Why we made a prosthetic leg for a chicken

We know Logan loves a market.

That’s why we’ve decided to chat to a number of local artisans and stall holders about what makes them tick, what they produce, and why it’s so important for them to be part of the local community.

Name: Karl Francis

Business: FC3D

What was (or is) your day job? Is this related to your art?

I work in I.T. as a day job, I love all things tech related, so 3D printing is my passion.

Can you tell us about the unique techniques or materials you use in your creations?

We use a variety of materials, usually PLA plastic for our articulated prints however there are many materials we can print in from PETG to Carbon Fiber Nylon and even Resin.

What makes your products stand out from others in the market? Is there a specific aspect or feature that sets your work apart?

We take care and ensure our 3D prints pass the toddler test, that being if a toddler can’t break them, they should be fine for most people, we have a large selection of designers we print files from and have started to do some basic CAD work too.

How do you find inspiration for your designs?

We are all nerds at FC3D and have a love of Star aWrs, Anime and all things geeky/nerdy, we usually choose to print from designers that have similar tastes to us.

Could you share a story behind one of your favourite pieces?

My favourite piece would have to be the strangest thing I’ve been asked to print. We had a client contact us and he wanted a prosthetic leg printed out for his pet chicken. At first, I thought it was a prank but after he sent me the file, we sized it up and printed it in PETG so it would last longer. He was so happy to give his pet chook the ability to walk again.

How do you ensure the quality and craftsmanship of your products?

We inspect our prints as they come off the printer for any signs of delamination in the layers of the prints and endure that the prints are of a quality standard. We also test all our new articulated prints by letting our kids test and play with them, if they can past that phase of testing the design can generally be trusted to not break easily when play with.

What challenges have you faced as an artisan and how have you overcome them?

In the early days the printer technology was somewhat prone to failure, it was stressful as there were times where there was a deadline for a certain print and it would fail constantly, it was a good training tool for learning what can go wrong with printing, new printers are very reliable, but those days gave us a solid understanding of the technology.

How important is community support for your business?

When you are an artisan, and you create a product as unique as mine it is very important for our local community to support us.

I have supported many small business and community groups over the years by way of sharing our games with them for community fun days. 

Local childcares have even purchased through us as our games are perfect for early development. 

How has being a part of the Logan community influenced your artistic journey and the development of your craft?

It has been great; our business has grown wonderfully since we started selling in Logan. We have spoken to so many interesting people and listened to what they’ve been looking for, it has helped us expand our products that we offer.

What message or feeling do you hope your customers experience when they purchase your products?

If we can put a smile on someone’s face that is our greatest reward, we also love hearing how our prints have brightened up a kid’s day.