Blender and 3D Printing

Having spent some time learning to use Blender, I found 3D Printing was a great way to make some of my virtual creations into real ones.

At first I used a company called Shapeways to which you can upload a model and they will print your model and send it to you. Here is a scene I made showing a honey bee that I modelled from images.

And here is the same model, with a few tweaks, printed by Shapeways. 

They can print in other materials too, here I created a ring design and printed in carious materials including gold plated iron and bronze (modelled in Blender of course).

I designed this mug for my partner and it was printed in clay.

Once I had my own printer, I had a lot of fun printing thing myself, starting with models from places like Thingiverse (I didn't model these I just fixed geometry issues, printed then painted them):

Then I started to model things myself :

I also found uses around the house for my little prints:

Tiny little brackets for shelving.

Here I wanted a large selotape holder (I fixed a blade to it too), makes

present wrapping much easier.

At a 3D Printing show in London in 2016 I saw a vase with vanes so thought I'd have a go at designing, printing and painting one myself:

I found that you could buy LED Tea Lights very cheaply and designed these decorative lamps which were used during someone's birthday party, they fade from one colour to another:

I never stop learning with Blender and finding new ways to use it.

If you'd like to know more about my 3D Printing adventures so far, I have a play list here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCtL34Gw96S8oXQUaxTgH8skGmk3n3NDN

Sardi