Have you ever considered getting a 3D printer?

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

This is my first experiment with a poll on this website, hopefully it will work…

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Forum User Poll

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Seems to be working OK, 3 votes so far.

[Andrew JohnstonParticipant @andrewjohnston13878]

Oeeeer, looks like I'm the only one so far who has one. Mine is running as I type; currently doing 15 hours a day, churning out hundreds of parts for one of our products.

Andrew

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

I purchased one for pattern making but it is now for sale due to ill health.

I gut the UP! 2 which is a rigid metal machine. The cheap ones shake themselves to much.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Well, it seems lot more people watch the forum than post on it – sixteen votes and all I've done is walk the dogs.

Neil

[Andrew JohnstonParticipant @andrewjohnston13878]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 17/02/2015 17:51:18:

…………. all I've done is walk the dogs.

Wot? You need to upgrade to self-walking dogs!

Andrew

[RichardSParticipant @richards31161]

No, no, no.

Neil needs a 3D printer to make a robot to walk the dogs. A bit like "The Wrong Trousers", or then again, maybe not.

Richard

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

I think there were several items that applied so a bit restrictive to only have one vote.

………..and give us a chance some people work for a living in the old fashioned way in an office not at home meaning an hour+ commute.

[nigel jones 5Participant @nigeljones5]

I looked into one for wheel castings but theyre too small or mega expensive

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

I thought walking the dog was a euphamism for a visit to the pub.

Mike

[Peter BondParticipant @peterbond14804]

I've got 2 now, can I vote twice?

The Up! Plus 2 has one feature I envy – the automatic bed levelling. However, it is possible to retrofit an inductive sensor to cheaper printers and, with a suitable firmware cut, incorporate that into the process.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 17/02/2015 17:19:24:

This is my first experiment with a poll on this website, hopefully it will work..

.

Neil,

You may need to keep bumping it to the top of the page.

MichaelG.

[HomeUseParticipant @homeuse]

Yes – Am in the progress of building one from scratch – using redundant computer, scanner and printer parts for power supply, motors and linear drives. The basic design thoughts originated in the U.S. but other than power supply are the same over here (U.K.). The hot head is machined from brass and the heating element is available commercially on ebay as is all the driver boards – Will post more details later

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

> You may need to keep bumping it to the top of the page.

Not too bothered, I would have been happy with 81 responses in a month, let alone overnight!

I am gobsmacked that 50% of respondents claim to be owning or planning to own one s of this point.

Neil

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Long live the flat earth society !!

[its-smeeParticipant @its-smee]

After watching the demonstration at the M.E.Exhibition in December I purchased an Ultimaker 2 and after the usual "playing" with it I am now printing a model of a Doxford Marine Engine. As it is small scale some detail is lost but allows me to design the parts with a view to build in steel at a larger scale later.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Neil,

Has the poll closed now? or is the page misbehaving on my iPad?

The original set of Questions and 'Radio Buttons' has been replaced by the Results with short captions [which would be barely comprehensible if one had not seen the original questions].

MichaelG.

[its-smeeParticipant @its-smee]

Edited By its-smee on 18/02/2015 21:55:04

[Peter BondParticipant @peterbond14804]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 18/02/2015 09:18:42:

I am gobsmacked that 50% of respondents claim to be owning or planning to own one s of this point.

Confirmation bias?

Are people with zero interest in the stuff going to read the thread and vote?

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

Mike, if you log out the original questions are displayed.

Mike

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Don't cheat!

That behaviour is deliberate and is supposed to stop people voting more than once.

It's time you all went to bed, I'll explain the abbreviated answers in the morning.

Neil

[Roger Provins 2Participant @rogerprovins2]

I've often have bought into new technology early on but in this case I'm going to wait at least another year for it to mature and for the prices to drop significantly.

[JC Uknz 1Participant @jcuknz1]

I was enthused by an article I read where another enthused guy had used one to make plastic dump trucks for his garden railway so I bought one …. URRRGH!

What he didn't mention was the need to know how to write a computer programme to drive the machine …. so my NZ$2055 expenditure currently is a heavy lump of metal etc sitting in my workshop … unused since the day it arrived.

I thought I could make figures for my garden railway and subsequently found somebody in China who I suspect has mastered the art of programming who sold me all I need at a fraction of the price of even just the plastic let alone the machine …. fools and their money etc.

Edited By JC Uknz 1 on 19/02/2015 06:46:39

[Peter BondParticipant @peterbond14804]

Posted by Roger Provins 2 on 19/02/2015 04:33:44:

I've often have bought into new technology early on but in this case I'm going to wait at least another year for it to mature and for the prices to drop significantly.

While it is still developing, the core tech of fused filament extrusion (glorified hot melt glue gun) and SLA with photosensitive resins are mature – the latter has been in use over a decade and the cheaper machines are coming onto market at the moment primarily due to patents expiring.

BTW – for those who are of the opinion this stuff is all American origin, can I remind people the RepRap project originates in Bath?

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