Alternatives to the Printrbot Simple - 3D Printing: Build your Own 3D Printer and Print your own 3D Objects - page 196

Note
Want another nonstandard tool for your workshop? (By nonstandard, I
mean tools that don't include standard stuff like a drill press, table saw,
router, and the like). In addition to a 3D printer, laser cutter, and CNC
machine, you might also find a plasma cutter useful. It's much more of
a fire hazard, but it can cut through thick metals like butter. It operates
similar to a laser cutter and cuts shapes from sheet metal. As with any
tool, do your research and know the risks and dangers that come from
operating that tool.
Scanning Objects
You learned earlier in this topic how to create your own 3D models using CAD
software such as Tinkercad, but you'll be happy to know that you don't always
have to start from scratch. Enter the 3D Scanner.
Just as a scanner can scan a printed photo or document and create a digital version
that is stored as a file on your computer, a 3D scanner can scan a 3D object and
convert it into a file that can work with a 3D printer.
Take a look at Figure 10.10 and you'll see one of the newest products from Maker-
Bot called the MakerBot Digitizer.