Mimaki 3DUJ-2207: Stunning 3D Printed Reproductions Are Becoming More Affordable

Sometimes it is very valuable to explore new technology even if, at first, the costs seem to put it well beyond our current circumstances.

For example, most educators would have thought it frivolous to even think about using color video recording in the classroom in 1972 when Ikegami introduced the HL-33 HandyLooky camera... the first portable hand-held color video camera at around $60,000.  That is the equivalent of about $375,144.53 in today's money!  Color video was RARE back then.  And, to actually get a color image you almost had to have enough heat producing light to peel the paint off walls!

Ikegami HL-33 Handy-Looky Camera (1972)

Today, you can produce infinitely better video using your cell phone.  Color video is now everywhere.

Here is my point.  Educators who DID focus on the ramifications of color video in 1972, when it was essentially unobtainable to educators, were in a much better position to take advantage of that potential when prices plummeted enough to put color video into hands of teachers and students.

Now, quite frankly, most of us could not teach without the color cameras we use every day as we gather our classes together remotely via zoom.  But, I and others with experience using early color video equipment have an advantage.  We know how important lighting is to the process.  So, in my home, I am able to benefit by the use of lighting when using Zoom.   

But, why am I telling you all this in a blog devoted to 3D technologies?

FULL COLOR 3D PRINTING

Like color video in 1972, full color 3D printing is rare and seemingly out of reach for most educators in 2020.  But, I can tell you from first hand experience that it is important to consider its ramifications in all you do today.

For, unlike color video, which stood on its own, full color 3D printing now and into the future can benefit by the obtainable 3D technology we have within our reach right this minute.  And, that is 3D capture... either by 3D Scanner or Photogrammetry.  We can prepare for the future by how we capture today.

First, some background...

I have been blogging about 3D printing since 2012.  Much of my experience over the years has been with consumer filament type 3D printers.  But, it has also been my good fortune to work for a not-for-profit educational foundation that has allowed me to use an older Z450 full-color powder/binder printer.  

Even though it is only a CMY printer, with faded colors and no true black, with more than its fair share of issues, it has been my favorite printer for a long, long time.  Even with its limitations, we have had nothing remotely more capable for producing reproductions of historical objects even with the occasional down time.  There is nothing like full color, even if that color is not exactly accurate.

How Do We Prepare?

The first way to prepare for a future of color printing is to save our captures in a color format even if they are to be printed on a monochrome FDM printer.  The most common color format is an .OBJ file.  Here is an image we captured using an HP tablet having a RealSense camera and saved as an .STL file to be printed on an FDM printer.

RealSense Capture Saved as .STL File

 

While we might have to print this on a monochrome FDM printer today, it is important to prepare for the time when this same capture could be printed on a full-color 3D printer by saving it in a full-color format, like .OBJ. 

RealSense Capture Saved as .OBJ File

By looking FORWARD to a time when the costs of Full-color 3D printing WILL be within reach, we will be ready for that eventuality.

With this in mind, let me tell you about an amazing cost breakthrough in professional full-color 3D printing.

FROM AROUND $180,00 to UNDER $50,000

Yes.  I know $50,000 or even $30,000 is not quite the breakthrough to put quality color 3D printing into the hands of all teachers.  But, it IS a step in the right direction and could put full-color 3D printing into the hands of a school system to benefit all teachers.  And, it could help lower the cost of ordering individual full-color prints.

Mimaki 3DUJ-553 - The Baseline

Mimaki, a Japanese company, most famous for very large format 2D printers, has had the 3DUJ-553 for some time.  It sells for around $180,000+.

Unlike our full-color powder/binder printer, the hard plastic printed results are robust and stunningly beautiful.

Mimaki 3D Printer: Figurine Front

MIMAKI 3D Printer: Figuring Back

While every aspect of Mimaki 3D prints are amazing, I find the fact that they can print in clear, as evidenced by the veil, to be overwhelmingly impressive.  Here is a link to other equally impressive samples:

https://mimaki.com/special/3d_print/gallery.html

While $180,000 is admittedly hefty, it's hard to argue about the results.  Fortunately, for 2021 they have announced an alternative... a printer delivering the same quality of print in a smaller build size.

Mimaki 3DUJ-2207 - The breakthrough

I know most of us can't reach into our pockets and pull out $40,000+, which is the rumored cost of the recently announced 3DUJ-2207 due to debut in early 2021.  But, going from $180,000 to under $50,000, while delivering the same quality of print, is definitely an accomplishment that promises to benefit us one way or another.

What is VERY cool is that cost savings aren't at the expense of print quality.  In fact, the new printer will have even better potential resolution than the original.  It is accomplished by reducing the available print area and cutting the print speed to around half that of the original 3DUJ-553.

Here are the pages on Mimaki's USA site for both printers:

https://www.mimakiusa.com/products/3d/3duj-553/ 

https://www.mimakiusa.com/3duj-2207/ 

Now, I know that few of us... and perhaps not one of us... are in a position right this minute to purchase one of these printers.  But, I still urge you to pay close attention to both of them.  And, to keep them in mind as you consider buying 3D capture equipment and software and/or introduce 3D capture or Photogrammetry into your educational programs.

I urge school systems to carefully consider what having a centralized full-color 3D production capability can do for ALL subjects in all schools.  For the first time, using the clear material capabilities, we can print realistic models of protozoa, insects and other science demonstration tools.*  

Mimaki: 3D Printed Dragonfly

We can accurately replicate historical objects so students can handle them for close inspection and observation in history classes.  Because Vancouver iTech Prepatory had saved their captures of Fort Vancouver artifacts in full color, we were able to help them from several thousands of miles away by printing the objects they scanned on our old Z450.

Imagine how these same objects might look printed on a true color Mimaki 3DUJ-2207!

And, we can assemble displays of entire teams, in realistic 3D miniature, in the school's trophy cases.  

To me, this is a huge opportunity for educators.  And, at the very least an opportunity for all of us to consider what full-color 3D printing has to offer to our students, now or in the future.

*I want one of these!  https://www.doitplenoptic.com/3d-microscope-is-coming/

Teaching 3D Design and Print Virtually

As many of you know, my focus regarding 3D technologies is on education of at-risk young people.  

Teaching these disciplines goes well beyond simply learning a new technical skill.  The entire basis for choosing to focus on 3D Design and Printing is a desire to change the trajectories of these young lives.

The fundamental goal of the curriculum we developed at the YouthQuest Foundation, and now continue with our merger with the Phillips Programs, is to make it abundantly clear that failures are NEVER final.  

I have kept this fundamental goal clearly in mind as we have been forced by COVID-19 circumstances to turn to virtual teaching because classrooms in our area have been locked down.  Key to that goal in a classroom setting is quick turnaround of printed designs.  Timing is critical.  Being able to quickly print a design and return it to the student in printed form performs a number of critically vital life benefits.

FROM VIRTUAL TO TANGIBLE

First, it provides tangible proof of their ability to take an idea from a mental image to an onscreen design and then to a solid object that can be held in their hand and examined. The value of this cannot be overstated even if the object turns out to be surprisingly different than what they expected.  It is still THEIRS.  Students rarely discard printed objects that fall short of their original vision.

BASIS FOR CRITICAL THINKING

Secondly, printed objects provide the basis for applying critical thinking that compares the original vision with the reality.  Without a printed part there is no way to truly know how a design translates from screen to physical reality.  And, without that comparison there is no true basis for seeing how the design might be made better.  It's impossible to learn that failure is not final unless you have the specific types of failures that can easily be used as object lessons.  And, of course, that means failures that can easily be corrected.

EVIDENCE OF PROGRESS

Thirdly, printed objects provide tangible evidence of progress as designs are altered and new prints are created.  Student quickly realize that no matter how many redesigns might be necessary, each is a stepping stone to success.  It is this realization, for most, that is the most powerful force for changing the trajectory of their lives.  Few people have struggled so often with failure than those that find themselves in what educators call the "at-risk" population.  And, perhaps, what has placed them there in the past was the inability to deal with failure positively.  3D Design and printing provides them with the opportunity to see that even small improvements contribute to a new reality of success.  Each new print provides evidence that they can USE failures to their benefit as stepping stones to success.

THE VIRTUAL CHALLENGE

While we have more than enough printers to fulfill the printing requirements for our students, the lock down meant that we could not fully utilize these resources.  Each of the 3D teachers has a printer at home.  And, while we could use those printers to print for our students, we faced another hurdle.

Our school, being specialized, draws students from a very wide area.  While located in Fairfax, Virginia, we serve students from Fairfax County, Prince William County, Arlington County, the cities of Alexandra and Washington, DC.  This makes it very difficult to print and distribute prints in a manner timely enough to achieve our fundamental goal for this class.

STEPPING UP TO THE CHALLENGE

Like all school systems, both public and private, the COVID-19 lock downs have not only impacted HOW we operate; but, the financial aspects of continuing in a pandemic environment as well.  Even so, as a newcomer to the Phillips Programs family, I am pleased to say that the leadership understood full well that while we could teach 3D design virtually, unless our students could print those designs for immediate feedback, the very reasons behind our teaching this discipline would be lost.  The students could still have the joy of creating 3D designs.  But, would design alone really provide the primary benefit we wish to accomplish in these young lives?  Would design alone be enough to change the trajectory of their lives.

All of us agreed that it would not.

So, in spite of the sacrifice and cost, in a trying time for school budgets, the management stepped up to the plate to ensure that each of our students would get the FULL benefits of our curriculum by carefully selecting and purchasing 3D printers suitable for placing in the homes of our high school students actively participating in our Designing Futures program.

3D MOTIVATES

Obviously, this purchase was necessitated by the COVID-19 emergency.  But, it will provide us with critical experience that we can pass on to other teachers and administrations about the effectiveness of in-home 3D printers.  Did we pick the right one?  Were they as reliable as we had hoped?  How well did the student's (and parents) cope with the intricacies of printing? What specific new training from us was required?  And, did the process work as planned?  How much did it contribute to our success towrd our goal of enhancing the lives of students?  As the answers become plain, I will share the here and elsewhere for the benefit of all who see 3D technologies as positive influences in the lives of children... and, especially 'at-risk' children.

Matter and Form Scanner - The Perfect Learning Platform for 3D Scanning

Every now and then, one stumbles across a product that exceeds your wildest expectations.  For me, one of those remarkable products is the Matter and Form 3D scanner.

Matter and Form Scanner

And also, for me, the surprise was in finding out just useful the Matter and Form scanner can be in experimenting and researching the best practices for capturing 3D objects using a 3D scanner of any type.

Experimentation Requires Constants

Real progress in experimentation and research requires some constants.  For instance, scientists at the National Institutes of Health may run a single experiment over many years and they often require that a regent must be from the same batch each time that regent is purchased over the years.  they need that consistency.

Hand-held scanners are, by nature, fluid in their processes.  That is, the exact processes used change each time, even when scanning the same object.  It is almost impossible to recreate the scanning process from one session to another.  And, this introduces more variables than we might like when trying to study the affect of lighting and other factors.

With the Matter and Form scanner it is possible to replicate the very same scan setup over and over in exactly the same manner, letting the user decide which variables will be changed for each session.  This provides the experimenter with the control required to study changes in a single parameter.

In my case, wanting to learn all I could about lighting for 3D scanning has been a long-time goal.

Because of my background in video production and photography, I feel very confident lighting any situation in those two arenas.  But, when I tried applying what I know when lighting for 3D scanning, nothing seemed to make sense.  Every session with a handheld scanner was a shot in the dark and even though I could usually pull off a scan, I never really felt confident that it was the best that could be achieved.  There were just too many loose variables in every scanning session.

Narrowing the Focus to Turntable Based Scanning

We have used the Sense, iSense and xyzPrinting scanners in two different ways:

1. We walk around the Object.
2. We turn the object using a turntable.

The way light behaves relative to the object is VERY different between these two techniques. In the first case, the direction of the light is always constant relative to the object.  In the second case, the light source is static; but, the object, itself, changes relative to the light source in a full 360 degree rotation.  So, sometimes the light is shining on the front of the object and other times it is shining on the back.  This is an unnatural situation that often shows up as artifacts in the final result.

It was seeing if I could find a reasonable solution to this reality that I wanted to explore with the Matter and Form 3D scanner.  I somehow had to find a way to flatten the light source for the least amount of negative effects in the final scanned output.  And, I had the perfect test object to use for the experimental process.

Roly-Poly Metal Tin from Chein Industries

Chein Industries manufactured tin toys and containers in the first half of the 20th century.  This Santa is highly reflective and round.  It would be challenging to light in any situation; but, especially challenging to light for 3D scanning using a turntable.

Here is a link to my first scan...

https://bevelpix.com/creations/5e153984761dfe666220896d

Notice thata asa the object is rotated, there aren't just two highlights.  There are more than two which were captured while the object was rotating this is what I hope to overcome. 

The Attempts aided by Matter & Form's Consistency

I wish I could report that all is solved.  That is NOT the case. While we are closer to achieving flat lighting, which would be perfectly fine with normal objects, this particular shape and reflectivity is still a bit of a challenge.  But, that is OK.  Along the way I have learned an enormous amount about alternate light sources and modifiers.  It's been an amazing quest with real personal satisfaction coming with each discovery.

We've tried various soft tents, LED camera lights, Halo-bar lighting, lenticular lenses and some marvelously inexpensive tracing tablets that create almost perfect lighting for small photography.  each of these ppaths has brought a new level of understanding about lighting in general and 3D color scanning in particular.

And, it looks like we are coming to a soft landing with results that are clearly better than when we started the adventure.  Perhaps more importantly, I've come to have a much deeper appreciation for the Matter and Form 3D scanner and I don't know why it took us so long to find it!

Small Portable Lighting Made Big - OrangeMonkie Halo-Bar Lights.

I have been doing digital image product photography and VR (Virtual Reality) for more than 20 years.

One of the keys to successful product photography is using a large light source even with very small objects.  Here is a post where I discuss the benefits of large lighting with a fellow photographer, with examples, in 2013.

Color 3D Scanning is a form of photography in that in addition to the distance scanner a digital camera is used to capture the 'material' to be overlaid onto the shape.  It, too, can benefit from a large light source.  But, in most cases, especially when we want to go portable, that is not a viable option.  So, we must search for alternatives.

ORANGEMONKIE HALO-BAR LIGHTS

Let me begin by first saying this.  I love OrangeMonkie products.  In the 3D ThinkLink Lab we have 3 different sizes of Foldio lightboxes (Foldio1, Foldio2 and Foldio3) along with the marvelous Foldio360 turn table used to capture this 2300 year-old Apulian vase.

Apulian Vase 300-400BC by YQLab3D on Sketchfab

I became aquainted with the Halo-Bar lights because they were included with the Foldio3 with Foldio360 package.  At the time of that purchase they were only available with the Foldio3.  But, recently, they have been offered for sale at $59 as a standalone lighting package.

OrangeMonkie Halo-Bar Lighting Kit

The nice thing about these lights is that they come with a dimming system that allows very nice control.  This makes them very desirable even outside of the typical Foldio lightbox applications.   In fact, I've found them to be highly effective for with 3D scanners.  And, in particular, the Matter and Form scanner, which has become my favorite.

Halo-bar lights are small and portable, which adds to their value to be used with an equally portable 3D scanning system.  And, for most objects they work fine just as they are.  But, some highly specular objects present special lighting challenges requiring a bigger light footprint. 

Thus, began a quest to see if I could find a way to make some small portable lights perform like a MUCH bigger light source.

MAKING SMALL LIGHTS BIGGER

One of the benefits of being older is that memories of past solutions can be very helpful for the present.  In the late 1960's I sold audio-visual equipment and among the most popular items in the days of multi-projector slide presentations was the lenticular screen that was considerably brighter than the beaded projection screens of the time.  Remembering this, it seems like experimenting with lenticular lenses might provide the means for making a small light seem bigger.  Here is why.

 A LENTICULAR LENS is actually series of cylindrical lenses molded into a plastic sheet.  It looks like this when magnified.

Illustration of a Lenticular Lens

 The purpose of the lenses is to redistribute the path of light waves as they pass through the lens in a controlled direction as in this illustration.

Altered Light Wave Pattern

In theory, I was hoping that the narrow light of the Halo-Bar would be broadened and flattened by a lenticular lens.  So, I decided it was worth spending some time to experiment.  I am happy to say it worked!

The orginal light pattern of the Halo-bar light looks like this:

OrangeMonkie Halo-Bar Light

The diffusion is actually quite effective just as it is.  But, it is still a small, somewhat concentrated light source.  Adding a lenticular lens in the vertical direction has this result.

Adding a Lentucular Lens Oriented Vertically

The moire pattern is due to the angle of my camera relative to the lens, so please ignore it.  The important thing to notice is that the narrow light is now MUCH wider!  But, we can do even better!

Adding a Second Lenticular lens in the Horizontal Orientation

We can add a SECOND lenticular lens that is rotated 90 degrees relative to the first.  This scatters the light resulting in a much smoother pattern!  How smooth largely depends on the distance of the light from the first lenticular lens.

We can smooth even further by adding a third diffusion layer.  In this case simple white paper.

As is evident, the final result is a light source that is much larger and smoother than the original.  The Matter and Form scanner for which this lighting modifier was created doesn't require a lot of light so the fact that the final result is not as bright as the original unfiltered Halo-Bar light is not a problem at all.

3D PRINTING AND THIS PROJECT

The 14"x20" lenticular sheets are available on Amazon. Five sheets are just under $25 with shipping.  The frame to build the diffusion system was created using Moment of Inspiration.  Basically, there is a top and bottom rail with slots that take the three levels of diffusion.  The image below shows the bottom rail frame and the legs that rails that raise the frame to the level of the rotating platform on the Matter and Form scanner.  The top rail mirrors the shape of the bottom and the sheets simply slide into the top and anchor in the bottom.

MOI3D Diffusion Frame Design

The reason for the curvature has to do with the fact that the Matter and Form scanner has a turntable.  I wanted a light source that wrapped around the rotating object.  It takes about 10 hours to complete all the 3D printed parts on a 220mm x 220mm printer.   The Halo-bar shape lends itself very well to 3D printed stands that are adaptable to any height.

3D Printed Halo-bar light stand

Halo-bar and Diffusion on Stands

I like the result so much that I have ordered two more Halo-Bar lights to see if I can improve the lighting even further from a 3rd direction (front). 

Matter and Form 3D Capture Screen Shot

 
Above is the first attempt to use the new diffusers.  We are getting there; but, more experimentation must be done.  But, for now, I can say that this has been a fascinating project and I have really enjoyed learning to use the lenticular material and adding that capability to our capture arsenal.

The Value of Realistic Expectations

As far as I know, there are no perfect 3D scanning tools.  And, that is most definitely true when it comes to sub-$1,500 scanners.  But, that has never stopped new users from prematurely declaring this or that scanner is 'junk' or 'useless'.

I was reminded of this recently as I explored a web site for uloading scanned or captured images.  There was a scan of an object that appeared quite good to me, having seen the results from dozens of scanners over at least 6+ years.  But, it was disheartening to see the person uploading the image to seem to be utterly disappointed by the result.  I can only guess that they were expecting perfection from their new scanner right out of the box and, in my experience, that is laudable; but, totally unrealistic expectation.

The All Too Often Sad Outcomes of Unrealistic Expectations

I am not going to post an image of the object because my purpose is not to offend, or even criticize this user.  In fact, my issue with their position isn't that they do not tkink the scanner they have is adequate; but, that an expectation of perfection can often be an impediment to success and fulfillment.

Back in what many would consider to be the dark ages, I was a teacher of middle school students over several years.  One of my most promising students was also my most frustrating student.  If this student did not get 100% on a test, they angrily tore their paper up in little pieces. 99% was completely unacceptable.

I have watched this person over the years and have seen the devastation this has had on both their personal and professional life.  Who could hope to have a long term relationship with a person that demands perfection in all things.  And, in spite of the fact that this person clearly had the intellectual capabilities of doing great things, that has not been the case in the real world of work.

The Abrupt End of Growth and Discovery

My heart sank as the user declared they were probably sending back the scanner, which I know to be one of the best in its price range.  One reason for my lamenting that decision is that I new, from experience, based on what I could see in the scan, that none of the competitors in that price range was going to do any better.  Now, to be fair, I do not know their ultimate reason for thinking they need a super-high quality scanner.  In fact, for their intended purpose they actually may need an ultra-high resolution scanner well beyond anything moost of us need in the classroom.  But, if so, they had better be prepared to spend tens of thousands of dollars for one.

But, even then, I have the sneaking suspician that this user would be less than impressed by the output from the best professional scanner right out of the box.  As far as I am aware, the results from ALL scanners require some level of post-processing to achieve anything close to perfection.

In every case, what is likely to happen is that a new scanner is purchased, tried and found wanting only to be returned without any real effort to understand the tool's true capabilities.  An unrealistic expectation allow a person to dismiss a product too prematurely without any real commitment to getting the most out of it.

And, that is a shame... because, the journey usually has the potential to be even more valuable than the outcome.  When we make a commitment to fully understanding a tool, the adventure can take us into many directions.  In the case of scanning, that can be coming up with special lighting solutions or, in the case of scanners using a turntable, a more indepth study of the object being scanned to overcome design limitations that hinders the scanning function.

Bringing Expectations into the Realm of Reality

The first place I would look for a dose of reality is our ultimate purpose, educationally, for scanning.  In the scope of this blog, that is to use the capturing process as a starting place for observation and research.  While we want the best representation possible, within the means at our disposal, the actual capture need not be absolutely perfect to be of enormous value to our students and the community.

So, in fact, it matters little if we use Qlone on a smart phone or a $25,000 scanner.  Both are a means to and end and the bottom line is that all we need to do is focus on learning to use what we have to get the best result possible given our circumstances.

If we have no means to scan, we need to find the best we can find within our budget.  If we have a scanner, however crude it may appear to be, we need to focus on getting the most out of it.  And, all this has to be done with the realization that some things are going to work better than others and that disappointment is NOT a show-stopper.  It is an opportunity to learn and grow.

I have spent the past few weeks using a single scanner focusing on capturing objects purposely chosen to challenge both the equipment and myself.  In the process, the challenges have driven me to come up with new lighting techniques specific to this scanner and learning an all new image processing program that can help deal with the specular nature of the objects themselves.  I'm very pleased with where we are now in our understanding of this scanner.  But, I know there is more to learn.

But, now, I will be going back to some older scanners we've owned for years to see how they fare with these same objects.  Though I have extensive experience over the years with these scanners, what is different this time is that I bring what I have recently learned with the most recent scanner. While it may or may not help for any given scanner, it certainly enhances the probability of improving the outcomes with each scanner even if it's only a starting point for a new quest to discover a different lighting strategy.  But, if I were to bring unrealistic expectations for any of these tools to the table it bring all exploration to an abrupt end.  And, that is the worst outcome of all.

P.S. Recently, I picked up an HP Z 3D scanner to test and immediately tried using it.  Quite frankly, while I don't think my expectations were too high, since I have an HP RealSense scanner tablet, it was difficult to keep from losing tracking.  Not wanting to give up, I contacted the product manager and learned it had been discontinued.  And, the reason for that was that HP, too, realized it was difficult to use.  Creating a 3D scanner that is user friendly is NOT easy.  And, the fact that a huge company like HP found it difficult to pull off to their satisfaction should say something about how truly difficult it is.  Even so, while the HP is now lower on the priority list, it is still a tool we plan to pursue to try to learn because when it does work, it is gorgeous.  We don't like tools going to waste!

Being a Student Museum Conservator

When creating a "Virtual Museum" in the classroom, we begin by scanning actual 3D objects of some present or future historical value.  For the time that we may have these items students will have to understand the role of the Museum Conservator.

For items in our possession for a short time, our conservatorship involves how items are handled.  For items under our student's control for a longer time, it also includes how they are displayed and/or stored.

We previously posted an image of two Santa containers.  One is clearly in a LOT better shape than the other.

Two Cheinco Santas Demonstrating Storage Damage

A 3rd Cheinco Santa arrived today and together with the others perfectly illustrates the cumulative affects of various states of poor storage.

Three Cheinco Santas Demonstrating Cumulative Storage Damage.

The Santa on the left of both images was clearly stored in a more protective environment than the other two.  And, the one on the right clearly shows evidence of very poor storage conditions.  This is the natural fate of ALL objects.  So, conservators pay a LOT of attention to how they protect items both on display and in storage.

This fact is another reason why working with real objects to capture and turn into virtual objects has such great educational value.  It not only provides an opportunity to focus on all the related aspects of the life of an object; but, also provides a point of departure into related subjects such as the affect of light and heat on objects over time.

When I get to introduce our Santas to our students, there are many questions I want to ask them before we even begin to try to capture them.  Why, for instance, is the Santa on the right lighter on top than on the bottom?  What might that tell us about its life since it was created?  Etc., Etc., Etc.

The point is that 3D Scanning is MORE than a single, isolated function.  If seen correctly, it can become an adventure that leads in many directions... including, perhaps, a career as a conservator in one of the world's great museums!

Look closely at what this Getty Museum conservator is doing!

Scanning an Object at the Getty Museum

Michael Cruze: A fourth Grade Student That Gets it!

Imagine my delight as I opened the paper and found a story about a fourth grade student that LOVES antiques and the Antique Road Show!  He is Michael Cruz, a student at Carrol Lutheran School in Westminster, MD.

Here is the story

This EXACTLY what we hope for EVERY student... an appreciation of history through history's tools and objects made by and used by people in the past.

For now, I will let the story speak for itself.  So, please click on the link to the story and pay special attention to the photo showing his collection of family heirlooms.

At some point I hope to interview Michael.  But, for now, what I hope that what you take away from the story is that appreciation of antiques isn't just for old people looking for an investment or reliving their own past. It's about people of any age that realize that objects from the past, even a recent past, can tell us something about us, our times and what got us here.

Michael get's what it takes to be a 'curator' of a collection that, along with his photos, in and of itself provides the stories and context behind them.  That is VERY cool!