Re-Trim Complete (Nearly) & Tron Dials.....

[Mark.T]

They're down to about £400 (click)

[mikeonb4c]

They're down to about £400 (click)

Wow! What materials will this machine make things in?

[Mark Elvin]

They're down to about £400 (click)

Wow! What materials will this machine make things in?

Just extruded plastic, sufficient after some finishing (as proved) to do small switch panels, covers etc in.

I do have access machines that will print steel, Ti, aluminium etc, it's a slightly different process (uses lasers to melt layers of metal powder together) than the hot plastic extrusion machine, but they are many times more expensive.

[the.sasquatch]

I'd have to say that is rather impressive may have to wait till they get a little cheaper before i can afford a 3D printer

[BigPanzer]

Last time I looked, not that long ago, the minimum was around £650 or so. Beginning to get almost within reach. Maybe Santa will be kind to me!

How easy are the 3D CAD packages to get to grips with? I've done a little bit of 2D, but I trained as a draftsman and still do most of my work with a drawing board and tee square.

Peter

[the1andonly]

BigPanzer
i suspect we are from a similar era. I'm 59 ish
Only ever used PTC Pro engineer/ creo2 3d software. weeks training ? months worth of work/p!about with knowledgeable chap nearby.
It is the dogs, but 6K a seat not home use. but a sweet young thing having worked with solidworks at uni said its guess what.
I've tried free stuff and am useless. not the right mind set,
you might find the right software at right price.
please let me know
If you are me its not going to be easy, free!

[helen&tony]

Hi
Mark T...how good / reliable is that £400 Chinese jobbie?
Just found this one : £700 quid odd http://cubify.com/en/Cube
That looks like next year's toy coming up ( if the Chinese one looks good, maybe a club-together buy at discount for quantity?)
Cheers
Helen

[dom_e]

Lots of bits of my Bongo interior and exterior are 3D printed! I've been working with this tech since 2003 and use high end stereolithography machines and polyjet printers at work. For example, I've used 3D scanning, CAD and 3D printing to produce neat sections of custom body trim to fill in where the rear arches have been modified and no longer fitted the contours at the bumper side. I've also made a custom single DIN cubby box, wheel centre caps and a few other bits n bobs.

Rather than buying a cheap 3D printer, it's ore likely worth putting the money towards a 'proper' 3D print from a good quality machine - less hand finishing.