New toy, Afinia 3D printer

[Robin Hewitt]

The piece you have made I assume was drawn in 2d. Are you able to draw in 3d

It is not easy to get out of the 2D mindset and let the jolly old creative juices flow. We tend to work in bar, plate and rod because that is what is available and it can be pricy stuff so you don't want to machine too much of it away.

To go 3D you really need to work in clay or hammer forged iron, but that doesn't help much if you are trying to produce a 3D drawing you can cut from.

Most 3D drawing is done by extruding 2D drawings either as lumps or holes, running shapes around outlines and lofting.

Lofting can be either three stacked 2D drawings connected with flowing curves that morph to fit each shape in turn. It can be two 2D drawings and a trajectory line. You can get really arty-farty with a bit of lofting.

[GEOFFREY]

You are so right about it not being easy to let go of the 2d thought train. I feel that I am too set in my ways to think outside of the box, and would learn 3d far quicker with some personal training, preferably face to face so that any problems can be directly explainned. That is why I would like to find some form of nightschool (at age 69) etc. If I did learn 3d I would ceratinly want to be able to put cutter paths on. I know that with my router I would only be able to contour a flat sided (base) model, but that would still be awesome.

[Robin Hewitt]

That is why I would like to find some form of nightschool (at age 69) etc.

The first step in creating a fancy 3D object is a drawing. A perspective drawing which has the shape you are trying to achieve and the critical dimensions.

I use a large white board and lots of different colour pens. A large white board means you can draw it another way then decide which one to erase.

Do not even look at a 3D CAD program until you have that picture and a strong desire to turn it in to reality.

When drawing freehand you are not constrained to one plane, everything is possible.

If you sit down at a computer and try to design something, all art is lost because you have invested time getting to the point where you realise the mistake, the better way to do it. You are loath to rip it all up and try it another way.

Before you start drawing on the computer, decide how you are going to draw it within the softwares capability. Do not start with an arbitrary line, you will be drawing interconnecting shapes. You must have a clear idea of what you are trying to achieve and how you are going to achieve it.

The computer should only serve to inject reality. After all, everything has to fit and you must be able to assemble it.