- Joined
- Jan 18, 2010
- Messages
- 15,792
- Reaction score
- 8,824
- Points
- 453
- Location
- Residing in Wicklow Ireland
- Printer Model
- Canon/3D, CR-10, CR-10S, KP-3
I originally taught 3D printers were a very expensive item to buy.
I also figured they are very hard to use or to make anything decent out of them, after all it was only flimsy plastic.
Another problem was justifying the very high running costs, not to mention the expensive repairs. !
If I did get one, how on earth would I learn how to design anything remotely usable, functionable and practical, Now I’ve got it, what the hell do I do with it !.
I’ve started this post with quite a few questions that I originally had about 3D printers, but since getting one then two, I’ve found all the above questions were widely inaccurate and not true.
To start with, there’re not expensive to buy, are very easy to use, and you can make lots of great stuff with them, the running costs are controlled by you and how much you want to use the printer but even then, a filament roll is about the same price as 1 OEM ink cartridge and lasts very much longer.
Making things can be simple and complex at the same time, but designing a useful object is not as hard as you might think, alternatively you can download hundreds of already made objects from lots of places on the web like: - thingiverse.com.
I started off with a test object to make sure the printer was working properly and that I had set everything up properly, then I used OpenScad to make my very first object, and from that day on, I have continued to make my own stuff rather than relay on someone elses models that I could download.
To start using OPEN SCAD I watched a few videos that I found interesting and I print screened some of the code that I wanted to use later and that’s how I started using Open SCAD without any experience, it’s on the job training.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating, to date I have used 133 STL files of which 88 were my own, so only 45 were download, I quickly learned how to make my own models, armed with a Caliper tool.
With Black Friday coming they will be a great chance for bargains to be had....
I also figured they are very hard to use or to make anything decent out of them, after all it was only flimsy plastic.
Another problem was justifying the very high running costs, not to mention the expensive repairs. !
If I did get one, how on earth would I learn how to design anything remotely usable, functionable and practical, Now I’ve got it, what the hell do I do with it !.
I’ve started this post with quite a few questions that I originally had about 3D printers, but since getting one then two, I’ve found all the above questions were widely inaccurate and not true.
To start with, there’re not expensive to buy, are very easy to use, and you can make lots of great stuff with them, the running costs are controlled by you and how much you want to use the printer but even then, a filament roll is about the same price as 1 OEM ink cartridge and lasts very much longer.
Making things can be simple and complex at the same time, but designing a useful object is not as hard as you might think, alternatively you can download hundreds of already made objects from lots of places on the web like: - thingiverse.com.
I started off with a test object to make sure the printer was working properly and that I had set everything up properly, then I used OpenScad to make my very first object, and from that day on, I have continued to make my own stuff rather than relay on someone elses models that I could download.
To start using OPEN SCAD I watched a few videos that I found interesting and I print screened some of the code that I wanted to use later and that’s how I started using Open SCAD without any experience, it’s on the job training.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating, to date I have used 133 STL files of which 88 were my own, so only 45 were download, I quickly learned how to make my own models, armed with a Caliper tool.
With Black Friday coming they will be a great chance for bargains to be had....
