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Poll: Do you have a 3d printer?

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Poll: Do you have a 3d printer?

#261

Post by derwiki »

porter wrote: post #169
iamwil wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You print out the things you weren't able to imagine, but other people were. 3D printers allow objects that don't need the economy of scale to work in its favor to come into being. If you're to compare 3D printed objects to things you can buy at Walmart, then of course, in most specs the 3D printer would lose. However, what a 3D printer allows you to make are all the things that you can't get at Walmart, either becau…

Any examples?

http://www.thingiverse.com/ has models you can download and print. Lens caps and earbud-wrappers are popular.

Re: Poll: Do you have a 3d printer?

#262

Post by chadzawistowski »

droidist2 wrote: post #259
7952 wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I could make a perfect copy of a car out of thin air, without depriving anyone of anything, I would "steal it". So would absolutely everyone, and the motor industry would have to change their business model.

What would that business model look like?

Open-source car development, perhaps? Could be neat.

Re: Poll: Do you have a 3d printer?

#264

Post by pbo »

I have used 3D printing in two different contexts:

- At a research lab. They had a massive Stratasys which cost around $30,000. They used it all the time for experiment setups; they had a whole workshop with CNC mills, lathes, etc. and the 3D printer was one machine among the others. It was used as much as the others, no less, no more.

- At a hardware startup. We never bought a 3D printer, but we used on-demand 3D printing services (Shapeways, Ponoko, Sculpteo, etc). This allowed us to iterate rather quickly on design matters - we were doing consumer electronics.

For my personal use I don't think I'll buy a 3D printer within the next 5 years.

Re: Poll: Do you have a 3d printer?

#265

Post by nl »

prawn wrote: post #139
simonsarris wrote: post #128

You know, I never even owned a 2D printer until last year. And my girlfriend bought that. Someone else always owned a printer and I just used it (Kinkos, library, work, school). I would hope it would be the same with a 3D printer. I don't want to have one. I don't want to buy ink or parts or worry about it or have it obsoleted in 2 years time. But if I want something 3D printed, I certainly hope that there will be st…

At least one library/community centre here in South Australia has a 3D printer, I believe. Available for the public to mess around with.

It (Grote St library) has multiple printers. There's also FabLab Adelaide which will let you use their printers too.

Re: Poll: Do you have a 3d printer?

#266

Post by iamwil »

PeterisP wrote: post #235
iamwil wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You print out the things you weren't able to imagine, but other people were. 3D printers allow objects that don't need the economy of scale to work in its favor to come into being. If you're to compare 3D printed objects to things you can buy at Walmart, then of course, in most specs the 3D printer would lose. However, what a 3D printer allows you to make are all the things that you can't get at Walmart, either becau…

If you want to print out things you weren't able to imagine, but other people were - then it's an argument for not getting a 3D printer but having it printed at a 3d-printing service; it will be cheaper, higher quality, less hassle, and more options for materials/techniques than a single printer can provide.

Somewhat. It depends on what you value. There are other considerations. If price is important to you, but time is not, it's cheaper to have a home desktop printer. 3D printing services are quite expensive. The size of the object also affects your decision. The larger the object, the more economic it is to print it yourself.

If price is less of a consideration, but time is more important, then you may find it's better to use a 3D printed service, so you don't have to maintain the machine. Or if you don't print very often. Or the object you want to print is relatively small, so it doesn't break your wallet.

The advantages you cite, such as higher quality and less hassle, will diminish, given the pace and directions for improvement of the current generation of 3D printers. I believe different materials and hence printing techniques, will remain a differentiator of online printing services for the foreseeable future.

Re: Poll: Do you have a 3d printer?

#267

Post by nl »

droidist2 wrote: post #259
7952 wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I could make a perfect copy of a car out of thin air, without depriving anyone of anything, I would "steal it". So would absolutely everyone, and the motor industry would have to change their business model.

What would that business model look like?

Give away the car for free and make money on servicing.

"Low Interest" loans

Hmm.

Re: Poll: Do you have a 3d printer?

#268

Post by droidist2 »

patdennis wrote: post #260
droidist2 wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What would that business model look like?

Designing better cars; making parts for the 3d printers that built the cars.

What do you mean by designing better cars? How would that help?

Also wouldn't there already be an industry that makes 3D printers? Why would the car companies try to go into that business?

Re: Poll: Do you have a 3d printer?

#269

Post by droidist2 »

chadzawistowski wrote: post #262
droidist2 wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What would that business model look like?

Open-source car development, perhaps? Could be neat.

I agree, it would definitely be neat. What would the business model be like though? How would they generate revenue?
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