This year, we are celebrating SainSmart's 10th anniversary! Thanks to everyone who has gotten us here! Some weeks ago, we talked to some of our valued customers to learn about their stories as makers. They shared some great stories and experiences! Today, we're honored to introduce them and excited for you to learn more about them.
Part I
Arthur Schwieger
Favorite Products:
What led you to become a Maker?
I have enjoyed making things for as long as I can remember. I used whatever was at hand to make things. Cardboard, wire, wood scraps, tape, yarn, etc.
Could you please tell us something about your creations, or share some suggestions for beginners who want to make things?
One of the projects I have done repeatedly with my LE5040 has to do with engraving ceramic tiles. The basic method is to paint the tile while and then laser something onto that. Then clean off the paint and where you lasered, the paint has turned black and is firmly stuck to the tile. This is a simple, inexpensive project and has great results and there are growth projects from this such as layering colored paint and burning through to different colors.
What is a challenge or difficulty that you have overcome in the workplace?
I'm not sure I have overcome this challenge quite yet. I really enjoy working with my 3018-Pro CNC router. The difficult part is generating the GCode for more complex projects. Doing 2D things is somewhat easy and the software available is inexpensive and free. Trying to do more 3D types of things becomes much harder and even working with free software such as Fusion 360 is difficult due to the steep learning curve.
August 18 is our 10-year anniversary! Anything you would like to say to SainSmart or our team?
Thank you so much for providing the type of maker equipment and accessories that you do. I have had a blast getting back into CNC. Being able to do it on my desktop has been fantastic as I don't have the room for larger equipment at this time. The service I have received from SainSmart has been very good and I look forward to another 10 years + of having SainSmart.
Jesse Robinson
Favorite Products:
What led you to become a Maker?
I've always wanted to make things, I'm especially intrigued by projects that light up and alternative human interfaces. I think I started by seeing other cool projects people were making and it inspired me to make things as well.
What's your favorite SainSmart product?
As an avid 3D printer I like filament and resin. When I won the KL9 printer I found the Sainsmart water washable resin to be very reliable and using it fixed some of my early issues with cure and sticking, also it's a lot less smelly! I have not gotten into any of the lab tools but have been eying up some of the adjustable power supplies.
Could you please tell us something about your creations, or share some suggestions for beginners who want to make things?
My Dice Lamp I shared last year has a sponsor! It will be for sale at a local game convention, Gameholecon, which is exciting as I don't have enough product to warrant getting my own booth but I was contacted by a local board game store who will sell it for me. I already sold a few dozen and am building 40 for the convention, which is exciting and brings me into the realm of contract assembly for the boards. Also another fun little project I'm working on is my Ultrasonic UART Transceiver (UltraUART). It looks like a little robot and it transmits serial messages wirelessly over ultrasonic sound waves. Rev2 sent messages 8 feet and I'm hoping rev3 will achieve 15 feet! For beginners, I recommend you consume any media you can get your hands on related to making. Follow people on twitter and youtube, their passion will ignite your own.
What is a challenge or difficulty that you have overcome in the workplace?
The hobbyist industry has grown significantly making tools and resources much more affordable. This has shifted the equation a bit in terms of time and money constraints. Right now my biggest constraint is time for projects. With starting a new job and adding a new member to the family I can't find much time to make things right now. Everyone should remember that time is a resource too, and often more valuable than money, so if it costs a little more to buy a stencil for your board but saves hours of hand soldering, that could be worth it. Or for my dice lamps, having an outside place assemble 40 of them for a little more versus spending an hour per myself is definitely worth it.
August 18 is our 10-year anniversary! Anything you would like to say to SainSmart or our team?
Thanks a lot for bringing tools and resources to the masses to help us make things and change the world around us!
Will Hatheway
Favorite Products:
What led you to become a Maker?
I wanted to make better cosplay costumes.
Could you please tell us something about your creations, or share some suggestions for beginners who want to make things?
We are using SainSmart PLA to make molds for a cosplay of Halo's Master Chief. We then fill the molds with resin and create high impact resistant costumes.
What is a challenge or difficulty that you have overcome in the workplace?
Learning everything about 3D printing. I was self taught so there was a very steep learning curve.
August 18 is our 10-year anniversary! Anything you would like to say to SainSmart or our team?
Congratulations!
We hope you feel inspired by all of these stories.
Feel free to comment under this post or leave us a message if you want to say something to SainSmart.
Thank you again for your continued support and stay tuned for our Anniversary Celebration Sale this August!
And don’t forget to check out our most memorable moments and fun facts over the last 10 years.
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