Hansen Specialties

Finding designs

Thingiverse- Use the search function to find what you're looking for if you don't want to spend hours scrolling through the multitude of things that have been designed.

MyMiniFactory- Not as large, but still a good source of files.

There are also a lot of smaller sites that require membership and often require payment for downloading models.

Design Software

If you don't want to pay a lot for commercial software, there are some free alternatives that will do the job.

Autodesk MeshMixer- a very versatile 3D design program, I use it to modify existing models and create simple ones.

Blender- an awesome piece of software that can do more than I am able to understand. Not only can you create 3D models, you can animate them and create short films or games. Very involved, full of options, and more complicated than I have time to spend learning at the moment.

netfabb- Stick with the free "basic" version. It has a wait screen on start up, but it has options for repairing 3D models to make them printable.

FreeCAD- a basic CAD (computer aided design) program, useful for designing a model from scratch.

GIMP- Graphic Image Manipulation Program, a free program that falls between MS Paint and PhotoShop.

Sources

MonofilamentDirect has treated me well. Their prices, quality, and customer service are better than what I've been able to find through Amazon or eBay. 100% US made, so I don't have to contend with the issues encountered with filament imported by the container-load.

Taulman 3D is another US company. They work mainly with Nylon blends and plastics with some rather unique properties. They are not cheap, but if you need the strength, stability, or other properties of Nylon Taulman is the best I've found.

Need More Information?

Drop me an email and I will see what I can do to answer your questions.