Micro 3D printer®

litlerob1 · Aug 21, 2015

Just wondering if anyone is using one of these, I saw it and thought it would be fun for home stuff, I'm a machinist by trade but just for screwing around it might be cool.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...9YvdejzGv8dv8SPtQ&sig2=eROsmlPTweNuEu4qKzslVA

Robert

billzweig · Aug 21, 2015

I am suspicious - there are no any specifications or details on their web site.

litlerob1 · Aug 21, 2015

RC Mech · Aug 30, 2015

No experience with these, but really for $350 it's almost worth it just to mess with it. As long as the motion system isn't disappointingly cheap quality (wishful thinking?). Off to uTube to see it in action...

DMF_TomB · Aug 30, 2015

cost to run

litlerob1 said:
Just wondering if anyone is using one of these, I saw it and thought it would be fun for home stuff, I'm a machinist by trade but just for screwing around it might be cool.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...9YvdejzGv8dv8SPtQ&sig2=eROsmlPTweNuEu4qKzslVA

Robert

.
most requires expensive supplies. like paper printer ink costing more than gold per ounce, you rarely hear about costs to run 3D printers.
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i got a torch that sprays metal on metal parts. cool ideal but powdered metal is over $50 per lbs. so that what 50 times more expensive than regular steel.
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many photographic printer companies were taking a loss selling printers on the often faulty logic they will make money selling ink. a 3D printer if it costs $20 to make a small part how many parts you going to make per year playing around ? 1 part per week thats over $1000 per year for a toy

internable · Sep 4, 2015

Most of the hobby-use 3d printers use ABS or PLA filament that costs about twenty dollars a kilogram (2.2 lbs) it's fairly cheap. For instance, this 3d printed guitar weighs about 2.2 KG. So the cost of material would be about 45 dollars. It's very easy to find the associated costs of running a 3d printer.

NAST555 · Sep 4, 2015

I had a look at the site and it looks pretty decent for that price... I did not however see any reference to the software that it uses? Maybe send them a mail and find out about that. No use that you have a machine that is pretty cool but you cannot do anything with it because you don't have a slicing program. Then the filament holder at the bottom will probably get pretty old for you really quickly when you realise that it only fits their reels... BUT it looks like the feed tube is located in a nice and easy place so you can make a spool holder that sits next to the machine without much hassle. I did just that but then you have to start thinking if their software forces you to use their filament (because of temp settings and print speeds) but this also can be bypassed if you do a few mods to the hot end and make a variable resistor that you can set temps to a sweet spot.

I say go for it if their software is included or if it is not an arm and a leg to purchase it. At that price I guarantee that you will be messing around for a long while, sometimes happily and sometimes pulling your hair out but it will be a great learning curve.

litlerob1 · Sep 4, 2015

NAST555 said:
I had a look at the site and it looks pretty decent for that price... I did not however see any reference to the software that it uses? Maybe send them a mail and find out about that. No use that you have a machine that is pretty cool but you cannot do anything with it because you don't have a slicing program. Then the filament holder at the bottom will probably get pretty old for you really quickly when you realise that it only fits their reels... BUT it looks like the feed tube is located in a nice and easy place so you can make a spool holder that sits next to the machine without much hassle. I did just that but then you have to start thinking if their software forces you to use their filament (because of temp settings and print speeds) but this also can be bypassed if you do a few mods to the hot end and make a variable resistor that you can set temps to a sweet spot.

I say go for it if their software is included or if it is not an arm and a leg to purchase it. At that price I guarantee that you will be messing around for a long while, sometimes happily and sometimes pulling your hair out but it will be a great learning curve.

I'm used to pulling my hair out, I just shave my head so there isn't anything to pull on, but then it just morphes into scratching and that just looks silly. I did not check into the cost of the materials, so when I read Tom's post I thought that was real the whole "costs more than gold thing", at that point I was like NOO, but I looked into it, gold bullion is around $1,250. I think I could live with 1,000$ a year for messing around in the garage, with ABS. And a $350 machine, that's no biggie

The software (proprietary obviously) comes with the unit, and they say "plug and play", but we all know what that usually means, again just for screwing around maybe put it in production or maybe a starter kit for the greenhorns, IDK? .0005 repeat resolution on X and Y and .001" on Z isn't too bad for a printer, but being a novice myself??? Thanks for the input guys.

Robert my ±2

NAST555 · Sep 9, 2015

litlerob1 said:
The software (proprietary obviously) comes with the unit, and they say "plug and play", but we all know what that usually means, again just for screwing around maybe put it in production or maybe a starter kit for the greenhorns, IDK? .0005 repeat resolution on X and Y and .001" on Z isn't too bad for a printer, but being a novice myself??? Thanks for the input guys.

Robert my ±2

The repeatability, from what I have learnt, is important but it goes hand in hand with print speeds. It sure is nice if you can slow down the print speeds on small prints because sometimes small parts like to get bent over and pulled apart if you move to quickly over the surface. It is an added bonus if you are able to do this via their software.

I too have just pretty much started with my printer and have made a few working parts that actually came out great. One was an indicator lever unit for a 50's MG that the guy couldn't find a replacement for. He sure was a happy camper when I told him that I could do it and he has since sent me more work from his vintage car club members. It has been a great learning curve for me to work with small parts. The medium parts (say 100mm x 100mm x 100mm) are much easier.

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