In the never-ending race to the bottom, the latest question to be answered seems to be, “Can this get any smaller?” And thus far, the answer always seems to be “yes.” New Zealand native Lance Abernethy first made headlines when he created the world’s smallest power drill, but now, he’s outdone even himself, developing a 3D-printed circular saw that is so small that it could fit on your thumbnail. Scratch that — it’s actually smaller than your thumbnail.
The tiny working power tool took just under hour to print, and is manufactured in four distinct pieces — two parts contain the main housing, a saw guard, and a blade holder. These are, as one would imagine, the same components that make up a normal-sized circular saw, just shrunken to laughable proportions. To turn it on, simply press a button on the handle, and you’ll be prepared to cut the world’s smallest piece of wood.
Speaking with 3Dprint.com, Abernethy said, “The saw was just a natural progression from the drill. I would like to be able to make a whole set of power tools just like my Makita set I have. I’m not sure how many I will get around to making though.” It is also unclear exactly what purpose these miniature tools would serve, other than being remarkable for their size. Abernethy himself has admitted that in its current form, the circular saw is incapable of actually performing the functions of a saw — that is to say, cutting through things.
Still, it’s yet another demonstration of the capabilities of good design and 3D printers, and Abernethy still seems to have a few tricks up his sleeve. He noted, “I actually made this a few months ago and will start making more stuff soon, once I get back into 3D printing. I will eventually get around to making something with parts people can easily buy and print, and then do a tutorial on how to make it.”
So while you may need to turn yourself into a miniature version of a human to utilize these tools, rest assured that there are still more to come. And who knows — maybe they’ll serve a purpose that we’ve yet to imagine.
