LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Lexington 3D printing business is helping restore a historic Victorian home — and its new owner says the technology's potential is only beginning to be realized.
Complete3d, located on Limestone Street on the University of Kentucky's campus, offers a full range of 3D printing services, from in-house printing to retail sales, printer repairs, and materials.
"We've got the space itself, where we do 3D printing for customers and things, but we also have the storefront aspect where people can buy materials and the printers themselves. They can bring them here for repairs, it's like I said just a little bit of everything. If you can think of something 3D printing related, we probably do it," Alec Whisman said.
Whisman took over as owner and operator of the business in January. He said the shop handles an unusually wide range of projects — from replacement vintage car parts to anatomical models of horse hooves for a UK professor.
"I have a university lecturer here at UK that has these molds of horse hooves for horses that have had a disease. He's taken these molds, brought them to me, I'm scanning them, and he's showing me the part that he'd like to cut and I can make a physical prop he can hand out to students and you can just detach and re-attach that little side of the hoof," Whisman said.
Among the shop's recent projects is the restoration of the Aisling House, a historic Victorian home in Winchester's Thompson neighborhood built around 1888. The home had sustained significant damage to architectural components that are no longer easily reproduced using traditional methods.
"It was very damaged. And the processes for recreating that is not really around anymore. What they did was they brought an example of each damaged component to me, I've taken a 3D scanner, scanned those objects, and then re-created them as a 3D model you can mass produce to create all of this siding," Whisman said.
With 3D printing often costing significantly less than traditional manufacturing, Whisman believes the technology's most transformative applications are still ahead.
"I think that the amount of people getting exposed to it will inspire the people who will find another use for it," Whisman said.
Complete3D is hosting an event tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors can see the new EufyMake E-1 texture printer in action and enjoy snacks, drinks, and 10% off in-store filament.
You can find a link to sign up for the event here: Complet3D | EufyMake E1 Showcase
