21–30 of 37 posts
A home-made 3D laser scanner would complement this nicely.
(Most makers I know don't use Windows and I think there is a huge opportunity for a polished product that will run on either Linux or OSX)
A home-made 3D laser scanner would complement this nicely.
what I'm longing for is a good G-code generator that is affordable, runs on my Linux or OSX, can generate toolpaths for milling as well as 3D printing and can work with files from Sketchup. (Most makers I know don't use Windows and I think there is a huge opportunity for a polished product that will run on either Linux or OSX)
A home-made 3D laser scanner would complement this nicely.
what I'm longing for is a good G-code generator that is affordable, runs on my Linux or OSX, can generate toolpaths for milling as well as 3D printing and can work with files from Sketchup. (Most makers I know don't use Windows and I think there is a huge opportunity for a polished product that will run on either Linux or OSX)
The major problem with it is that sketchup is a mesh editor, not a solid editor, so it sometimes exports geometrically impossible (non-manifold) objects.
What are some uses cases for something like this? For what reasons would schools care?
To get kids excited about learning how to do things they haven't done before.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Would you have imagined that one of these would be in every home? http://www.ttsw.com/SuesClasses/OldComputers/ENIAC.gif
To be fair, there never were nor should have been ENIACs in homes. I don't think he's saying a future 3d printer shouldn't be a real consumer model.
Is moving the print head in 3 axis the best approach? I'd imagine moving the print head in x and y and leaving z to the build surface easier.
You don't want to be moving the warm plastic..
In the Printrbot it appears the print head moves in X & Z, and the build platform moves in Y. Same as the RepRap Mendel.
In the MakerBot the print head moves in Z, and the build platform in X&Y. In the Up! 3d printer the print head moves in X, build platform Y&Z. In the Ultimaker, print head X&Y, build platform Z (this is the combination that rbanffy describes.)
So that's a good bunch of possible permutations, but the build platform always moves...
Does anyone happen to know where one gets the plastic for the printing? The price of $500 for this right now looks a lot more affordable than it used to be to me. Being able to source the printing material is the only thing stopping me at the moment.
I don't know what filament diameter(s) the Printrbot will support.
Can the 3D printer, print other RepRap 3D printers?
Imagine printing a stepper motor, something you need several of for a 3D printer.
Now imagine printing an extruder head...or a PCB for driving the steppers.
Just being able to print PCBs would make tons of hackers glow. The closest thing we have to that right now is putting adhesive copper sheets into a vinyl cutter. That is to say, it is a very very long way off.
(After you print blank PCBs, then what...is the rep rap also a pick and place machine? Can it "print" the components to populate the board?)