Getting a consultant on Upwork

Notice I have done the search: "3d printing fusion 360". Initially it showed many North Americans, who typically charge $30-50/hr. But notice I have refined the search and specified India and Bangladesh. This cuts the price by half or three quarters. Notice that the highlighted consultant, although advertising as hourly, also does 'fixed price' work. And on the other jobs, notice how happy the client was and that he worked many more than the required hours (reducing the hourly earnings). At the prices Asian engineers charge you can afford to pay them plenty of bonuses (part of the Upwork system) to keep good relations. Their skills are exceptional, they will make you look good!

Related Pictures

What is the best 3D mechanical design software for ceramics in 2025?

CAD software and 3D printing are a potential revolution in vessel mold-making for ceramics (3D modelling is another topic). But there are two big problems: There is no way a potter, hobbyist or even small manufacturer can afford the typical software cost. While it is true most have free or low-cost trial or hobby versions, the strings attached are deal breakers. The second problem is the complexity of learning - that can be a bigger obstacle than cost. Fusion 360 seems to be exactly what is needed. It is the way to on-board the CAD world, using the free version and its great learning resources and best-in-class user interface. It is new and modern, a YouTube star. It is fully parametric supporting constraints and a timeline. True, it can choke on more complex drawings on consumer computers, but we don’t need to do those. But, for commercial use, it costs $680/yr. But that is cheap compared to some others! Upon discovery of the capability, the cost might be doable for you. If not, there is a second option: Move to Shapr 3D after learning. It costs $299/yr, also works on iPad (which Fusion 360 does not) and it is similar enough to make the transition easier. It is less powerful and lacks the training support, but the things it does do well are what is needed for mold making in ceramics. It uses the Parasolid engine like OnShape and SolidWorks (that royalty is probably what raises the cost). Here are the ones you cannot afford (and maybe don't want): -OnShape runs in your browser. It focuses on collaboration for teams. Free-version drawings are public but going private costs $1500/yr! -Rhino is usable for CAD but targeted at modelling. It is not fully parametric and does not have a traditional timeline (however Rhino+Grasshopper is life-changing for geeks, both for CAD and modelling). $1000 to buy but upgrading is $500+. -Solidworks is fully parametric with editable history. But it is old, the interface shows it. It is low cost for hobby use but for commercial use it is far out of reach for individuals ($2600/yr in 2025). -FreeCAD is becoming more viable. It is parametric, has constraints and exports and imports popular formats (but with lots of issues). Its model tree is equivalent to the Fusion 360 timeline, but more clunky and depends on careful setting of constraints. The learning curve right now puts it out of practical reach of most. But a capital injection, like Blender got, is coming.

Links

Glossary	Upwork Using the services of online freelancers connects potters and small ceramic producers to expert engineering talent at low cost.

Got a Question?

Buy me a coffee and we can talk