3DP Applications

3D Printed Music for Fisher Price


Those of us who grew up in the 1970s or were parents at that time will surely remember the Fisher Price record player, essentially a plastic toy that can play 12.1cm discs of your choice. As the ghetto blaster became dominant and cheap enough to buy for children to mess about with during the 1980s, the Fisher Price toy was put in the loft and never seen again… until now.

An Instructable member Fred27 came across one of these vintage beauties and had a go at reverse engineering the process of creating the “vinyls” by using 3D printers, so you can create your own music for the old player if you have one laying around.

Fred27 first developed a template for the records,  which is free for anyone to download including the instructions, allowing you to import tracks and the software will automatically do the rest. The output file can then be sent to the 3D printer which will make the discs with the necessary ridges and grooves in it, and voila, you are ready to rock and roll.

If you don’t own a 3D printer yet, there are plenty of online service providers available that can convert your design files into your desired music records for this classic wonder.

It is hardly a new revolutionary innovation but a great reminder of the the vast applications 3D printing technology can offer.

Fisher Price vinyl record

Fisher Price vinyl record