Would you like to take an idea, model in on your computer, and then produce a solid, real-life object from that idea? Maybe you are an inventor. Maybe you are an artist. Maybe you need that hard to find part for your dishwasher. Or perhaps you just want to understand the exciting new field of 3D printing. Once the realm of big corporations, 3D printers are now available for just a few hundred dollars and allow you to convert you big ideas into real parts without any special talents or thousands of dollars of machining equipment. In this series you'll learn how 3D printing works, what you can and can't expect from it, what goes into a 3D printer and how to participate in the 3D printer revolution even if you don't want to own your own printer! Al Williams, well known computer software and hardware author. takes you step-by-step through the ins and outs of this exciting new field.

This is volume 1 of 4 and covers the basics concepts of printing along with types of plastic commonly used for printing. Look for volumes 2-3 and the complete set on Amazon.

Volume 1 Table of Contents:

Introduction

Chapter 1. What is 3D Printing?

Chapter 2. Materials

Type of Materials

Exotic Materials

What Makes Good Filament?

Making the Choice

Volume 2: About 3D Printing Hardware
Volume 3: About 3D Printing Software
Volume 4: Refining your Prints