Solheim Lab Microwave Kiln Micro-donation Project

As part of RTEI’s efforts to promote new forms of inquiry such as research-based art, we have been working with the Solheim Lab at the University of Washington. The lab has a blog for their open 3d printing initiative, which gives a good idea of what they are working on. Solheim Lab is student-oriented and develops its 3d printing research work in the context of continuous exchange with practitioners. Lab co-director Prof. Mark Ganter often provides students with materials he pays for out of his own pocket.

For the open 3d printing project, Solheim Lab could use a microwave kiln. A microwave kiln would speed up the firing process and would open up new ways to work with 3d printed objects, such as changing drying characteristics and permitting much more precise heat management. The cost would be about $750. This would involve purchasing a high grade commercial 1000 to 1200w microwave oven (like the ones we nuke potatoes in) with a big working space (so more like five potato land) and all metal construction, along with some specialized ceramic inserts made to manage the heat, such as the one made by

I want to see if we can raise the money for this lab addition by creating a micro-donation project. I’m looking for 15 to 25 people willing to pledge $25 to $50 (micro-donations!) to add a microwave kiln to the lab’s resources. I’m in for $50 and I’ll increase my donation to match anyone (once!) who contributes over $50 up to $100. We will collectively be the “Friends of the Microwave Kiln”. If we can get enough pledges by December 1, then I’ll send an email to everyone and we can all go to the University of Washington Solheim Lab donation page to make our contributions.

What do we get out of this? A microwave oven with “Friends of the Microwave Kiln” lettered on it, with the names of each donor (who wishes to be named) and an encouragement for artists and engineers who use it to post pictures of their work at the Open 3d Printing web site with the tag “microwave kiln” so we can see how the oven is being used. Other than that, the usual bit about how the joy of giving in support of student creativity is worth much more than the $25 could buy any other way. And donations through the University of Washington are generally tax deductible.

If you would like to participate, send me an email at gerald barnett att.net with the amount you are willing to pledge–any amount is fine, really, though $750 or more would rather spoil the fun for the rest of us. When I’ve got enough in pledges to meet our goal, I’ll send an email out to everyone, and we can then make our donations directly through the Solheim Lab Fund at UW. Thanks in advance to all who support Solheim Lab and open innovation!