I am always thrilled to be accepted for one of Tryazons’ parties. I was exceptionally excited to be able to participate in the 3Doodler Campaign. I love creating things, but I have yet to even come close to mastering the 3D pens on the market. 3D doodler has a great product, I am very impressed. I received their 3Doodler Create Pens to play and party with, but they also carry a beginner’s line, and a line great for younger kids, called #Doodler Start. Now, if you are a pro at it, or a professional, they even have a line for you, called 3Doodler Pro, and it looks impressive. Last, but not least, they even offer a kit for classrooms, called the 3Doodler EDU. The 3Doodler Start was The Best Creative Toy of the Year for 2017, too! We took the pen on the road as well, since it is so portable. You can really have fun with it anywhere.
They have a wonderful website, with 5 main sections on it: Store, Projects, Educators, Support, and Blog. The website is very easy and clear to follow and understand. I am highly impressed with their Projects section. It is a lot better than others I have used, and looked at. Their projects are actually free to print out as well, which I really love! I printed out a few to use at my party.
In my package I received 2 3Doodler Create Pen Starter Kits, 1 DoodleStand 2.0, 2 Different Color Packs of ABS Plastic Sticks, and 2 Doodle Pads. The Create Pen Starter Kits include: 1 Pen, 1 AC Power adapter, 1 instruction pamphlet, 1 Quickstart Guide, 1 wrench, 1 mini screwdriver, and 1 long tool to clear the passage with. I love the stand that this company offers. It can hold up to 75 Doodlestrands, and 1 Pen. Because the pen has a rubber guard by the tip of it, it will even hold the pen if you have the power cord attached to it. The power cord attaches to the top of the pen. It plugs into a regular 2 prong outlet. The included pamphlet offers some easy to read, and understand instructions. You can also go their website, and on the first page of the Shop section, you will see a Getting Started Tab. Press that, and it takes you to a page, where you can choose your pen. So, I clicked Create, which is the pen I have, and it took me to a plethora of information. This is the direct link for that section: http://the3doodler.com/getting-started/create/?_ga=2.159286396.778643117.1500502727-1931972569.1497930577 There are videos and manuals there to help you on your journey. Here is the main Youtube video for getting started: https://youtu.be/LVPqK4L5p2Y Have your pen ready, so you can follow along. It is basic, for example: On the side of you pen is the off, low, and high switch, as well as, the ports for accessories. It shows you that the top of the pen houses the air vent, the power port, and the port for your plastic strips to be inserted. The buttons to make the melted plastic come out, are called extrusion buttons.
These are on the front of the pen. The larger one makes it go faster, and the smaller one, makes it go slower. It’s a fast visual, which makes it easier to adjust your speed. I really like that. I also like how they are not located on the side, like some other brands. I would always hit it while trying to create, and that was sooo annoying. Now, the back side of the pen houses a clear section, which is the Maintenance Housing. You can see how mush plastic you have left in the pen, and access the inside of the pen from here, if you have an issue, like needing to clear a blockage. Last but not least, it warns you about the tip, or nozzle of the pen. It gets very hot while in use, and takes a bit to cool down after the pen is turned off, so be careful! Then it will go through other videos about turning on and operating your pen. You can choose to just read the pamphlet, but having a video visual, can make it easier for a lot of people. The pen has two settings: low, and high. On the low setting, the lightbar turns green when ready, and blue when ready for the high setting. The bar is on the front, top of the pen. The included plastic with the kit is ABS, which has to be used on the High setting. The low setting is for PLA, which was not included, but can be purchased separately. This pen can accommodate it. Now, to operate it, after you place a piece of plastic in it, and the light is on, go ahead and press one of the extrusion buttons once to start it. Pressing once again, will stop it, and double clicking one of these buttons will reverse the direction of your plastic, so you can remove it, and start a new color; easy peasey. Now, they state to trim the ends of your plastic after removing it from the pen, so it’s ready to be reused. This is easily done with a pair of scissors. Now, if you are trying to reverse your plastic, and it won’t, that means it’s too short to reverse, and you will have to use the rest of it, to remove it. They have videos on how to use the included tools to troubleshoot, in case you have an issue removing any plastic.
Time to create and enjoy. Being aggravated is not allowed, lol! I printed out a few projects ideas, but you can find others for free, or for purchase on the internet. I am ecstatic by the free library of projects 3Doddler’s website offers, though. Their videos give you hints on how to do 3D drawings, and more. Nothing takes the place of practice, though. With their DoodlePads, which have grid measurements on them, it was easy to place a project paper under the mat, and then create from there. Here is a link to some of their videos, for ideas: http://the3doodler.com/videos/ . Some hints I learned from their website. For a flat pattern, press form onto the surface. For a 3D pattern, when creating a line up, hold it for a few seconds, so it can solidify, and then pull quickly away, to separate from the creation.
I have a 10 year old son, who has tried 3D pens before too. He is at my skill level, which is, we will say, the fun level, lol. I feel safer with him using this pen. Since the plastic inserts are straight, and not long and curvy, the pen is easier for him to handle, which in turn makes it safer to use. I homeschool him, so I love to bring creative items into our home. This definitely fits the bill. Their website also shows all types of kits they offer, which can be highly fun, and educational for children. I am really impressed with this company overall! Under their Educators section on their website, the even have STEM included, which is beyond wonderful. You can create, or copy patterns. Learn how physics work in 3D builds. You can even have your friends create their own wine glass, or beer bottle markers, at the beginning of a party. Scientists do say, that as we age, are brain ages also. To keep It young, and quick, we need to keep using it, challenging it. This is definitely more fun than brain games on a tablet or phone, that’s for sure.
You can purchase any of their pens directly from their website, or Amazon. Here is a link to their community page: http://the3doodler.com/community/
All opinions are honest and my own. I have no financial ties to Tryazon or 3Doodler. I received this set in exchange for testing their items, and sharing my experience, only.
