openMaterials

Here are some great online resources, many in the public domain, for woodworkers. A favorite of mine is the classic “Machinery’s handbook for machine shop and drafting-room”; “a reference book on machine design and shop practice for the mechanical engineer, draftsman, toolmaker and machinist” Over at the Woodworks Library you’ll find a collection of over [...]

The OpenStructures project is an open and modular construction system where everyone designs for everyone on the basis of one shared geometrical grid: It is an ongoing experiment that wants to find out what happens if people design objects according to a shared modular grid, a common open standard that stimulates the exchange of parts, components, [...]

Unfold has started printing with ceramics on a modified rapman. First results look amazing: We took some time to play around and get used to the dynamics of the clay print process. It was also time to step up (or down?) the resolution from 1.9 to 0.8 mm using screw-on luer lock tips. We are also [...]

A talk by Bath University Professor Adrian Boyer, creator of the RepRap 3D Printer, given @ FOSDEM. (via Erik de Bruijn)

A mini documentary on RepRap Mendel shot at the University of Bath.

Our friend Michel Bauwens fabs it up at Reality Sandwich by breaking down the rising activity in open design and manufacturing. The article outlines the barriers to creating truly open materials non-commercially. Michel, perhaps wisely,  does not suggest we’ll have a non-commercial environment, however. [T]o produce physical goods, there are inevitable costs of getting the capital together, [...]