This 3D printing has a very steep learning curve. Well at least the way I want it to work does. I guess if you just download files of stuff ready to print, it’s really not a big deal. It’s learning about all the engineering type filaments and what each is good for and the requirements for printing your designs with the filament. Or learning all the settings in the “slicer” software and how they affect your end result for printed items. And that’s not even mentioning learning CAD software…

It reminds me of when I was learning to program back in the mid 1980’s. I got a computer because of al the wonderful things I was going to do with it. Then I found out, it wouldn’t do anything without the software to do it, and back then software was expensive! But I muddled through, and by 1989 I was moon lighting as a contract programmer for places like Metropolitan Life, and the US EPA in Chicago. I was self taught and boy was it an up hill battle. I’m thinking designing and printing 3D parts for motorbikes is going to be much the same.

At any rate, it’s been so cold here lately, I can’t even get the motivation to head out into the shop to wrench on the bikes. Sitting here nice and warm learning about things new and exciting is just the start of a new adventure. I guess that’s a big reason I started this website, so I can look back and laugh about how I struggled in the beginning…