This is modestly called ‘The World’s First 3D Printing Pen’ but as far as I know it is. It is certainly the first 3D printing pen I have seen or used. Given the price of 3D printers a pen that can extrude onto a flat surface in 3D it is well unique.
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While anyone can draw a 2D image drawing a 3D is different and in theory anyway you could use this kit to replace any broken plastic part.
The instructions make it sound easy, I followed them and they worked, the one thing I was lacking was any real artistic talent.
You could draw what you want to produce on paper and then using this pen tool with filament inserted just start going over the lines and you have a tubed line finish, now the harder bit go over the lines again to increase height and continue doing so you need a steady hand here to build up height. You can also lift slightly from the paper to get a thicker area.
At the risk of putting people off this is quite like a fine soldering iron – so not for young children – but an older child with artistic talent could produce far better items than me.
When you have finished or you want to change the colour of the filament leave the tool tip alone it will be very hot, turn off the unit if you have finished and leave to cool down before you put it away.
Think of it as drawing with a pen but the tip of the pen extrudes a filament this cools quickly on the paper – or whatever you lay it on - so there is no danger of fire only the tip of the pen gets hot.
A small power brick has a 13amp plug hard wired and the lead length is 1.5metres. This fits into the rear end of the pen which is 15.5cm long and a cut off triangular shape 2cm wide at the back and 1cm wide at the front.
As regular readers will know I am left handed but I had no difficulty using it only a lack of artistic talent.
Towards the front of the pen are two rubber buttons Fast and Slow which relate to the speed the filament is pushed through the pen.
At the back end of the pen are two holes the one towards the left at the back is where the DC power lead is attached and the one at the front of the back is where the supplied filament lengths are fed in. On the left side near the back of the pen is a slider button off-low-high.
There are fifty filament lengths each 25cm long and they come in ten colours.
I can see how an older child with artistic talent could produce useful items but you do need patience and while a 3D printer would be easier as you just give it a design and it prints it, any 3D printer even the most basic are close to a thousand pounds this is less than a tenth of that price.
The 3Doodler Create is available from Amazon for £99.99 with free delivery.
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