10 ms·

Dremel Releases a Mass-Market 3D Printer

146 points by zaaaaz 12y ago

choult 12y ago
Great to see backing from more established manufacturers for home 3D printing. However, am I the only person who thinks the first photo looks like they're microwaving a mouse?
- brianmtully 12y ago
  a frog
- CapitalistCartr 12y ago
  They're microwaving a frog. Who eats mice, anyway? Ewww. Now frogs, there's some good eatin'.
tothepixel 12y ago
The Dremel site is unfortunately lacking the pricing. They note that it's available for purchase on Amazon, but it isn't as far as I can tell. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Dremel%203D%20Idea%20Builder http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dap...
- zaaaaz 12y ago
  $999 according to the article.
  - ntkachov 12y ago
    Thats actually pretty reasonable provided the print quality warrants the price tag. I would buy it for that price if it could print things with enough structural support for every day use.
    - thawkins 12y ago
      Its a flashforge dreamer with one extruder ripped out and the heatbed removed running autodesk 123 software. Dremel had very little to do with building it except deciding where the logos will go.
dmritard96 12y ago
1K, I think there are plenty of others out there with more intriguing designs. Whats interesting is the distribution channel though. The article mentions Home Depot...so does that mean it will be next to makerbot products?
- vonmoltke 12y ago
  In stores that actually have 3D printers, I suppose so.
- zaaaaz 12y ago
  From what I've read, the Home Depot/Makerbot program is only in 12 of their stores.
seanp2k2 12y ago
Neat, but I still don't feel that I need one now, or that I'll need one in the next few years. I guess I haven't really seen what useful things can be made with 3D printers...almost everything from them I've seen IRL is either a small statue or jewelry.
- gr3yh47 12y ago
  the most obvious application is replacing parts - replacement battery covers, game/toy parts, buttons, small pieces of car trim, really anything smallish and plastic that gets lost or broken could be replaced with a 3d printer. potential replacement for non plastic parts too depending on the application. also customizing parts. Custom dice for games, etc etc.
  - smacktoward 12y ago
    Are any of those things really a problem in an age of cheap disposable crap, though? Battery cover gets lost? Replace the whole thing. Toy breaks? Replace the whole thing. Button comes off your jacket? Replace the whole thing. (I'm not saying this is an ideal world -- I personally would much rather live in a world where things are long-lived but cost more -- but it's the world we live in.)
    - kubiiii 12y ago
      3d printing is a way to extend a product's life. But I think it will prove useful for a repair guy/technician rather than for a hobbyist. Making small series of spares for a unsupported product is profitable vs used spares market. One example are vintage synthesizers. There is such demand for some spares that synths are being dismantled rather than repaired. Sometimes the upper C key (which is unique on a keyboard) can be sold for 50 bucks or more.
    - riskable 12y ago
      I've been keeping a list of all the things I could have 3D-printed if I had a 3D printer. Maybe some of these will pique your interest: * Mounts for my washing machine's broken shocks (shocks were fine but the plastic part that holds them to the frame broke). $80/piece for whole new shocks or I could have just printed new mounts (which really are a stupidly simple snap-on component) for less than a dollar. * The knob on one of our standing lamps broke and won't stay on anymore. I can order a new one for $1.50+$4.95 S/H or I could have just 3D-printed a really cool/custom one for $0.05. * Lost some of the pieces in your Monopoly game? Just print some new ones. Heck, any gaming figurines can be printed trivially and there's a plethora of free, already-made ones to choose from. * Missing Lego parts. * Vacuum cleaner parts... I always wanted one of those wide under-furniture attachments but can't justify the purchase. If I had a 3D printer I could just print one. * Seriously cool-looking/unique ceiling fan blades (you can print them even on a small 3D printer since you can join multiple parts together on the back of the blade where no one will see). * Seriously cool/useful wall plates and switches. Example: http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/10/28/wall-cleat/ http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/10/28/wall-cleat/ * Collar tags for my dogs. Actually, whole collars. * Children's toys. * Halloween masks. * Protractors and compasses of any size on-demand. * Centering gauges of any size on-demand. * Custom Tupperware-like containers/boxes. * Phone cases.
jameshart 12y ago
interesting that it's a 3d printer - would have thought a desktop CNC milling machine would be closer to their traditional high-RPM switchable-toolhead powertool business.
- Crito 12y ago
  If they offered a sub-$2k CNC machine, I would buy it in a heartbeat. Now that I think about it, I should probably see what I can actually find for sale...
  - reportingsjr 12y ago
    Check out the shapeoko 2. It is about $700-$800 for the full thing. You do have to assemble it which takes a day or two. Inventables donated one to the hackerspace I belong to. I've used it a few times and it is pretty nice for what it is.
    - veemjeem 12y ago
      There are lots of good CNCs on amazon for $800 that don't require assembly at all. If you need to cut into steel, the ones on amazon will be much better than the shapeoko.
      - UnethicalHacks 12y ago
        which ones would you recommend? this appeals far more than 3D printing.
higherpurpose 12y ago
> Dremel Releases a Mass-Market 3D Printer > and a $999 price point No. A 3D printer that's over $500 won't be mass market. Even $500 is probably too high. Most people might buy one if it's only $300 (with good enough quality - which could happen years from now). My guess is it will be another decade before normal families consider a cheap 3D printer, and only then it's when 3D printers will be "mass-market".
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- pessimizer 12y ago
  According to the internet ( http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=595+1986+dollars http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=595+1986+dollars ), my mother paid $1289 for our ImageWriter II in 1986. Mass market doesn't have to mean 100 million. 1 million is plenty.
- riskable 12y ago
  Nonsense. All it takes is for the utility of the thing to match or best its price. For example, if the average, every day person is told that they could use a 3D printer to save thousands on car parts, vacuum cleaner parts, and similar it won't take long before everyone has one in their house (or is regularly pestering their neighbor to use theirs, haha). Even at $1000.
- jeffchuber 12y ago
  Gates: We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next 2 years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next 10.
- frederickf 12y ago
  And it's not just the cost. Printing things has to be as easy as printing text which can still be annoying. Maybe someday there will be a sequel to Office Space in which they destroy a 3d-printer with the futuristic equivalent of baseball bats.
  - 12y ago
robbrown451 12y ago
I got my first Dremel tool in 1982 and have always had one since. I love those things more than I can express. This is awesome. It may not really have anything to do with their "moto-tool", but it just warms my heart to see their name on it.
- kevin_thibedeau 12y ago
  I replaced mine with a $20 Chinese knockoff when their crappy speed controller burned out. Good riddance. Don't know why they can't figure out how to design brushes that don't jam in the housing either.
  - robbrown451 12y ago
    The newer models are unfortunately crappier. When I got my first one (when I was in high school) it was the only option, and high enough quality. The one I have now is about 15 years old and has gotten a ton of use and abuse.
coldcode 12y ago
What limitations on materials does this have? They mention a lack of heating but I don't know enough about 3d printers to know what that means it doesn't support.
- IshKebab 12y ago
  It means it doesn't support ABS.
  - ja27 12y ago
    ABS is a sturdier plastic that's more resistant to heat, light, water, etc. The Dremel can only do PLA. The major difference when printing is that ABS shrinks when it cools so you need to keep the base of the print hot to keep it from popping off of the print bed. So ABS is a little more work but is a sturdier plastic.
gmu3 12y ago
I've played around with both, and the extruder printers are generally vastly inferior to the printers that use lasers.
- reportingsjr 12y ago
  Laser based 3d printers (largely Selective laser sintering and stereolithography) also tend to be far, far more expensive than FDM (extruder based) machines. There are some pretty good FDMs that are approaching the point where you can't see or feel the individual layers in the print.
  - veemjeem 12y ago
    Can one even buy a consumer SLS printer? I was under the impression that the cheapest SLS printer is still around 50k.
    - reportingsjr 12y ago
      I have seen a little bit of work in the area of people using laser engravers (you can get one for about $2k out of china) as minimal SLS machines. Other than that I don't think there is any SLS printer in the hobbyist arena.
      - gmu3 12y ago
        This SLA printer is actually pretty good for ~$2k https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fsl/pegasus-touch-laser-sla-3d-printer-low-cost-high-q https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fsl/pegasus-touch-laser...
jglauche 12y ago
I'm under the impression that a LOT of companies are currently thinking that they miss their market right now if they don't bring out a 3d printer. Actually, the market is not that big and over-saturated with printers right now. The vendors (this goes especially to the big ones) are missing one critical point: They haven't made it easy enough for Joe User to create printable 3d designs. The "mass" will not buy a product like that if they don't understand why they need it for and also not if they don't have access to easy and powerful tools to make actually good use of it.
- jeffchuber 12y ago
  easy and functional designs. PLA toys are just a novelty.
- Ccecil 12y ago
  Over-saturated is an understatement..it is getting pretty bad. http://www.3ders.org/pricecompare/3dprinters/ http://www.3ders.org/pricecompare/3dprinters/ I am sure that is not nearly all of them :) The design is always an issue when printing too. Customers rarely design their models to be printed because they don't fully understand the process. If you design correctly you can get away with very little support material and still get very detailed models..if not then you end up with either a poorly printed object or significant detail loss on the surfaces from support material removal. Maybe some plugins for popular CAD programs might be helpful...at least some sort of "ray" plugin that would show where your trouble overhangs/support material generation will be located. At least for training purposes.
  - razster 12y ago
    More often than not it is a print quality issue with a lot of them. At least what I've run into.
    - Ccecil 12y ago
      Operator knowledge is very important. I often tell people "It is like a table saw...not a toaster" "Just because you have one doesn't mean you will be able to use it right away" Also, typically the less you spend on a printer the more time you spend tuning or failing prints. You can make a $600 in parts printer do very well if you know what you are doing...but it is much easier if you spend more on parts. Things like linear rails and proper leadscrews go a very long way...as does a proper hotend.
spiritplumber 12y ago
I wonder if they'd be interested in my laser cutter attachment. http://robots-everywhere.com/re_wiki/index.php?n=Main.LCheapo http://robots-everywhere.com/re_wiki/index.php?n=Main.LCheap...
Ccecil 12y ago
Just another clone of a printer that cloned their ideas from reprap. Nothing to see here except the line where they state they have locked down your options in software...great idea...eliminate user controls...that should make it more user friendly. The only reason to eliminate those features is so that you are locked into using their consumables (or maybe to avoid some patent issue in the case of the variable infill). It is sad that these are the types of printers that get attention. Nothing special about the design, build area or pretty much anything but it has a Dremel logo so of course it will sell. Just another company trying to jump onto the already crowded 3d printing wave. I am sure there are more to come.
- Ccecil 12y ago
  Apparently my opinion is not a popular one :) That is fine. I have been a very active member of the reprap community for 3.5 years and have watched printers come at a rate of about 1-2 per week for the last 2 years...every one has new hype but they are all the same thing. Same linear motion, same lack of heated bed, same everything. Even the stated resolution tends to be the same...always based on theoretical stepper placement and rarely takes actual xy resolution due to nozzle size into account. I think it is great people want to bring printing to the masses but locking the user out of temperature, infill, and other settings is not a good way to do it. Sure you eliminate their choices thereby eliminating user error...but in my case I would only be able to print about 75% of the things I do without being able to control the variables currently available in the slicers/firmware. There are many times even mid print where I vary the temperature, extrusion steps/mm and accel. I guess it must be too much to ask that there be some actual innovation...instead of just offering the same printer that many others are selling with locked down controls (and I am assuming closed source firmware). Smoothieware is becoming more popular and that is ARM based and has been around for over 2 years. The fact this printer has an ARM based electronics platform is not as "new" as it may seem...but of course it is much better than the atmega stuff.
nickpinkston 12y ago
Seems like Dremel did the 3DPer first because it's all the hype, but with desktop CNCs like Shapeoko, OtherMill, NomadCNC, etc. coming out, and Dremel being ::the:: company of mini-router spindles, they'll probably come out with desktop CNC mill soon.
- tmuir 12y ago
  $2200 for the Othermill and $2500 for the Nomad for what amount to hobbyist machines seems way too high, especially for being unable to cut steel, and having such limited tool sizes. I'd also venture a guess that the speeds for cutting aluminum are pretty slow, and you're probably taking very thin passes. For $3900, you can get a proper mill with a retrofit kit, controller and software: Mill: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Drill-Mill-with-Stand/G0704 http://www.grizzly.com/products/Drill-Mill-with-Stand/G0704 Retrofit Kit: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mini-Mill-Retrofit-Kit-Compact-Series-Microstepper-for-G0704/T25436 http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mini-Mill-Retrofit-Kit-Compa... This will cut steel, accepts tools up to 7/8", has a 1HP spindle motor, a much larger work volume, higher feedrates, etc. I realize that there are plenty of applications that can be satisfied with wood and plastic, but making precise metal parts are really the killer app of CNC Mills.
deleted 12y ago
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benjamind 12y ago
Having played around with 3d printers for the last couple of years I have to say that they are an indispensable tool for makers/hackers/inventors/artist types. However for mass market as many here have said we are just not there yet. To get there we really need to have a few innovative large manufacturers start publishing replacement part CAD models for their products. Making that leap is obviously a big deal for a lot of manufacturers who make outstanding margin on their replacement parts, but that is the kind of thing we need in order for a printer to be useful to the truly mass market. Additionally, and I think we're seeing this already, we need a lot more 3d printable products to come to market. For example, I just recently finished printing a Clug bike rack for a friend (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/834664305/clug-cycle-storage-thats-like-a-hug-for-your-bike https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/834664305/clug-cycle-st...). This is a prime example of bringing 3d printing to the general public - they provide a high quality version you can buy, or a cheap 3d printable version which you can pay a lot less for just the 3d files. We worked out that with the model cost and the material cost you could print somewhere in the region of 30 replacements before it was more economical to buy the mass produced high quality version. Thus far the rack hasn't broke yet either!
- soperj 12y ago
  I just use a hook to do the same thing as a clug. It screws into the wall and you just hang your bike by the wheel.
  - benjamind 12y ago
    Totally fair point, the product itself is somewhat....over designed ;-)
proee 12y ago
I believe Dremel is just rebranding the "Flashforge Dreamer" which is a company out of china. http://www.flashforge-usa.com/shop/3d-printers/flashforge-dreamer-dual-extrusion-3d-printer.html/ http://www.flashforge-usa.com/shop/3d-printers/flashforge-dr... I purchase this model a few months ago and it's been alright - though the extruder seems to get jammed half way into my prints. It's interesting to see the base price is below the OEM.
- deleted 12y ago
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- Already__Taken 12y ago
  Is it? I thought the huge deal of all these slick printers is to do the razor blade business model. Nobody seems to want to make the printer with cheap highly compatible plastics and if they could limit the models you can print even better.
- DerekL 12y ago
  You don't say! From the article: The Idea Builder is based on the Flashforge Dreamer,…
- RickS 12y ago
  Presumably the OEM is actually a retail price, Dremel is paying 40-70% less, and then marking it back up to $999.
dominotw 12y ago
Have we moved beyond selling $4 trinkets on esty with these things?
vqc 12y ago
I was extremely high on buying a 3D printer, and then I read this post: http://chopmeister.blogspot.com/2014/08/sifting-through-features-or-guide-to.html?m=1 http://chopmeister.blogspot.com/2014/08/sifting-through-feat... I think I'm going to wait a while before buying.
- jfoutz 12y ago
  I bought a cupcake back when they were kits. It was fun to build. Soldering my own stepper drivers was kind of cool. They were a great step between nothing and full DIY. I feel like i could build one from scrounged parts now. It's not a good printer. belts slip, hard to keep the heat consistent or even know what a good heat is for a given model. i can futz around with it for a couple of hours and then get good prints for a while, but any downtime and i forget all the special little tweaks to get a good print. I probably have around a 1 to 2 ratio of successful prints to failures. Fundamentally, the thing that's holding back 3d is the design software. openscad is great for what it is, but it's not like amazing. Desktop publishing really take off till mom could print a banner on the old dot matrix. Something like Broderbund's Print shop pro. Heck, a clip on my dishwasher broke. it was way easier to just order the part. I still feel a little guilty about not printing up a replacement, but it would be dozens of hours for a $10 part. They are a fun toy, i'd recommend going reprap or something and just figuring out how to make one. Actually doing useful work with one (even a cheap commercial one) would require a lot of discipline and willingness to fiddle with things. If you just want one to design your own parts, hit up shapeways or one of the alternatives. send them your dxf get a thing. it's cool. Regardless, diy or outsource, I'll bet you a nickle the design software is what holds you back. Blender is awesome, but not easy. openSCAD is awesome but not easy. etc...
  - D_Alex 12y ago
    > it would be dozens of hours for a $10 part. Yes, but then you upload the design to Thingiverse or similar, and it becomes 30 minutes (plus printing time) for the rest of the world. And 30 mins may in itself be unjustifiable to save $10... but ordering the part online will probably take time too...
CamperBob2 12y ago
Seems like Dremel would be better positioned to offer a mass-market small CNC machine. They have no background or corporate strengths in the additive-manufacturing business.
- braum 12y ago
  but there were no CNC prototypes in the makerspace they could license and slap their name on and put in a box... 3D printers though... overpriced and will be on clearance rack in 5-6 months where we can get them for a few hundred which will be a great deal.
  - hugs 12y ago
    ShapeOko is a low-cost open source hardware CNC machine. The license (CC BY-SA) is quite liberal and business friendly. http://www.shapeoko.com/ http://www.shapeoko.com/ https://github.com/shapeoko/Shapeoko_2 https://github.com/shapeoko/Shapeoko_2
    - braum 12y ago
      I know and I just finished putting my Shapeoko together. It's not something you can package and resell like they did with the Dremel 3d printer. Even after I put all the parts together and verified the wiring, the configuration and setup on Shapeoko took hours. Not something most people who are new to all of this would probably be happy about. My build was helped by already having a few printrbot simples and a commercial CNC machine in my wood shop.
- allegory 12y ago
  That's already covered by Unimat for a long time: http://www.thecooltool.com/en/products/unimat-metalline/unimat-ml-6in1/ http://www.thecooltool.com/en/products/unimat-metalline/unim... There is a CNC pack which contains steppers, control systems and software: http://www.thecooltool.com/en/products/unimat-metalline/unimat-ml-upgrade-set-cnc/ http://www.thecooltool.com/en/products/unimat-metalline/unim... I own the non-CNC unit and it's a fine piece of engineering!
JustinFreid 12y ago
To think of all that Dremel's destroyed, now, it can create.
bane 12y ago
The key now for any Mass-Market printer manufacturer is to "go apple". Support a proprietary format so you can only print those out on their printer, and have a "store" full of stuff you can download and print off. Populate the store with unbelievably professionally modeled thingamabobs to kick it off. Let people put up their own models, and even set price points to download the model, but don't charge for each copy.
yitchelle 12y ago
One serious question. How many have bought a 3D printer, played with it for a bit, and then it stayed gathering dust in the corner of the room?
huuu 12y ago
I own a 3D printer. It's an Ultimaker (they are coming to the US [1]) and I'm using it for prototyping. Some things that you almost never read about consumer 3D printers: * 3D printing is hard. * You cannot print 'everything'. Overhang is always an issue. * Most prints take hours (as in 'a full day') to print. * You cannot print fast and have a good quality print. * There are a ton of factors that influence the print quality. * Every type / color of filament needs it's own settings based on trial and error. * Great 3D print examples are mostly print on +$50.000 printers. I think the Ultimaker and Makerbot are the only brands that deliver good reliable consumer printers. But I'm also keeping an eye on Formlabs. [1] https://www.ultimaker.com/blogs/news/2014/09/16/ultimaker-launches-in-north-america https://www.ultimaker.com/blogs/news/2014/09/16/ultimaker-la...
- jonhohle 12y ago
  I usually come into these threads to say the same thing. From 2000-2003 I did IT support for a lab with SLA, FDM, SLS, LOM, and Z-Corp machines (and wrote some supporting software for many of them). In addition to your list: * parts often need some type of post processing to be viable long term (it depends on the process, support removal, sanding/bead blasting, resin injection, curing, etc.) this can take many additional hours. * different machines have different tolerances That said, I'm surprised overhang is an issue. This is a solved problem. Machines like FDM use a non-binding support material; support is intrinsic to SLS, Z-Corp, and LOM processes; SLA is the worst since the support material is the same as the building material. To the best of my memory, in these big commercial machines support creation was done as part of the slicing process (or some other solid model preparation) in software before the part was sent to the machine. That said, this is the first home 3D printer that I've been excited about, and the price point is killer. Also, if they haven't licensed tech from 3D Systems, how long before they are sued.
  - huuu 12y ago
    Well I think overhang is still an issue for single extruder FDM printers (like the Dremel one). The slicer can generate supports but in my experience this will cause some of these issues: * Print times will double or triple. * Sometimes its really hard to remove the support material. * You will need a lot more material. * Support structures can break while printing because they are thin. * The slicer doesn't create the right support. So most of the time I end up designing support structures myself.
Corrado 12y ago
It would be cool if Home Depot had a 3D printer in their stores. That way you could upload your design and run by and pick it up 4 hours later.
- bronson 12y ago
  Kinko's also seems like an ideal place. They're 2-D printing your uploaded designs already.

146 points by zaaaaz 12y ago

Great to see backing from more established manufacturers for home 3D printing. However, am I the only person who thinks the first photo looks like they're microwaving a mouse?

brianmtully 12y ago
a frog
CapitalistCartr 12y ago
They're microwaving a frog. Who eats mice, anyway? Ewww. Now frogs, there's some good eatin'.

tothepixel 12y ago

The Dremel site is unfortunately lacking the pricing. They note that it's available for purchase on Amazon, but it isn't as far as I can tell. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Dremel%203D%20Idea%20Builder http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dap...

zaaaaz 12y ago
$999 according to the article.
- ntkachov 12y ago
  Thats actually pretty reasonable provided the print quality warrants the price tag. I would buy it for that price if it could print things with enough structural support for every day use.
  - thawkins 12y ago
    Its a flashforge dreamer with one extruder ripped out and the heatbed removed running autodesk 123 software. Dremel had very little to do with building it except deciding where the logos will go.

dmritard96 12y ago

1K, I think there are plenty of others out there with more intriguing designs. Whats interesting is the distribution channel though. The article mentions Home Depot...so does that mean it will be next to makerbot products?

vonmoltke 12y ago
In stores that actually have 3D printers, I suppose so.
zaaaaz 12y ago
From what I've read, the Home Depot/Makerbot program is only in 12 of their stores.

seanp2k2 12y ago

Neat, but I still don't feel that I need one now, or that I'll need one in the next few years. I guess I haven't really seen what useful things can be made with 3D printers...almost everything from them I've seen IRL is either a small statue or jewelry.

gr3yh47 12y ago
the most obvious application is replacing parts - replacement battery covers, game/toy parts, buttons, small pieces of car trim, really anything smallish and plastic that gets lost or broken could be replaced with a 3d printer. potential replacement for non plastic parts too depending on the application. also customizing parts. Custom dice for games, etc etc.
- smacktoward 12y ago
  Are any of those things really a problem in an age of cheap disposable crap, though? Battery cover gets lost? Replace the whole thing. Toy breaks? Replace the whole thing. Button comes off your jacket? Replace the whole thing. (I'm not saying this is an ideal world -- I personally would much rather live in a world where things are long-lived but cost more -- but it's the world we live in.)
  - kubiiii 12y ago
    3d printing is a way to extend a product's life. But I think it will prove useful for a repair guy/technician rather than for a hobbyist. Making small series of spares for a unsupported product is profitable vs used spares market. One example are vintage synthesizers. There is such demand for some spares that synths are being dismantled rather than repaired. Sometimes the upper C key (which is unique on a keyboard) can be sold for 50 bucks or more.
  - riskable 12y ago
    I've been keeping a list of all the things I could have 3D-printed if I had a 3D printer. Maybe some of these will pique your interest: * Mounts for my washing machine's broken shocks (shocks were fine but the plastic part that holds them to the frame broke). $80/piece for whole new shocks or I could have just printed new mounts (which really are a stupidly simple snap-on component) for less than a dollar. * The knob on one of our standing lamps broke and won't stay on anymore. I can order a new one for $1.50+$4.95 S/H or I could have just 3D-printed a really cool/custom one for $0.05. * Lost some of the pieces in your Monopoly game? Just print some new ones. Heck, any gaming figurines can be printed trivially and there's a plethora of free, already-made ones to choose from. * Missing Lego parts. * Vacuum cleaner parts... I always wanted one of those wide under-furniture attachments but can't justify the purchase. If I had a 3D printer I could just print one. * Seriously cool-looking/unique ceiling fan blades (you can print them even on a small 3D printer since you can join multiple parts together on the back of the blade where no one will see). * Seriously cool/useful wall plates and switches. Example: http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/10/28/wall-cleat/ http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/10/28/wall-cleat/ * Collar tags for my dogs. Actually, whole collars. * Children's toys. * Halloween masks. * Protractors and compasses of any size on-demand. * Centering gauges of any size on-demand. * Custom Tupperware-like containers/boxes. * Phone cases.

jameshart 12y ago

interesting that it's a 3d printer - would have thought a desktop CNC milling machine would be closer to their traditional high-RPM switchable-toolhead powertool business.

Crito 12y ago
If they offered a sub-$2k CNC machine, I would buy it in a heartbeat. Now that I think about it, I should probably see what I can actually find for sale...
- reportingsjr 12y ago
  Check out the shapeoko 2. It is about $700-$800 for the full thing. You do have to assemble it which takes a day or two. Inventables donated one to the hackerspace I belong to. I've used it a few times and it is pretty nice for what it is.
  - veemjeem 12y ago
    There are lots of good CNCs on amazon for $800 that don't require assembly at all. If you need to cut into steel, the ones on amazon will be much better than the shapeoko.
    - UnethicalHacks 12y ago
      which ones would you recommend? this appeals far more than 3D printing.

higherpurpose 12y ago

> Dremel Releases a Mass-Market 3D Printer > and a $999 price point No. A 3D printer that's over $500 won't be mass market. Even $500 is probably too high. Most people might buy one if it's only $300 (with good enough quality - which could happen years from now). My guess is it will be another decade before normal families consider a cheap 3D printer, and only then it's when 3D printers will be "mass-market".

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pessimizer 12y ago
According to the internet ( http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=595+1986+dollars http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=595+1986+dollars ), my mother paid $1289 for our ImageWriter II in 1986. Mass market doesn't have to mean 100 million. 1 million is plenty.
riskable 12y ago
Nonsense. All it takes is for the utility of the thing to match or best its price. For example, if the average, every day person is told that they could use a 3D printer to save thousands on car parts, vacuum cleaner parts, and similar it won't take long before everyone has one in their house (or is regularly pestering their neighbor to use theirs, haha). Even at $1000.
jeffchuber 12y ago
Gates: We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next 2 years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next 10.
frederickf 12y ago
And it's not just the cost. Printing things has to be as easy as printing text which can still be annoying. Maybe someday there will be a sequel to Office Space in which they destroy a 3d-printer with the futuristic equivalent of baseball bats.
- 12y ago

robbrown451 12y ago

I got my first Dremel tool in 1982 and have always had one since. I love those things more than I can express. This is awesome. It may not really have anything to do with their "moto-tool", but it just warms my heart to see their name on it.

kevin_thibedeau 12y ago
I replaced mine with a $20 Chinese knockoff when their crappy speed controller burned out. Good riddance. Don't know why they can't figure out how to design brushes that don't jam in the housing either.
- robbrown451 12y ago
  The newer models are unfortunately crappier. When I got my first one (when I was in high school) it was the only option, and high enough quality. The one I have now is about 15 years old and has gotten a ton of use and abuse.

coldcode 12y ago

What limitations on materials does this have? They mention a lack of heating but I don't know enough about 3d printers to know what that means it doesn't support.

IshKebab 12y ago
It means it doesn't support ABS.
- ja27 12y ago
  ABS is a sturdier plastic that's more resistant to heat, light, water, etc. The Dremel can only do PLA. The major difference when printing is that ABS shrinks when it cools so you need to keep the base of the print hot to keep it from popping off of the print bed. So ABS is a little more work but is a sturdier plastic.

gmu3 12y ago

I've played around with both, and the extruder printers are generally vastly inferior to the printers that use lasers.

reportingsjr 12y ago
Laser based 3d printers (largely Selective laser sintering and stereolithography) also tend to be far, far more expensive than FDM (extruder based) machines. There are some pretty good FDMs that are approaching the point where you can't see or feel the individual layers in the print.
- veemjeem 12y ago
  Can one even buy a consumer SLS printer? I was under the impression that the cheapest SLS printer is still around 50k.
  - reportingsjr 12y ago
    I have seen a little bit of work in the area of people using laser engravers (you can get one for about $2k out of china) as minimal SLS machines. Other than that I don't think there is any SLS printer in the hobbyist arena.
    - gmu3 12y ago
      This SLA printer is actually pretty good for ~$2k https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fsl/pegasus-touch-laser-sla-3d-printer-low-cost-high-q https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fsl/pegasus-touch-laser...

jglauche 12y ago

I'm under the impression that a LOT of companies are currently thinking that they miss their market right now if they don't bring out a 3d printer. Actually, the market is not that big and over-saturated with printers right now. The vendors (this goes especially to the big ones) are missing one critical point: They haven't made it easy enough for Joe User to create printable 3d designs. The "mass" will not buy a product like that if they don't understand why they need it for and also not if they don't have access to easy and powerful tools to make actually good use of it.

jeffchuber 12y ago
easy and functional designs. PLA toys are just a novelty.
Ccecil 12y ago
Over-saturated is an understatement..it is getting pretty bad. http://www.3ders.org/pricecompare/3dprinters/ http://www.3ders.org/pricecompare/3dprinters/ I am sure that is not nearly all of them :) The design is always an issue when printing too. Customers rarely design their models to be printed because they don't fully understand the process. If you design correctly you can get away with very little support material and still get very detailed models..if not then you end up with either a poorly printed object or significant detail loss on the surfaces from support material removal. Maybe some plugins for popular CAD programs might be helpful...at least some sort of "ray" plugin that would show where your trouble overhangs/support material generation will be located. At least for training purposes.
- razster 12y ago
  More often than not it is a print quality issue with a lot of them. At least what I've run into.
  - Ccecil 12y ago
    Operator knowledge is very important. I often tell people "It is like a table saw...not a toaster" "Just because you have one doesn't mean you will be able to use it right away" Also, typically the less you spend on a printer the more time you spend tuning or failing prints. You can make a $600 in parts printer do very well if you know what you are doing...but it is much easier if you spend more on parts. Things like linear rails and proper leadscrews go a very long way...as does a proper hotend.

spiritplumber 12y ago

I wonder if they'd be interested in my laser cutter attachment. http://robots-everywhere.com/re_wiki/index.php?n=Main.LCheapo http://robots-everywhere.com/re_wiki/index.php?n=Main.LCheap...

Ccecil 12y ago

Just another clone of a printer that cloned their ideas from reprap. Nothing to see here except the line where they state they have locked down your options in software...great idea...eliminate user controls...that should make it more user friendly. The only reason to eliminate those features is so that you are locked into using their consumables (or maybe to avoid some patent issue in the case of the variable infill). It is sad that these are the types of printers that get attention. Nothing special about the design, build area or pretty much anything but it has a Dremel logo so of course it will sell. Just another company trying to jump onto the already crowded 3d printing wave. I am sure there are more to come.

Ccecil 12y ago
Apparently my opinion is not a popular one :) That is fine. I have been a very active member of the reprap community for 3.5 years and have watched printers come at a rate of about 1-2 per week for the last 2 years...every one has new hype but they are all the same thing. Same linear motion, same lack of heated bed, same everything. Even the stated resolution tends to be the same...always based on theoretical stepper placement and rarely takes actual xy resolution due to nozzle size into account. I think it is great people want to bring printing to the masses but locking the user out of temperature, infill, and other settings is not a good way to do it. Sure you eliminate their choices thereby eliminating user error...but in my case I would only be able to print about 75% of the things I do without being able to control the variables currently available in the slicers/firmware. There are many times even mid print where I vary the temperature, extrusion steps/mm and accel. I guess it must be too much to ask that there be some actual innovation...instead of just offering the same printer that many others are selling with locked down controls (and I am assuming closed source firmware). Smoothieware is becoming more popular and that is ARM based and has been around for over 2 years. The fact this printer has an ARM based electronics platform is not as "new" as it may seem...but of course it is much better than the atmega stuff.

nickpinkston 12y ago

Seems like Dremel did the 3DPer first because it's all the hype, but with desktop CNCs like Shapeoko, OtherMill, NomadCNC, etc. coming out, and Dremel being ::the:: company of mini-router spindles, they'll probably come out with desktop CNC mill soon.

tmuir 12y ago
$2200 for the Othermill and $2500 for the Nomad for what amount to hobbyist machines seems way too high, especially for being unable to cut steel, and having such limited tool sizes. I'd also venture a guess that the speeds for cutting aluminum are pretty slow, and you're probably taking very thin passes. For $3900, you can get a proper mill with a retrofit kit, controller and software: Mill: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Drill-Mill-with-Stand/G0704 http://www.grizzly.com/products/Drill-Mill-with-Stand/G0704 Retrofit Kit: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mini-Mill-Retrofit-Kit-Compact-Series-Microstepper-for-G0704/T25436 http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mini-Mill-Retrofit-Kit-Compa... This will cut steel, accepts tools up to 7/8", has a 1HP spindle motor, a much larger work volume, higher feedrates, etc. I realize that there are plenty of applications that can be satisfied with wood and plastic, but making precise metal parts are really the killer app of CNC Mills.

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benjamind 12y ago

Having played around with 3d printers for the last couple of years I have to say that they are an indispensable tool for makers/hackers/inventors/artist types. However for mass market as many here have said we are just not there yet. To get there we really need to have a few innovative large manufacturers start publishing replacement part CAD models for their products. Making that leap is obviously a big deal for a lot of manufacturers who make outstanding margin on their replacement parts, but that is the kind of thing we need in order for a printer to be useful to the truly mass market. Additionally, and I think we're seeing this already, we need a lot more 3d printable products to come to market. For example, I just recently finished printing a Clug bike rack for a friend (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/834664305/clug-cycle-storage-thats-like-a-hug-for-your-bike https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/834664305/clug-cycle-st...). This is a prime example of bringing 3d printing to the general public - they provide a high quality version you can buy, or a cheap 3d printable version which you can pay a lot less for just the 3d files. We worked out that with the model cost and the material cost you could print somewhere in the region of 30 replacements before it was more economical to buy the mass produced high quality version. Thus far the rack hasn't broke yet either!

soperj 12y ago
I just use a hook to do the same thing as a clug. It screws into the wall and you just hang your bike by the wheel.
- benjamind 12y ago
  Totally fair point, the product itself is somewhat....over designed ;-)

proee 12y ago

I believe Dremel is just rebranding the "Flashforge Dreamer" which is a company out of china. http://www.flashforge-usa.com/shop/3d-printers/flashforge-dreamer-dual-extrusion-3d-printer.html/ http://www.flashforge-usa.com/shop/3d-printers/flashforge-dr... I purchase this model a few months ago and it's been alright - though the extruder seems to get jammed half way into my prints. It's interesting to see the base price is below the OEM.

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Already__Taken 12y ago
Is it? I thought the huge deal of all these slick printers is to do the razor blade business model. Nobody seems to want to make the printer with cheap highly compatible plastics and if they could limit the models you can print even better.
DerekL 12y ago
You don't say! From the article: The Idea Builder is based on the Flashforge Dreamer,…
RickS 12y ago
Presumably the OEM is actually a retail price, Dremel is paying 40-70% less, and then marking it back up to $999.

dominotw 12y ago

Have we moved beyond selling $4 trinkets on esty with these things?

vqc 12y ago

I was extremely high on buying a 3D printer, and then I read this post: http://chopmeister.blogspot.com/2014/08/sifting-through-features-or-guide-to.html?m=1 http://chopmeister.blogspot.com/2014/08/sifting-through-feat... I think I'm going to wait a while before buying.

jfoutz 12y ago
I bought a cupcake back when they were kits. It was fun to build. Soldering my own stepper drivers was kind of cool. They were a great step between nothing and full DIY. I feel like i could build one from scrounged parts now. It's not a good printer. belts slip, hard to keep the heat consistent or even know what a good heat is for a given model. i can futz around with it for a couple of hours and then get good prints for a while, but any downtime and i forget all the special little tweaks to get a good print. I probably have around a 1 to 2 ratio of successful prints to failures. Fundamentally, the thing that's holding back 3d is the design software. openscad is great for what it is, but it's not like amazing. Desktop publishing really take off till mom could print a banner on the old dot matrix. Something like Broderbund's Print shop pro. Heck, a clip on my dishwasher broke. it was way easier to just order the part. I still feel a little guilty about not printing up a replacement, but it would be dozens of hours for a $10 part. They are a fun toy, i'd recommend going reprap or something and just figuring out how to make one. Actually doing useful work with one (even a cheap commercial one) would require a lot of discipline and willingness to fiddle with things. If you just want one to design your own parts, hit up shapeways or one of the alternatives. send them your dxf get a thing. it's cool. Regardless, diy or outsource, I'll bet you a nickle the design software is what holds you back. Blender is awesome, but not easy. openSCAD is awesome but not easy. etc...
- D_Alex 12y ago
  > it would be dozens of hours for a $10 part. Yes, but then you upload the design to Thingiverse or similar, and it becomes 30 minutes (plus printing time) for the rest of the world. And 30 mins may in itself be unjustifiable to save $10... but ordering the part online will probably take time too...

CamperBob2 12y ago

Seems like Dremel would be better positioned to offer a mass-market small CNC machine. They have no background or corporate strengths in the additive-manufacturing business.

braum 12y ago
but there were no CNC prototypes in the makerspace they could license and slap their name on and put in a box... 3D printers though... overpriced and will be on clearance rack in 5-6 months where we can get them for a few hundred which will be a great deal.
- hugs 12y ago
  ShapeOko is a low-cost open source hardware CNC machine. The license (CC BY-SA) is quite liberal and business friendly. http://www.shapeoko.com/ http://www.shapeoko.com/ https://github.com/shapeoko/Shapeoko_2 https://github.com/shapeoko/Shapeoko_2
  - braum 12y ago
    I know and I just finished putting my Shapeoko together. It's not something you can package and resell like they did with the Dremel 3d printer. Even after I put all the parts together and verified the wiring, the configuration and setup on Shapeoko took hours. Not something most people who are new to all of this would probably be happy about. My build was helped by already having a few printrbot simples and a commercial CNC machine in my wood shop.
allegory 12y ago
That's already covered by Unimat for a long time: http://www.thecooltool.com/en/products/unimat-metalline/unimat-ml-6in1/ http://www.thecooltool.com/en/products/unimat-metalline/unim... There is a CNC pack which contains steppers, control systems and software: http://www.thecooltool.com/en/products/unimat-metalline/unimat-ml-upgrade-set-cnc/ http://www.thecooltool.com/en/products/unimat-metalline/unim... I own the non-CNC unit and it's a fine piece of engineering!

JustinFreid 12y ago

To think of all that Dremel's destroyed, now, it can create.

bane 12y ago

The key now for any Mass-Market printer manufacturer is to "go apple". Support a proprietary format so you can only print those out on their printer, and have a "store" full of stuff you can download and print off. Populate the store with unbelievably professionally modeled thingamabobs to kick it off. Let people put up their own models, and even set price points to download the model, but don't charge for each copy.

yitchelle 12y ago

One serious question. How many have bought a 3D printer, played with it for a bit, and then it stayed gathering dust in the corner of the room?

huuu 12y ago

I own a 3D printer. It's an Ultimaker (they are coming to the US [1]) and I'm using it for prototyping. Some things that you almost never read about consumer 3D printers: * 3D printing is hard. * You cannot print 'everything'. Overhang is always an issue. * Most prints take hours (as in 'a full day') to print. * You cannot print fast and have a good quality print. * There are a ton of factors that influence the print quality. * Every type / color of filament needs it's own settings based on trial and error. * Great 3D print examples are mostly print on +$50.000 printers. I think the Ultimaker and Makerbot are the only brands that deliver good reliable consumer printers. But I'm also keeping an eye on Formlabs. [1] https://www.ultimaker.com/blogs/news/2014/09/16/ultimaker-launches-in-north-america https://www.ultimaker.com/blogs/news/2014/09/16/ultimaker-la...

jonhohle 12y ago
I usually come into these threads to say the same thing. From 2000-2003 I did IT support for a lab with SLA, FDM, SLS, LOM, and Z-Corp machines (and wrote some supporting software for many of them). In addition to your list: * parts often need some type of post processing to be viable long term (it depends on the process, support removal, sanding/bead blasting, resin injection, curing, etc.) this can take many additional hours. * different machines have different tolerances That said, I'm surprised overhang is an issue. This is a solved problem. Machines like FDM use a non-binding support material; support is intrinsic to SLS, Z-Corp, and LOM processes; SLA is the worst since the support material is the same as the building material. To the best of my memory, in these big commercial machines support creation was done as part of the slicing process (or some other solid model preparation) in software before the part was sent to the machine. That said, this is the first home 3D printer that I've been excited about, and the price point is killer. Also, if they haven't licensed tech from 3D Systems, how long before they are sued.
- huuu 12y ago
  Well I think overhang is still an issue for single extruder FDM printers (like the Dremel one). The slicer can generate supports but in my experience this will cause some of these issues: * Print times will double or triple. * Sometimes its really hard to remove the support material. * You will need a lot more material. * Support structures can break while printing because they are thin. * The slicer doesn't create the right support. So most of the time I end up designing support structures myself.

Corrado 12y ago

It would be cool if Home Depot had a 3D printer in their stores. That way you could upload your design and run by and pick it up 4 hours later.

bronson 12y ago
Kinko's also seems like an ideal place. They're 2-D printing your uploaded designs already.