Ponoko

Ponoko is a really cool company/website/service. You can design, make, buy, and sell products through their website. They are based in New Zealand, so I was able to send my a brother Scott, who is going to school in Dunedin, a cool birthday present for very cheap. Normally, shipping something to him in New Zealand would be very expensive. But all I had to send to New Zealand were my plans and my money, both of which could be transmitted electronically. They used their laser cutter to cut the shapes in my design out of a sheet of medium density fiberboard (MDF), and then shipped the flat-packed sheet a hundred miles instead of several thousand. He was then able to assemble it himself. When Ponoko gets some manufacturing bases in other countries, the cost of shipping to them will be greatly reduced, too.

The design process was pretty enjoyable, too. I started by creating a 3D model in SolidWorks. Then I made a drawing showing all of the parts' outlines. I then saved the drawing to .dxf format, which I imported in Adobe Illustrator. Next I made graphics for it in POV-Ray, and vectorized them in Illustrator to combine with the cut-lines. These graphics cover an area, so they are burned in using a different process. I also created some vector line art only in Illustrator to add a few finishing touches, one set on the top surface, and another on a part that would otherwise be scrap, to turn it into a decorated coaster. After getting feedback from Scott, I revised the design so that it would fit together more tightly. Then I had one made and sent to me. Now, after a final revision, it should be ready to sell.


You can see images in a gallery here:

Ponoko Pencil Holder Pics

I also made an animation showing the assembly procedure in SolidWorks.