10 ms·

But then how do you justify your 3d printer? (Kidding, I already know you justify them by printing bottlecap openers.)

rainbowzootsuit 4y ago
I've been enjoying gridfinity to keep the print head warm on long cold nights. https://old.reddit.com/r/gridfinity https://old.reddit.com/r/gridfinity
- blamazon 4y ago
  For the unfamiliar, gridfinity is a project kicked off by Zack Freedman, who makes awesome YouTube videos with his life partner: https://youtu.be/ra_9zU-mnl8 https://youtu.be/ra_9zU-mnl8 (Yes, that is a monocular HUD on his face, it's his teleprompter. There are a bunch of videos on the channel chronicling the various iterations of it)
GuB-42 4y ago
I sometimes use my 3D printer just so I can get the thing right now. For example, I once printed a small electrical box, the kind you can find for $2 in any hardware store. Totally not worth it in normal circumstances, but it was Sunday, shops were closed, and I needed one, so I just printed it, and finished the job, didn't have to wait the next day. And you got things wrong, 3D printers don't print bottlecap openers, they print little boats ;)
- alias_neo 4y ago
  I had to print some little "brackets" for the blinds in my daughter's room after she broke some (she's a toddler) and we needed to close them for bed time; Half an hour in CAD and another half an hour of printing a dozen of them, and now I can replace them any time they break. I also printed some curtain clips for my wife rather than drive to the DIY shop or wait for Amazon to post me some; Perhaps not cost effective, but better than driving a couple of miles for £1 of plastic clips? I have young children so I occasionally print aesthetic things, but as a rule, I reserve 3D-printing (or "printing" as my daughter knows it because she's never known printing to have fewer than 3 dimensions) for practical things. It's funny, my wife has never been on board with my hobbies so much as she is with 3D Printing.
- MikeKusold 4y ago
  Are you talking about those blue outlet boxes? If so, those provide a lot of fire safety that your 3D Print does not. You really should rip that print out of the wall.
matthewmacleod 4y ago
Obviously you use it to print 3D printer parts.
- dustymcp 4y ago
  Is 3d printers as annoying as their 2d cousins ?
  - GeorgeTirebiter 4y ago
    Funny thing, except for the occasional 3D print that becomes a pile of plastic, they're pretty good. Keep it clean, level, change the nozzle occasionally, use good quality material, and it's pretty good. For 2D printers: they are just money pits due to the toner costs; and do everything they can to make sure you buy Their toner. Buy a name-brand color laser, use it sparingly, and it's a wonderful way to have the occasional color picture, graph, or research report w/color diagrams. (I have a Brother, which I like.)
    - ilyt 4y ago
      Except HP LJ 2100 - that thing will outlive your entire carreer. Our ops dept. threatened helpdesk with stabbing when they wanted to take the "old" one for themselves and get us something "new"
    - wccrawford 4y ago
      It certainly depends on your printer. Some are incredibly reliable, and some are known for being crap. Of course, you can upgrade them, but if you have an off-brand printer it can be hard to find good upgrades to fix the problems. I started off with a clone of a decent printer, but the clones are iffy. I lucked out and got a good one! The next one I bought from that brand was crap. I recently printed a Voron v0.1 and it's been decent so far, and I'm working on some upgrades. Luckily it's really popular and there are lots of known upgrades. The kit was more expensive than my other 2 printers combined, and it's a lot smaller... But I'm planning on using it to completely retrofit at least one of the other 2 now.
PostOnce 4y ago
A 3D printer has taught me mechanical engineering like my computer taught me programming
- mmaunder 4y ago
  Just a minor nit. Mechanical engineering ain’t additive manufacturing. And CAM isn’t mechanical engineering. Also 3D printing and CNC, which creates far stronger parts, are quite different. CNCing ferrous and non ferrous metal is quite challenging - but again, this is CAM which is more a machinists job, not a mechanical engineer.
- MezzoDelCammin 4y ago
  It works the other way around too. Got some nasty scars from disassembling cheap PC cases. That told me a lot about stamped sheet metal and costs-cutting in assembly lines. On the other hand, no better way to learn an STM32 and automatization than looking into Prusa Mini firmware github ;-)
- GeorgeTirebiter 4y ago
  Although this seems to me like saying "learning BASIC has taught me Computer Science" -- yes, the principles of MechE can be learned by study + some actual 3D printed models. But to truly grok MechE, you need mastery of some CAD program (OpenSCAD is my choice, but I also use FreeCAD), and the ability to fabricate in some other materials (metals) using subtractive methods. Plus, you know, a little math here and there... I like your reasoning tho; I got mine when it was on sale, and just before the pandemic - so I have plenty of learnings about PLA, ABS, PETG, temperatures, glue or not, surface, and most of all -- plenty of piles of material creating 'modern art' rather than my planned masterpieces. '-)
  - shepherdjerred 4y ago
    I think you took this the opposite way. My interpretation was that using a computer (web browsing, editing word documents, whatever) doesn't teach you CS. In the same way, using a 3D printer doesn't (by itself) teach ME.
Ptchd 4y ago
I justify the 3d-printer for printing prototypes.... of course they aren't ideal for production... At less then $200, it is well worth it.
- the_cat_kittles 4y ago
  exactly what i use it for- prototypes, one off jigs and such, spacers etc. its so useful for stuff that needs a certain awkward geometry and fairly high dimensional accuracy. i just dont see myself ever using it for production parts, though i do have a 6 ft auger i printed which has moved tons of material by now with no problems
  - Ptchd 4y ago
    It's perfect for iterating/debugging designs... I think you should tell more about the 6ft auger though! :)
    - the_cat_kittles 4y ago
      i printed the flights a quarter at a time, and the have a 1" bore so the got glued to a wooden dowel, and i also printed little alignment pins on them for assembly
code_biologist 4y ago
I've recently been printing a lot of terrain STLs for miniature games (MyMiniFactory or patreons are great) using a 0.25mm nozzle on my FDM printer, then airbrushing to paint them quickly. It's a far more satisfying justification than just printing random brackets and boxes!
- specproc 4y ago
  Yeah, this. Such a cool and interesting scene.
- ornornor 4y ago
  Speak for yourself! I get the most enjoyment and satisfaction out of printing spare parts to fix things I own but for which parts are unavailable or prohibitively expensive; or to design add-ons to make the things I already own work better for me. To me it’s the opposite: printing dust-gathering figurines and other baubles with a 3D printer seems rather unappealing. To each their own!
  - gerdesj 4y ago
    I like both! I printed a set of new hinges for a large outdoor plastic storage unit. It has my lawn mower, strimmer etc in it. It would have been skipped years ago because the doors kept falling in or out. Bit embarrassed that we bought the bloody thing in the first place but printing new hinges has avoided landfill and a replacement. The new hinges have lasted four years and counting. SW UK, local unofficial temp range -5C to 35C in that time, so not too nasty. The PLA has discoloured a bit due to UV but not gone brittle. I also have some little tanks on my desk and a dragon. There's some phenomenal models on Thingie.
  - ninth_ant 4y ago
    For folks who actively play games with minis (as is the case with the person you replied to), a 3D printer is an excellent addition to the hobby.

I've been enjoying gridfinity to keep the print head warm on long cold nights. https://old.reddit.com/r/gridfinity https://old.reddit.com/r/gridfinity

blamazon 4y ago
For the unfamiliar, gridfinity is a project kicked off by Zack Freedman, who makes awesome YouTube videos with his life partner: https://youtu.be/ra_9zU-mnl8 https://youtu.be/ra_9zU-mnl8 (Yes, that is a monocular HUD on his face, it's his teleprompter. There are a bunch of videos on the channel chronicling the various iterations of it)

GuB-42 4y ago

I sometimes use my 3D printer just so I can get the thing right now. For example, I once printed a small electrical box, the kind you can find for $2 in any hardware store. Totally not worth it in normal circumstances, but it was Sunday, shops were closed, and I needed one, so I just printed it, and finished the job, didn't have to wait the next day. And you got things wrong, 3D printers don't print bottlecap openers, they print little boats ;)

alias_neo 4y ago
I had to print some little "brackets" for the blinds in my daughter's room after she broke some (she's a toddler) and we needed to close them for bed time; Half an hour in CAD and another half an hour of printing a dozen of them, and now I can replace them any time they break. I also printed some curtain clips for my wife rather than drive to the DIY shop or wait for Amazon to post me some; Perhaps not cost effective, but better than driving a couple of miles for £1 of plastic clips? I have young children so I occasionally print aesthetic things, but as a rule, I reserve 3D-printing (or "printing" as my daughter knows it because she's never known printing to have fewer than 3 dimensions) for practical things. It's funny, my wife has never been on board with my hobbies so much as she is with 3D Printing.
MikeKusold 4y ago
Are you talking about those blue outlet boxes? If so, those provide a lot of fire safety that your 3D Print does not. You really should rip that print out of the wall.

matthewmacleod 4y ago

Obviously you use it to print 3D printer parts.

dustymcp 4y ago
Is 3d printers as annoying as their 2d cousins ?
- GeorgeTirebiter 4y ago
  Funny thing, except for the occasional 3D print that becomes a pile of plastic, they're pretty good. Keep it clean, level, change the nozzle occasionally, use good quality material, and it's pretty good. For 2D printers: they are just money pits due to the toner costs; and do everything they can to make sure you buy Their toner. Buy a name-brand color laser, use it sparingly, and it's a wonderful way to have the occasional color picture, graph, or research report w/color diagrams. (I have a Brother, which I like.)
  - ilyt 4y ago
    Except HP LJ 2100 - that thing will outlive your entire carreer. Our ops dept. threatened helpdesk with stabbing when they wanted to take the "old" one for themselves and get us something "new"
  - wccrawford 4y ago
    It certainly depends on your printer. Some are incredibly reliable, and some are known for being crap. Of course, you can upgrade them, but if you have an off-brand printer it can be hard to find good upgrades to fix the problems. I started off with a clone of a decent printer, but the clones are iffy. I lucked out and got a good one! The next one I bought from that brand was crap. I recently printed a Voron v0.1 and it's been decent so far, and I'm working on some upgrades. Luckily it's really popular and there are lots of known upgrades. The kit was more expensive than my other 2 printers combined, and it's a lot smaller... But I'm planning on using it to completely retrofit at least one of the other 2 now.

PostOnce 4y ago

A 3D printer has taught me mechanical engineering like my computer taught me programming

mmaunder 4y ago
Just a minor nit. Mechanical engineering ain’t additive manufacturing. And CAM isn’t mechanical engineering. Also 3D printing and CNC, which creates far stronger parts, are quite different. CNCing ferrous and non ferrous metal is quite challenging - but again, this is CAM which is more a machinists job, not a mechanical engineer.
MezzoDelCammin 4y ago
It works the other way around too. Got some nasty scars from disassembling cheap PC cases. That told me a lot about stamped sheet metal and costs-cutting in assembly lines. On the other hand, no better way to learn an STM32 and automatization than looking into Prusa Mini firmware github ;-)
GeorgeTirebiter 4y ago
Although this seems to me like saying "learning BASIC has taught me Computer Science" -- yes, the principles of MechE can be learned by study + some actual 3D printed models. But to truly grok MechE, you need mastery of some CAD program (OpenSCAD is my choice, but I also use FreeCAD), and the ability to fabricate in some other materials (metals) using subtractive methods. Plus, you know, a little math here and there... I like your reasoning tho; I got mine when it was on sale, and just before the pandemic - so I have plenty of learnings about PLA, ABS, PETG, temperatures, glue or not, surface, and most of all -- plenty of piles of material creating 'modern art' rather than my planned masterpieces. '-)
- shepherdjerred 4y ago
  I think you took this the opposite way. My interpretation was that using a computer (web browsing, editing word documents, whatever) doesn't teach you CS. In the same way, using a 3D printer doesn't (by itself) teach ME.

Ptchd 4y ago

I justify the 3d-printer for printing prototypes.... of course they aren't ideal for production... At less then $200, it is well worth it.

the_cat_kittles 4y ago
exactly what i use it for- prototypes, one off jigs and such, spacers etc. its so useful for stuff that needs a certain awkward geometry and fairly high dimensional accuracy. i just dont see myself ever using it for production parts, though i do have a 6 ft auger i printed which has moved tons of material by now with no problems
- Ptchd 4y ago
  It's perfect for iterating/debugging designs... I think you should tell more about the 6ft auger though! :)
  - the_cat_kittles 4y ago
    i printed the flights a quarter at a time, and the have a 1" bore so the got glued to a wooden dowel, and i also printed little alignment pins on them for assembly

code_biologist 4y ago

I've recently been printing a lot of terrain STLs for miniature games (MyMiniFactory or patreons are great) using a 0.25mm nozzle on my FDM printer, then airbrushing to paint them quickly. It's a far more satisfying justification than just printing random brackets and boxes!

specproc 4y ago
Yeah, this. Such a cool and interesting scene.
ornornor 4y ago
Speak for yourself! I get the most enjoyment and satisfaction out of printing spare parts to fix things I own but for which parts are unavailable or prohibitively expensive; or to design add-ons to make the things I already own work better for me. To me it’s the opposite: printing dust-gathering figurines and other baubles with a 3D printer seems rather unappealing. To each their own!
- gerdesj 4y ago
  I like both! I printed a set of new hinges for a large outdoor plastic storage unit. It has my lawn mower, strimmer etc in it. It would have been skipped years ago because the doors kept falling in or out. Bit embarrassed that we bought the bloody thing in the first place but printing new hinges has avoided landfill and a replacement. The new hinges have lasted four years and counting. SW UK, local unofficial temp range -5C to 35C in that time, so not too nasty. The PLA has discoloured a bit due to UV but not gone brittle. I also have some little tanks on my desk and a dragon. There's some phenomenal models on Thingie.
- ninth_ant 4y ago
  For folks who actively play games with minis (as is the case with the person you replied to), a 3D printer is an excellent addition to the hobby.