3D design and printing services

I offer 3D engineering, 3D design, and 3D printing services. Prices are negotiable; I have even done things for free! Projects can be quoted either as one price, or broken down according to labor and materials. Contact me at anachronist@gmail.com to propose a project.

These are typical rates. Not every project includes each cost component.

ServiceRateIncludes
3D Engineering$50/hour Mathematical analysis and modeling, model architecture, tool development, design for material anisotropy.
3D Design$32/hourComputer-aided design (CAD), clearance checks, solid rendering, enhancement/rework of existing designs.
3D Printer Technician$25/hourMinimal adder to projects; includes slicing model for 3D printer, printer setup and operation
3D printer time$1/hourTime spent printing the part, as estimated from slicer software.
FDM materials$25/kgPLA or PETG are priced at $25/kg (paid per gram). Exotic materials such as PVA support or nylon would be higher.
Shipping$10-$30Shipping cost depends on size, weight, and packaging.

Regardless of whether 3D printing is involved, you always get STL files and a customizable parametric model that requires no knowledge of CAD to customize, as described below.

3D design software

OpenSCAD logo

I started out designing things in Sketchup back when the desktop application was free, then moved to Tinkercad, and worked with FreeCAD for a while. Now I design almost everything using OpenSCAD.

OpenSCAD benefits you, the client. My parametric models can be adjusted easily via the OpenSCAD Customizer interface, and you don't need to know anything about OpenSCAD or 3D modeling. OpenSCAD is free, open source, and runs on Windows, MacOS, and Linux. There is nothing better to enable the client to customize designs.

3D printer

Prusa i3 MK3S+MMU2S

My 3D printer is a Prusa i3 MK3S with the MMU2S multi-material upgrade. It can print multiple colors, or print things that need support structure of a different material, such as PVA dissolvable support, or PETG support with a PLA part. The printer works with up to five different materials at once.

Instead of using the MMU filament buffer, I designed and built rewinder dryboxes as can be seen in the picture at the top of this page.

Selected works for clients

I've completed many commissions, some of which I cannot publish here. 3D design and printing work I have done for clients include:

Design and print: Costume prop. This is the Duke's cane topper from The Vampair Series by Daria Cohen. Ms. Cohen provided me with valuable design guidance for this commission. Threaded bottom to screw onto a standard broomstick.

Design: A system of interconnecting, stackable, made-to-order board game token trays. Different shapes available. Designed with ergonomics in mind, I believe these trays are superior to any comparable product on the market.

On sale at Etsy (UK delivery only)

Design and print: A Rolodex for any format of Instax photographs, remixed from 3D printy's design with extensive modifications.

On sale at Printables and Etsy!

Design: A customizable stencil for personalizing a golf ball, with beveled characters and a selection of stencil fonts.

Design and print: Large (multi part print joined together) mathematically-generated faceted crystal shape for use as a positive mold form for the client to fabricate a silicone mold to cast the part in clear epoxy with another object inside. The print required embedded metal hardware to facilitate mounting.

Design and print: Customizable stand mathematically designed to fit any bowl or plate perfectly, just by giving the OpenSCAD customizer some key dimensions.

The client has permitted free download of this design.

Public designs

My username is Anachronist on Printables and Amatulic on Thingiverse. I use Printables as my main repository with Thingiverse as a backup.

Of my public designs, here are some I am particularly pleased with. Some have accompanying blog articles, listed in the next section.

Way over-engineered pullcopter, one of my popular creations, featuring two of my other designs, an ergonomic handle and NACA airfoil propeller.

LockSpool, my most popular design: Reusable spool made from one part printed twice, designed so both parts lock together. Customizable for any brand of spool-less refill coil.

Fractal terrain with weathering, challenging to figure out in OpenSCAD but simple in execution.

Retractable double-edge razor blade scraper that snaps to three positions for use, storage, and loading.

Parametric strandbeest, a work of kinetic art that walks.

All of my designs come with the OpenSCAD source code for anyone to modify.

Articles

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Syncing Office 365 Outlook to Google calendar using Power Automate

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