Brad Wigton: 3D Printer Enthusiast

Brad began 3D printing to make repairs to another hobby: model airplanes. Brad has enjoyed flying model airplanes for several years but as any model enthusiast knows, they are very pricey to repair and replace. Brad purchased a basic 3D printer from Amazon in the fall of 2015 with the hopes of creating a low-cost but efficient way to replace broken parts on his RC airplanes. Due to the hollow and light nature of the printed pieces, they worked exceptionally well for his model airplane hobby.

After becoming frustrated with the low quality of the product he purchased, and after fruitlessly troubleshooting over 3 months, Brad did what most would be too afraid to do - he built his own larger core XY 3D printer (Hypercube) by using the old printer to make the remaining parts. He uses Fusion 360 for designing but recommends Tinker CAD for young 3D printer enthusiasts.

After learning the basics of creating and upgrading his 3D printer, it has become a labor of love and a fun hobby to enjoy in his free time. He has printed RC airplanes, boats and started printing sports coasters and phone cases for friends with their favorite teams. He enjoyed creating replacement parts for items that had worn out or broken: spare parts for an antique railroad car, a latch for a kayak, and pool filter parts.

His enjoyment for the hobby grew so much that he’s created his own space for his 3D printer. He now has a small outdoor shed with heat and air conditioning dedicated to the printer and his creations.

Brad was kind enough to detail his design to print process in creating our logo and custom coasters in the images below: