Cameron Coward - Idiots Guides: 3D Printing

No one likes a know-it-all. Most of us realize theres no such thinghow could there be? The world is far too complicated for someone to understand everything there is to know. So when you come across a know-it-all, you smile to yourself as they ramble on because you know better.

You understand that the quest for knowledge is a never-ending one, and youre okay with that. You have no desire to know everything, just the next thing. You know what you dont know, youre confident enough to admit it, and youre motivated to do something about it.

At Idiots Guides, we, too, know what we dont know, and we make it our business to find out. We find really smart people who are experts in their fields and then we roll up our sleeves and get to work, asking lots of questions and thinking long and hard about how best to pass along their knowledge to you in the easiest, most-accessible way possible.

After all, thats our promiseto make whatever you want to learn As Easy as It Gets. That means giving you a well-organized design that seamlessly and effortlessly guides you from page to page, topic to topic. It means controlling the pace youre asked to absorb new informationnot too much at once but just what you need to know right now. It means giving you a clear progression from easy to more difficult. It means giving you more instructional steps wherever necessary to really explain the details. And it means giving you fewer words and more illustrations wherever its better to show rather than tell.

So here you are, at the start of something new. The next chapter in your quest. It can be an intimidating place to be, but youve been here before and so have we. Clear your mind and turn the page. By the end of this book, you wont be a know-it-all, but your world will be a little less complicated than it was before. And well be sure your journey is as easy as it gets.

Mike Sanders Publisher, Idiots Guides

This book is dedicated to my lovely wife Sarah, who has always stood by me and supported me. Without her, I could never have done this.

ALPHA BOOKS

Published by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore, Auckland 1311, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

Copyright 2015 by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors rights. Purchase only authorized editions. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of information contained herein. For information, address Alpha Books, 800 East 96th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46240.

IDIOTS GUIDES and Design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

eISBN: 9781615647453
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2014951305

17 16 15 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Interpretation of the printing code: The rightmost number of the first series of numbers is the year of the books printing; the rightmost number of the second series of numbers is the number of the books printing. For example, a printing code of 15-1 shows that the first printing occurred in 2015.

Printed in the United States of America

Note: This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering professional services in the book. If the reader requires personal assistance or advice, a competent professional should be consulted. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.

Most Alpha books are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. Special books, or book excerpts, can also be created to fit specific needs. For details, write: Special Markets, Alpha Books, 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014.

Publisher:Mike Sanders

Executive Managing Editor:Billy Fields

Senior Acquisitions Editor:Brook Farling

Development Editor:Kayla Dugger

ProductionEditor:Jana M. Stefanciosa

CoverDesigner:Laura Merriman

BookDesigner:William Thomas

Indexer:Brad Herriman

Layout:Brian Massey

Proofreader:Virginia Vasquez Vought

DIGITAL OPERATIONS, LONDON

Digital Producer:Alex Valizadeh

Senior Digital Producer:Miguel Cunha

DIGITAL OPERATIONS, DELHI

Head of Digital Operations:Manjari Rathi Hooda

Producer:Rahul Kumar

Assistant Editor:Etika Kapil

DTP Designer:Manish Bhatt

Operations Assistant:Tauhid Nasir

Contents

Introduction

In many ways, 3D printing is the fulfillment of the future we were all promised. We may not have flying cars or robot housemaids, but we do have access to an almost magical device that can make our imaginations a reality. It wasnt long ago that such a device was considered far-fetched, even by science fiction standards.

Ive been a lifelong geek myself. As long as I can remember, Ive been building things, taking things apart, and putting them back together (sometimes successfully). When I was very young, this mostly meant building things like spaceships with Legos. When I got a little bit older, I gained access to hammers and nails, and suddenly I could build things at a life-size scale (though this mostly resulted in lopsided tree houses).

Like many geeks my age, I found computers in my teenage years. This opened up a whole new world for me. No longer was I constrained by the cost of wood and nails, because I could create programs on old computers I found at garage sales. Into adulthood, computers were my life. I built them, programmed them, and repaired them.