We first came across James Herndon's incredible 3D printed jewellery through his Etsy store, niquegeek. As the name suggests, there's something geeky about most of Herndon's designs: he's created rings with superhero logos on them, necklaces featuring videogame artifacts like Portal's companion cube, and lots, lots more. Basically, we want everything. In this instalment of Meet the Makers, we chat to Herndon about everything 3D printing...
How did you first get started in 3D printing? Do you have a background in design or technology?
I was introduced to 3D modeling by way of architectural design which I studied in college and still practice. Almost every new building is created in 3D now and then blueprints are created from the 3D model. I first learned about 3D printing to make models of my architectural designs, making 3D printed jewelry originally came as a way to practice the technology but has become a pretty fun side hobby and business.
What software do you use? What do you like about it?
I typically use Sketchup and Rhino for my models, these are pretty common tools in the architectural world and they lend themselves well to jewelry design as well. I like how simple Sketchup is to use, and that there are literally hundreds of Ruby plugins that extend it's modeling capabilities, it's the software I have the most experience with (about 10 years now) so it's my go-to solution. For really complex or organic designs I tend to head over to Rhino. I can usually tell which program will work best for a design while I'm working the design out on paper in the early sketch stages, I think about how I will model things later on.
Why did 3D printing appeal to you, over other forms of design and making? Are there things you can achieve with 3D printing that you couldn't do otherwise?
Aside from the complexity you can achieve from 3D printing, I love the immediacy of 3D printing. I can create a sketch in the morning on paper, have it modeled up a couple of hours later and by the afternoon I can be printing mock-ups on my home RepRap. When I'm perfectly happy with the 3D model I can send it off to Shapeways to be printed in metal, I'm still amazed at how quickly an idea can become a reality, and in the case of my website www.niquegeek.com, a final product!
Do you have any favourite designers?
In the 3D printing world there are dozens of amazing up and coming designers out there, I really like the work of Nervous System, Virtox and Bathsheba on Shapeways.
What developments in 3D printing would you like to see over the next few years?
I'd like to see the quality of home 3D printers improve or the costs of commercial grade machines come down or both, I hope that eventually we'll have even more options for materials, I'd love to be able to 3D print in metal from home. I'm also really excited about the prospects of 3D printing food!
Do you see 3D printing becoming a mainstream technology in the near future?
3D printing will undoubtedly become such a mainstream technology in the future that I think we'll eventually just assume that everything is 3D printed, I think we've only scratched the surface of how it will change the future of human progression.
What would you say to someone who wanted to get started in 3D printing, but didn't know where to start?
I think the best routes to go if you're just getting in to 3D printing would be to either buy an inexpensive home 3D printer and start making things for free from Thingiverse, or you can get a software program for free like Sketchup and start making things to print for a small fee via an outsourcing company like Shapeways or Ponoko. If you're really into design I'd say learn to model first, if you're more into making things I'd say try and get a 3D printer first or build your own, either way though, you'll have fun!
Find more of James Herndon's designs at his website, NiqueGeek.