Jul 14, 2016 | By Tess
While 3D printing pens are great tools for creating a broad range of things, from art, to fashion, and even to phone cases, there is an inevitable learning period for them where, lets just say, makers are figuring out how the tool works. For some it can be frustrating both for ecological and financial reasons to blow through a pack of 3D printing pen filaments and have only a busted Eiffel Tower to show for it. Fortunately, a Kickstarter campaign has been launched for a new 3D printing pen that has the potential to put your mind at ease in regards to wasted plastic filaments. The new pen, called Renegade, has been specifically designed to extrude melted plastic, just like the 3Doodler or other 3D printing pens, but rather than use store bought filaments, the Renegade uses plastic bottles, bags, and files as its material.
3D printing pen fail
The Renegade, which has been under development for the past year and a half, was created by London-based Daniel Edwards. Edwards, who himself was frustrated with the amount of money he was spending on plastic filaments for his 3D printing pen (about $10 to $15 a pack) while simultaneously seeing the waste problem in our world, decided to take action. So while the pen is “not the smallest, thinnest, lightest or cheapest 3D pen in the world”, it could help makers in both saving money and recycling their own plastic waste.
Of course, you won’t be able to feed full plastic bottles into the pen, so to help users transform their plastic waste into usable strips of plastic, the makers behind the Renegade pen have also developed a rather ingenious plastic cutting mechanism called the ChupaCut. The device essentially clamps on to a plastic bottle, and cuts it into a long ribbon of plastic (5 or 7mm wide) as the user pulls the plastic away. This ribbon can be fed directly into the Renegade pen (providing its a thickness of 0.14 to 0.35mm), which with its powerful extruder, screw mechanism, and heating system melts the plastic and evenly extrudes it from the nozzle, like any other 3D printing pen.
In terms of specs, the 3D printing pen is equipped with a drive motor and gearbox to help feed the plastic through, and the heating system can be adjusted within a range of 50°C to 320°C with an easy-to-use controller. The speed of the pen can also be adjusted with the touch of a button. The Renegade’s structure is itself built from a reliable aluminum material, as well as a durable mechanism drive and electrical system. In addition to plastic strips sourced from PET plastic bottles, bags, or files, the Renegade pen can also accommodate regular filaments including PLA, ABS, nylon, TPE, HIPS, wood, and more.
The device, which is available in either black or white, also comes with a mini spool attachment, that can secure your plastic ribbons for easy feeding into the pen. Additionally, users have the option of purchasing a specially designed stand, which can house up to 6 cartridge spools of plastic strips, regular filament sticks, as well as the ChupaCut.
If you’re not convinced about the saving money part yet, according to Edwards it will only take two 1.5L PET plastic bottles or 12 plastic bags to make as much plastic as 25 standard filaments. In monetary terms, that means you’ll be saving about $10 to $15 dollars per pack of filament, while reducing your own plastic waste. And while only printing with recycled plastic can limit your color options, the tool seems ideal for practicing and perfecting 3D printing pen techniques.
The Kickstarter campaign for the Renegade 3D printing pen is running until August 15th, 2016 and has a fixed goal of £25,000 (about $33,000). Early bird backers will be able to get their hands on a ChupaCut bottle shredder for £15 ($20) and the Renegade pen for £60 ($79). The early bird set, which includes the bottle cutter, the Renegade pen and the pen attachment, is going for £75 ($99). Regular price rewards include the ChupaCut (£20 or $26), the Renegade pen (£70 or $92), the Renegade set (£90 or $119), the Renegade Super Set, which includes the stand as well (£100 or $132). If the crowdfunding campaign is a success, the products can expect to ship by January 2017.
Posted in 3D Printer
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Daniel Edwards is the renegade on the market yet?
Es wrote at 9/13/2017 10:57:45 AM:
I would like to buy one. Pls
ben terwellen wrote at 2/11/2017 5:25:47 PM:
No updates on kickstarter since nov.2016, what is going on it is supposed to ship feb. 2017
Daniel F wrote at 9/2/2016 8:00:37 AM:
When can i buy renegade? How much does it cost??
Wenus wrote at 8/25/2016 8:44:47 AM:
hallo, I am also interested into it. its a good idea. how can I buy one of it?
mimi hope wrote at 7/30/2016 8:10:40 PM:
Hi, is the renegade on the market yet ? If so where can I buy one and how much would it cost ? Thank you.
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