341–350 of 428 posts
I used to be the education director at a makerspace and now run a 3D printing company selling small plastic parts and teaching entrepreneurs how to start small manufacturing businesses at home. Few thoughts: - Focus on your hobbies and other industries you know well. What problems exist? Where can you make things better? Are there problems people mention over and over again? - CAD modeling is often THE fundamental sk…
I used to be the education director at a makerspace and now run a 3D printing company selling small plastic parts and teaching entrepreneurs how to start small manufacturing businesses at home. Few thoughts: - Focus on your hobbies and other industries you know well. What problems exist? Where can you make things better? Are there problems people mention over and over again? - CAD modeling is often THE fundamental sk…
CNC machines for under $5k? Where might we find some of these?
I second the MPCNC recommendation. Though if your goal is production and not tinkering with a CNC machine, it may not be the best fit.
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MPCNC and friends
Wow, TIL — homemade CNC for under $500! The same project also covers homemade 3d printers. Are there any other projects similar to this, making normally-expensive pieces of equipment approachable for hobbyists?
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Huge benefits: Increase competition, overthrow incumbents, equip populace with basic skills and manufacturing capacity in case of when shit hits the fan, cheaper parts. Downsides I can think of: Exploitation of the program through various means by bad actors. It is no different than SBA low interest loans, just instead of capital, you get machines for specific purpose. Another one is injection molding, the entire ind…
> I urge everyone to study WWII history I read a lot of WW2 history, but not about the manufacturing part. Any good books you’d recommend?
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I don't buy that history is a good guide for the future here. All but the most recent history was in an era where we couldn't talk to eachother without physically travelling for weeks/months. The nature of diplomacy, politics, countries, and war have all fundamentally changed. The world has not "settled into" a new steady-state since those changes have been made (partially because significant changes are still happen…
> You could reasonably extrapolate from bodies like the EU and think there is a chance we end up with a single global order that doesn't include war in the future. How, precisely, does one extrapolate from the EU (of all places) to a one world government? The variation across the world in everything from cultural and religious norms to even technical approaches to solving problems is extreme, and it has been like thi…
The EU is far from perfect but is an early iteration of a workable model. I can’t see this happening even in somewhere with a pretty similar societal model as the US currently as the political siuation is so polarised.
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Looking at human history, that will never happen. As long as there is scarcity in the world, and as long as sovereign states exist, geopolitics and thus the looming threat of war will always exist.
I don't buy that history is a good guide for the future here. All but the most recent history was in an era where we couldn't talk to eachother without physically travelling for weeks/months. The nature of diplomacy, politics, countries, and war have all fundamentally changed. The world has not "settled into" a new steady-state since those changes have been made (partially because significant changes are still happen…
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Gotta have a carve-out for the folks participating in an MLM scheme out of their house. They're quite popular. Of course it also benefits remote tech workers who have an LLC or whatever. And handymen, et c.
This is almost always exactly what it's for, and those with ears to hear can use it to their advantage. The key is to fly under the radar and not cause problems.
Obviously - illegal stuff.
Anything bigger than about 8 foot in length, or more than 1000kg in mass. If you can pick it up solo, you might be able to build it.
Machining wise, you can buy tools to measure down to a micron, and harbor freight has stuff to get you to 25 microns. Used machine tools are widely available.
Integrated circuits are outside your time and dollar budget. But Sam Zeloof could give you pointers.
It's an amazing time to be a maker!
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Perhaps my reply was a bit too defensive - I’ll use the excuse that it’s uncharacteristically hot where I am and I can’t sleep. I do feel like you were being derogatory in your labelling of this as a Hippie ideology which I still think isn’t quite fair since you go on to generalise this negatively. I’m definitely aware that there have been many sacrifices made by older generations for the younger generations to live…
FWIW, I am the child of a WW2 vet and also a former military wife. People who know me well have described me as a pro military hippie tree hugger. It is my understanding that Shaolin priests believe "A man of peace must be strong" and both willing and able to defend his views in a fight to the death. I hope you get some sleep. Stay hydrated.
Have a look at 3dhubs. (www.hubs.com)