Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length.

[TugCowboy]

So who is getting one of these then?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTxsS_tv4jo

Saw one at a friend's recently, he's an importer and will be bringing them to retailers in the UK. Priced at around £1200, although there are shops that have similar units already for prices of around that. They are AMAZING, so quick and simple

Half an hour to an hour drawing it in a simple CAD program like Sketchup, then just "print" it in whatever base colour and size you want. If the size is off a little bit then just reprint and voila!
No more spending a fortune on simple fittings. £30 gets you a big bag of the powder, enough to do at least 200 model boat size parts

Say for something like a Flower Class Corvette, 15 portholes on each side, get them from a high end fitting manufacturer and they charge you the best part of £3 each. That's £90 just on portholes! You can easily spend £300 on fittings for a model if you don't quite have the talent or time to scratch build them all. Yet if you perhaps give it some time so the prices of these come way down, get one in the sales etc and it'll probably pay for itself in 2 or 3 models time.

No doubt most of the "standard" parts will be available to download for printing quickly enough by communities such as Mayhem.

Really can't wait to get my hands on one, probably mid year as I can't afford one at 'release' prices, will have to wait until they fall a bit.

[StarLocAdhesives/FiveStar]

You can buy kits to make similar, the reprap

http://reprap.org/wiki/RepRap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1213kMys6e8&feature=BFa&list=PL7DA3130BE24770E4&lf=results_main

[TugCowboy]

£300 to make one yourself?...... oh wow, now I'm interested.....

EDIT:
Or £449 for one ready to assemble...... now I'm VERY tempted!
http://www.thereprapkitstore.co.uk/products-2/reprap-prusa/longboat-prusa-complete-kit/

[steamboatmodel]

There are a few of these around in the Toronto area http://www.makerbot.com/, I haven't had a chance to play with one yet, still unpacking my new mini mill.
Regards,
Gerald.

[Subculture]

The quality produced by the cube printer looks to be much higher than a rep rap or other cheap 3d printers. Looks like they have a real winner here.

[Philipsparker]

Unless they have the resolution at under 1/3 of a millimetre then you'll notice the lines on any curved part. The model railway guys have been looking at these for ages and some of the results are pretty good but still not as nice as stuff made using traditional methods. Give it a few years though and things will be different.

I've had a few bits printed myself, you can see the results here: http://philsworkbench.blogspot.com/search/label/3D%20print

Good but not perfect.

Phil

[Subculture]

I know what you mean about the stepped output.

The best machines at bureaus like Shapeways are able to produce resolutions down to 0.1mm, and the finished output looks superb. For the occasional modelmaker, a bureau represents the most cost effective solution and gives you access to the best and latest printer technology.

I think something that people often overlook, is that although the printer makes the part, you still have to be able to model it in the computer first, and that is a skill in itself especially if the part has complex geometry.

[Norseman]

you still have to be able to model it in the computer first

Hi

So where would a guy make a start? Is there a simplish and preferably free package anywhere to try out/learn with?
Or is everything expensive and complicated? Assume that plan elevation etc are understood terms but how to put them
on a computer aren't.

Dave

[redpiperbob]

Hi All
Here's one I made earlier.



Seriously though I am just finishing the machine off now just need to get the flow right and the heated bed working.
If anyone wants to know more let me know. only to happy to relate what I have done and the different place to get help.
Bob

[Subculture]

Hi

So where would a guy make a start? Is there a simplish and preferably free package anywhere to try out/learn with?
Or is everything expensive and complicated? Assume that plan elevation etc are understood terms but how to put them
on a computer aren't.

Dave

Most decent 3D modelling software tends to be fairly expensive unfortunately.

Google Sketch-up is free, and a pretty straightforward package to learn, but don't expect the bells and whistles you'd get in more exotic software. You need a plug-in to convert the files to something the 3d printer can interpret.

If you send your model to a bureau to be printed they will do file corrections for you, some will even draw a 3D model from sketches provided by the customer. Of course, this all comes at an extra cost.

[Norseman]

If anyone wants to know more let me know. only to happy to relate what I have done and the different place to get help.

Looks worthy of it's own build log Bob

Dave