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Live from the SoCal MakerCon show floor, author Joe Micallef details how he started in the 3D print industry and began to write his book, “Beginning Design for 3D Printing.” Beginners are introduced to 3D model design and creation with easy to follow tutorials for many free CAD software programs. There is a critical need for CAD designers and 3D print experts in the growing 3DP economy. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Humanitarian Makers at Field Ready volunteer their time and expertise to solve real world problems faced by those in war torn or natural disaster affected areas such as Haiti, the Sudan, and Nepal. Dr. Eric James shares how 3D printing speeds up the traditional emergency relief supply chain and details some of the unique challenges of using this technology in remote areas where power supply can be hard to come by. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Suz Somersall of KiraKira has created an online platform for girls to develop their 3D modeling skills by creating free courses and curriculum for 3D print STEAM education. KiraKira provides lessons and projects that ignite and inspire young girls to work on projects in what is widely a male dominated area of learning. As students of today grow and come to understand that over 86% of retail purchases are done by women, it’s key to understand what women want to buy and to design with them in mind. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Celebrating our 400th WTFFF?! episode with a few 3D print predictions for 2017 and some resolutions the industry should make and actually try to keep. Tom and Tracy Hazzard share their own 3D print design resolutions for the next year and what’s to come in the next year on 3D Start Point. What companies are going to fade away in the next year and what companies will keep their footing and see continued success? To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Getting a new 3D printer is an exciting moment, but it can be rather daunting to figure out what the FFF to do first with it. We’ve come up with a few ideas and projects to ensure first time print success for first time 3D print users, especially those still working on building their CAD modeling skills. There are some great ideas out there, but they do still need to be approached with caution and expectations should be managed when it comes to what your first 3D print should be. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

As a free CAD 3D modeling program, TinkerCAD checks a lot of boxes when it comes to the basics of what is needed to learn how to create 3D models suitable for 3D printing. For beginners and espeically younger students, this program is a great place to start to gain CAD modeling skills, but it can quickly be outgrown. As an entry point into 3D printing, it’s a wonderful tool to use, espeically when combined with tutorial videos that help guide the first time CAD user to design their first 3D print. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Additive manufacturing is turned on its head with adaptive manufacturing in the case of 3D printed insoles by Wiivv Wearables. CEO and Co-founder, Shamil Hargovan, explains the mind blowing process that brings these custom fit orthotics to life through 3D printing with unique materials and marrying adaptive manufacturing techniques with traditional ones. We dive into how custom 3D printed products fit into the marketplace, where to put the price point at to stay and remain competitive, while also being profitable – even considering a hybrid 3D printed final product for a mass customization market. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

The Inside 3D Printing Conference and Expo in San Diego this year featured many companies and speakers that were focusing on real world applications of 3D print technology. We got the inside scoop from many different companies how they are leveraging digital fabrication and actually making profits from 3D printed products – not just talking about the possibility of it. With these new startup companies there is a new trend of being loyal to the consumer rather than the materials and manufacturer, and we have to say it’s a great direction to head in. Aside from that, we’ve found a potential machine that could be used for end-use products and looked at a few 3D printing companies that seem to be stuck in a terminal start up stage that leave us with a few predictions on the big shake out to come in the 3DP world. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Switching from our series of CAD software reviews to a few slicing software reviews, and kicking it off with Slic3r. Slic3r’s slicing software is one of the original slicing softwares out there, but it has kept up with 3D printing’s advances and remains an on-going open source project. As the baseline standard for 3D print slicing software, it has certainly come a long way and we have much to say about its features and options for beginners and experts. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Ring Cam uses 3D printed parts to capture that moment when she says, “yes.” Scott Brandonisio shared with us how he used 3D print prototypes to get the Ring Cam box just right, and making new iterations of it on the fly based off real time customer feed back. This episode is an excellent real world example of how 3D printing can play a critical role on the road to business success. Check out our initial thoughts and interview with Scott here. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

With more time to kill during these long winter and holiday months, there’s more time to 3D print some fun and clever items from 3DShook’s Netflix-like catalog of 3D print decor pieces. We have been fans of their curated designs for quite some time now, you can hear our thoughts in our first conversation with Hector here, and we remain impressed by their high design standards, as well as their partnerships with major companies and brands such as Lowe’s and Hello Kitty. They have recently developed new options to downloading 3D print files by the piece or by the dozen on a sort of membership level system and is worth looking into if you are looking for quality 3D prints that are worth printing. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

New cases that have gone up to the Supreme Court are going to have an impact on the 3D printing industry, and patent attorney Chris Higgins takes us through what everyone needs to know about protecting 3D printer files. He identifies common misconceptions about 3D print intellectual property from patents, to business models, to design files and trade secrets. Find where innovation can happen in the patent world and how to protect trade secrets and prevent patent litigation issues through our discussion with Chris. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

3D Print musical instruments not only provide great sound, but provide a more affordable alternative to schools trying to keep expensive music programs in place. In a practical way, creating 3D print musical instruments provides students with the opportunity to be involved with the creation and building (through a kit) of their very own recorder, guitar, violin, or to design an instrument that has yet to be 3D printed. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

3D print figurines have inherent stability issues because they are made of different materials that are often moveable such as the arms and head of a doll. Disney research has come out with a white paper that provides a stability solution to these 3D prints through inserting weights to the product as it is being printed. Tom and Tracy talk how to address modeling the inside of the part and some of the complexities of creating stable 3D prints or even prints that are meant to sink if thrown in the pool. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Looking back at a successful model of not only an easy entry point into 3D printing for kids and beginner 3D printers alike, but also a successful model of how to monetize your designs before creation. This Kickstarter project is unique in its marketing and that it was brought back several times to re-market new products to a following that was already interested. By combining 3D printing with a product like Barbie, it’s a wonderful 3D design inspiration and business topic. Check out the original episode here. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

The accessories world gets a make over with the introduction and arrival of 3D print jewelry. We highlight LACE, a 3D print avant garde jewelry line by designer Jenny Woo, as a model for marketing not only a well designed product, but also one that has a story behind it’s creation. By giving their products a legitimate price point and therefore, value, this is a company that those looking to get into the additive manufacturing business world should take notes from. Listen to the original episode here. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Brick and mortar stores are missing opportunities for 3D print retail because of a lack of internal infrastructure. John Hauer of Get3DSmart shares why major retail stores are not adopting this technology despite having been initially intrigued and excited about 3D printing. Looking at how major brick and mortar retailers can stay ahead of the tech wave of 3D printing and make brick and mortar stores relevant again with good product and good business consulting guides. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Geek and tech chic is having it’s moment in the wake of Silicon Valley Fashion Week 2016, and its no surprise to see wearable 3D prints up and down the runway. However, it is a surprise to still being seeing wearable 3D prints thrown into the mix more as a gimmick than as an actual viable fashion option. Is the fashion industry really ready to adopt 3D printing on it’s shelves? To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

A 3D print design career is not limited to entrepreneurs as outside consultants, but includes intrapreneurs inside a company as well. Tom and Tracy Hazzard identify the 3D print design and designer gap of professional individuals who are lacking the skills companies desire. The 5 skills needed to fill that gap are not as hard to obtain as one might believe, and while today’s young students are gaining these skills as young as elementary schools, can we afford to wait until they hit to workforce for this gap to be no longer existent? To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

3D Print project kits are ideal entry points into the world of additive manufacturing, especially for those looking to customize products that are already on the market. By blending non-3D printed parts with the pieces from a 3D print project kit, users can have an immediate completed project and gain 3D print satisfaction instead of only frustration. These are also entry ways that current craft stores could sell 3D printed on demand components to existing product lines for consumers that are looking for something more particular. Check back on our original episode to see a 3D print clock project kit brought to life. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!