This weeks Designer Spotlight focuses on Todd Blatt, long time community member here at Shapeways, This spotlight is an update from his previous one found here.

todd2

Tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? Where are you located?

My name is Todd and I’m a well-known maker in Baltimore as well as around the globe. I feel proud to call Baltimore my home. I’m a 2007 UMBC Mechanical Engineering Graduate and am an active member of the Baltimore Node Makerspace.

I’m an expert in digital fabrication and knowledgeable about a great many things. I have wide variety of maker skills, including 3D modeling software, operating the 3D printer and laser-cutter hardware, 2D design programs, software for the laser-cutter, and have silicone molding and resin and metal casting skills, wood shop, electronics, and programming.

I’ve been a member of the Baltimore Node Makerspace for about seven years now and spend most of my time there. I’ve held the Vice President position at the Node, have done much of their marketing online and outreach at festivals, and lead weekly workshops and training sessions. People say I’m the go-to person in Baltimore for all things 3D related. I even ran a pop-up store for 3D printing and 3D scanning the last several holiday seasons.

jewelry

I’m also skilled with traditional tools like a bandsaw, drill press, router, jointer, planer, and know arduino programming, CNC routing, and basic electronics. I’ve also been a member of the CCBC FabLab since it’s inception and am on the advisory board there.

I’m on the Board of Directors and the Vice President of Market Direction for Tinkerine Studios in Vancouver. We manufacture 3D printers and are an education company. I have helped developed workshops, curriculum, projects and training videos for them.

I also run a maker business where I mostly create movie props, replicas and jewelry to sell to collectors, primarily through my Etsy shop and The Replica Prop Forum. You can see some of this work up at www.custom3dstuff.com.

I regularly attend, exhibit, and give talks at local and national Maker Faires. I’ve exhibited at every World Maker Faire since 2011 and Bay Area since 2012.

One of my favorite art projects came to life through a collaborative community I created called WeTheBuilders. I organized an effort to create a website where people could come, download a piece, print it out, and send it in. We have hundreds of active members who are each assigned a piece to 3d print, label, and mail back. I glue each of the pieces in place to create the bust. We’ve made George Crowdsourcington, Ben Franklinstein, and Edgar Allan Print so far. We plan to have our fourth project underway this summer and are actively seeking a woman to create the model for us to build. It was written about on many sites, including interviews for Home Depot’s blog, and this Sculpture.org article.

wethebuilders on table

http://builtfromscratch.homedepot.com/maker-movement-3d-printing-we-the-builders/
http://blog.sculpture.org/2014/10/15/ben-franklins-bust/

What’s the story behind your designs? What inspires you?

Replica movie props and math shapes.

What brought you to 3D printing with Shapeways?
I came to Shapeways in 2009 to build a replica radio that’s part of the cosplay costume.
How did you learn how to design in 3D?
JED a level editor for Jedi Knight (computer game) in 1997, then AutoCAD in 2001.
How do you promote your work?
Poorly. I just post to Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, forums, and I ran a few pop-up stores which
got me some press. bmore3d.com. I do runs of projects on forums and use Shapeways to
create the parts.
Who are your favorite designers or artists? Who in the Shapeways community has served as an inspiration to you?
Ryan Kittleson because he’s so hot right now.