3D Printing Tutorials: Idea to Tangible in 4 Days

boatBurner

boatBurner

shutup, crime!
Feb 24, 2012
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3D Printing is the first technology that made me feel old. When I first heard about it, it sounded years out from being applicable. But only months later, 3D printing was hitting the media in waves. And as relevant as it seemed to become, I realized I was still regarding it the way I'm sure my 58 year old uncle regards computers.

Well, I got tired of this lack of appreciation for a technology that is going to change the world and the way that people do business. So I decided to do something about it and learn.

Alexis Ohanian's Small Empires did a great piece on Shapeways, a 3D printing community marketplace. Check it out:


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV38DXv7RW0]Small Empires: Shapeways and the business of 3D printing - YouTube[/ame]


For those of you who still hear "3D printing" and think that this technology doesn't apply to you or that it's too inaccessible, I'd like to change your mind.

Check out these tutorials published by Shapeways that cover everything from how to get started, how to use your favorite software to create your wireframes, design rules, and all kinds of accessible tips.

I'm not a subject expert, and this thread isn't a gem. But hopefully this is curated enough to get you moving in the direction of the rest of technology.
 


It's the most interesting thing ever, I'm not a big fan of guns. Although Cody has some amazingly interesting views on decentralization that really interest me.

The more and more tech stuff comes out, the less and less control people will have. I expect the next big fight to be over internet control and intervention within the internet.
 
I wasn't really too hyped on 3D printing, but after seeing the Steam stuff and realizing I could potentially print my own controller front and case (for skins and slight mods), I started to understand how cool the tech will be in another 10-15 years or so.
 
Plus technology is making it easy as shit for every day people to use kinect and other affordable sensors to scan objects and convert them to 3d models for you to print...

Here's my asus xtion pro sensor scanning my dog toys and it textures automatically:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmRLSgoaYj8]3d modeling and texturing with the kinect sensor - YouTube[/ame]

And here's an auto generated 3d terrain model generated with 1 click from online map data based on gps coordinates:
2iv1gkw.png


shit's getting awesome.
 
blank_czech said:
I wasn't really too hyped on 3D printing, but after seeing the Steam stuff and realizing I could potentially print my own controller front and case (for skins and slight mods), I started to understand how cool the tech will be in another 2-4 years or so.
Click to expand...

FTFY.
 
There will never be a day when we will see 3D printers in people's homes - that's just ridiculous!

Oh wait... no, that's personal computers... ;)


Just think - one day the phrase "you wouldn't download a car" will actually mean something valid.
 
This is some cool technology.

A buddy of mine has thought about going into business making some specialty parts.

Im curious what the startup costs look like.
 
Shapeways will be out of business in a year or 3.

The patents on those expensive laser-based 3d printers are set to expire soon. That means those crappy desktop inkjet-type 3d printers that print garbage and suck at small scale details will all be headed for the dumpsters. People will be able to produce the same quality prints at home that companies like Shapeways do now.

VltnPOn.png


Soon... very soon.
 
BrandonSI said:
This is some cool technology.

A buddy of mine has thought about going into business making some specialty parts.

Im curious what the startup costs look like.
Click to expand...

We got our 3D printer for about $5,000 used a few years back. It's a Stratasys and its an 'enterprise' grade device. It kind of looks like a giant box but in reality its just the same thing as the Makerbot's and the smallers ones....just encased in a bigger box. These are the 'inkjet' looking printers.

Some of the smaller ones can be purchased fully assembled for under $1,000.

The products are great for prototyping, but they are still a ways away from being a feasible alternative to purchasing a molded plastic part. As an example to make a fork might take an hour or two depending on the length and complexity.

I want to say the material cost is around $15 per cubic inch.
 
Seems like a lot of people are using them to sell things on etsy. I often wonder if the material costs come under the profit and time spent on the piece, and if you can really charge any more than the 3D modeling and fraction of material cost. Or if my friends who are using their company's 3D printer are actually paying for the materials, haha.
 
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