seeker589 Posted July 9, 2011 Posted July 9, 2011 JUST PRINT IT That is cool! I have to see how a powder will work for making tools in space. Gotta wonder what its cost is.
Ben Posted July 9, 2011 Posted July 9, 2011 That is too cool! Can't wait until stuff like this is available at a really reasonable price!
sjordan2 Posted July 9, 2011 Posted July 9, 2011 (edited) There is an older thread here on this, but the search function can't find it. These 3D printers can be had now for under $10,000, and in some ways for much less. It's getting closer to the grasp of the everyday modeler. The only thing is that the parts, so far, come out a bit rough since they're printed in very thin layers, using a process pretty much like an inkjet printer, though that is easily taken care of, like somewhat rough resin parts. Our forum colleagues at TDR use this Rapid Prototype (RP) technology. One of its advantages is that you can print out your parts in any scale you want. In fact, as the video indicates, you can print out something like a complete engine with working internal parts in one pass, assuming you have the right computer files, without using a scanner. It's setting up the files that is the most difficult element of this. Over time, there will be more and more downloadable programs for producing what you want. Just like any early technology, it's a few steps away from being consumer-ready. One scanner demo I saw printed out a perfect head of the tech guy's mother. There are hand-held scanners that work something like motion capture for CGI movies, where little pieces of metal are placed on the surface of the subject to help the scanner record the dimensions. Edited July 9, 2011 by sjordan2
Aaronw Posted July 9, 2011 Posted July 9, 2011 There is an older thread here on this, but the search function can't find it. These 3D printers can be had now for under $10,000, and in some ways for much less. It's getting closer to the grasp of the everyday modeler. The only thing is that the parts, so far, come out a bit rough since they're printed in very thin layers, using a process pretty much like an inkjet printer, though that is easily taken care of, like somewhat rough resin parts. Our forum colleagues at TDR use this Rapid Prototype (RP) technology. One of its advantages is that you can print out your parts in any scale you want. In fact, you can print out something like a complete engine with working internal parts in one pass, assuming you have the right computer files. It's setting up the files that is the most difficult element of this. Over time, there will be more and more downloadable programs for producing what you want. Just like any early technology, it's a few steps away from being consumer-ready. $1300 for a 3d printer that can make a 6x6x6 object. http://store.makerbot.com/makerbot-thing-o-matic.html
Harry P. Posted July 9, 2011 Posted July 9, 2011 One day not so long from now, having one of those printers on the workbench will be as common as having a Sherline lathe or a milling machine. Like Skip said, the technology still needs to be refined a bit and the cost needs to drop a LOT... but it will and it will. I remember the very first VCR I ever bought. (For those of you too young to know what a VCR is, look it up! ). It was a pretty high-end unit, stereo, and it cost $900. A few years later you could buy a decent VCR for $100, maybe even less. The same thing will happen with the RP technology. Prices will drop, and we'll all have one!
my66s55 Posted July 9, 2011 Posted July 9, 2011 If you are energetic, you can build your own machine for around $500.00 or less. There is an open source machine that reproduces some of its own parts. It prints an object up to 8"x8"x5 1/2". You'll find it on google by searching for reprap mendel. Open source is a great thing. My operating system is open source and makes Windoz look sick. You can also search reprap on ebay for parts.
Eshaver Posted July 9, 2011 Posted July 9, 2011 Seeing this reminds me of the L. E. D . watches . Texas Instrument calculators that were hand held , hell, the first Tandy Instrument computer ! Yeah,Buck Rodgers stuff. Still, General Motors showed Motorama guests the kitchen of the future featuring a Microwave oven in one of those Futureliner busses too........... "Computer- Coffee hot , Black with some sugar "............ Ed Shaver
SuperStockAndy Posted July 10, 2011 Posted July 10, 2011 I remember the very first VCR I ever bought. (For those of you too young to know what a VCR is, look it up! ) I'm 13 and I know what a VCR is...where's my virtual cookie? :lol:
Ben Posted July 10, 2011 Posted July 10, 2011 The main thing I'm watching for is when the things being printed have a smooth surface without all the tiny bumps everywhere. I'd buy one now if it could print things like that!
Lownslow Posted July 10, 2011 Posted July 10, 2011 One day not so long from now, having one of those printers on the workbench will be as common as having a Sherline lathe or a milling machine. Like Skip said, the technology still needs to be refined a bit and the cost needs to drop a LOT... but it will and it will. I remember the very first VCR I ever bought. (For those of you too young to know what a VCR is, look it up! ). It was a pretty high-end unit, stereo, and it cost $900. A few years later you could buy a decent VCR for $100, maybe even less. The same thing will happen with the RP technology. Prices will drop, and we'll all have one! now you can buy one for 30 bucks still new in the box
Joe Handley Posted July 10, 2011 Posted July 10, 2011 Weird, Dad just emailed me the YouTube like of that video, look for the video of them printing a functional ball bearing All it's missing is the cage that keeps the bearing balls from rolling around loose between the inner and outer races
cruz Posted July 11, 2011 Posted July 11, 2011 Very cool, I just saw a guy demonstrating one he purchased on the My Classic Car show with Dennis Gage, I think it will be an awesome tool for us modelers in the future!
GrandpaMcGurk Posted July 11, 2011 Posted July 11, 2011 WoW! For one of the few times in my life I am totally blown away! This could be the end all-be all of model kit master making. I gotta find out if there's a service somewhere for this. I know I can't afford to buy the machine but maybe I CAN afford to have someone master my designs! THANKS muchly for posting this! Contact TDR through their web site as they can (in some cases depending on what you provide them) create masters.
GrandpaMcGurk Posted July 11, 2011 Posted July 11, 2011 The main thing I'm watching for is when the things being printed have a smooth surface without all the tiny bumps everywhere. I'd buy one now if it could print things like that! Guess what? TDR is working with a material now that is just about ready for paint out of the box, this should allow us to develop goodies in smaller scales (bodies in particular) as the surface is way smoother. Technology has even gotten to the point where metal parts can be printed. The metal stuff is still pricey and the new material I mentioned is a little more costly to produce but it's happening now.
GMP440 Posted July 11, 2011 Posted July 11, 2011 This would definetly revolutionize the resin casting business by lowering the cost of casting a body from a master.
Eshaver Posted July 11, 2011 Posted July 11, 2011 This would definetly revolutionize the resin casting business by lowering the cost of casting a body from a master. George , you wold subsiquently put these resin castas outta business ! Course too, I wouldn't have the satisfaction of the slow delivery, the fraudulent schemes , Lousy parts , ( Apperence ) An of course flimsy excuses I see all to often on this board ! Ed Shaver
MikeMc Posted July 11, 2011 Posted July 11, 2011 This would definetly revolutionize the resin casting business by lowering the cost of casting a body from a master. I would doubt that....setting up the files will be very time consuming...and as we know time = money and as resin bodies can be found for 15.00 (yeah Jimmy F )......what advantage will it have ..except in bulk?
shucky Posted July 11, 2011 Posted July 11, 2011 While I too was excited about this a few years ago when I first heard of it. However, we are still many YEARS away from affordable equipment. You can make mention of the "do it yourself" machines that cost fractions of the big name 3D printers but you certainly have to have the technical know how to operate any of them. Parts are not affordable either, nowhere close to it. When you compare the cost involved now and even in the future between resin casting and 3D printing its not even close. The other thing that got me thinking was what does the future hold for model car builders? A time when you can just "print" the parts you need and assemble them? While that may excite some, what does it say for folks who scratch build many of their parts with their bare hands? So now you have a computer geek (guru?) [no offense to anyone] who can print custom 3D parts and put them together but he cant scratch build anything to save his own life. I've seen it already in its early stages already on various forums. Guys who have the technical know how to create, use, and print their 3D parts but build poor quality models with them. Does not impress me one bit.
Old Sprinter Posted July 11, 2011 Posted July 11, 2011 I'm with him. Scratch building models will no longer be an art or a talent that's wanted or needed.. I think that it's an awsome thing that can be done but I'll be the dinosaur not using this technology because there's a certain satisfaction that come from scratch building parts. Just my humble opinion. Ken
jeffb Posted July 11, 2011 Posted July 11, 2011 lotta old school cell animators outta work.. having said that..i'll get a 3d printer as soon as i can afford one!
shucky Posted July 12, 2011 Posted July 12, 2011 Building models is a hobby, not a job. Scratch building from meaningless shapes of plastic and metal with your bare hands is an art. When you start hitting the "print" button to make your parts there is something missing from what makes this hobby so wonderful. That's not to say 3D printers couldn't be useful but I would look at someone's build quite differently that was assembled with 3D printed parts as opposed to featuring parts that were scratch built with someones hands. Just my opinion.
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