Band sounds out 3D printing by creating functioning saxophone
Many positive noises have been made of late surrounding the transformative potential of 3D printing but now one enterprising band has taken the concept one step further by producing a complete, operable, saxophone using the device.
The resulting lump of plastic is said to deliver a surprisingly soulful sound after stretching the capabilities of present day technology to the max.
Brainchild of sax player Olaf Diegel it is printed from nylon the instrument consists of no-less than 41 separate components, excluding screws and springs, resulting in a feather light finish of just one pound.
Diegel spent six months on his labour of love, including several weeks of assembly to ensure the device gave the correct sound, writing: “Surprisingly to me, the sax sounds very much like a sax.
“One of the reasons I was keen to undertake the project was to show that 3D printing can be used for applications beyond trinkets, phone cases, and jewelry,”
The prototype is set to pave the way for future versions of the saxophone; taking advantage of the freedom afforded by the technique to incorporate wild see-through beehive designs, spider webs and a steampunk design previously devised for showpiece guitars.