Dungeness crab 2021: The season is here in the San Francisco Bay Area
It’s now the season for Dungeness crabs in the Bay Area. We made a “3D-pen crab” to enjoy with a crab roll from Burlingame’s New England Lobster:
Crab making with a 3D pen
To make a truly “3D” crab out of a 3D pen, one challenge is to build the carapace, claws, and legs with some realistic look and shapes similar to food models. We use this clean photo of a cooked Dungeness crab (or this with the claws) as a reference and break down the parts according to Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom:
“The Dungeness crab is a ten-footed crustacean, or decapod. The crab has five pairs of legs attached to the thorax. The two front legs are called chelipeds. They have a pair of claws on them that the crab uses for defense and to tear apart food. Behind these are four pairs of walking legs, each with a pointed foot.”
Here is a breakdown how we made a 6 by 5-inch crab, taking us 3 hours with a total of 31 3Doodler Start strands (30 red and 1 white):
- Doodle the carapace structure
- Complete the shell by filling in the gaps
- Build the eight three-part legs and connect to the body
- Build the two claws and connect to the body
- Add more “white” to it
We especially enjoyed how we could freely build an uneven curve of the carapace with a 3D pen. Making the legs was time consuming, but it was fun tweaking the angles and layering them behind the carapace to create that realistic look.
Kids version: Crab making with a 3D pen
Our daughter followed this kit (discontinued) for a 2D crab creation. Fun and easy!
Crab feeds in the Bay Area
This year the supply is again low. New England Lobster Market & Eatery in Burlingame serves wonderful quality food that you can order online or via a walk-in. This article covers a decent reference for local restaurants or markets in the Bay Area. Enjoy!
