3D Printing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdzooQQDW­Gg&NR=1&feature=fvwp

What would you make if you owned a 3D printer? (one going for £7500 on ebay currently!)

Someone on the forum has one....

What would I make if I owned a 3D printer?

Well so far not that much (waiting to install solid works on my mac), some octopi, a castle, some whistles, a mobius strip and a few other bits and pieces.

Ah, amazing! I'd love to make things like copies of really beautiful components. Lugs?! I mean, once you have the plastic prototype it isn't that big a step to getting a replica cast in whatever metal you want. Planning any of that?

Soul can get you one cheap.

What kind of cheap are we talking?

Soul can get you one cheap.

What kind of cheap are we talking?

About £11.5K

I can do you some interest free finance as well though :-D

My uni has a 3d printer, I could just stare at it all day.

The mental workshop technician made a 3D print of Hitler's face.

The mental workshop technician made a 3D print of Hitler's face.

Workshop technician's are a strange breed.

About £11.5K

I can do you some interest free finance as well though :-D

Awesome. How about £10 a month for the rest of my life?

Awesome. How about £10 a month for the rest of my life?

48 month max i'm afraid... sorry

I imagine that it could earn it's keep though- how much would one typically charge per print, and what would the cost price of that be, discounting the purchase price of the printer?

I imagine that it could earn it's keep though- how much would one typically charge per print, and what would the cost price of that be, discounting the purchase price of the printer?

Depends. The HP ones are designed as an in office rapid prototyping machine.

Their example material costs are around £11 for a 6"x2"x0.75" working adjustable wrench (including the support material). Not sure what it would cost for you to send off for your prototype of that size to be made off site.

What would I make if I owned a 3D printer?

Well so far not that much (waiting to install solid works on my mac), some octopi, a castle, some whistles, a mobius strip and a few other bits and pieces.

Mobius strip you say !?

: )

Ah, amazing! I'd love to make things like copies of really beautiful components. Lugs?! I mean, once you have the plastic prototype it isn't that big a step to getting a replica cast in whatever metal you want. Planning any of that?

You can print directly to metal.

That iPhone case in the video is shit.

That iPhone case in the video is shit.

Well it's a pretty damn incredible proof of concept - straight from a 3D software package. I was amazed, personally.

48 month max i'm afraid... sorry

No worries I was only joking. I wouldn't even come close to being able to afford an 11k machine.

No worries I was only joking. I wouldn't even come close to being able to afford an 11k machine.

S'ok. I only do the advertising for them anyway. It's not like I'm on commission ;-)

You can print directly to metal.

Now you're talking. Just hold on while I print off this frame...

http://www.evo.co.uk/features/features/2­61526/3d_printing_is_this_the_future.htm­l

we have 2 3d printers in college, someone made a human skull on it. it looks deadly.

I sold one to a uni in Sheffield (IIRC was a couple years ago) in my last job... consumables every 3 months was always a welcome bit of business!

moog - make me custom sabbuteo figures... its a huge market.

What resolution can you get on your setup?

Well it's a pretty damn incredible proof of concept - straight from a 3D software package. I was amazed, personally.

I agree that it's a great proof of concept, but it's also an illustration of the fact that regardless of what technology allows us to do it doesn't make us a designer, writer, architect, musician, typographer or artist (or any of the trades that have gone digital).

If you can, for a moment, remove the process and look at it as a iPhone case and only a iPhone case (rather than the product of a pretty incredible technology) it looks like a piece of shit.

: )

(tastes may vary)

moog - make me custom sabbuteo figures... its a huge market.

What resolution can you get on your setup?

I can do you a full set of West Ham for 80p.

I designed and made those wheels with a Zcorp machine (plaster powder, with inkjet/sealant). They are finished by wax dipping (to bring out colour), you can impregnate in cyanoacrylate or epoxy for strength