Make Magazine has released its most recent issue of their “Ultimate Guide to 3D Printing” and I, for one, am I excited about it! Excited enough that I asked my wife for a .pdf as a stocking stuffer this X-Mas. In it, they review 26 different 3D printers, in addition to a number of 3D printing stories. Based on the previous years’ issues, it will definitely be informative and, though I’m no shill, I think it might be worth getting.
Available as a .pdf or print copy for $9.99, you can currently purchase the issue, which reviews 26 3D printers. The machines were tested by a variety of users on the Make staff, so as to spread the users’ bias around a bit, all at the national America Makes 3D printing institute in Youngstown, Ohio. As a control filament, the reviewers printed with Ultimachine orange PLA, unless the machines demanded the use of proprietary filament, because the filament has been found to be easily processed by a wide range of machines.
Last year, the issue added SLA and DLP 3D printers, like the Form1 and B9 Creator, to the mix of FFF/FDM 3D printers they’d reviewed the year before. This year, the Make team has had the chance to review such name brand machines as the Idea Builder from Dremel and the PROJET 1200 from 3D Systems, and other new machines on the block, like the M200 from Zortrax, the all-metal Printrbot Simple, and the 5th Gen MakerBot Replicator. The team has also gone further this year by testing the XY and Z resonance of their machines. The issue explains that, in regards to the SLA printers, “Many of our SLA tests proved to be too far too ambi- tious and were abandoned. That may sound bleak, but it was all part of the plan — as Andreas relates on page 34, these models were designed to fail.” I already know the all-around winner, but to find out, you’ll have to purchase the ‘zine yourself.
In addition to the reviews, you’ll get to read all sorts of 3D printing news and pursue some neat 3D printing projects. Two big stories in this issue are the making of Hero 6, the feature film from Pixar that includes 3D printing in the formation of its robotic lead character, and coverage of the Strati 3D printed roadster from Local Motors. The issue also features the following articles: “10 cool prints in under 30 minutes”, a “State of 3D Printing” overview, and a “sneak peek at tomorrow’s 3D printers”. As for projects, the issue highlights: 3D-printed eyeglass frames, CT-scanned skulls and medical images, cyberpunk spikes, and a universal translator.
To get your issue or to learn more, head over to Make and check out “Make: Volume 42 – the Ultimate Guide to 3D Printing 2015.“
