Giving some consideration to building a 3D printer

[soop]

Anybody else thought about it?  I'm thinking of cool stuff I could make like rubber band guns and whatnot, and obviously replacement CDROM2 gears, but I also think that it would be bragging rights as no-one else I know has one, let alone built one.

What cool stuff would you make?

[esteban]

Anybody else thought about it?  I'm thinking of cool stuff I could make like rubber band guns and whatnot, and obviously replacement CDROM2 gears, but I also think that it would be bragging rights as no-one else I know has one, let alone built one.

What cool stuff would you make?

I have a 3D printer already.

I'll print out a 3D printer for you tonight.

[soop]

That's actually not a bad idea... I'm thinking about a... mendel90?  The one with the MDF?  I need to give it a think though.  I thought about printing RC helicopters and planes etc

[Tatsujin]

dude, first get drac x!

[esteban]

Well, I was thinking about your original question and I realized that I would want to print simple toys/puzzles. Very tactile objects that could snap together:


(1) GOMOLA SPEED "SNAKE" - Segments would be unique (one movable part, so you have something to manipulate) and snap together. Push a button and the adjacent segments disengage in dramatic fashion (springs?). Theoretically, you could keep adding body segments and make it friggin' huge snake. Could also be used to make ugly bracelets/necklaces.


(2) 1/10 SCALE VERSION of HATRIS - Players would grab new pieces from a black velvet bag. An egg timer would keep things moving briskly. Hats would SNAP together. Theoretically, you could keep snapping together hats and make a friggin'  long chain. Could also be used to make ugly bracelets/necklaces.

[Tatsujin]

so how much would it one set back, when aquiring such a printer? one that acctually can be used.

[esteban]

so how much would it one set back, when aquiring such a printer? one that acctually can be used.

30 derbies.

Or, approximately 10,000 berets.

[Tatsujin]

tell me in how much drac x's

[soop]

it should be about $500 minimum, depending on where you source your parts.  I don't know if Esteban was kidding, but it is actually possible to print most of the parts of a 3D printer, but you do need some metal parts, and the motors and an arduino etc.  Put all the joins, some of the bearings, and the gears and stuff can all be printed.

[esteban]

it should be about $500 minimum, depending on where you source your parts.  I don't know if Esteban was kidding, but it is actually possible to print most of the parts of a 3D printer, but you do need some metal parts, and the motors and an arduino etc.  Put all the joins, some of the bearings, and the gears and stuff can all be printed.

I was joking about owning a 3D printer.

Because, it is awesome for an item to replicate itself.

You know...like a robot building another robot.

What I was unsure of (still am!) is this: are printed gears/moving parts durable enought to withstand heavy usage? At best, I thought printed parts could handle light use.

I realize that the stock material used (of varying grades) is a factor in this...I just don't know if any material is up for moderate- to heavy- wear and tear...

[soop]

I don't think it's particularly fast, but yeah, reprap printers are designed to be self replicable (to a certain extent).  Fascinating stuff

[roflmao]

I don't know if this still holds true, but I read an article earlier this year about people who wanted to print out their own legos using 3D printers and the tolerances varied greatly from printer to printer and from batch to batch with the same printer.  Often times printed pieces wouldn't be compatible with real legos. I don't think I'd purchase one of these to print out CD drive gears (or anything that small that needed to be precise) without actually trying it first.

It wouldn't stop me from printing out a bunch of M.U.S.C.L.E. men though!

[HercTNT]

I would love some turbocentric models based on popular characters, items, levels..........etc. Something that could be printed out, and we could build and paint later.

[roflmao]

I would love some turbocentric models based on popular characters, items, levels..........etc. Something that could be printed out, and we could build and paint later.

Heck yeah!  Little Bonks, Zonks, Bombermen, anthropomorphic PC Engines - That would totally rock!

[Nando]

GASHAPON!!!!

where's geise at? he needs to start making them PCE 3D models

[wilykat]

Or print PCE LT case

[HercTNT]

Not a bad idea at all. but i will still take a bonk model anyday!!

[Nando]

which model printers are you looking at?

[soop]

Mendel90 seems to have the most benefits.

[Nando]

Damn, I had no idea one had to get a BOM for these. Does that mean that you would be assembling your own, or would you be buying a pre-assembled one? are those even available?

[soop]

You can get pre-assembled ones, but you pay a premium for them.  I think the general deal for most people, is they make the printer, then print off a few spare parts, and then start printing off sets of parts to eBay to regain some of the initial cost.

So one would have thought that the price of the parts would drop as printers themselves become more popular.

The other thing I've read is that since there are so many variations in parts, the recommendation is to go to the reprap IRC channel to have some pros scope it over before you start buying.

[Nando]

I had been looking for this link http://gallery.kingdomdeath.com/  if I recall correctly, they produce their stuff on 3D printers. Some really cool examples of what can be done.

Geise here on the forum is familiar with 3D modeling btw  ;)

[soop]

Nice!  Yeah, one concern is my complete lack of CAD skills...

[RegalSin]

3d printers are complete worthless. Everything we make from them can be done in real life, without using any computerized effort whatsoever.
I will admit, yes their are things you can build with it, that looks cool, but your just relying on a technology that has been around forever. What they are selling us is the most undeveloped ( not even zygote ) of printers, they have printers that integrates water cutters, and bio-tech. Currently they are in big-boy stage of development. I would love to get my hands on one of those clone machines.

the true nature of these printers is to make things like human hearts, and other organ body parts. Currently medical doctors have been able to print hearts, lungs, etc with these things. They are clear as flesh has no real color.

By you purchasing these printers, you create popularity, for these products. I say ignore the damn thing, because 10-20 years later they will have these things in hospitals. Complete waste of money. Anyways your fun your time. money in mouth, money out the shoot.

It does not matter by that time people will be a bunch of shaky elderly people, with no brains. Damaged from over consuming, and over OBEY.

[blueraven]

(2) 1/10 SCALE VERSION of HATRIS - Players would grab new pieces from a black velvet bag. An egg timer would keep things moving briskly. Hats would SNAP together. Theoretically, you could keep snapping together hats and make a friggin'  long chain. Could also be used to make ugly bracelets/necklaces.

I'm disturbed that this game exists.

[esteban]

(2) 1/10 SCALE VERSION of HATRIS - Players would grab new pieces from a black velvet bag. An egg timer would keep things moving briskly. Hats would SNAP together. Theoretically, you could keep snapping together hats and make a friggin'  long chain. Could also be used to make ugly bracelets/necklaces.

I'm disturbed that this game exists.

Respect the Hat .

[roflmao]

Makes me think a bit of this: http://www.geekologie.com/2011/02/boom-tetris-loser-tetris-board.php 

[esteban]

Makes me think a bit of this: http://www.geekologie.com/2011/02/boom-tetris-loser-tetris-board.php 

I knew something like that had to exist.

The problem is that the scoring seems a bit unwieldy in Tetris Link (though I really don't know).

[roflmao]

I knew something like that had to exist.

The problem is that the scoring seems a bit unwieldy in Tetris Link (though I really don't know).

I'm in the same boat. I've been tempted to pick it up, but it just doesn't look like it would transfer to a board game well.

But I still may pick it up one of these days.  It's freaking Tetris!

[esteban]

I knew something like that had to exist.

The problem is that the scoring seems a bit unwieldy in Tetris Link (though I really don't know).

I'm in the same boat. I've been tempted to pick it up, but it just doesn't look like it would transfer to a board game well.

But I still may pick it up one of these days.  It's freaking Tetris!

It's worth getting just so you can HOLD ACTUAL TETRIS PIECES in your hand.

[soop]

They disolve when you get a line

[blueraven]

BUILD IT.