The Makers Den offers 3D printing, holiday gifts and classes

The Makers Den, a 3D printing store, retailer and teaching space, is now open in Eden Prairie Center.

“3D printing can help people be more self-sufficient,” says store owner Phil Sexton. “I believe there will be a 3D printer in every home eventually.” Unlike a paper printer, a 3D printer can create real objects from a digital design, building it one layer at a time.

Sexton points out the many practical uses for 3D printing, such as building a tiny part that is no longer available.

“Imagine something was supposedly impossible to fix, and you were able to fix it,” he says.

Sexton gives the example of a broken condiment bar on his refrigerator door, which he replaced using his 3D printer. He also shared a customer’s project of building a stand for headphones.

“There are 15,000 different headphones,” Sexton explains. “3D printing is totally customized to your need.”

Using Google or another search engine, creators merely have to add “stl” to what they want to build to search from over 100 million files.

The Makers Den sells printers and related supplies. “Price used to be a barrier to entry, but prices now run between $380 and $1,200,” Sexton says. “Most 3D printers use about 100 watts of power, similar to a bright incandescent light bulb.”

Print materials are made of a polymer that is fully biodegradable over time. The shop sells all printer-related supplies, including Aqua Net hairspray. “It helps hold the object to the printing plate during the printing process, and then also makes it easier to remove it when printing is done,” Sexton explains.

The Makers Den offers 3D printing services for customers using the shop’s equipment. For example, customer Samantha Rojas Garcia ordered a blue-and-purple sparkle dragon-like nebula figure to her exact size, color and design specifications.

“I have a set of dragon knives I bought in Chicago,” she said, “and this will complement them perfectly. It’s going up on my shelf on the wall.”

For those who would prefer to purchase a ready-made 3D printed object, the shelves of The Makers Den are filled with dragons, dinosaurs, frogs and sharks crafted using the store’s 3D printers. They can be purchased off the shelf or ordered as customized pieces.

Vividly colored masks, a wine bottle holder in the shape of a nine-tailed fox and an elaborate fantasy castle are also for sale. The shop also prints and sells customized Christmas tree ornaments, a popular item that allows customers to select names or messages.

“We had a wheelchair-bound customer who was being sent to the Bears-Vikings game by Make-A-Wish,” Sexton says. “He wanted a Viking for the joystick knob on his wheelchair, and we were able to print it for him.”

Printed pieces can be nearly any size. An elaborate fantasy castle, approximately 2 feet tall, sits near the entrance. “It took 50,000 print hours to make this,” Sexton says proudly.

Sexton is a former high school science teacher of physics, chemistry and biology. He taught for more than 17 years in locations as diverse as Shakopee, Chicago and Shanghai, China.

“I’m still a licensed teacher,” he says with a smile. He left teaching in schools to teach 3D printing in small classes he runs at the store. His regular schedule includes lessons for ages 7 to 12 (a parent must be present with this age group), 13 to 18 and adults 19 and older. Classes are limited to six participants. He offers classes for beginners, intermediate printers and those who want to learn advanced techniques. All necessary tools are provided.

Sexton also welcomes small groups and teams that want to share a fun learning project.

More information is available at The Makers Den website or by calling 612-552-3922.

“What if your imagination was your only limitation?” Sexton asks with a smile.

The Makers Den is open during the regular Eden Prairie Center hours, seven days a week.