Zero to Maker, 2nd Edition

7 One to One Thousand

Today, digital fabrication tools are more than just accessible. They’re also powerful.

I didn’t notice it during the initial classes I took. At the time, it just seemed like learning; everything was new and interesting and overwhelming. The first three hours of laser cutting look a lot like the first three hours of any manual skill, like wood carving or welding. It’s a period of constant absorption and productive struggling.

But that’s not where the digital fabrication tools shine. Having their design DNA embedded into bits means that it’s cheap and easy to create an exact copy. Getting to the prototype or mock-up stage always takes effort, whether digital or analog. With a digital design, though, you don’t have to ...