Thanks to the promise of DIYers, 3D printing is fast taking off as the next big thing. While expensive 3D printers can print in many materials and have been available for years, these new affordable extrusion machines print in plastic by building up layer after layer of material until a whole object is made. Think of it like a machine that draws with a hot glue gun. The machine moves on the X and Y axis to make a flat 2D drawing, then it moves up (the Z axis) and makes another drawing on top of the first, moves up, makes another drawing, etc. Over many, many layers, a full object is printed out. The ramifications are amazing- someday every home will have its own tiny factory!Read more »