For the rich modeler!

[Airliner Art]

OK...I was really seriously considering getting one of these,....but, after researching Repraps and other 3D printer bots in a reasonable price range for the average model hobbiest, I think I 'm going to hold off a few years(God willing I live that long)....I don't mean to discourage anyone, this is a personal deal but from what I'm seeing within the forums of these 3d printer folks, there are a bunch of disappointments..I'll list a few that seem to be floating around their forums.

1.The concept is really cool, but the calibration curve is a real pain and requires an education beyond what I have time for. It's kinda like tweek, tweek adjust, tweek etc.. about 50 times and you might just get an acceptable result after about 10 gooey, stringy plastic blobs and the plastic media is VERY expensive for expermentation..too pricey for my blood...

2.Most of the folks who post about their results are disappointed with the quality of the finished model. Not just some...most. Even the models that do complete successfully, (to me at least) look rough. The more expensive printers give MUCH better results in finish detail.

3.These things need to be set up perfectly just to work at all..ie: alot of stress, frustration and hair pulling I'm seeng among users. I need minimal stress...I'm a heart patient.

If you kinda like to tinker (you are a basement scientist),and have $1000 to throw around for one of these rascals they may be for you...for me they are too much in the development stage for someone like me who needs something more turn key less hastle and easy to operate. Most users that are successful are more Thomas Edisons than regular citizens IMHO.

I will out of curiosity, watch the development of these semi-affordable experimental gadgets to see where it goes....it is indeed very interesting stuff...but not a modelers magic wand by a long shot...but they are an encouraging base for further development...kind of like a Wright Flyer it's got a LONG way to go to be useful to common folk.

Art

[Gharbad]

It's a cool video but it's a shame they somewhat mislead you... there was a lot of human intervention in preparing the model for 3D printing and making sure it actually worked. You can't just scan and replicate.

[Jerry V]

I had thought about that myself.. if there was not intervention in the modelling, how would it create the object with moving and working parts?..

[Olantigh]

Now what would be clever, is if one broke the part made in one of those machines, could it be recycled? and remade new again? remember the idea of a replicator on star trek all those years ago when it first started in the 1960's and the remake where you saw the item appearing in the 1987+ version- think in a few years the idea of a 3d printer could be in every home- but making stuff from sand in the middle of nowhere? now thats clever! just needs a bit of refinement and a practical solution for it to be developed- i think i read someone had an idea for water pipes to made on site etc- needs lots of money to see it work though. very clever- wish i had thought of it?

[goodduck]

Before I got into paper modeling, I was doing 3d printing. I was printing out prototype of 1/6 scale toys like modern gas and water cans, and even a 1/6 scale hmvee. That five rubber tires on my 1/6 hmvee costed me more then four new tires for my GMC Yucon and almost as much as my wife new tires on her Mercedes SL. All in all, my 1/6 humvee costed me about 20k to printed. And I ended up not having enough $ to push it into full production and then I re-discovered paper modeling, my wife was really happy about that. I still thinking buying a 3d printer still to make short runs custom kits, most likely the new Zcorp Z builder Ultra or their Zprinter 350 that I used the most.