161 replies to this topic

[GrandpaMcGurk]

There's been a lot of talk and speculation in this thread about desktop 3-D printing.

While it's true that the costs are coming down and more than likely will continue to do so.....there's one very important thing to keep in mind, the equipment and the material is only one side of the coin. On the other side....(in layman's terms) it's just a tool.

If you use a pair of vice grips to change your spark plugs the end result will be obvious. In other words......the machines regardless of cost will only do what you tell them to.

If you put in poor info you will have a nicely printed poor part.

Get my drift?  

I read somewhere that they were going to or have already sent a printing machine into space.........think about it, instead of having to send a shuttle with a plastic part into space (how's that for costly) they just send the info to the machine and it prints out a ready to use plastic air valve or whatever to replace the broken one.

So for you guys think think 3-D printing is going to fade away anytime soon...think again....it's just going to get better and more affordable. 

Edited by GrandpaMcGurk, 16 March 2013 - 06:23 AM.

[CadillacPat]

I don't see anyone having said it would "fade away", in fact just the opposite.  It will take a long time for it to fade into use for replacing injection molded Models, if to any tiny degree.

What many of us have stated is that ease of use will be the main issue.

Add that to cost of material, quality of parts, time it takes to make parts, machine cost, etc., and you can see how only a fraction of Modelers will ever be using these.

UNTIL,

Just like the ease of PhotoShop, one is able to simply open an image and click the Mouse one time, just like Star Trek.

 

Way too many boxes of Models remain available and will for a long long time to fill the majority's needs.

Just like those who make professional Decals, look how many there ever were, only a handful, and look how many are current, only a couple.

 

CadillacPat