
What is 3D printing? - evo_9
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/115503-what-is-3d-printing
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learc83
No one ever mentions price in these articles.

I just tried to have a tablet case 3d printed from ponoko, but the quote was
~$800.

3d printing _today_ is basically useless for anything larger than jewelry for
the average hacker/maker. Hopefully that changes soon.

~~~
forrestthewoods
"3d printing today is basically useless for anything larger than jewelry"

That's not true at all. A single print is expensive, but costs go way day when
you mass produce (defined as ~1000). My company sells 9 inch statues for $70
that are 3d printed. <https://store.uberent.com/images/products/assassin.jpg>
<https://store.uberent.com/images/products/pit_girl.jpg>
<https://store.uberent.com/images/products/assault.jpg>

And here's another statue by the same company (Ownage) I found randomly.
[http://paulnelson.cghub.com/files/Image/037001-038000/37397/...](http://paulnelson.cghub.com/files/Image/037001-038000/37397/332_stream.jpg)

~~~
learc83
> for the average hacker/maker

Sure there are use cases, but most of us don't need to print 1000 of
something. I run a retail automation business and I was thinking of using 3d
printing for the tablet enclosure. My business is really too specialized to
need 1000 printed (then _entire_ US market is around 10,000), so we decided to
go with laser cut acrylic and using a strip heater to bend it into shape.
Total cost about $20 per enclosure.

I was shocked when I saw the price tag, Ponoko seems to advertise direct to
the diy consumer, so I was thinking much cheaper. I just can't see how many
people are going to spend $500+ to get something 3d printed.

Btw those statues are awesome!

~~~
forrestthewoods
The company I believe will do individual statues as cheap as $200 these days.
The price keeps dropping. World of Wacraft characters can be printed by
FigurePrints for $130 full body or $70 bust.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw82KSzvkAs&feature=playe...](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw82KSzvkAs&feature=player_embedded)
Quality is much lower, but it's still cool as hell.

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onemoreact
For now the best description is basically '3d printing = computer building
things using small Lego's.' You can create just about any shape, but the
strength and texture options are limited because it's a sculpture made out of
whatever building material and bonding agent the printer uses.

PS: Still waiting for replicators, but it's going to take a while.

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ajross
That description implies that the components are discrete. Current open source
printers (there are other technologies in the commercial world) work by
liquifying polymer filament (ABS and PLA are the most popular plastics) and
squirting it out of a tiny nozzle that moves across the print bed.

~~~
onemoreact
Well it's still discrete in that they deposit fixed amounts of polymer along a
grid. Selective laser sintering is much closer to a true analog process:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_laser_sintering>

However, as an analogy it's simply there to convey an additive process which
can create a wide range of shapes that all share similar property's. (Density,
melting point, texture etc.) Otherwise, people look at you funny when you say
you need to sand and paint something that's been 3d printed.

