Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve seen no shortage of 3D-printed masterpieces over the last several months, but this is reportedly the first time that someone has used the technology to create a firearm. It comes from a users on the AR15 message boards, a community for gun fanatics. He used a Stratasys 3D printer to create a .22 pistol. And yes, it actually works; it can shoot bullets just like a normal gun.

In fact, the user claims to have fired more than 200 rounds out of the machine, and says it still works just fine. But he didn’t stop there. He also assembled a .223 rifle upper and attached it to the lower, again with 100% success. There are multiple resources and blueprints for guns on 3D printing websites, but this is believed to be the first documented case of someone actually creating a working model.

3D printing may still seem like a science fiction concept to the uninitiated, but to those who are willing to open their eyes, it is very apparent that it is here, it is now, and it is exploding in popularity. Everything from glasses to bikinis to coasters to artificial bones to guitars (need we continue?) has been successfully printed from a 3D printer. It’s fascinating to watch this next evolution in scientific advancement.

[via WebProNews]

Man makes guns with a 3D printer is written by Mark Raby & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Best known for its 3D printers, it almost seems as if MakerBot is going in the opposite direction of technology with the introduction of its new MixTape Kit. It sounds pretty old school, but the product is actually aimed at those who already own a MakerBot 3D creation machine. MakerBot provides all the tools so that users with a 3D machine can create their own custom tapes from home.

MakerBot has plans offered on the site so that they can be customized and printed out. After that, all you have to do is plug everything in and upload your chosen music. But for people who actually don’t have a MakerBot 3D printer and still want a nice blast from the past, a selection of molded tapes will be available to be ordered directly from the company.

The MakerBot Mixtape has 2 GB of storage and a battery life of about four hours. You can use the controls to play, pause or skip songs and there’s a headphone jack and USB port that comes with it. People who own the MakerBot 3D printer will obviously get the full benefit from it as they’ll be able to completely design and tweak the physical appearance of the case by customizing the 3D design files, but the MixTapes being offered on their own is still kind of a nice touch.

[via CNET]

MakerBot introduces MixTape Kit to be used with 3D printer is written by Elise Moreau & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

3D printers have been able to print some pretty incredible things for us, and now someone has successfully used one to produce replica keys for opening high-end handcuffs. Demonstrated at a Hackers on Planet Earth conference last week, cheap plastic keys produced with a 3D printer and laser cutter were able to open handcuffs to German maker Bonowi and British maker Chubb, both of which limit the distribution of keys to law enforcement agencies.

Ray, the security guard consultant who successfully created the key replicas, said that he took accurate measurement of a few original keys that he bought from eBay and then created CAD models before producing exact copies out of plexiglass and plastic. He admitted that he would upload some of the files to Thingiverse to demonstrate the challenges police departments now face with handcuff vulnerabilities.

Although 3D printers and large and expensive machines costing tens of thousands of dollars, all of which can return inaccurate copies of things, Ray noted that there is still a real possibility for anyone to plan an escape from court or prison without anybody else’s help. “Police need to know that every new handcuff they buy has a key that can be reproduced,” Ray said. “Until every handcuff has a different key, they can be copied.”

[via Verge]

3D printer used to create keys for opening handcuffs is written by Elise Moreau & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

So long, Nike. The next big thing in the world of shoes might not come from an overseas factory but from a printer. A 3D printer, that is. Designer and engineer Luc Fusaro is working on creating a pair of shoes that can be manufactured from the comfort of a 3D printer. What’s special about his is the inclusion of spikes, which make for a more athletic appeal and distinguish them from the existing slate of 3D-printed shoes.

The other unique thing is that Fusaro’s plan is to design shoes that fit specifically to the size and shape of the owner’s feet. After scanning their feet, Fusaro will be able to custom-print a pair of shoes that could shave off a few seconds of time from a professional runner’s lap. Fusaro is no stranger to the world of athletics, as he also designed the podium for the Victory Ceremonies in the upcoming 2012 London Olympics.

3D printing may still seem like a science fiction concept to the uninitiated, but to those who are willing to open their eyes, it is very apparent that it is here, it is now, and it is exploding in popularity. Everything from glasses to bikinis to coasters to artifical bones to guitars (need we continue?) has been successfully printed from a 3D printer. It’s fascinating to watch this next evolution in scientific advancement.

[via Cnet]

Designer uses 3D printer for running shoes is written by Mark Raby & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

With all the novelty stories that 3D printing has brought about over the past several months, there haven’t been many advancements in using the technology for medical and scientific purposes. That changes now, as researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and MIT have created the ability to use sugar to create artificial blood vessels, using the RepRap 3D printer.

“Rather than trying to print a large volume of tissue and leave hollow channels for vasculature in a layer-by-layer approach, [researchers] focused on the vasculature first and designed free-standing 3D filament networks in the shape of a vascular system that sat inside a mold. As in lost-wax casting, a technique that has been used to make sculptures for thousands of years, the team’s approach allowed for the mold and vascular template to be removed once the cells were added and formed a solid tissue enveloping the filaments,” the University of Pennsylvania wrote in a statement.

3D printing may still seem like a science fiction concept to the uninitiated, but to those who are willing to open their eyes, it is very apparent that it is here, it is now, and it is exploding in popularity. Everything from glasses to bikinis to coasters to artifical bones to guitars (need we continue?) has been successfully printed from a 3D printer. It’s fascinating to watch this next evolution in scientific advancement.

[via Medgadget]

University researchers print blood vessels with 3D printer is written by Mark Raby & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.