Maker Faire: Get it Made!

We had so much fun at Portland’s Mini Maker Faire! We were thrilled to show a lot of people 3D printing for the first time and watching everyone figure out and understand the technology was great. Having a fiddle on hand while printing fiddle parts really helped to tie it all together, too.

More than the F-F-Fiddle or the 3D printer, though, we all enjoyed seeing what you want to make on the ‘Get it Made’ board. The board was a huge hit and we’ve got several things to make! Here are the top five.

Honorable mention: Legos      

We had multiple sketches of legos and lego-related items, like this lego guy. Custom legos are definitely something that you can make on a 3D printer or a laser cutter. If you search Thingiverse, you’ll find a number of interesting items, like custom connectors so that you can use your legos with your k’nex! You can also make a 3D printer with legos.

Honorable mention: Laser Fight!

The laser fight against a three-clawed monster is totally epic. Whoever sketched this up really put effort into the detail. Shoot, one of the fighters even has some sort of logo or badge on their shirt! So, what could we make from this sketch—how about a crazy looking three-clawed monster, army men, and laser guns?

Number 5, Rowan’s Flute

Great idea, Rowan! Flutes are nice and portable and easy to make yourself. I had a math teacher in high school that hand-made his Irish flutes and they sounded great. Check out some of the projects on Instructables and Thingiverse.

Number 4, Flying Pig

This flying pig has retractable wings. That must be to help him handle the forces involved when he passes the sound barrier! How would you make a flying pig? That’s a tall order.

Number 3, Bicycle Spice Rack

OK, we will be making this one. I LOVE bikes and cooking, so I’m biased, but this is genius! And, yes, the wheels can spin, but we’ll have to incorporate that in a way that doesn’t jostle your spices. Stay tuned, this one will be happening.

Number 2, Doctor Who TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space)

While I love freely revealing designs and ideas, I unfortunately cannot share my TARDIS design with you. It’s just too powerful a technology to release into the wild. You can print a TARDIS model, though, and there are several on Thingiverse. This amazing Transformer TARDIS caught my eye.

Number 1, Retractable Extension Cord

This is a great idea! I know exactly where I would put it in my garage… I bet we could make a prototype, but it would be pretty bulky. This would be a good submission for a crowd-sourced design firm called Quirky. Next time we’ll have everyone put down names and emails on your ideas so that proper credit can be given when due. If this is your idea, get in touch with us!

Thanks to everyone who wrote down and voted on ideas. I hope you all had fun! There were a bunch of good ones up on the board. Many of them have versions of some sort up on Thingiverse or on Instructables, so check out those websites to see if there’s something you want to make. If you need any parts or assistance during the process of making something, let us know!