I enjoy commuting from 1937, but this futuristic age of twenny-oh-nine has its advantages, too. One of them is Ponoko.
Nope, not a Japanese arcade game -- it works like this: say you've got an idea, a basic design; but you haven't got the shop skills and tools to make it, let alone CAD ability and/or access to the computer-controlled machinery to mass-produce it. An insurmountable opportunity? No prob -- here are people who do. And if your idea's a good one, they'll want to; in part, so they can sell it to others. It's kind of a Cafe Press for 3-D objects. The more complicated ones are flat-pack kits.
In a half-hour's wander, I have seen everything from inexpensive letter-form celphone charms to a $1700 (!!!) chair of delightful design (.eps file, $19, if you've got a pal with a laser cutter); I'm pondering a very kewl crane lamp, price not too far off that of a better-grade five & dime desk lamp and a whole lot more my sort of thing.
So -- have you got an idea for a product? Share it and put it to work! Might even make you a little money.
I, on the other hand, do not like commuting from 1888 to the 21st Century. If steam power and gas lights are good enough for Holmes and Watson they are good enough for me. Wiggery! That's all we've got for our "progress." More wiggery!!
ReplyDelete*sniffs in disgust and pours self more port*
I'm thinking CNC plasma cutter, a few more leafs in the middle of the chair, and a *lot* less money.
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