

Two-color Makerbot released - pingswept
http://www.makerbot.com/blog/2012/01/09/introducing-the-makerbot-replicator/

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ChuckMcM
This is pretty cool, and of course their store has crashed as far as I can
tell.

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But the new larger build area, and the dual colors, and better integration of
the electronics so they are 'out of the way' instead of bolted to the side.
Its only a matter of time before HP comes out with one for only $399 but
feedstock will be $199 per 50' roll :-)

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swishercutter
I prefer Reprap. Save the money and spend it developing new expansions. My
original Mendel has a 210x210x136mm build area and that is pretty much stock.
Nophead's Mendel90 is soon to be released and appears to be a very stable and
scalable design.

Support the share alike community.

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techknight
They were already selling two-colour Makerbots. (Thing-o-Matics with dual MK7
extruders.) The significant bit today is the large build area in the new
Replicator.

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tlrobinson
Also they're preassembled, for significantly less than the pre-assembled
Think-o-matic.

Where did they sell dual MK7 extruders?

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Quequau
I've set a sort of personal flag for when I want to jump into hobbyist 3D
printing and that's that's the ability to build a TV remote or something like
an old Nokia feature phone.

So basically that's a few different kinds of plastics (like the soft keys and
the hard case); simple circuit boards which could be finished by populating by
hand and soldered in a toaster oven; and other similar sorts of things.

So this represents a step closer and I'm all for it.

However, I really prefer to support openness and sharing. So I prefer the
reprap. And besides, their goal of a self printing more closely matches my
interests of electronic devices.

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Intropy
I'm new to the 3D printing scene and I was about to order a Makerbot last week
but heard they would be making a CES announcement this week. Any advice from
more experienced hackers regarding whether it is worth holding out for this
new model with the dual extruder?

~~~
replicatorblog
Intropy - I've been blogging about MakerBot and other bits and atoms
businesses for 4+ years (<http://replicatorinc.com>). Just after Thanksgiving
I bought a discounted MakerBot Thing-O-Matic.

If you have an extra $900 I'd recommend the Replicator. The extra size, dual
extruders, and preassembly are a huge upgrade. Being able to print support
materials will give you huge flexibility and the Automated Build Platform on
the ToM is no equal for a bigger build table.

I'm happy with the ToM and might try the dual extruder at some point.

My only concern about the Replicator would be the fact that it is pre-built.
The MakerBot assembly instructions are horribly out of date and can be
misleading. The software UI is kind of flaky. The support documentation is not
very helpful and is filled with errors. I'd be very concerned about buying
something preassembled by that crew. They seem nice, but more focused on being
hip than "Six Sigma".

That said, I'm happy with my machine so far. It's fun to be on the bleeding
edge of this tech, but if you buy, be prepared to get your hands dirty fixing
and tweaking the machine.

Feel free to contact me offline with any questions!
jflaherty@replicatorinc.com

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MartinCron
_the MakerBot assembly instructions are horribly out of date and can be
misleading. The software UI is kind of flaky. The support documentation is not
very helpful and is filled with errors. I'd be very concerned about buying
something preassembled by that crew._

Yikes. I'd be concerned about buying anything at all from that crew.

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JoeAltmaier
No clips of it in action. How does it support a model under construction? Some
matrix material? A jig you have to make separately?

How do parts get built assembled, without adhering? What's the resolution?
Those examples seem quite coarse/blocky.

~~~
Intropy
From my research: it currently has not been possible to print overhangs
greater than 45 degrees on models using the plastic extrusion process. I think
the dual extruder allows the opportunity to incorporate a water soluble
plastic material into the printing process in order to support overhangs.

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angusgr
This is pretty exciting for Makerbot. The Thing-O-Matic (previous model,
mostly sold as a kit) was described by them as:

 _a hot rod style device on the cutting edge of 3D printing technology and
like a hotrod, you'll have to oil it and do occasional maintenance. There is
no service warranty._

... on the other hand this feels a big step closer to a consumer product -
they're advertising it as ready to print out of the box, marketing it at CES.

I guess it makes sense they want to cross over from making a "niche" hobbyist-
focused built-it-yourself product to the emerging broader market.

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hsshah
Site is down. Probably DDOS'd from the announcement. Here's a link to a cached
copy:
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.makerbot.com/blog/2012/01/09/introducing-
the-makerbot-replicator/)

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codehero
Some other significant improvements over Thing-o-Matic: -Thankfully they have
abandoned the Automated Build Platform. -The extruder is now moving within the
build plane, which is superior to moving the printed object. Perhaps one will
be able to print thin tall objects.

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regulus1980
This looks like the best makerbot yet, maybe I really should be getting into
the 3D printing scene!

