I had the pleasure of backing a project on kickstarter called ‘3Doodler‘ by Wobbleworks. The 3Doodler allows you to ‘print’ in the air by extruding 3mm plastic (ABS or plastic) through the pen-like nozzle of the 3Doodler. So it is a great tool if you are creative and looking to bust out of the two-dimensional world of drawing. Also, it could be handy for certain kinds of repairs, or quick prototyping or 3D sketching of designs.
If you search on the web for images of 3Doodler you’ll see lots of great images, particularly using Flickr. I kept my expectations in check, because I knew that they were likely swamped with orders by blowing past their $30,000 Kickstarter goal by raising $2,344,134 and that they wouldn’t be able to send me the goodies right away. Nonetheless I received regular updates and felt pretty good that my 3Doodler would arrive, eventually.
Months later, it arrived, and I tried to stay calm as I opened the box. I had contributed enough to the Kickstarter project that I received extra ABS and so I was all set to start doodling! Descending into my workshop, I figured my family would be protected in case it blew up. After letting it heat up (it is kind of like a sci-fi glue gun in that respect) I inserted some ABS and let ‘er rip.
After extruding a small amount of ABS (about 4 cm) the motor became more high-pitched and nothing came out. I tried a few times and after putting plastic in and out I consulted their website. I ended up elevating it and was eventually led to a Skype conversation with Max Bogue, who is one of the co-founders. It’s a good sign when the founder wants to get down and dirty and troubleshoot problems on the ground floor.
We eventually figured that my 3Doodler had two problems (or at least, one definitive problem and another which is likely but merits further investigation):
- The fan wasn’t working. That in and of itself was not an immediate problem, but could lead to issues when I get it up and running and really start putting it through its paces
- The second thing, which Max will take a look at, is that the wheel is not gripping the ABS tightly enough to pull the plastic through. So, it goes through a little ways, but the moment it meets too much resistance, it can’t really grab and push on the ABS.
At the end of the call, we resolved that I would send back the 3Doodler and he would fix it and return it. Because of the awesome customer service and that this is a first generation product, I’m pretty optimistic that we can get this sorted out and I’ll be posting my doodles here, shortly. Stay tuned!
