ALWAYS FORWARD
A history of our race against the machines in the mirror.
10+ years. 26,487 files. 268 GB.
Adventurer 1: "Are we going to talk about it or do it?"
Adventurer 2: "Do we have a choice?"
Like most endeavors, FORGE started in a tavern when a unified decision was made to 'do what you gotta do.'
2013 - Peddlers Cart
For the first One Spark festival we made a peddler's cart to haul and display the 3D printed samples we'd began modeling 10 months before. FORGE was founded to enable digital fabrication on site and on demand in downtown Jacksonville.
2014 - Swagsonville
Swagsonville was established as a "streaming pirate radio" for shows at our downtown neighbor Underbelly. Open for art walks and at the intersection of the new Elbow district, the FORGE was working hard and arguably playing too hard.
2015 - Cast Bronze
- Step 1. xxx
- Step 2. 3D Scan of mother to be.
- Step 3. 3D Print in printable and castable filament
- Step 4. Investment cast into bronze
- Step 5. Polish new heirloom
2016 - One Spark
60+ DSLR scanner for instant, high resolution color 3D scans. Winning the same One Spark festival we launched at while gaining international experience expanded our tools to include color and photogrammetry. Needed a bigger office.
2017 FL / GA HoF Busts
Downtown Jacksonville hosts an annual rivalry game between the University of Florida and the University of Georgia. FORGE developed a hybrid 3d printing + sculpting techniques to create these life sized Hall of Fame busts since 2017 to represent the inductees.
2018 - Workshop
Seasoned at custom parametric modeling, FORGE was able to scale our digital fabrication abilities to 16 feet wide via CNC. 3 inch thick HDU panels machined and polished before finishing with Matthews Paint System and installed in Charleston, SC.
2019 - Addys
Custom trophies designed for the local American Advertising Federation chapter. Silicone molded and cast in resin, the rear side of these awards followed the curve of the inside grooves of the hand so the award felt really, really good to hold. Lasercut mirrored acrylic in gold with custom jig for direct UV laser etching.
2020 - Muzzle Mask
In response to COVID - and overwhelmed with the calls for healthcare staff needing masks - we designed and developed the Muzzle using available autoclave sheets. 3D Files from the crisis are still available for download from the National Institute of Health.
2021 - Duval Dino
Honestly, we tried electroplating plastic before using FDM but the porous materials / process drawbacks were finally overcome with a 24 in x 36 in SLA 3D printer. Nickel solution painted before electroplating created a finish worth of our Duval Dino model.
2022 - Concrete
Providing all digital support for Printed Farms and the ginormous COBOD concrete 3D printer in Wellington, FL was a challenge we were uniquely qualified to undertake. The world record setting horse stable begins and focused and passionate chapter for FORGE.
2023 GOLEM
We'd be honored if you'd help us spread the word about GOLEM. We're committed to supporting their vision of using robots to make affordable housing attainable. If turning makers into home-makers excites you as much as it did us, join our discord.
Local Jax Makers!
We're working with Made in Jacksonville to raise awareness for other local makers.
If you have a 3D printer and would like your goods and services listed at let them know!
The next chapter for 3D printing in Jacksonville is bigger than the FORGE.
Custom 3D Design
FORGE design and consultation services remain available for projects with a $2,500 minimum budget. Services include 3D scanning, parametric 3D modeling, prototyping and short run manufacturing.
Weekly appointment slots available to begin.