Founders Max Bogue and Peter Dilworth have been around the block when it comes to manufacturing. Max is a former project manager and member of the R&D department at WowWee. During that time Max worked and lived in Hong Kong, liaising directly with factories to bring products to market.

Peter Dilworth joined the WowWee team as an outside inventor, met Max and eventually co-founded Wobble-Works. Pete has a long career in robotics and engineering including work on walking dinosaur robots and powered prosthetic ankles at MIT.
Working with factories in China on mass-produced products over the years has put us in a good position to bring this product out into the world successfully! As with any physical item there are a number of challenges to getting it right, and we’ve teamed up with a great manufacturing partner to ensure we can do this.
WobbleWorks has also developed several items that are taking a more traditional route to market.

We are really proud to have worked with our partner Etsy artists to showcase how 3Doodler can be used by artisans in ways not normally associated with 3D printing. There’s a lot of work involved for everyone in these collaborations and we are not able to duplicate them or take on any more during the Kickstarter, and likely not be-fore full production at the end of the Summer.

All of that said, if you are in Boston or we happen to be in New York at the same time when we next visit then drop us a short email with your name, details, background and what you want to do. A 3Doodle session in the Artisans Asylum or Harvard Square? Sure, we can try and make that happen, as I am sure our backers would love to see what we make together. But sending 3Doodlers out early just can’t happen I’m afraid.

Oh boy, if only it did! This is likely the number 1 question posted by non-3D printer buffs. We love the creativity, we wish we could make it happen right now (not least because we are sleep deprived and could use a sugar boost!). But the work involved is not insubstantial, and significant changes would be needed to the workings of the 3Doodler – for example the temperature would need to be lowered and far more variable.

Will it happen down the line? We’re keeping it in mind, and if it makes sense to do so well look into it and make it happen. But it’s not something we’re pursuing in the near-term as our number one goal right now is to get all our backers their 3Doodlers on time.

The 3Doodler heats the plastic and fumes can be released similar to a hot glue gun or 3D printer. BUT, it does not have any solvents. This is ABS plastic and not toxic. As mentioned in our proposal, ABS is one of the most common plastics around, and it’s used in most of the plastic stuff around you.

As avid 3D printer users we’ve also noticed that the fumes from the 3Doodler are significantly less noticeable than those coming from our 3D printers. In fact almost everyone who has tried the 3Doodler to date has failed to notice any fumes at all.

Sure, just let us know. We’ll send out a message when we are close to putting it up and give you the option then.

As I am sure you can understand, the Kickstarter process is pretty consuming, and we are very much focused on delivering a good experience and good product to our backers. Theirs will be the first products shipped, followed by 3Doodler site pre-orders, and then wider sales channels.

We will start to look at wider distribution after the Kickstarter ends. If you are a distributor who has reached out to us, please do not be offended if we do not reply to you immediately. We are buried in emails, and we have made sure to file yours away for the right time.

In almost all cases, yes, you can buy 3Doodler via Kickstarter along with our other backers. The only difference is that you will have to pay $10 for shipping– a flat rate that we apply. We cannot choose different shipping rates for different countries due to the way the Kickstarter platform works.
We are open to shipping suggestions, and we know that some of you prefer USPS to Fedex, UPS, etc. By all means drop us a note at dispatch time (not now) and let us know.
I am afraid we cannot be responsible for any customs issue or fees, but please do send us a note at the time of dispatch and we will try to accommodate you.

Woah, slow down there! Thanks to your amazing backing we now have the funds needed to take the 3Doodler to production. We are also in the process of building partnerships that will allow for wide distribution. A lot of pieces are yet to be locked down, but for the time being WobbleWorks will remain a private and independently funded company. We are flattered that you asked, and appreciate the interest. The same counts for an IPO.

Yes! And one of the inventors is a leftie. You can see Max 3Doodling with his left hand in the video. But righties can use it too…

Projects like ours truly benefit from being on Kickstarter, and in turn we feel obliged to respect the rules of the platform. One of Kickstarter’s rules is that they do not allow for multiple/bulk purchasing – if you are interested, their thinking is set out in a series of blog posts, including this one: http://www.kickstarter.com/blog/kickstarter-is-not-a-store.

However, you are welcome to create a second Kickstarter account and pledge for a second 3Doodler for friends, family, roommates, etc. And don’t forget there is also life after Kickstarter, which we have already started preparing for. Shortly after our Kickstarter ends we’ll be accepting pre-orders directly via our website. These will be fulfilled not long after the first batch of Kickstarter orders, and you’ll be able to order as many 3Doodlers as you want… yes, one for every member of the family. Did I hear someone say “Let’s play 3Doodle-It!”?

The 3Doodler emits a low hum. We will be getting you an exact decibel count in the coming weeks.

The ostrich featured in the Kickstarter video was doodled by Ecco Pierce, our next door neighbour at the Artisan’s Asylum. Ecco drew the ostrich within her first 15 minutes of using the 3Doodler (she is one talented lady!).

Here is everything you need to know about Ecco:

Ecco is a multimedia artist with a focus in steel and a background in illustration. Her work explores the shifting of 2D into 3D often using patterns found in nature. Currently, she specializes in bringing a supernatural flair to the intrepid event goer: electric wings, animalian costumes, helmets, head pieces, armor, and other uncanny items. Despite her wide variety in medium and installation, the work always resolved to comment on the spaces between the human and animal, the real and the fantastic, the known and the uncharted.
Ecco learned to weld during her attendance at School of the Museum of Fine Arts, where she graduated with a BFA in 2009. She currently makes her living passing on the art of steel sculpture to students at Artisan’s Asylum, as well as making work for sale and doing commissions in costumes, jewelry, and special event featuring sculpture. See her full portfolio at www.allthingsecco.com

The patent we have filed has primarily to do with the cooling process. In short, we’ve created a very novel way of ensuring that the plastic hardens almost immediately on extrusion, allowing users to 3Doodle at pace. The other point to note is that our patent is an adaptation of a pre-existing patent. We are trying to protect the IP in relation to the parts of this that are truly novel, not claim swathes of 3D printing technology as ours. That’s just not our style.

The current Kickstarter prices for the pen appear alongside the backing levels in the right column. As for the price post-Kickstarter, this is still TBD. We are going to try out best to keep prices as low as the very popular Kickstarter levels, but this will obviously depend upon demand, wider manufacturing costs and any other eventualities (good and bad) along the way. Plus that would be telling!

The bottom on the current version of the 3Doodler does allow it to rest on a surface. While we intend to produce a round ergonomic pen, it will also have adequate structure to rest on its side or bottom.

We are not getting into mountings at this stage, but there may be ways to “jimmy” it up yourself.

Anything that you can 3Doodle on can be personalized! Plastic from the pens adheres particularly well to other plastic objects, so it works great for putting your own spin on most plastic objects like: iPhone cases, desks, lap-tops, monitors, pens, etc… You can write on them or doodle 3D shapes on them and voila, you have modified an ordinary object to be your very own! Add bling to your stuff like never before.

We hear you loud and clear! There are a host of reasons why we used 3mm for the first (entry level) 3Doodler. Not least the ability to have more plastic in the pen without the strand out the back being too long. That said, we can also see the benefits of a 1.75mm version for makers who have 3D printers running 1.75mm already.

In answer to the question, we are taking the idea of a 1.75mm model under consideration as there is clearly de-mand. We will most likely do a survey a some point soon. While it likely there won’t be any 1.75mm models in the first run, if it makes sense and we are able to swing this into production then we’ll work towards this next.

Used 3Doodler plastic cannot be reinserted into the pen.
However, ABS plastic can be recycled outside of the 3Doodler. It is classed under recycling number 7.

The most ardently eco-friendly 3Doodlers may want to opt for PLA–which is biodegradable (and made from corn!)–as their plastic of choice.

Your first bag of plastic (or more if you backed a level with multiple bags), will be either ABS or PLA – it’s 100% your choice. We’ll be surveying users prior to shipping to see which you want delivered with your 3Doodler.

The 3Doodler uses 3mm ABS or PLA plastic as its “ink” – just like a 3D printer. We plan to offer plastic sold in strands (making it easy to switch colors and create different styles), but 3Doodler-compatible plastic is also available in 1kg spools from between $30 to $55 from a variety of sources… such as here, here, here, here, and here. This is no ink cartridge model!

Fun Fact: The average 1kg spool of 3mm ABS contains approximately 360-370 feet of plastic. That’s approximately 3,960-4,070 feet of 3Doodling, or 3 Empire State Buildings with enough to spare for several more weeks of doodling.

Feel free to send us any questions about this and we’ll be happy offer up any advice.

We recommend a maximum limit of 2 ft. The 3Doodler cannot drive a spool (as a 3D printer would). If you are using a spool we suggest you cut the spool to the length needed and straighten it.

PLA melts at a lower temperature than ABS, so we have designed the pen to have two temperature settings which users can switch between depending on the material in use at the time of 3Doodling.

Check out this Google Group which does an excellent job of discussing the differences: https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/makerbot/g_Fs7hFFXFc

Max also checked out the info there and penned this summary of the +/- of ABS vs PLA:

ABS: Stronger, more resistant to chemicals, commonly found around us and has been around for a long time, as a result more is understood about it as a plastic daily use item, it takes more stresses, it’s oil-based, melts at a higher temp, but it has a smaller transition temp i.e. when going from liquid to solid – this means it’s easier to lift the 3doodler up and have it cool and harden. It is more expensive then PLA.

PLA: “Environmentally friendly” it’s made from starch (corn/plats etc.) i.e. biodegradable. Cheaper then ABS, melts at a lower temp, has a bigger transition temp i.e. when going from liquid to solid it will remain in an in-between state for longer, as a result it is more flexible for longer as it cools. And it’s not as good for building off of or when drawing in the air. It’s more gummy and sticks to things well.

So as you can see there are a lot of +/- and each one has it’s own specific characteristics and use cases, we at 3Doodler are happy to let you pick the one that is best for you.

We were so psyched when someone finally asked this question! We have a spool and will be 3Doodling some demos later this week with glow in the dark plastic. Give us a few days to overcome the tsunami of emails. We can’t confirm yet, but depending on demand we’ll include it in the mixed colour bags.

It sure can! Just like a traditional 3D printer, the 3Doodler can use conductive ABS filament. The filament must be printable, which means it must be conductive ABS designed for use in a 3D printer (and just like any other plastic for your 3Doodler it must be 3mm). You can get the right stuff here, as well as lots of other places.
We haven’t had time to test it yet, but conductive ABS melts at a slightly lower temperature than regular ABS, so you might need to put your 3Doodler on the PLA setting in order to use it. We’ll keep you posted once we’ve sorted this out.
Also, you must respect the load limit, so you shouldn’t be trying to use a conductive doodle to drive your dishwasher or replace wires in your home.

The flexibility vs. brittleness is really up to you as the creator. You can make pieces thicker by going back and forth and joining the strands, or you go very slow to make a thick strand that will be less flexible, but at the same time stronger and more able to support things.

In the converse, you’ll create more brittle strands if you move the pen faster, but the thinner strands tend to be very flexible. If thinner, they are not easy to break, but they cannot support other objects.

So, in short, it’s up to you as a user to use technique and skill (which you’ll develop over time) to determine what you want from your 3Doodles.

Yes you can. And you can do so almost immediately as the “ink” cools very soon after leaving the pen. As long as it can adhere to plastic, it can help beautify your doodles.

We will be shipping bags containing 10 one foot strips of ABS or PLA. Each one foot strip actually produces approximately 11 feet of doodling!

We expect to price similar bags at around $5.99 on our website after the Kickstarter ends.

But we can’t say this enough: this is no ink cartridge model! We’ll keep on selling bags of strips because they will make it easy for 3Doodler users to switch colours and create different styles, but 3Doodler-compatible plastic is also available in 1kg spools from between $30 to $55 from a variety of sources… such as here, here, here, here, and here. If you do go all in for a spool, remember that you must cut off pieces to insert into the 3Doodler.

The 3Doodler is wall powered, it does not have a charging base/dock, and is not wireless. We plan to post more images with the cable so that you can see how this looks. Regardless, the final cable will be long enough to manoeuvre around and as light as practically possible. We have not found this to be an impediment to 3Doodling.
For anyone asking, yes, the power supply comes with the 3Doodler. International adapters (see below) do not.

International Backers: We also worry about the little things, including what plugs and adapters we use! We will be using a universal power supply, so provided you have the correct adapter for your country, 3Doodler will work just fine on 110v or 240v.

Some of the milestones will include:

Factory Prototyping – This involves bringing the factories up to speed on how to make the parts for and assemble the 3Doodler. Much of this work has already been done, but we will still need to spend time with the factory to take care of things like finalizing the tooling and securing all materials.

Pre-production – The pre-production (or “PP”) run will be around 10 pieces. Some of these samples will be shipped out to the four people who sign up to be part of the Über Early Adopter reward level on Kickstarter. The purpose of this stage is to try out the production of 3Doodler, work kinks out of the production system (before moving on to 1000s of units) and get feedback from the manufacturing team and from our customers. Where possible, the feedback from those first four 3Doodling pioneers will be incorporated into later versions and full production runs of the 3Doodler.

We will of course support any users with PP models, making sure that any faults found are remedied as best we can. NOTE: Anyone receiving an early PP sample of the 3Doodler will also receive a final production version of the 3Doodler.

Production – After comprehensive testing and feedback on the initial run of 3Doodlers, we will move on to the first full production run. This will be at higher volumes, incorporating everything learnt up to that point.

Quality Control – Once each 3Doodler is made, it will be rigorously tested. The quantity of orders on Kickstarter will help determine how we handle this. If we receive orders for under 1000 units, we will hand test each and every 3Doodler ourselves at 3Doodler HQ in Boston. If we received over 1000 orders we will carry out all QC in situ at the factory, with the assistance of dedicated QC personnel, and with relayed video footage of each 3Doodler going through testing.

Shipping – Getting 3Doodler from the factory to you will present some challenges. Our plans may change, but for now we intend to ship them directly from the factories to Boston, carrying out a final round of QC, and then individually box and ship the units to you with tracking numbers!

As I am sure you can understand, the Kickstarter process is pretty consuming, and we are very much focused on delivering a good experience and good product to our backers. Theirs will be the first products shipped, followed by 3Doodler site pre-orders, and then wider sales channels.

We will start to look at wider distribution after the Kickstarter ends. If you want to stay up to date on where and when the 3Doodler will ultimately become available, we ask that you join our mailing list at the3Doodler.com and we’ll be sure to update you on any monumental events as and when they happen.

The 3Doodler can be used as a plastic welding tool as well as for more artistic purposes. If you have something made of ABS plastic (the most common form of plastic) you can repair it with the 3Doodler. For example two broken parts can be welded back together by “drawing” a plastic weld where the parts are broken. In addition to household repairs, we expect this to be especially handy for makers who are using traditional 3D printers.

As for the last two questions, to soldering, yes, as above; to hot air gun, no, it sends cold air out.

The 3Doodler is NOT a toy for children (it’s recommended for ages 12+). It has a metal tip that can get as hot as 270C. There is no reason for any user to touch the tip while it’s hot, but safety comes first, and we are creating a video series that will explain how to use the 3Doodler that will cover the different techniques and safety precautions necessary.

We’ll say it again… 3Doodler is safe for anyone of the age of twelve or over, but please follow all good use instructions and videos, do not touch the tip of the pen, and if you’re a young creator then parental supervision is always encouraged.

With reference to the safety FAQ, we are wary of endorsing this for children, but provided there is adequate supervision we do recommend this for 12+.
Unfortunately we will not be able to ship to schools ahead of time or in bulk quite yet. But, if you’re interested in getting 3Doodlers into your classrooms, please drop us a line after the Kickstarter and we’ll start the ball rolling so that when we are ready, we can move like the wind.

Please have a read of this: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1351910088/3doodler-the-worlds-first-3d-printing-pen/posts/410119. It explains better than anything else our new approach to Stretch Goals.

Here’s the part that says it best: “Instead of stretch goals, we’re going to tell you what we had in mind, get your feedback, work up designs, and when we are happy with the result and we know for sure that we can execute, we’ll press go and make it happen. That may be during the KS period or after. But either way you’ll be getting products you love, and which we know we can deliver.”

We kicked off with the Holder & Nibs, and we hope to share more ideas with you soon.

We appreciate the offer, and we’d love to get as much feedback as we can, but the first prototypes of 3Doodler are in short supply and hot demand and we already have a group of designated testers, as well as the four fantas-tic backers that came on board as Über Early Adopters. If testing slots do open up, then geography is also going to be a key factor as we’ll need to see and tweak the pen. So in short, sorry, if we could we would, but in order to get this pen out to our backers on time we need to stick with the plan that we already have in place.

At first we will have a single size 3Doodler and a single size tip/head, but we do plan to introduce different heads for different thicknesses (which will work like having different brushes).

We intend to be fully engaged with our backers as we move forward with 3Doodler. There will be frequent up-dates and progress reports. Once our Kickstarter period is over we will continue to share our progress as we prepare for production and beyond. We welcome feedback and will strive to answer any questions posted (but do have mercy on us about delayed responses for the time being, we’re swamped and want to give each query the attention it deserves!).

If you are not joining us for the Kickstarter journey, we ask that you join our mailing list at the3Doodler.com and we’ll be sure to update you on any monumental events as and when they happen.

The 3Doodler takes 1 to 2 minutes to warm up. When you first turn the 3Doodler on, the indicator light will be red. Once the pen is ready to use the indicator light will turn blue.

Nope. The 3Doodler only works with 3mm plastic. Plastics cannot (and should not) be combined.

The plastic is warm but touchable when it emerges from the tip of the 3Doodler.

Funny you should ask! The 3Doodler has two speeds, fast and slow. These determine the flow of the plastic and allow you to doodle large items and fill a large area at pace, or doodle intricate and delicate details. You can switch between the two speeds by pressing down on the upper or lower doodle buttons on the body of the pen.

Plastic is loaded into the back of the 3Doodler. You can stop the flow of plastic by letting go of the main button (the same one you pressed to start the flow). If you press both main buttons at the same time the plastic will re-verse up the 3Doodler, allowing you to remove it by hand. Now add a new color and repeat!

The Ostrich = 2-3 inches of plastic.
The Standing Men = 1-2 inches.
The small Eiffel Tower was between 1-2 feet.
Almost all of the others were a matter of inches or less, however the large Eiffel Tower, which stands two feet tall was a little more! We don’t have an exact measurement but we estimate 6-7 feet.

Officially NOT recommended.

For starters EVERYONE is a first-timer! And we will absolutely do this, along with online tutorials and forums!

We are still testing pen heads and obviously want to find the best solution that is both safe and functional, and will of course include updates re: design. We are most likely going to add a removable protective layer/shield to the tip, but are still testing the various solutions. We hope to have an update on this soon.

To some extent yes, but we are a small team and would really love to see you, our backer community, evangelise this. We know there are some amazing uses for 3Doodler, many of which have been discussed in the Comments section of our Kickstarter page, and there will be many more to come. Once you have your pens just get out there and 3Doodle and experiment, play and above all, enjoy!

The 3Doodler does not require much in the way of maintenance. If the plastic starts having trouble coming out of the pen, wait for the pen to cool and rub it down with cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol to get all the burnt plastic off of the tip. If the burnt bits are particularly, difficult to get off, you can remove the tip for a more thorough cleaning. Again, do not attempt to clean a hot 3Doodler–it won’t end well!

We will be offering a 1-year warranty on the 3Doodler for fair and reasonable use, i.e. you’re on your own if you do something stupid like putting anything that is not plastic into the pen but we’ll be happy to help out other-wise.
We’ll get a document together and make it available when we can.