As one of the first companies to settle upon the fertile and unknown land of additive manufacturing back in 2011, Printrbot had almost instantly positioned itself as one of the sweethearts of the open source 3D printing community. The 3D printer manufacturer was founded by Brook Drumm, a longtime figurehead in the ever-growing industry.

Unfortunately, earlier this summer, Printrbot was forced to shut down due to increasingly cheap competition and floundering hype surrounding consumer 3D printing. But Drumm is back with a new business venture that seems to have worked out well for many other makers across the internet: creating web content.

On his newly launched Patreon page, Drumm announced a “new adventure” that will consist of various 3D printing content, including designs, videos, projects and more. The former head of Printrbot shared a heartfelt and ambitious message to potential Patreon backers, acknowledging mistakes he made with his company, while also looking towards a brighter future.

He writes:

“I dove head first into the 3d printing community in 2011 and founded Printrbot with a Kickstarter that went crazy. Its been a wild ride! The Printrbot team built and sold 50,000+ 3d printers, we traveled all over and met thousands of people, and I was part of a TV show on the Science channel…it was nuts. 

I invested everything into the business. But, I made mistakes. Cheap competition crowded the market, the hype fell off sharply and the whole thing blew up. I lost it all.

I learned a lot.
I’m moving on.

Now, I’m pursuing my new adventure and inviting you along for the ride. 
I’ll share all kinds of content: designs, videos, projects… the full monty.

I can’t do it without you.
Bring it!”

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Printrbot Founder Brook Drumm Stakes His Flag in the 3D Printing Content Game

In order to help fund this wide-ranging content, Drumm has revealed a number of Patron goals that will allow followers to get involved with the new venture. He plans to use the money to create free-to-view content on the Printrbot YouTube channel.

For instance, giving $5 will provide access to Patron-Only posts, while throwing in $10, $20, or $50 will come with a producer credit and other perks, such as a Q&A with Drumm.

The Printrbot founder is planning to launch his new venture on GoFundMe and Kickstarter in the near future. The money raised on the former platform will be used to develop a prototype product, while the latter will be utilized to gauge interest in the actual product itself.

In addition to YouTube content, Drumm is also launching a podcast that will share his own story in the first episode, while future programs will include interviews with renowned guests like Bre Pettis, Makerbot co-founder and former CEO, and Max Lobovsky, founder of Formlabs.

He’s also not giving up on the hardware game. Drumm is also working with Ubis Hot Ends, founded by Carl Ubis, to provide accessories and support to Printrbot customers. The Printrbot founder is currently building a handful of “Model 3” printers for the prosthetic non-profit organization Nia Technologies.

To learn more about Drumm’s future plans, visit his Patreon page here.

Ubis Hot Ends on a Printrbot
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