3D Printer sales

Oh, while you’re deciding on location – there can be some noxious fumes associated with 3D printing, too, depending on the filament you’re using.

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I use my machine for creating parts that I can combine with other items from my CNC or the GF. The print quality—in terms of aesthetics—isn’t as critical for me. Just like with the GF, it also helps to expect to post process your prints to clean up lines, etc. Don’t expect perfect objects right off the bed, but you’ll be surprised at the ideas that you will come up with once you have one.

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This is true. Stick with PLA filament until you get a better understanding of the machine and process. Just don’t leave any PLA items in hot areas (e.g. in your car); they will melt.

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Yeah, the really nice stuff has actually gone through a lot of finishing to get that way – sanding, Bondo or vapor treatments, coatings, etc.

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Ooh. Good to know. Guess I won’t want that one sitting near the hedgie either!

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I should add: expect to go through quite a bit of frustration as you learn.

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There are certain filaments that you’ll want to vent outside, if used; which requires an enclosure for the machine. But, PLA is relatively safe; just don’t stick your face right in front of the machine for long periods of time.

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Here’s my all-time favorite 3D print: Fish Fossilz

I keep a container of these in my office. They are AWESOME. As a prescriber, I try to keep conversations from veering too deeply into therapy areas, not because I don’t care, but because I don’t have a schedule that allows me to see people frequently enough to contain any cans of worms that might inadvertently get opened. I work in a practice full of awesome therapists, so I stick to pharmacology, because that’s my strength; my license allows me to do therapy, but they have far more training and are just 'way better at it than I am.

Sometimes, though, people are just downright determined to pull off all their mental scabs and bleed out emotionally all over my office, and I have to try to derail their efforts so they don’t decide to go jump off a bridge or something before their next therapy appointment.

Enter the fish.

Patient keeps veering off discussion of medication effects and relating terrible experiences that make me want to cry…I provide appropriate empathetic responses and move the discussion back to how the meds are working and whether we might need to adjust…they keep going back to picking at emotional wounds…I see my verbal attempts are not going to work, so I wait for just the right lull in conversation and at the proper moment, do something like this:

“Wow, that really sucks, I’m so sorry you had to experience that…[momentary pause]…Hey, do you want a fish?” I grab the container of fish (positioned strategically beside/under my chair) and hold it out to them. They stop crying, looked confused for a second, then realize the fish can BEND, and completely forget about making themselves miserable.

It works. Every. Single. Time.

The fish are magic.

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I wonder if that will work with my hormonal tween/teen?!

If so, it will be more than worth the price.

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I just saw someone use two plastic bins to make an enclosure. Gotta love makers!

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IKEA Lack tables are fairly popular as well. I don’t have an enclosure for any of my printers, but I’ll probably build one for the Ender.

EDIT: Here’s an example: IKEA hack lets you create a 3D printer enclosure for cheap

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Clear thin acrylic box to keep the air currents out of your 3D printer so you can make nice crumb tray removal height adjusters.

If this tool is making stuff for that tool, are we advancing or treading water?

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At this point I think we’re still filling the pool.

When (if) home sintering and or resin processes become affordable and simple then we’ll see some nice high speed and high quality printing. Until then we have this for simple stuff and shapeways etc for the serious finished pieces.

Glowforge is still early adoption. If this works then faster better cheaper lasers will pop up, and we can get past the early stages of home/hobby manufacturing. Remains to be seen, but I’m hopeful.

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So how much do you think the mods will add to the total?

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The required mods can be printed, so less than $20 using PLA filament.

The minimum mods I would recommend for someone that wants to use more than PLA are around $50.

The mods that I’m adding will be more than the base printer, but will allow me to print filaments up to Nylon at about 300C. They’re mostly unnecessary, but they’re higher quality parts, and I already have most of them.

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I checked earlier today and the printer on GearBest is down to $169 on sale.

I was looking at adding auto-leveling and a glass plate. I got spoiled on my mini delta.

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I have the glass plate already, and my EZABL gets here tomorrow.

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Glowforge is definitely such a gateway drug to the maker tools. I’ve often considered picking up a 3D Printer, but so far I’ve resisted…so far…

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For me it was the reverse. I went with the 3D printer first about 4 years ago, which led to a CNC machine, which led to the GF, which led to 2 more CNC machines, which led to 2 more 3D printers. And I still have yet to make a guitar (my original purpose for starting all of this).

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