3D printer

No, but I have very interested in looking into it. ncng

One of my boys and I bought one that we keep in the workshop at his place since I just don't have room for it in my trainroom orworkshop.  They really need a workbench of their own.  Sice its there I haven't spent as much time as I want with it, but it is seriously cool and not hard to use as long as you are just downloading files to print.  

We have yet to make anything for the layout, still learning the ropes, so to speak.  They are hard to use if you are designing your own stuff because the software to do so is not really easy to use (at least not so far), but the devil is in the details.  So far all we can do is download files of stuff other people have designed and then re-size them to what we want.  I reduced some 1/32 army man figures to 1/48 but that is closely I have come.  I want to learn to use the software than can design shapes and such so we can design our own shapes to print.

Lee;

I do 3D design at work all the time. The software I use will export .STL files for the printer.

I just wish I had access to a 3D printer.

I'm eyeballing a kit for one, but I want a fairly large (8" cube) build area and that pushes the price up fast.

eBay pricing for a two-color  3D desktop printers double nozzle Replicator5

is $900 free shipping. Just like a more expensive Makerbot.

The size is 150 x 225 mm or 6" x 9" x 6" resolution is xy 0.1 mm z 0.1 mm

Saw an article in newspaper very recently that Staples was entering into a joint venture with one of the 3D printer manufacturers that would place printers in just a few stores.  The test locations are to be in NY and LA, I believe, and the printing would be done as a service for customers.  No info on cost yet, but at least we wouldn't all have to purchase an expensive printer to obtain that capability.

Chuck

Been playing some!   All o scale for an ON30 layout.  Russ

Russ....what software are you using??? If I can learn one...I may get a printer.....but gotta do it in the right order!

Dave:

Not sure if you are calling me or Chiloquin Russ 

I use Solidworks at Work and the license allows me a copy at home.

Since Work is slow to upgrade I'm still on XP there and limited in RAM but at home I'm running the 64 bit Version in 12 Gigs of Ram and it's sweet.

It's pricey but less than most comparable 3D Modeling software.

And the Demo Version of the 2015 Version Prints directly to a 3D printer from the software, no add ons or conversions needed.

I read the story in a design news magazine so you might be able to look the coverage up.

Now, I have tried AutoCad Inventor and this. Solidworks is FAR easier to use.

Solidworks has numerous tutorials built in.

Standard solid object:

Pick a plane, sketch on it, dimension it. Extrude it to chosen depth, (gives preview).

Can be solid or hollow.

Note that any sizing box has up or down arrowheads beside it, you can set the step value for any session and it will save with the object. You can click in the sizing box and type in a value including units. IE if making an Part sized in inches, you can drill a hole in millimeters or whatever.

Pick a face of the extrusion, Sketch, dimension, Extrude or cut to depth you choose (gives preview).

Repeat until you like what you got.

Each sketch /feature becomes a item in the feature tree on the left.

Rt click any of them to edit at any time. Be aware if you change size or shape drastically it can cause items below there on the tree to fail and give errors, it will ask if you want to repair them.

I generally tell it to proceed then go back and repair after I see the results.

You can also load a object and select Make Assembly in the Menu

This allows you to make conglomerate items from the parts as they are in real life.

Load the item, load a second item and mate it together, there are many type of mating. some even move such as hinges.

Add more items, mate them, Save the assembly.

Items can be colored, so can faces, ect.

Save as whatever you need, it saves in over 20 formats and imports most of them.

It will also do sheetmetal parts and give you a flat pattern.

It also has the ability to build welded forms like girder structures and will give you all the cuts and welds to make it. 

For complex starting shapes like a torus (donut):

Pick a Plane, Sketch a path (circle), dimension Dia of circle. I recommend you make the circle with the origin in the center.  Save Sketch

Open new sketch on different plane (choices; Front, Right , top)

Draw a circle intersecting the first one. Dimension it. Save sketch.

Select Extrude, pick the 2 sketches for path and shape, select degrees to extrude (default 360) , select the green check and it's done

Added note, Even the current version will save as an .stl file so you can drop it right to the printer's slicer program.

Also, Take a CAD class at the local University and you can get a steal of a deal on the Solidworks software. Limitation: Not upgradable - Ever.

Impact for a hobby ? not so much.

Russell - I have lots of cad background but all of it is way over kill for 3d printing and most of the cad software created crappy stl files that needed lots of work to clean up.  STL is the format that MOST 3d printers use as input for printing.  I found a $49 piece of software that is fun, fast, and always prints.  I have printing issues but most are self created poor designs on my end not on the software end. Situations of overhangs and printing in 'space' are but a few.    The software is Cubify Invent.  It has a free 14 day trial.  I downloaded the trial, tried one tutorial and then went back and paid for it.  I already have some very high end 3d stuff for my cnc machines but I love Invent for 3d printing.  Russ (only Russell when my wife is mad at me!)

Check this link out.....this guy made a Big-Boy with 3D printing;

http://www.3ders.org/articles/...d-in-1000-hours.html