A 3D Printing Q&A with Astrodymium and BuckeyeStargazer
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A timelapse video showing the production of a desiccant cap. Courtesy of BuckeyeStargazer.
Many amateur astronomers may have heard of 3D printing and noticed 3D-printed parts and accessories for sale, but they don’t know much about the background technology. Are these parts reliable and well constructed? What are they made of? What are their limitations?
Agena AstroProducts got in touch with Bill Nguyen of Astrodymium in British Columbia and Joel Short of BuckeyeStargazer in Indiana, the two leading companies in this space, for a Q&A about 3D printing and how each company makes products for the amateur astronomy marketplace.
What got you interested in 3D printing for astronomy? Did you come to the field as an amateur astronomer, or someone with mechanical/design expertise, or both?
Bill Nguyen: I had problems with my astrophotography setup, so I used 3D printing