I've posted this before elsewhere, but I thought this crowd might like it too. Using SketchUp I designed a 4x6 brick with a smooth concave back as a head badge for my commuter bike, and had it printed by
Shapeways. It's not perfectly compatible with LEGO - fit is a little loose, unless a regular 4x6 plate is attached, as shown below - but not bad for a first try.
![[Image: 6141809419_32152f1628_z.jpg]](http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6166/6141809419_32152f1628_z.jpg)
Anybody have similar hood ornaments, etc.?
Interesting experiment... how much did you pay for the parts?
It was $17.78 US for the part pictured above (and $6.06 for a smaller 2 x 6 plate of a different material). So, I don't think it would be economical to have a lot of custom parts printed, but I was willing to try it for this one-off experiment.
Shapeways does have an informative page about
all the available materials. Prices are given per cubic centimeter. In addition to various plastics, they can produce metal and ceramic objects as well!
Impressive offer. I need to try this some day!