Meet Amber...

Amber is our RepRapPro Prusa Mendel Tricolour development 3D printer. She's been with us since April and has certainly made our lives interesting. She's why Development Fridays have been a bit quieter the last few months than we would like.

Unlike her sisters, Amber is designated solely for development. Blastersmiths UK was born on the idea of tactical equipment and that comprises both fabric and custom plastic components. We've been working these last few months to bring this system online and we're starting to trickle new and innovative products to market. We're proud, as a company, to participate in the Rep Rap project - we're based less than 20 miles from the home of the project and Dr Adrian Bowyer's lab in Bath. It's only fitting we utilise the flexible and effective platform he and his team developed to bring Nerf compatible custom components to those that demand them.

Our suite of printers are all open source platforms designed to be built by the hobbyists. We've made a number of modifications to them and we have full control over our configurations. If a failure occurs, we can repair it within 2 hours while replacement parts can be ordered and delivered within a 48 hour cycle. We opted for the Prusa platform for this very reason, it's a system that can is flexible yet resilient in the face of commercial pressures. For Nerf parts, you don't need a high resolution printer that can sing its way to the moon, you need something brutally efficient that can print block plastic effectively and efficiently. Amber and the rest match those criteria wonderfully.

So what can we do with it, then? Well, we're offering a different approach. We're aware of our competitors and their works. We're aware of their abilities and we'd like to offer something unique. There are low hanging fruit out their that haven't been plucked and we have our eyes on them. We've just released our Rapidstrike switch plate kit for those looking for an easier method to install high current switches to their builds. A simple drop in plate complete with the necessary switches, we're hoping it lowers the threshold of entry just a little. Torch mounts, rail mounted vertical grips and other components are on their way. We will trickle products to market over the coming months so keep an eye on the website, our Facebook page and BritNerf.

This is a new field but the last few months have taught us a great number of things as a company. We hope to continue to build our reputation as a solid and dependable after-market parts company for years to come. In new markets such as these, companies come and go but we're building BSUK to last.

Finally, yes, Amber is a tri-colour printer but we've only got her working the one colour. Why? We're approaching 3D printed components the same way we approached tactical equipment: you can have any colour you want so long as it's black. Orange and blue are on their way in a couple of months. We've got our future growth and development covered. Every design we've worked on so far has not required support material to get going and it's something we're very much hoping to avoid.



And yes, that is a Sledge-fire shell prototype on there but it's not a Sledge-fire shell as you know it. ;)