• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tech Savvy Mama

Parenting in the Digital Age

  • About
    • Affiliations & Honors
    • Contributors
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • Technology
    • YouTube
    • Social Media
  • Lifestyle
    • Parenting
    • Travel
    • Safety
  • Education
  • Causes
  • Gift Guides
  • CONTACT
    • Work with Me

Getting Started with the New Matter MOD-t 3D Printer for Easy & More Affordable 3D Printing

September 16, 2016 By Jim

A 3D Printer for $399?

3D Printers are rapidly going mainstream. Prices on 3D printers have fallen fast, making it affordable for the average consumer to get involved in the 3D printing revolution. New Matter offers their MOD-t 3D printer for only $399, a full featured 3D printer that is well designed and attractive.

Getting Started with the New Matter MOD-t 3D Printer for Easy & More Affordable 3D Printing. Full review on TechSavvyMama.com

What is a 3D Printer?

A 3D printer is a device that can “print” plastic objects.

New Matter MOD-t and 3D Printed Objects

Image courtesy of New Matter

Think of an inkjet printer but instead of ink, it uses tiny streams of melted plastic. Then instead of printing to paper, the print head moves back and forth as well as up and down. That’s essentially a 3D printer. If you ever saw one of those massive “plotters” back 20 years ago that drew your printout, that’s another good analogy. Just swap out the pens and insert a stream of plastic.

3D printers have been around for a while but many of the first ones were home-built and too expensive for the typical consumer. New Matter is bringing 3D printing to everyone with their MOD-t that comes ready to use out of the box for only $399.

What You Can Do with a 3D Printer

With a 3D printer, you can design your own objects or download and print 3D models that someone else has built. People are designing plastic replacement parts for commercial products that have broken as well as accessories, organizers, and cases. NASA recently installed a 3D printer on the International Space Station so scientists on the ground can design parts or tools and send the files so astronauts can print them in space. Imagine emailing a wrench to the space station!

People have even figured out how to 3D print prosthetic hands for amputees, dramatically reducing the cost and giving prosthetic hands to people who couldn’t previously afford one. With customizations, kids are getting Star Wars or Frozen themed 3D printed prosthetic hands.

About the MOD-t 3D Printer

The New Matter MOD-t is a great 3D printer for the typical consumer. For $399, you get a 3D printer that is as easy to use as a typical PC printer. The unit itself is very sleek and attractive, compared to many 3D printers you may have seen in the past.

New Matter MOD-t 3D Printer is Affordable & Easy for Home Makers. Review on TechSavvyMama.com

It doesn’t have a huge frame or a bunch of wires hanging out. A flat tray moves back and forth on the base of the unit and the print head goes up and down on a screw-lift. The printer cover is a clear plexi-glass cube that cuts down on noise and keeps grabby kid fingers out of the unit while it is operating.

The unit comes in several pieces and assembles easily. It comes with a large spool of plastic filament (3D printer “ink”) so that you can start printing right away.New Matter MOD-t 3D Printer is Affordable & Easy for Home Makers. Review on TechSavvyMama.com

During setup, you connect the printer to a PC or Mac with USB to configure the WiFi settings. Once the printer is configured, it talks to the MOD-t website over the Internet. To control the printer or print something, you login to the MOD-t website and it tells the printer what to do. I had no problems getting the printer onto my rather complex home WiFi network. I can’t say that for all devices I review.

Our First MOD-t Print Experience

Once the unit was assembled and on the Internet, the entire family was itching to print SOMETHING, and fast. Our 10 year old son, Thomas, was willing to forego TV and dinner to “make it do something.”

The New Matter website contains a “store” of 3D models that you can download, visible here. It’s a store format, but many items are free to download and print. We picked a drink coaster because it looked cool and was relatively flat, making it a good first thing to print out.

We clicked print on the webpage and the file was sent to the MOD-t printer for printing.

When the printer begins a new job, the print head spends about a minute heating up to melting-temperature and the unit does some calibration to ensure that it properly centers the building tray.

The MOD-t unit is slightly louder than an ink-jet printer with metal rollers moving the tray back and forth and a fan noise from the print assembly. It’s very quiet for what it does and would not be overly distracting if you happened to be working on the computer in the same room or talking on the phone while printing is in progress.

Once the drink coaster was complete, we used the plastic box-cutter scraper/knife to remove the finished product from the build tray and we had successfully printed our first object.

New Matter MOD-t 3D Prints a Coaster. Full review on TechSavvyMama.com

Our Second MOD-t Print Experience

With a natural-high coming off the first successful print, Thomas was hooked and wanted to print something else right away. I told him to look through the store and find something that looked cool.

What does a 10 year old find? A gun. Sigh.

It wasn’t a real gun that shoots bullets, but a gun-shaped rubber band shooting device. Still, maybe not something to be proud of.

With a spool of pinkish filament, I decided I would let him print a pink rubber-band shooter. It was a large design and it took a long time, but it mostly worked.

New Matter MOD-t 3D Printer is Affordable & Easy for Home Makers. Review on TechSavvyMama.com

When we returned to look at the completed project, it appeared that a piece of the printout had melted and fell off. Despite this, the finished product was mostly usable. I didn’t watch the entire printing process and it may be that the design of the rubber band shooter had gravitational challenges that any 3D printer might have had a tough time with.

Printing from Elsewhere

In a quest to do more research about what interesting and useful things could be printed directly from plans on the Internet, I left the confines of the New Matter store and looked for other 3D designs. I found a neat design for a carabiner and  was easily able to download the file as a set of “.STL” files which the MOD-t will accept.

The carabiner itself printed just fine. But we had problems with the latch. After a successful print, we broke the hinge clasp during assembly.

Completed 3D prints can be rather fragile because of the type plastic used. We printed out several other copies of the carabiner latch and had some massive failures. I haven’t had the patience to sit and watch the entire print process to see exactly what is happening (the kids have suggested setting up a time lapse to figure out the root of the failure), but I suspect that the clasp is too tall and thin and it’s falling over as it is printed.

The picture below shows what happens when 3D printing goes south.

New Matter MOD-t 3D Printer Printing Failure. Full review and product successes on TechSavvyMama.com

To date, we haven’t successfully printed the carabiner insert again. I suspect that with some time and changes to settings, we might be more successful.

It may be a situation where the design/model file is just telling the printer to print something too tall and too fast, making it topple over.

Clearly 3D printing is a new technology and there is a lot to learn. I don’t know if a more expensive printer would have done better at this task.

New Matter MOD-t Specs

If you were shopping between multiple 3D printers, the specs you would want to pay attention to are the resolution of the printer and the size of the object you can create. Of course, as these specs get better, the price can go up substantially.

The MOD-t printer can print horizontally in .4 millimeter increments. Vertically, it can print laters of .1 millimeter. The printer can print objects as large as 6x4x5 inches and it has a speed of up to 80 mm per second.

For comparison, there is the MakerBot Replicator Mini which builds up to 4x4x5 (a little smaller) and has a vertical layer thickness of .2 mm (twice as thick as the MOD-T, meaning less precise). Staples sells this unit for $999. On Amazon it’s $1234.49 at time of publication.

It’s not always easy to find these specs among 3D printers but this gives you a sense of how to compare different units.

Building Your Own 3D Models

To really maximize your use of a 3D Printer, you really want to design your own objects to print such as artwork, signage, crafts, toys, or anything you could come up with!

There are several different drawing applications available for free use which will allow you to build your own 3D models.

In order to get started, I talked with Steve Morris, founder of Catylator Makerspace in Silver Spring, Maryland. Steve recommended TinkerCad by Autodesk, a web-baed 3D creation environment that was easy for beginners to learn. TinkerCad is free for non-commercial use, meaning the home inventor or “Maker” as the cool kids call themselves.

I got an account on TinkerCad and in less than 10 minutes, I created a quick TechSavvyMama sign about the size of a business card.

TechSavvyMama Tinkercad example of creating your own object to 3D print. More details on TechSavvyMama.com

My object lacks any artistic sense of creativity but it serves as a perfect example of how anyone can quickly design their own 3D objects for printing.

How to Create Your Own 3D Printed Objects with TinkerCad on TechSavvyMama.com

Summary

New Matter’s MOD-t 3D printer is a great way to get started in 3D printing at only $399. It’s a fully featured 3D printer which meets the needs of the home artist, maker, or tinkerer. Without hands on experience with other 3D printers, it’s difficult to compare this user experience and print quality with other printers on the market. It worked as described and successfully printed both objects from their store and that we designed from scratch. I did have trouble with the carabiner latch but I’m willing to give it a pass on this task. With such a low price point, New Matter extends the availability of 3D printing to the masses.

The MOD-t sells for $399 with free shipping through the New Matter website or Amazon.

We received an MOD-t for review purposes. All opinions are our own and based on personal experience. Amazon affiliate links are included in this post.

Related

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: 3D printer, 3D printing, affordable 3D printers, home makers, MOD-t 3D printer, New Matter

About Jim

Parent of 2 who has always been into computers and gadgets, Jim is a telecom junkie by trade. He likes to spend his free time doing “the opposite of IT work” on the weekend, usually outdoor activities like camping or chain-sawing. A Mac user who uses an Android phone, Jim doesn’t always follow the masses in evaluating technology and serves as Leticia's in-house IT department.

Previous Post: « 9 Tips for Moving Beyond Blogging as a Hobby #BizofBlogging
Next Post: Why You’ll Love Target Even More After Seeing These Photos #StJudeSundays »

Primary Sidebar

about sidebar pic_profile pic

Hi! I'm Leticia, founder of Tech Savvy Mama! I'm an award-winning blogger, Washington, DC area mom of teens, middle school computer science teacher, and education consultant.  Read more...

TechSavvyMama logo board_sidebar divider

AFFILIATIONS & HONORS

_YouTube Parent Panel

_top50momblogger

TechSavvyMama logo board_sidebar divider

Subscribe

Never Miss a Post!
Name: 
Your email address:*
Consent*
Yes, I consent to being emailed
No, I do not want to be emailed
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide
No spam, ever. Promise!

Tech Savvy Mama on YouTube

<<< View More >>>

TechSavvyMama logo board_sidebar divider

INSTAGRAMMIN’

techsavvymama

DC area blogger & middle school computer science teacher focused on edu, family tech & teens. ❤s= 🚀 #STEM 🏃 #StJudeHeroes #legacyteamnuun 🏝 #Haiti

Leticia Barr
It’s almost St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend! ❤️ This will be my 6th half marathon & 9th race benefiting @stjude kids and families. 🏃🏻‍♀️As a race veteran, you’d think my goal would be to improve my time but honestly, my goals are to raise money as much money as possible and to run for those who can’t. If you haven’t already donated but would like to, see the St. Jude link in my bio to make a tax deductible donation of any amount. 🙏🏻 I’m so so close to $5,000 and with your help, I know I’ll get there! Thanks in advance for any amount you can give and get ready for lots of race related posts and stories over the next few days! Sorry not sorry! 🏃‍♀️❤️🏃‍♀️
#stjudeheroes #stjudemarathon #stjudememphismarathon #stjuderun #stjude
How do you teach computer science concepts like th How do you teach computer science concepts like the cloud? 💻Through hands-on, interactive learning experiences like the ones offered for free at @AmazonWebServices Skills Center in Arlington, Virginia. 🏢 AWS Skills Centers provides free, fun ways to learn more about the cloud and job opportunities. Visit the link in my bio for more information and to plan your visit to the Skills Center! 🚘AD #computerscience #cloudcomputing #STEM #amazonwebservices #awsskillscenter
Thankful for a week filled with family, food, outd Thankful for a week filled with family, food, outdoor fun & being photobombed by my favorite girl. 💕 #thanksgiving #family #optoutside
Find a friend who will join you at OrangeTheory in Find a friend who will join you at OrangeTheory in the morning, celebrate the workout with lunch, and take ridiculous selfies with you and @theholdernessfamily after more bubbles and bites. Thank you @lisatasch for being that friend! I adore you! 🧡💪🏼🥂And huge thanks to @westfieldmontgomery for inviting use to meet Kim and Penn! They’re just as wonderful as you’d imagine them to be! 🎄#friends #holidays #westfieldmontgomery #moco #mocomd
Every day when their boy leaves for school, these Every day when their boy leaves for school, these two follow me upstairs and jump on his bed. 🛏️ One watches the driveway from the window and the other stares out the door, ready to alert the other if he comes returns. It’s the sweetest thing! 🐾 I reassure them he’ll be back later but I’m not quite sure what this pair is going to do next year when he heads off to college. I guess we’ll pass the days until the kiddos come home with long dog walks and console ourselves with treats. 💔  #chocolatelab #yellowlab #labrador #puppylove #rescuedog #labrescue #momlife
I’ve visited historic Old Town Alexandria many t I’ve visited historic Old Town Alexandria many times but today I got to know a different side of the city by hearing little-known stories of Africans and African-Americans, both enslaved and freemen, and visiting historic sites. ⛪️ According to @j_chapman99 (founder of @manumissiontour, 4th generation Alexandrian, and Alexandria City Council Member!!) Alexandria, Virginia was one of early America’s main centers for the international and domestic slave trade. As we drove through different historic neighborhoods, the contributions by Black Americans were apparent throughout. 🏡 It was a powerful day and an excellent reminder that Black history IS Virginia history which makes it a huge part of American history! 🇺🇸 If you’re in the DC area or happen to be planning a visit to Alexandria, I highly recommend booking a tour with Manumission Tour Company to educate yourself about important historical events and individuals whose contributions to local history are just as significant as those usually mentioned in history books. 📚Huge thanks to John for making me aware of a very important part of Old Town Alexandria’s history and also to @toyotausa for inviting me to join be a part of their Steeped in History initiative. 🚘 #ToyotaPartner #ToyotaSteepedinHistory #alexandriava #blackhistory
Happy Halloween! 🎃 Before your kids head out fo Happy Halloween! 🎃 Before your kids head out for an evening of trick or treating or hanging out with friends, take 20 minutes to have important conversations about how to handle peer pressure, safety, and healthy choices. Over the weekend I spoke with @livenowfox about how you can help your kids handle peer pressure and say “NO” to potentially dangerous behaviors like underage drinking if offered a sip of alcohol. If you're not sure how to start the conversation, here's a link to the segment I did about @ask_listen_learn as part of my role as an Education Advisory Board member for @go_faar. 👻 https://www.livenowfox.com/video/1304222 #halloween #parenting #responsibility #preventunderagedrinking #take20withkids
The things I do for a shirt! 🧡 To be honest, I The things I do for a shirt! 🧡 To be honest, I love a good challenge and Hell Week is one of my favorite OrangeTheory Fitness challenges! 💀 I *might* have been a little obsessive about pre-booking my classes and gotten a little irritated when my husband thought he’d have to travel for work which would have messed with my schedule. 😂 I *may* have cancelled and booked 3 different classes on one day when this week’s work schedule got crazy. 😳 I *definitely* did not take day 2 off and rest like I had planned when a friend texted, asking if I wanted to go to class. 🤪 But it was worth it! I got my 4 Hell Week classes done in the first 4 days and earned my 6th Hell Week shirt! 🧡 And yes! I’ll be there tomorrow for day 5. Maybe I’ll take a rest day Sunday!💀 Shoutout to the all the OTFSS coaches who kept the motivation high these first 4 days when the going got tough. I appreciate you more than you know! 🧡💪🏼🧡#orangetheory #otf #hellweek #stjudeheroes #teamnuun
Sundays are for baking with my best dog helpers! S Sundays are for baking with my best dog helpers! Swipe to see what Goldie and Murphy helped me make.
Spoiler: 🎃🥧
#labrador #yellowlab #chocolatelab #baking #pie
I grew potatoes! 🥔🥔🥔 This spring I found I grew potatoes! 🥔🥔🥔 This spring I found a bag of 9 potatoes from our @spiralpathfarm CSA I had forgotten about. Since they were sprouting, I threw them in a raised bed, covered them with dirt, and kind of forgot about them (again!) until I was cleaning out the garden this weekend. 🌱I saw 3 potatoes sticking up out of the dirt and was amazed at how many potatoes came from the original 9! 😍If you’ve ever wanted to try growing your own produce, potatoes are a great place to start! They take minimal effort and yield incredible results. Plus digging them up is like a treasure hunt! 🥔❤️🥔 #potatoes #backyardgarden #igrewthis #gardening #yum
What do you like to read? 📚My preference depend What do you like to read? 📚My preference depends on my mood but cookbooks are always a favorite and I am beyond thrilled to add the World Central Cookbook to my collection! 💕 I got my signed copy last night before hearing @chefjoseandres speak with @mehdirhasan at Sixth & I and instantly fell in love! This cookbook is full of incredible recipes from around the world that I can’t wait to make for my family. It is also full of stories I’d the amazing people and communities who have benefitted from the incredible work @wckitchen does to provide fresh meals in humanitarian, climate, and community crises around the world. 🌎 I’ve always admired Chef Andres for being so quick to go to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake to provide what people really needed- food. The work he did in Haiti was the beginning of @wckitchen and a professional culinary school in Port au Prince. 🇭🇹During my many trips to Haiti, I fell in love with the people, culture, and food. I always hoped I would run into Chef Andres there but couldn’t be happier that his book includes recipes for dishes I love like griote, soup joumou, black beans, pikliz & more! 💕 Thank you, Chef, for your dedication to helping others by providing a very basic need to those when it is needed most. 🍛 Swipe to hear Chef Andres’ rapid fire answers to Mehdi’s questions, including which restaurant of his he likes better- @jaleobyjose or @zaytinya ! 😂 #joseandres #worldcentralkitchen #humanitarian #hero #washingtondc #cookbook #whatimreading
Friday nights are for flu shots! Have you gotten y Friday nights are for flu shots! Have you gotten yours yet? 💉 #friday #flushot #vaccineswork #publichealth
Load More... Follow on Instagram

TechSavvyMama logo board_sidebar divider

SAVVY FINDS

Footer

Tech Savvy Businesswoman

Check me out across my social media channels for examples of how I can help amplify your company's brand, product, or cause!

_YouTube Parent Panel

Everywhere


techsavvymamasquarelogo_techsavvymama square logo

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

Looking for Something?

Search by category…

or by date

DISCLOSURE POLICY

Copyright © 2023 Tech Savvy Mama · Designed by Hustle & Sway · Log in

 

Loading Comments...