Large Scale Central

MakerBot!

General Discussion
#1

This is pretty cool - 3D printing! http://www.makerbot.com/

Reasonable price, too…

#2

It is pretty cool. I’ve seen the RepRap design kits on eBay for around $900.
Much like open source software, RepRap is a “community” project.
Ralph

http://www.reprap.org/wiki/Main_Page

#3

I see a great cottage industry here… just need some software that will make a 3D cut file from a photograph. Take it to train shows and make custom figures of actual individuals :slight_smile: - Or any other small part anyone wants cloned.

#4

Like this? http://www.nextengine.com/

#5

Almost :slight_smile:

#6

Jon - you must have been reading my mind…

tac

#7

Okay. I am beginning to feel reaallllly old now. Whatever happened to those stinky mimeograph machines???

#8
David Hill said:
Okay. I am beginning to feel reaallllly old now. Whatever happened to those stinky mimeograph machines???
They have been recycled! and if we are not careful they'll recycle us!

Paul

#9

3D printing is all the rage and prices are coming down. Not sure about doing stuff at shows though, these things work like an ink jet printer only they are dispensing various plastic materials. They build up the part a layer at a time and usually only a few thousandths of and inch so it may take 8 hours or more to do a complete part and even days for large or complex parts. Eventually I see these becoming the ultimate modeling tools working much like the replicators on Star Trek only much slower !

#10

Speed is just a matter of time. Look how far personal computers have come in 30 years. Do you remember the TRS-80 Model I. I had one! 16K, a Z80 and BASIC. What more could anyone need :slight_smile:

#11

We need an LSC 3-D printer, to make masters for casting.

#12

Alibre and 3D are offering a turn-key system (software and hardware); I mentioned that in this post. Of course it depends how much you can do with the $1500 package.

#13

HJ et al,

In the big world of 3D solid modeling, Alibre Design has come a long way. I looked at it for home use about 7 or so years ago (when Alibre was about $700), and was quite impressed relative to the likes of Autodesk Inventor, Solid Edge and Solid Works. For almost any modeler attempting make masters for casting, this would be a tremendous package. I work with all of the other three and for home use, they are EXPENSIVE!!!

#14

Maybe one can start a biss making & selling the plastic coils for these printers.
:slight_smile: ca ching.
David

#15

Here’s another company selling fully assembled printers around $1400 and a kit for about $1000.
Ralph

http://botmill.com/

#16

Notice everyone is selling the machine… no one is selling the services from the machine, lol!

#17
Bob Cope said:
............ For almost any modeler attempting make masters for casting, this would be a tremendous package. I work with all of the other three and for home use, they are EXPENSIVE!!!!
Bob,

Alibré Design Personal Edition is about as good as it gets without busting the bank and still being able to run the results on different machines.

#18
Jason Gallaway said:
Notice everyone is selling the machine... no one is selling the services from the machine, lol!
Check out this [url=http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&source=hp&biw=1916&bih=900&q=rapid+prototyping&oq=rapid+prototyping&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=2745l8498l0l17l17l0l7l7l0l296l1711l0.7.3&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=bfeab2899ea11157]Google Search[/url] and then tell me how many people offer rapid prototyping services. :lol: :/ :lol:
#19

These machines are a great toy , but i do not think they have sufficient resolution yet to do the work to make good masters for our models. i have some experience with this and was involved with Bob Hartford in the C&S trucks he is producing. Basically you need the best resolution you can get from the industry to go direct to moldmaking, without lots of part cleanup, which basically voids the advantiage for most parts.

#20

It all depends … different machines/processes for different types of parts. As the name of the process indicates it’s for prototyping, not to be confused with actual production. From my perspective one more tool to prove that a part with certain geometrical characteristics can actually be produced and is actually functional.
Apparently there have been instances when designers came up with some very elegant parts … the only problem was … impossible to machine, cast or whatever. :smiley: :wink: :smiley:

OTOH look at this http://www.precisionmetalsmiths.com/proto.html