Digging for treasure is only the start.

3D powder-based printing is more than designing something digitally and pulling it out of a machine.  There is skill involved in removing the excess powder, artistic expression in post process and finish.   For the many years that this technology has existed, the price has been prohibitive because of the cost of materials, the pricetag of the machine, and the idea that high resolution print customers need to be high dollar designers with big money to get their visions realized.   We don’t believe that it should remain out of reach. We want cool things too.

The driving idea behind 3D Buried Treasure is to drive down the cost and crank up the artistry in 3D powder-based printing.   The most obvious way for us to do that is get it in everyone’s hands.  To do that, we are offloading the artistry of excavation and the fun of finishing them to you.   

3D Buried Treasures are produced at Metrix Create:Space, and we run batches of Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced treasures with Open3DP recipes.   You don’t get to pick what you get (other than the skill level), but it will be a treasure if you treat it right.   If you want to get a specific thing, you can submit a design to us.   If we pick it for our lineup, you will get one for free.   This is the only way to select your treasure.   In the beginning, the pool will be relatively small, but we predict it will grow quickly.    We would like to see everyone be able to pull off Advanced treasures, and although we are strictly local at the moment, we are working on techniques to prepare treasures for shipment.   

There are many ways to post process a 3D powder print.  You can infiltrate the entire piece with epoxy, superglue or wax.  Because we print in Hydroperm, you can fully activate the plaster with only water.  You can use treasures as a positive in mold making, or design up a negative to cast direct.    We know you can do these things.   What we don’t know is what you will do with them.   That is what makes us curious, and that is why we do this.   

Please take pictures of your treasures and upload them to our Flickr pool.   If you have a question, ask us.   You can come to the shop, or ask us here online.  

Instructions are done!

First 3D Buried Treasure leaves the shop!

Yesterday, before we even announced, @yoyojedi stopped into Metrix Create:Space and purchased the very first 3D Buried Treasure!

We did not have the full instructions printed at the time, but now we do, so we are ready!

The first workshop and introduction to 3D Buried Treasure will be held at Metrix Create:Space in one week (2/10/2011).   You heard it here first!