon reached out […]
After some time where things took a downturn, 2019 saw a resurgence of 3D printing. Tom recaps his trip to the CES 2019 and lets you in on the cool things to see this year. He talks about the advances in 3D scanning, 3D printing, as well as new applications and capabilities. Reflecting on where […]
Former guest and STEM mentor Brian Bobbitt gives an update on the STEM education curriculum program and 3D printing. He shares his insights on the new generation of students and their capacity to pick up software and projects a lot faster. Complimenting his journey as an educator, he brings one of his students, Jacob […]
According to a recent report by Microsoft, girls and young women remain less likely to pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math; in short, STEM. In that regard, the lack of representation of women in STEM-related careers continues to grow as an area of focus. Mary Hadley from MakerGirl talks about their […]
There are several markets now that are very viable for 3D printing, and that’s what Steve Crimi, CEO of Goldsol, Inc., is looking at right now. Steve, along with his business partner and wife, Brenda, sells lots of different products on Amazon in particular. He has spent his lifetime owning and operating successful businesses in […]
One of the things they don’t tell you about being a first time homeowner is the number of security system salesmen that drop by immediately after you sign your paycheck away to a 15 or 30-year mortgage. This is the tale of a homeowner on the first day in their new home. Not being the […]
“What does it going to take for 3D printing to top and be more wisely adopted by manufacturers of products to become a more integrated and integral part of manufacturing around the world?” This is the question that Tom was inspired to answer while watching an interview of the CEO of MarkForged, Greg Mark. Struck […]
Technologies have truly evolved that something as expensive as a metal 3D printing machine can now be offered as a desktop metal 3D printing machine and be accessible to a number of audience with the help of media. However, this could lead to many people think of the industry lightly. Tom goes deep into the […]
We’ve seen 3D printers showing up in more dramatic TV series like Grey’s Anatomy in a recent season and among a lot of other TV shows. The general public has this perception that 3D printing is easy, but that’s just not the reality of it. It’s no surprise that the general public does not understand […]
Any of you following the 3D print industry couldn’t help but see that an awful lot has happened in the courts and in the government with 3D printing, in particular regarding 3D-printed firearms. Cody Wilson was the first person to create a 3D printable gun and the plans for a 3D printable gun way back […]
Dental technology has come a long way since you got braces back in 80s. Now with advanced dental 3D printing as an option, treatment for patients has grown faster and more reliable than ever. The possibilities of high resolution polymer 3d printing are truly endless, with companies fighting to dominate several areas, including digital dentistry. […]
For hardware companies, it has become very challenging to compete in that market. Recovering rocket scientist Joan Horvath and hacker Rich Cameron team up to form Nonscriptum when they realized nobody’s doing any training and authored quite a few books on 3D printing. Joan shares that something that’s been really valuable for them is writing […]
Coming from the engineering sector, Blake Teipel, President and co-Founder of Essentium, has always been looking at how to advance supply chains and how to advance manufacturing solutions in a wide variety of industries. Partnering with BASF, Blake is disrupting traditional manufacturing processes by bringing strength and speed together without compromising the material set. He […]
PLA filament has been the most common 3D printing filament, especially in desktop 3D printing in home and educational environments. The reasons are that it’s pretty easy to print, the temperature required to print is pretty low, and most importantly there are no toxic fumes that are emitted. A material that’s been in development for […]
A recent article came out lately that said 3D printing marketplaces like the Shapeways won’t last. That not only does a disservice to Shapeways but the whole 3D printing industry as well. The truth is Shapeways 3D Printing Market offers tremendous value. It is a destination for consumers to shop for 3D printed goods or […]
The world of 3D the industry of 3D printing has revolutionized the way products are made, consumers shop, and general innovation overall. When it comes to 3D printing, no longer is access to this industry restricted to just corporate businesses. The private industry can now have access to some of the best 3D printers as […]
There are a lot of different 3D printers available under $500 retail due to a lot of change in the market in the last year. A bunch of new players and a couple of Steady Eddies are doing really well. One of our favorite entry-level 3D printers has been discontinued. This brought on the realization […]
3D printing is an absolutely wonderful process to create a product, develop it over time, and evolve it with flexibility. 3D printing is also absolutely right on the money and allows you to manufacture things a number of different ways. We reveal an important 3D print project that we have been working on, a Microphone […]
When you’re using your 3D printer and you encounter a problem, what do you do? In these situations, it’s always smart to initially employ self-service 3D printing. You try to figure it out and solve it yourself first. If that doesn’t work, you could call the company for tech support. A lot of times there […]
If you have been 3D printing for a long time, you are most likely one of those people who go through several spools of filament a day. The plastic that filament spools come in pile up over time and you don’t really know what to do with them. Steven Gall and his company Keene Village […]
Running the world’s largest magic company, Adam Wilber had to create a lot of magic tricks for his repertoire. As a magician, he wants to create certain types of experiences for people that watch him. Adam discloses that the true magic of 3D printing lies in outsourcing creativity. He is able play within the world […]
With 3D printing where it’s at, more and more people are asking about the 3D print speed. How fast does it work? Some people think its magic like a microwave where you can heat something up in a matter of three or five minutes. The reality is it takes time to print something layer by […]
Architects embrace and take on the course for the love of design and designing. Schools and universities teach you, but once you’re thrown into the real world, you find out that most of the time, architecture is more about codes and construction and less about the designing aspect. Dimitra Tampaki’s mind goes between the scale […]
The idea of a 3D printer with one nozzle and four filaments going into it is amazing, and the piece of hardware that comes along it would be as equally amazing because it would be able to print one object with four different and solid colors. This is still a complex area in the world […]
Tom and Tracy go live from SXSW where they are joined by serial disruptor and digital innovation expert Jay Samit. They dive deeper into the subject of disruptive technology relating to 3D design. Jay focuses on providing virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality solutions for corporate and public sector clients. We’re living in this […]
The Formlabs LA Roadshow 2018 just recently concluded. Formlabs is a Massachussets-based company that designs and manufactures desktop 3D printers and was founded in 2011. The event was attended by over 150 enthusiasts and featured a panels composed of experts in the 3D printing industry. Joining the panel with Tracy was Sarah Reynolds from Hasbro, Aaron Sims from Aaron […]
Virtual reality, augmented reality and 3D printing are three high-growth technologies that are making people and businesses see the value they offer. While 3D models are the last media type to go mainstream, 3D printing is going in the direction of VR and AR. George Egbuonu from VR eCards believes that with innovation come early adopters. He […]
If you have a question about 3D printing, 3D Printing Club will have an answer for it. What started as an interest group seven years ago, has now grown organically into a resource space for 3D printing enthusiasts. Al Shuryan created the club out of his interest in making items during the early computer industry. […]
When we give kids credit for their creativity and trust them with the skills they learned from us, amazing things happen. Craig Frehlich witnessed this from his students. What’s more surprising is when his students were taught the design cycle of 3D printing, instead of designing plastic phone cases they thought of stuff that have […]
Two years ago at CES, we first saw the CEL Robox Dual 3D Printer that promised to 3D print using two colors and two materials. For product designers, this is the solution to single extrusion 3D printers. You can tell that this machine is on a different league right from the label of the box […]
It is a universal fact that dogs are man’s best friend, but there are times when cats can do a better job, like purring to make your brain feel lighter. The story of Sophia the bionic cat starts with army veteran Karolyn Smith who had a difficult time transitioning from her service. Both Sophia and Karolyn […]
Wanting to be an entrepreneur and actually becoming a successful one has a fine line that aspiring 3D print entrepreneurs can cross easily by seeking mentorship. Mentors can further your goal. Advice from experts can help with the mismatch between the product and the market and get your ideas to distribution channels. Learn the steps […]
There’s a lot of new technology coming out in the 3D printing industry, like 3D metal printers and now there’s SLA desktop printers. Designers and engineers can now work with the machines using prototypes to figure out if their designs will come out the way they want it. This movement has created a demand for new capabilities, making outsourcing less of […]
Drew Taylor and Astroprint are helping the 3D printing industry step forward to help people see the wide range the technology can offer. This time through an app called Toy Maker that lets parents 3D print toys with their kids. This is a lovely way to spend time with the the family, but Drew Taylor […]
The 3D printing industry is moving to a worldwide scale where entrepreneurs are starting to realize not just the market that it can offer but also the unique services that come along with it. Scottish mechanical engineer Daniel McGuire receives 3D business mentorship to help solve some of his startup issues, like how to put value in […]
Fused filament fabrication has found its genius little sister in the form of laser metal deposition. The process builds parts layer after layer using the heat of an integrated blue laser. This allows Melanie Lang and FormAlloy to use a shorter wavelength than IR lasers which then allows for a wider range of material […]
For some people, seven months of product design is barely enough time to build a single feature. But Dutch product designer Philippe Holthuizen managed to disrupt the footwear industry with his 3D printed mens shoes in that time frame. Phillippe was able to achieve a lot in design and development from styles to texture […]
During Inside 3D Printing 2017 in San Diego, one big issue that kept coming up was 3D print post processing and how it has become one of the causes of the delay for the progression of the industry. Post processing in 3D print can be defined as painting, finishing, dyeing, plating and polishing. All of […]
A lot of people often think that they want to change the world, but it is those who want to change themselves first who can actually make that change happen. By looking into your values, you can identify what your strengths are and use it as leverage to make that great impact possible. Combine this […]
There is no better time than now to start bridging the gap between buyers and 3D print product designers. While there are a handful of reasons why the 3D print industry isn’t tipping as fast as it should, there are also a handful of reasons why product designers, manufacturers, buyers and even students still studying the […]
Having a physical model to hold in your hands is powerful to a student learning engineering and design. But when Brian Bobbitt started integrating 3D print education to the curriculum, there weren’t many resources. With the help of Project Lead The Way, exposure to design and production got easier. Getting a foundational education in CAD […]
Can you imagine a world where you can get information and content on a product right then and there just by pointing your smart phone at it? What could have been just a fantasy twenty years ago is now possible with Augmented Reality. Founder of Revealio Michelle Calloway found a way to use this technology […]
Is the 3D printing industry progressing fast enough? Is AI going to take the place of engineers and designers? Such questions were answered in Inside 3D Printing San Diego 2017. Although a smaller event compared to last year, it was the panel track and the attendees that pulled the event together and made the trip […]
Not knowing if there will be enough topics to talk about and interesting guests to interview is every podcaster’s worry during their early stages. Tom and Tracy Hazzard asked the same questions in April 2015 and got their answer 500 episodes later. As designers and developers, making 3D print predictions is both exciting and frustrating […]
Custom 3D print fashion is a growing trend with the world of fashion shifting to a new phase of design and production. While studying fashion design, Danit Peleg found that design and producing clothes through a desktop 3D printer is a great way to make her fashion ideas come to life, all in the […]
I was introduced to someone recently, and as I was starting to talk with him, I thought, “I’m not just going to write an Inc. article about this. I’m going to air the audio for you.” I think it has such great relevance in some of the many things we’ve talked about filling […]
We’re going to take a real journey down a very old and really ancient material that has been used on this earth, manipulated by men for thousands of years and learn how one company is actually harnessing it and has now been able to control it through 3D printing. It’s actually very exciting. […]
On today’s episode, we’re going back into our past stomping grounds as we were new people in business and industry. Reminiscing about Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is one of the first places we lived for a number of years and decided intentionally to go there for business purposes. There’s a guy named Chris Kaminsky […]
Today, I’ve got a really interesting conversation to share with you that I had recently with Arden Rosenblatt of PieceMaker.com. This is a company that has really dealt with how to bring 3D printing to mass market retail. They’ve dealt with all of the systems involved in that. It’s really fascinating. I’ve often talked […]
We are going to talk about hacking and making today. It’s hacking in a general sense. It’s a definition. Broadly used hacking is the way we’re talking about it today; involved in everything from real hackers in makerspaces to even also incubator-level hacking with software and life hacking. Anil Pattni who I got to meet […]
In light of the recent events in Las Vegas, Tom and Tracy talk about 3D print bump stocks. This is not a statement or debate about the Second Amendment or even of the legality of things, but more of a discussion about the ethical, moral and even physical risks that designers must think about when […]
We got an interesting episode today. We’ve got a guest who’s been on before, Jason Ray. It was December 2016 for something called Sightline Maps, which we loved the project because we think it’s really cool, topographically three-dimensionally mapping for government use, for school uses. The idea was that you would topographically print them on […]
Today, we’ve got an interview with someone from the Netherlands about a really new and very advanced food 3D printer. We’re super excited about talking food 3D printing. It’s one of our favorite subjects. The idea of food 3D printing is just a really logical way to look at the benefits of 3D printing on […]
Tom and Tracy reads out a statement by Dr. Eric James of Field Ready to spread the word and get some help for their GoFundMe for those who feel so inclined to donate. It would help the use of 3D printing in disaster zones that Field Ready is working with right now due to the recent hurricanes. […]
Today, we’ve got an interview that’s going to be a little bit different. It’s definitely 3D print related but it’s in a very different way. I wanted to preface this for all our listeners saying while this isn’t absolutely the deepest 3D print subject, it’s still really cool and there are a lot of parallels […]
I’ve got a great interview with Scott Tarcy of CAD Design Help. Scott has been on the podcast once before and it was just a general discussion about his company and what he does in the 3D printing industry in general. However this time, I’ve got a really interesting interview regarding something that we’ve been […]
We’ve got a really great guest today, someone who we had so much fun talking to. His name is Sterling Hawkins from AdvancingRetail.org. But really, that’s just the tip of the iceberg of who he is and what he’s about. He’s all about retail and innovation. He was introduced to us by John Livesay, a […]
We’re going to discuss 3D printed fidget spinners today. We’ve seen a lot of opportunity with this product, both in the engineering side of things as well as in design. We’re going to mention a few favorites of ours that we’ve seen and what we like about them. We’re also going to share some […]
We’re going to review the Bevel today. This is a 3D scanner that goes on your phone, a handheld scanner. It was a Kickstarter by Matter and Form. We’re going to share how we tested it and tried out, and what results we got from it. We’re also going to discuss some of the areas that we think […]
I have a great interview with Grant Mackenzie. He is the sales manager for CEL who does what I’ve referred to in the past as the CEL Robox 3D Printer. Those of you that have listened to Tracy and I for a long time know that we saw their CEL Robox 3D Printer at CES […]
In today’s episode, Tom and Tracy Hazzard talk about free CAD software, and how most of them are not really free. These software usually come at the price of privacy, of dealing with ads, of having your profile up there on the internet, etc. They discuss some possible ways to change things for the better. […]
In today’s episode, Tom and Tracy Hazzard talk about CAD part size versus going to your actual 3D printed size. They discuss how and why this is a problem, and also provide some great tips and examples of what you can do to avoid this problem or how you can deal with it when such […]
I am excited to talk 3D printing in fashion today. I really actually enjoy whenever we research and look into fashion that is using 3D print technology because it offers so much opportunity. It’s usually very exciting and great stuff to look at. In this particular case, what I’m even more excited about is I […]
In today’s episode, Tom and Tracy Hazzard talk about where to find 3D print files. Not only that, but specifically where to find 3D print files that are good, that are actually printable, and that will work for your printer. They provide examples of where they find some 3D print files themselves and how some […]
In today’s episode, Tom and Tracy Hazzard talk about 3D Print Lithopanes. They’ve played around and experimented with it themselves and explain how they did it and what software they used. They also give great examples of how you can use 3D print lithopanes in your business, to make an impression and make sure that […]
We’ve come to meet another person involved in the 3D printing industry from a legal perspective and from a different legal perspective than we’ve interviewed in the past. We tended to interview people who have much more of an intellectual property background and/or directly corporate attorneys for someone in the 3D print industry. We’ve done […]
In today’s episode, Tom and Tracy Hazzard talk about cheap 3D printers. They mention one specifically, the Play from Lewihe, that is for $75. They go into the reasons and situations when buying a cheap 3D printer may be for you, or when it won’t even be worth the cheap price for your specific […]
This is a big episode. Seriously, the biggest 3D parts I’ve encountered are what we’re going to talk about today. I’m so excited about this episode. I really love Buddy Bernhard from Local Motors, which is who we are going to talk to. We’re going to talk cars, 3D printed cars if you didn’t guess […]
In today’s episode, Tom and Tracy Hazzard answer one of the most common questions they get asked. “Why should I buy a 3D printer? Should I buy a 3D printer? Is it for me?” They share their thoughts on what they think are the best reasons, and also some reasons not to buy one. […]
In today’s episode, Tom and Tracy Hazzard talk about their experience with the Matter and Form desktop 3D Scanner. They explain how they needed a 3D scanner for their professional business and how they came to the decision of buying one instead of going for other options. They also go through what they liked about […]
We’ve got a really good interview today that I think takes us further into the whole 3D scanning and creating a real product out of that exploration. I was at CEO Space, which is our networking and executive and entrepreneurship education forums we participate in quite a few times a year. They have five of […]
In today’s episode, Tom and Tracy Hazzard share their experience creating 3D printed wedding favors for their daughter’s wedding. They talk about how much time it took to create the designs, to test print and iterate, and to do the actual printing. They provide tips that you can apply to your situation if you ever have […]
After taking a week to retool, Tom Hazzard and Tracy Hazzard are back. Explaining the circumstances that led them to take a week-long vacation, they talk a little bit about some of the realities of business that get in the way and life. They also give a heads up on some of the things […]
We had a listener communicate with us over Facebook recently and leave what was the longest comment we’ve ever had to a post. It wasn’t just the longest, it was the most detailed and informational I’ve ever read on Facebook. This was in response to our recent episode sometime last month about 3D printed surface […]
We have an interview today with Scott Tarcy of CAD Design Help. I love that we’re going to bring in somebody else who has a different CAD design view. Somebody else really who is trying to do something similar that we are in helping to be a resource for people interested in 3D printing in […]
We’ve been having a lot of CAD software and slicing software reviews in recent months. We’re going to continue to do that because there’s so many of them out there. Today’s episode is a little different. We actually have an interview with a new startup company who’s created a new CAD software called SelfCAD. […]
In October MakerBot launched their first new 3D printer in years, since the 5th Generation 3D printer was released back in 2013. Ever since the Smart Extruder+ was released in February 2016, there has been hope that MakerBot, with the backing and resources of Stratasys, is on a path to deliver best in class products, […]
We have a returning guest today, Buzz Baldwin from 3D Printlife. He’s got something new to talk about today. We had a couple of these kinds of episodes going on recently where we’ve talked about various sites that are helping people learn 3D printing or get tech support for 3D printing, and that’s what this […]
Today we’re talking flip-flops, sandals, 3D printed sandals. We haven’t been able to talk about it since we visited Wiivv Wearables’ factory a month and a half ago. We went down to San Diego and got to see their whole operations with how they make their custom fit insoles today, but they gave us a […]
We had a rare opportunity to interview two employees of MakerBot on the record about a lot of issues around not just the new printers, but really all the things that are surrounding the 3D printer that are going on within MakerBot to support the user. When they dove in, they talked about the fact […]
In this episode, Tom talks about 3D printer maintenance skills and how it is an important consideration when buying a 3D printer. He goes into the fact that there is going to be a trade off between productivity and time versus the cost of a 3D printer, and how buying a more maintenance-free 3D printer may […]
In today’s episode, Tom talks about 3D Printing Metal, FFF Style. Vader Systems, a father and son founded company out of Buffalo, New York, has invented what they call Magneto Jet. They’re manipulating liquid metal through magnetism. This is a new technology that melts a metal wire so you can do what you want to do with it in a very […]
Today, Tracy is going to interview Tom about his visit to MakerBot. They talk about the work environment at MakerBot, what kind of a workplace it is and how things are set up. Tom also discloses an announcement from MakerBot that is just being released today, March 20th. They discuss the new developments that the company […]
We’ve got a 3D Mixed Media artist on the show today that we are interviewing named, Leisa Rich. We have featured her before in a past episode. The way we found her was just through our research for interesting 3D printed objects out there or 3D printing artists. Hers was art. She had some installations […]
In this episode, Tom and Tracy Hazzard talk about Make Magazine’s Printer Shootout and their point ranking system. A lot of people use this as a factor in choosing which 3D printer to buy, and it sometimes is misleading and can lead to a lot of frustration. Their ranking system is too tight and doesn’t necessarily […]
We’re speaking with Barbara Hanna, the founder of Cyant, and Nora Toure, who we’ve spoken to many times before and who I adore, of Sculpteo. Barbara is a technologist and entrepreneur, passionate about fostering technology and especially committed to empowering women and girls in 3D printing. They founded together Women in 3D Printing #3DTalks. They […]
In this episode, Tom and Tracy Hazzard talk about a topic that a lot of people may not agree with each other on, which is 3D print waste. More specifically, they discuss whether the 3D printing industry increases waste, decreases it, is it better than other types of manufacturing, and what could be a […]
3D Slash is a unique CAD program that is more gamified and fun as compared to other CAD software. It may be more for the beginners and starters in CAD than the more advanced users. It does have some useful tools, like their wood pastes and cursors. It has a free version that has some limitations […]
I love this project of transformable filament spools because about a month ago I had a dozen empty filament spools, and I went to throw them in the recycling bin because I didn’t have anything else I could do with them. I was trying to think of a project, something I could make out of them, […]