Just like Rome — and the Pyramids — which were not built in a day, it will take a lot of small steps for 3D printing to become mainstream. It will be a gradual process and it begins with initiatives such as MakerBot’s online store recent “History Initiative” and 3D Hubs new partnership with New York City based designer Fleet Hower to create a range of 3D printable 3D puzzles called Lock Nesters.
The range of customizable designer puzzles debuting today includes six different models with varying levels of difficulty. The more basic models, Monica the pig, Albert the bear and Suima the duck are available in two different sizes and vary in length and height between 3” (10 cm) and 5” (15 cm) respectively.
Users can chose to purchase the 3D printable models or have them 3D printed by a hub near them, and, with most people in the industrialized world living within ten miles of a 3D printing “Hub”, that should not be too difficult. And, while these three models can be considered as “entry level”, for the other ones the assembly part is possibly going to prove more challenging than the 3D printing part.
In fact the other models in this first collection are considerably more complex. Heiner is a T-Rex. As the models are 3D printable they can be made up of different color pieces. While for the simpler models the effect is mainly visual, in Heiner’s case it may prove helpful during assembly while also contributing to accentuate the lankiness effect of its body.
The next one up on the evolutionary scale is Otis, the dog. This puzzle is made up of a considerably higher number of smaller pieces than the previous models, making the assembly part even more challenging but he pales compared with George — the Lock Nester. This human bust is made up over 180 pieces, many of which are very similar, just as with the best 2D jigsaw puzzles. Only in this case the interlocking connections happen in three dimensions, which adds a whole new level of difficulty.
The first to to solve George will rise to Lock Nester and 3D printed glory in a community such as 3D Hubs’ where many users pay very close attention to the other users’ achievements, in a competitive collaboration that benefits everyone. How many people will take and pass the George challenge will also give us further insights as to the future of consumer 3D printing, one little piece of the puzzle at a time.
