MakerBots, RepRaps and UP!s: It's 3D printers!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > MakerBots, RepRaps and UP!s: It's 3D printers!

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

Here's a neat thing: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:14204

Laser cut prusa clone. I plan to modify the design so I can cut it on a slightly smaller laser cutter.

# ¿ Dec 22, 2011 15:31

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# ¿ May 20, 2024 02:43

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

Splizwarf posted:

Does this exist in the US outside of Techshops (which there are only a couple of)? How do I go about finding something like that locally?

There are hackerspaces in every major urban area in the US: http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/List_of_ALL_Hacker_Spaces

# ¿ Apr 19, 2012 21:50

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

Linux Assassin posted:

So does anyone want to make any suggestions/cautions/etc on what I am about to embark on?

Budget:
~$2000

I might get flak for this, but I think the Makerbot Replicator is going to be your best choice all-around.

The materials are cheap and easy to find. The build area is reasonably large, the detail is reasonably good, and the printer is very reliable. Everything is open source, so you can tweak things as time goes on. Having met a few of the guys at Makerbot, they're a dedicated, driven company who wants to bring 3D printing to the mainstream.

# ¿ Aug 5, 2012 01:54

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

Linux Assassin posted:

Actually the replicator based on my own research is my close second runner with the ultimaker, and I am having a lot of trouble deciding between the two. My understanding is:

Ultimaker- faster print speed, slightly higher print quality, larger print area

Replicator- dual print head, heated print bed, more options for replacement components

I haven't actually seen an Ultimaker in person, but I can't speak highly enough the praises of the Replicator. The dual print head is seriously cool (though I haven't used it for anything more than novelty dual color prints), and the heated print bed is a must for ABS prints. Easily the best commercial, cheap 3D printer I've used.

I've seen nicer Prusa printers, but they took a lot of work to get that way.

# ¿ Aug 5, 2012 03:23

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

Linux Assassin posted:

Can you do one of these
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:16276

or these

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1471

I think either of these would really show me how the ultimaker does on sharp corners, the first one would also do some tight circular formations. They both seem (at least to me) to be very simple quick print (due to being a single file, and quite small in size).

Can do. Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to get to it until Tuesday evening.

# ¿ Aug 5, 2012 18:04

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

I believe all the design files for the Replicator are licensed CC-BY-SA, so as long as he says, "I stole this from Makerbot, and here are my modified files," he's good.

Probably legal, but definitely contrary to the spirit of the open source hardware movement.

# ¿ Aug 10, 2012 14:12

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

hobbesmaster posted:

Also, I was wrong on the GPL v2 stuff, now that I see my thing-o-matic the boards have little GPL v3 logos on them.

I think in this case its exactly the same.

(I also note that I didn't get a CD of the source/plans with it which RMS would have issues with; but thats stupid)

Yeah, these licensure issues with Open Source Hardware are one of the main reasons the Open Source Hardware Association was started (http://www.oshwa.org/). Unfortunately, they're currently in their own little spat with the Open Soure Initiative (http://opensource.org/) over their logo.

# ¿ Aug 10, 2012 14:48

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

Young Freud posted:

I could see that happening. Really, do you need laser-cut paneling when you could setup a die press or injection mold and do the same thing cheaper in the long run?

Yeah, those are cheaper in the long run, but cheap 3D printers aren't exactly "long run, large quantity" items yet. Better strategy to buy some decent laser cutters so you can easily start cranking out new designs/iterations without requiring a new mold.

# ¿ Aug 10, 2012 15:57

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

The real sleazeball part of the pitch, as I see it, is that he's using the credibility of the Makerbot name to sell his product. His entire pitch hinges on the claim that "My bot is basically a Makerbot, so that means it's going to be a great printer." It permeates the entire tone of the kickstarter. He is intimately linking his product to the Makerbot, even if it has a different name, and that's not cool.

# ¿ Aug 10, 2012 20:11

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

I participated in a 2-day long Prusa build-off this weekend:

DSC_0525.JPG by OculusLVL1, on Flickr

10 folks put together Prusas, and everyone was printing by the time they walked out. It was an intense weekend: 16 hours on day one, 10 hours on day two. One guy was printing cubed gears after only 14 hours. The folks from SeeMeCNC.com came down to show off some printers, sell some filament, and help out with the event. It was a great event, since everyone could help each other out, and learn from the experience.

Already planning some upgrades for my machine. First up, better cable management. Next, a bigger power supply so I can print ABS. The 200W Dell supply that came with the kit doesn't *quite* have the juice to get things up to ABS temperatures.

# ¿ Mar 12, 2013 13:47

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

Fatal posted:

Any details/pics?

Just put my order in for a Rostock Max, can't wait for it to arrive! Been lurking their forums for the past few months, seems like these guys keep on updating/fixing little things bit by bit but it seems mature enough. Proceeds from selling my Oculus rift went straight to that, that thing was neat but I got so dizzy no matter how I calibrated it. I got sick alot in car rides as a kid, something wonky with my inner ear I guess.

I know John over at SeeMeCNC, and a couple of friends of mine have bought and assembled Rostock Max kits. They're great printers, but it takes a hell of a lot longer than they claim to put them together, there are a lot of fairly tedious steps, and calling the instructions "mediocre" would be generous.

Have fun with it, once you get it dialed in, it should be a great printing platform for you!

SeeMeCNC also sells Chinese PLA with some interesting properties. It's cheap, pretty, extrudes at a lower temperature than anything else I've seen (I extrude it at 165C), and sticks to the platform like glue.

# ¿ Apr 19, 2013 04:48

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

Mister Sinewave posted:

Has anyone got any experience with 3DSystems' CubeX printers?

They sound nice and have a nice big build volume.

I am interested in ABS only printing and want a big build volume, and am particularly interested in printers that have in some way taken steps to address warping, etc issues with ABS (by far my biggest bugbear with it.)

I had always shortlisted the Replicator 2X for the ABS focus, big build volume, and enclosed build platform for temperature control. But honestly the more I hear about them the less enthusiastic I am about the idea. The optimizations don't seem to pull their weight and some of the other hot end and feed design stuff just seems behind the curve. I wish I could try one out and see for myself.

Ran across the CubeX stuff, couldn't tell much more than what the ad copy says. Anyone used them?

A coworker of mine purchased one looking for exactly the same sort of printer. He's had nothing but trouble. They've shipped him 2 different printers, and both have had some major issue or another. They've got one guy working support for the entire company. His only saving grace is that they accidentally forgot to bill him.

His first printer's extruder clogged hopelessly, and after repairing it, the electronics failed. The second printer, a Z-endstop failed, the extruders slammed into the build platform, and sheared off the extruder barrel. A third is on the way.

After looking at their support, their design, and their crappy "buy our filament only" model, I wouldn't recommend them. They're 80% of the way to a useful at-home 3D printer, but it isn't yet working out.

# ¿ Jul 11, 2013 01:52

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

The vast majority of sound cards are going to be way nicer than the printer will need. I can see some folks having issue with noise, but not with the quality of the sound card.

I'm more worried about the microphone input being used to count droplets. Synchronization is going to be an issue, and for not-much-more money you could get a solenoid pump that would *very* accurately pump metered amounts of liquid without the need for droplet feedback.

# ¿ Oct 9, 2013 14:40

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

Tindie has a "Fundraiser" mechanism which is basically purpose-designed for what this guy is trying to do. Or, they did. I can't seem to find the option to create a fundraiser on my account any more.

# ¿ Jan 16, 2014 03:27

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

TasogareNoKagi posted:

RAMBo - Single board, Arduino-compatible controller. 12V-35V power, and replaced the problematic polyfuses with a regular fuse. However, the soldered on stepper drivers means you have to toss the board and buy a new one if you blow more than 2. I'd suggest avoiding it.

I've been using a RAMBo board for the past two years without any issue. I've never had any need to drive the stepper motors anywhere near the limit, and when you've got a properly large 4 layer board, you can actually follow the thermal design guidelines for the driver IC. It's a little spendy, but I like it.

# ¿ Feb 10, 2014 21:32

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

UberVexer posted:

To clarify what I said about my RAMPS board, have a picture of it.

The cables got really hot and the wires burned up and corroded fast.

I couldn't actually remove those wires from the screw terminals after I took the rest of the stuff off of the board.

This generally happens if the wires aren't screwed down tightly enough, or come loose during operation. Depending on where the board was mounted relative to your printer, they could have rattled loose just a little bit. I've had a couple of euroterminal blocks destroy themselves this way.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2014 15:03

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

On the subject of Makerbot Extruders: Does anyone have any suggestions for non-Makerbot sourced replacement extruders/hot-ends for the Replicator? Our hackerspace printers are nearing 2.5 years old, and with heavy use, are in need of some TLC.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2014 20:34

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

We've got a Taz at the hackerspace, and a coworker has one at home. They're good-but-not-great printers with the standard open-source software stack headaches. I'm not sure what the improvements on the 4 are, but our biggest problems with the V3 have been extruder related: Extruder jamming, or hobbed bolt losing grip after chewing through too much plastic. If you can pay attention to the little details in the manual (absolutely, 100% must have an extruder fan for printing PLA, for example), it's a solid hardware design.

# ¿ Jun 16, 2014 13:07

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

I met Bre at an event last week:

He was two entirely different people: Aloof and kind of a jerk if anyone "important" was around (IE, potential investor), but completely personable and nice outside that context. We talked shop about founding hackerspaces and "the early days" of of Make.

Zuph fucked around with this message at 13:13 on Aug 1, 2014

# ¿ Aug 1, 2014 13:06

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

codered11343 posted:

Where did you meet him? That place looks neat!

The grand opening for "firstBuild" (https://firstbuild.com/), GE Appliances attempt to harness the energy and ingenuity of the Maker Movement.

Some of the concepts for this space came from upper level management at Appliance Park visiting our hackerspace, and collaborating to host an "Appliance Hackathon" (http://insiderlouisville.com/news/linecook-sinkwasher-take-home-gold-historic-ge-lvl1hackathon/). Most of the rest comes out of their partnership with Local Motors (https://localmotors.com/ They're 3D printing a car right now, seriously).

It's an interesting idea, especially if they manage to actually engage folks without being too restrictive. Their standard contract is reasonably fair, and they've got a lot of great equipment. The folks running the place seem to have a genuine interest in playing nice with local Maker groups, so I'm happy to see where it goes, and ride the wave of positive PR.

# ¿ Aug 2, 2014 07:06

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

I'll throw out a recommendation for the SeeMeCNC Rostock Max: http://seemecnc.com/products/rostock-max-complete-kit

I know two people that bought them about a year ago. There were some assembly issues (unclear instructions, injection molded pieces that needed a lot of sanding to fit just right), but once put together and dialed in, they seem to be solid, reasonably reliable printers. They use standard hobby printer electronics, so they aren't too bad to modify and upgrade, if that's your thing.

I haven't looked seriously into kits since last year, though, so this might be a dated recommendation.

# ¿ Sep 26, 2014 15:29

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# ¿ May 20, 2024 02:43

Zuph: Jul 24, 2003; Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

They recently published a paper in Science with some more details: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2015/03/16/science.aaa2397 (Paywalled, of course)

A couple of interesting (non-paywalled) supplemental videos, though: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/suppl/2015/03/16/science.aaa2397.DC1/aaa2397s1.mp4
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/suppl/2015/03/16/science.aaa2397.DC1/aaa2397s2.mp4

quote:

Additive manufacturing processes such as 3D printing use time-consuming, stepwise layer-by-layer approaches to object fabrication. We demonstrate the continuous generation of monolithic polymeric parts up to tens of centimeters in size with feature resolution below 100 micrometers. Continuous liquid interface production is achieved with an oxygen-permeable window below the ultraviolet image projection plane, which creates a �dead zone� (persistent liquid interface) where photopolymerization is inhibited between the window and the polymerizing part. We delineate critical control parameters and show that complex solid parts can be drawn out of the resin at rates of hundreds of millimeters per hour. These print speeds allow parts to be produced in minutes instead of hours.

Carbon's big improvement is no longer needing to mechanically separate printed layers from the resin tank. If anyone's used a Form1, the fact that it has to peel each layer off the surface of the resin tank is a big deal. It limits the geometry you can print, makes it necessary to use a larger number of supports, and is the primary source of wear for the resin tank (Form labs claims 2l of life on the $60 tank, at work we've been getting more like 1/2l to 1l before prints become noticeably less reliable). If Carbon3D's only change is to eliminate the "peeling" requirement of current low-cost SLA printers, it's a huge improvement.

# ¿ Mar 17, 2015 22:58

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > MakerBots, RepRaps and UP!s: It's 3D printers!