Anyone here build a RepRap 3d printer?

[WolfeMacleod]

Thinking of building or buying a a RepRap 3d printer for prototyping and low run manufacturing of parts.

Anyone here build one or bought one?

[slodave]

Nope, but that looks pretty cool!

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally Posted by slodave

Nope, but that looks pretty cool!

Yeah it does. I've been hearing about them for a couple years now. I recently read that another p'up builder had some prototype parts 3d printed and figured it'd be a dang good thing to look at... could print out the parts for the hum canceling P-90, and other parts i can't get that I'd love to have, but don't need in huge quantities. It would make prototyping and custom building WAY easier.

[cstreit]

I wonder what the effective resolution is? Could you build small gears?

Pretty cool stuff. Wonder when something like this is truly consumerized?

[Pazuzu]

Do you need a 3D printer to build a 3D printer at home?

What happens when 3D printers build other 3D printers which are designed to build 3D printers?

Can a 3D printer build another 3D printer that's the exact sale size, or do they have to be slightly smaller each time? What happens when that final 1 atom 3D printer goes to make a new one, do we get a black hole?

[porsche4life]

Shouldn't you know the answer to that mr physicist?

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Shouldn't you know the answer to that mr physicist?

I'm not a printphysicists, I'm just an astrophysicist and geophysicist.

I expect I'd need some more school time for any real printphysicist knowledge, and I'm just too lazy right now.

[1990C4S]

I was just instructed to build one. Or at least confirm the 500 Euro cost estimate....

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally Posted by cstreit

I wonder what the effective resolution is? Could you build small gears?

Pretty cool stuff. Wonder when something like this is truly consumerized?

Curious about the resolution myself. Right now, it's fairly well affordable, if that's what you mean by "consumerised" -- The RepRap is an "open source" project and is capable of printing a large amount of it's own parts, so it's mostly self0replicating as is.

Back in 1999 I made a prototype mount for a certain type of guitar pickup to fit where it shouldn't. I proved the design could work without altering it's internal structure, wheras competing designs altered the structure drastically, and changed the tone too much.
Unfortunately, I was never able to put it into production because of the cost of tooling up for plastic injection.

However... with a 3d printer like the RepRap...I can print them!

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

I was just instructed to build one. Or at least confirm the 500 Euro cost estimate....

I'm told about $1000 to build the kit, or you can get the "BotMill" version for around $1400...

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Holy spit...I know what I'm getting for my birthday!

[HardDrive]

Why would you post this? I already have to many hobbies, and you have to go and post something like this. Its like handing a pothead a bong and a bag of dorritos.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

LOL @ HD. My mind has been spinning the past 8 hours with the possibilities.

So the plastic this thing spits out must be pretty durable, if you can use it to print gears etc. to build another reprap.

[gtc]

Or maybe it's flimsy and only good for making more flimsy repraps.

[gtc]

Bump -

Hey Wolfe, did you ever build a RepRap? Some friends and I are talking about building a few. I'd be interested to hear your (or anyone elses) experiences.

[nota]

what does it print in plastic ? wax ?

wax would be neat as you could do a lost wax mold from the part
and cast in bronze or other metal

[Neilk]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

I'm not a printphysicists, I'm just an astrophysicist and geophysicist.

I expect I'd need some more school time for any real printphysicist knowledge, and I'm just too lazy right now.

Is that like being a podiatrist of MDs?

Seinfeld reference

[Mike Bonkalski]

$1750 for your very own 3D printer - Replicator

[island911]

Wolf - here is my (rare) professional opinion: Don't waste your time and money on this. The tech used there is poor. ...poor materials and resolution. (making for crude weak parts)

If you need a 3D printer for cheap, check ebay.

If you just need the parts, there are plenty of people trying to keep their 3D printers fed.

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by Mike Bonkalski

$1750 for your very own 3D printer - Replicator

I've built a few robots for jolly. I'm just amazed at what is available off the shelf today.

[gtc]

We are looking at putting together a few Reprap Prusas. This guy's kits look nice, but $825/kit seems a little high to me.
MakerGear.com - Prusa 3D Printer

It does have the advantage of already having metal bushings/bearings, which seems to be one of the first incremental improvements most people make to their machines.

Our main end goal here is to determine if there is a way to produce the machines cheaply enough that they could be sold fully or mostly assembled as educational toys. Maybe somewhere around the $300 mark.
Another goal would be to reduce the delivery time - many reprap vendors seem to have a lead time of a month or more.