4 ms·

You print out the things you weren't able to imagine, but other people were. 3D printers allow objects that don't need the economy of scale to work in its favo

by iamwil 14y ago

You print out the things you weren't able to imagine, but other people were. 3D printers allow objects that don't need the economy of scale to work in its favor to come into being. If you're to compare 3D printed objects to things you can buy at Walmart, then of course, in most specs the 3D printer would lose. However, what a 3D printer allows you to make are all the things that you can't get at Walmart, either because the volume wasn't big enough to get it made, or people that could imagine didn't know how to get something made.

porter 14y ago
Any examples?
- cschmidt 14y ago
  Some personal favorites I ordered off of Shapeways: http://www.shapeways.com/model/24470/gyroid.html http://www.shapeways.com/model/24470/gyroid.html http://www.shapeways.com/model/335195/the-code-prize-fire-colour.html http://www.shapeways.com/model/335195/the-code-prize-fire-co... http://www.shapeways.com/model/683524/super-mario-mobius-strip.html http://www.shapeways.com/model/683524/super-mario-mobius-str...
  - gurkendoktor 14y ago
    These are useless gimmicks, and in the worst case they can't be recycled. I didn't know of shapeways before, and I couldn't find a single useful thing on it. Are there more pragmatic 3D printing sites?
    - SoftwareMaven 14y ago
      One person's useless gimmicks are another person's stylish nick-knacks. I can't see myself buying a 3D printer just for stuff like that, but the ability to accent my home in an individual fashion is not unappealing to me. Not everything is the world is purely functional.
      - dagw 14y ago
        Not everything is the world is purely functional. Absolutely agreed. I love a stylish nick-knacks and neat design details as much as the next person but there seems to be a disconnect in the 3D printing world. On the one hand everybody talks about the revolutionary effect of home 3d printers, and on the other hand the only examples people have ever shown me are children's toys and stylish nick-knacks. Where are the at least mostly functional examples?
        bdickason 14y ago
        Here's an example that is not sexy but is at least functional: http://www.shapeways.com/blog/archives/940-how-to-repair-a-bugaboo-pram-with-3d-printing-for-under-25.html http://www.shapeways.com/blog/archives/940-how-to-repair-a-b... Also note Clay Shirky's belief that the most disruptive tech initially appears to be a toy to most. I have to admit, I have the same problem with 3d printing and think that some of the newer materials (stainless steel for example) will really improve the functional designs, especially as the cost decreases. Disclaimer: I work at Shapeways
      - gurkendoktor 14y ago
        I absolutely agree with your last sentence, but why can't it at least be sustainable? (It's really only the non-biodegradable stuff that I have a problem with) I also know that people should have fun in their lives, and yet I can't help but facepalm at people happily driving SUVs around. In the grand scheme of things, the impact of each is tiny, but it confuses me that it's being celebrated by so many smart people. :/
        gurkendoktor 14y ago
        ...and I think that this might simply be the case because 3D printing was oversold to me personally :)
    - iamwil 14y ago
      Since it enables you to make things you can't imagine, lots of people will make a large variety of things--a long tail of objects. For any subset of examples that people give you, it's easy to dismiss it as gimmicky. You'll need to find your own subset that means something to you.
  - bdickason 14y ago
    Thanks for posting this, cschmidt! Those are some of my favorite Shapeways products as well :D Disclaimer: I work for shapeways
- derwiki 14y ago
  http://www.thingiverse.com/ http://www.thingiverse.com/ has models you can download and print. Lens caps and earbud-wrappers are popular.
PeterisP 14y ago
If you want to print out things you weren't able to imagine, but other people were - then it's an argument for not getting a 3D printer but having it printed at a 3d-printing service; it will be cheaper, higher quality, less hassle, and more options for materials/techniques than a single printer can provide.
- iamwil 14y ago
  Somewhat. It depends on what you value. There are other considerations. If price is important to you, but time is not, it's cheaper to have a home desktop printer. 3D printing services are quite expensive. The size of the object also affects your decision. The larger the object, the more economic it is to print it yourself. If price is less of a consideration, but time is more important, then you may find it's better to use a 3D printed service, so you don't have to maintain the machine. Or if you don't print very often. Or the object you want to print is relatively small, so it doesn't break your wallet. The advantages you cite, such as higher quality and less hassle, will diminish, given the pace and directions for improvement of the current generation of 3D printers. I believe different materials and hence printing techniques, will remain a differentiator of online printing services for the foreseeable future.

by iamwil 14y ago

porter 14y ago

Any examples?

cschmidt 14y ago
Some personal favorites I ordered off of Shapeways: http://www.shapeways.com/model/24470/gyroid.html http://www.shapeways.com/model/24470/gyroid.html http://www.shapeways.com/model/335195/the-code-prize-fire-colour.html http://www.shapeways.com/model/335195/the-code-prize-fire-co... http://www.shapeways.com/model/683524/super-mario-mobius-strip.html http://www.shapeways.com/model/683524/super-mario-mobius-str...
- gurkendoktor 14y ago
  These are useless gimmicks, and in the worst case they can't be recycled. I didn't know of shapeways before, and I couldn't find a single useful thing on it. Are there more pragmatic 3D printing sites?
  - SoftwareMaven 14y ago
    One person's useless gimmicks are another person's stylish nick-knacks. I can't see myself buying a 3D printer just for stuff like that, but the ability to accent my home in an individual fashion is not unappealing to me. Not everything is the world is purely functional.
    - dagw 14y ago
      Not everything is the world is purely functional. Absolutely agreed. I love a stylish nick-knacks and neat design details as much as the next person but there seems to be a disconnect in the 3D printing world. On the one hand everybody talks about the revolutionary effect of home 3d printers, and on the other hand the only examples people have ever shown me are children's toys and stylish nick-knacks. Where are the at least mostly functional examples?
      - bdickason 14y ago
        Here's an example that is not sexy but is at least functional: http://www.shapeways.com/blog/archives/940-how-to-repair-a-bugaboo-pram-with-3d-printing-for-under-25.html http://www.shapeways.com/blog/archives/940-how-to-repair-a-b... Also note Clay Shirky's belief that the most disruptive tech initially appears to be a toy to most. I have to admit, I have the same problem with 3d printing and think that some of the newer materials (stainless steel for example) will really improve the functional designs, especially as the cost decreases. Disclaimer: I work at Shapeways
    - gurkendoktor 14y ago
      I absolutely agree with your last sentence, but why can't it at least be sustainable? (It's really only the non-biodegradable stuff that I have a problem with) I also know that people should have fun in their lives, and yet I can't help but facepalm at people happily driving SUVs around. In the grand scheme of things, the impact of each is tiny, but it confuses me that it's being celebrated by so many smart people. :/
      - gurkendoktor 14y ago
        ...and I think that this might simply be the case because 3D printing was oversold to me personally :)
  - iamwil 14y ago
    Since it enables you to make things you can't imagine, lots of people will make a large variety of things--a long tail of objects. For any subset of examples that people give you, it's easy to dismiss it as gimmicky. You'll need to find your own subset that means something to you.
- bdickason 14y ago
  Thanks for posting this, cschmidt! Those are some of my favorite Shapeways products as well :D Disclaimer: I work for shapeways
derwiki 14y ago
http://www.thingiverse.com/ http://www.thingiverse.com/ has models you can download and print. Lens caps and earbud-wrappers are popular.

PeterisP 14y ago

If you want to print out things you weren't able to imagine, but other people were - then it's an argument for not getting a 3D printer but having it printed at a 3d-printing service; it will be cheaper, higher quality, less hassle, and more options for materials/techniques than a single printer can provide.

iamwil 14y ago
Somewhat. It depends on what you value. There are other considerations. If price is important to you, but time is not, it's cheaper to have a home desktop printer. 3D printing services are quite expensive. The size of the object also affects your decision. The larger the object, the more economic it is to print it yourself. If price is less of a consideration, but time is more important, then you may find it's better to use a 3D printed service, so you don't have to maintain the machine. Or if you don't print very often. Or the object you want to print is relatively small, so it doesn't break your wallet. The advantages you cite, such as higher quality and less hassle, will diminish, given the pace and directions for improvement of the current generation of 3D printers. I believe different materials and hence printing techniques, will remain a differentiator of online printing services for the foreseeable future.