Would you subscribe to a magazine that included a 3D printer? What if you had to build it yourself?
Eaglemoss publishing and designer Sebastian Conran are excited about a new partnership to educate students and those among us who can’t afford a 3D printer, by providing the opportunity to build one themselves. Conram calls his printer the Vector 3. Check it out:
Conran has been using a 3D printer at his design studio, Sebastian Conran Associates, pursuing such projects as refurbishing an old Moulton bicycle. Over the recent holidays, Conran needed a chain guard, so he 3D printed it. Sebastian said, “People say ‘oh, that’s a nice chain guard’, and I say ‘Oh, I 3D printed it!’ I’m constantly finding useful things to make.”
Conran is hoping that the Vector 3 will foster a similar enthusiasm that he has in its users, trying to encapsulate his passion in the design of the printer. According to Conran, “It’s designed to be a domestic printer, for the home. It’s quieter, has a safety enclosure, and it’s meant to be engaging from a learning point of view. As people build it, they learn how to use it. We wanted it to actually look like a domestic accessory. We chose a vaguely kitchen-appliance look in terms of the visual language, with white and grey so that it doesn’t look toy-like.”
Conran is equally passionate about the partwork format of supplying the printer through a magazine subscription, due to the education and experience building a Vector 3 will hopefully provide its users as they go along and complete their own 3D printers. By subscribing to 3D Create & Print, readers receive components, software, and a weekly guide, which also breaks down how to print simple items, like games and jewelry.
The package is ideal for students, and getting this ready-made DIY kit into schools is a high priority for 3D Vector and Eaglemoss. In fact, they’ve put together a package for all schools that includes lessons, tutorials, and 6 Vector 3D printers. In June of this year, they will sponsor a competition for students to display their 3D printing skills. The prize? You guessed it: a Vector 3 machine. The winner’s school will also receive an undisclosed sum for the technology department.
This guy is definitely trying to corner the education market by giving students the chance to construct an interesting piece of hardware. Encouraging students to build a technology that may be useful and fascinating to them could be a great learning experience. In fact, the idea is interesting because it will probably drive some people totally away from 3D printing as a frustrating, time consuming experience, as it also encourages other people to get on board. It may also cause some people to become frustrated with making it and just buy an assembled Vector printer.
This project sort of reminds of me of the idea behind Heath Kits. It reminds me enough to mention it anyway: In 1926, Edward Heath of Heath Aeroplane Company produced an kit to build your own airplane. In 1935, an engineer named Howard Anthony bought the company and took a gamble on a large purchase of surplus wartime parts, and created mail-order kits to build oscilloscopes for about $40. And it would definitely be an accomplishment to get people to change their buying habits from purchasing goods that are meant to be consumed, to goods that require effort and learning. I think the world has seen enough of the consumer mentality.
Conran has also kept his eye on the newest 3D printing techniques, and actually worked with a team at the University of Sheffield led by Professor Neil Hopkinson researching HSS (High-Speed Sintering) technology. So, depending on the success of the Vector, this may just be the beginning.
