Profile

I got a 3D printer twelve months ago and have been fascinated by how it works and what it can do ever since. It has so many applications in all areas of life, and what’s really great is that so many of them are probably still waiting to be discovered. The motto of Ultimaker who make my printer is “Imagine It, Make It”, and it’s so true – only your imagination limits you to what you can do with 3D printing.

I really believe that those who are in education at the moment are the ones who will truly find out all of the exciting possibilities that this technology has to offer, in the meantime I see it as my job to show you how it works and some examples of where it’s currently being used, and then give you some initial ideas of what you can do with it. The rest will be down to you…………..

Only joking in the summary, but I do find myself spending a lot of the day 3D printing. I think 3D printing “rocks”, as you can see by the classic new wave/punk rock album covers hanging on the wall above my printer……

I spend some of my day searching out opportunities to show what 3D printing can do in education whilst the printer is running. On other days I visit schools to advise on how to use 3D printing and the type of projects to undertake with it.  I am also listed as a 3D Printing Hub on www.3dhubs.com so sometimes people submit files for me to print. I also help out Ultimaker GB by carrying out test prints for people to see if 3D printing can do what they want before they go ahead and buy one.

I feel like I’ve just finished my own apprenticeship in 3D printing, but now that’s finished I want to take all that learning and share it with others so they can see for themselves what a great technology it is

I have been spending a lot of time recently printing very large scale models in small sections that I then put together using the skills I learned in my mechanical engineering apprenticeship. I made the 3D printed model that featured in the third of the 2014 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures and then went onto print an even larger full-size bronze bust that was displayed at an international exibition in Las Vegas in January.

I suppose in summary my whole day is spent investigating what 3D printing can do to show the wider world what an incredible, versatile and imaginative way of making things it can be, and how it can be used to improve lives. The most inspirational 3D printing I’ve done this year is a working prosthetic hand that can be custom-made to fit a person and then improve the quality of their life for a fraction of the cost involved using traditional methods.

3D Printing really can do life-changing stuff !!!

So many schools would love a 3D printer – I know that through my work in education.

But, I also know that school budgets don’t always stretch to being able to afford one. So if I won the £500 I would find a school who could prove that they are brimming over with ideas of what they’d do with a 3D printer if they could afford one,  and donate the money to them to help buy one.

Some schools who have printers find that there’s so many uses for one that they have to have an after-school club to fit in everything that students want to make.  If they could show that they have this type of activity in mind, or something else to promote the use of the printer in school then that would also impress me.