3D Printer Recommendations

[maboroshi]

I am thinking of saving up to purchase a 3D Printer and materials. Does anyone have any recommendations on a 3D printer to purchase?

Also what are some recommendations for software to design prints?

*cheers

Mabo!

[bad_brain]

hm, I have experience at all with 3D printers, those thingies are still way too expensive to become interesting for me...

but have a look here, might help:
http://3d-printers.toptenreviews.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[computathug]

Why not build your own at a fraction of the price.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconside ... -d-printer

[bad_brain]

oh, nice....

[maboroshi]

Awesome... This is what I will do. Thanks man

[maboroshi]

If anyone is interested I am hoping to get a team of people I know locally to build this.

[youtube][/youtube]

[DNR]

I am trying to drop into a local hacker space - they have 3 - 3D printers for members to use. The club is about $100 a month, but you get access to all the tools there. I want to start a UGV/UAV project soon.

A hybrid UAV/UGV caught my muse... http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/entertainm ... copter.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

DNR

[reparto_temp]

I have actually contributed to this project:
http://reprap.org/wiki/RepRap_Buyers'_Guide" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Its an open source 3d printer which is around a tenth of the commercial ones, I have used it myself for design projects and its great for prototyping or making lightweight parts.

[maboroshi]

I have actually contributed to this project:
http://reprap.org/wiki/RepRap_Buyers'_Guide" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nice I will be sure to ask you about developing it as I will have to do that one first in order to build the Metal one.

Awesome

[maboroshi]

I am trying to drop into a local hacker space - they have 3 - 3D printers for members to use. The club is about $100 a month, but you get access to all the tools there. I want to start a UGV/UAV project soon.

A hybrid UAV/UGV caught my muse... http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/entertainm ... copter.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

DNR

Nice, that looks like a pretty cool development.

[reparto_temp]

Nice I will be sure to ask you about developing it as I will have to do that one first in order to build the Metal one.

Awesome

I didn't do anything major, they just needed a first year student who was good at CAD to make models which would be difficult to print and I had to print two copies, one was the actual printed model and the second was after I had manually cleaned it up.

I was only able to help because the reprap project was founded by my engineering department, I have seen a metal printing prototype but I don't think its going to be as useful as the plastics in its current form. The metal printer is basically a soldering iron but smaller, you could use it to create pcbs for small circuits. For full scale metal printing you will probably need some powder based technique.

[maboroshi]

I agree I am not expecting to much to begin with. But if I can find a way to further enhance the technology that would be kind of cool. I have to see if the people I know would be interested in doing this

[reparto_temp]

I agree we need more people working on this stuff. Last year I had to write feasibility reports on metal printing and I just basically said that it was possible to make it cheap for mainstream distribution if we can isolate the heat of the printer head because it ends up warping plastic if the 3d design makes the printer head stay in one place for too long.

Fortunately, this year's feasibility report is going to be on either Transformers, Power Rangers or Gundam

[maboroshi]

I agree we need more people working on this stuff. Last year I had to write feasibility reports on metal printing and I just basically said that it was possible to make it cheap for mainstream distribution if we can isolate the heat of the printer head because it ends up warping plastic if the 3d design makes the printer head stay in one place for too long.

Fortunately, this year's feasibility report is going to be on either Transformers, Power Rangers or Gundam

Interesting, glad you pointed that out. Would you be interested in sharing your write up. Might give me some things to look into.

*cheers!

[reparto_temp]

If I can find it I'll send it to you, otherwise I will try and find my first year notes on 3d printing. There was a lot of general information on how 3d printing works and how the technology has been developed, from what I remember, there isn't much space for a "breakthrough", its just a matter of waiting for stuff to be available enough so we can use it.