Who uses a 3D printer?

[BigBlue1]

Curious who here uses a 3D printer and what you use it for? Every time I see someone reference somewhere that they built this custom part or prototype I always think how cool that would be. But I started looking into the printers and now I really don't know that I would actually find a use for one. Maybe I just don't do enough creative stuff! So tell me what you use yours for and why it has been good for you.

Rob

 

[ArXane]

Ive installed a few and helped with settings. Seems like most use things already designed. Check out thingverse for ideas

 

[polemidis]

I also have installed a few, and have helped design the D3D printer of Open Source Ecology.

For me it is mostly prototyping. The thingiverse will give you an idea of various uses. It will be super popular as soon as multiple extruders with different colors can be used at once. But still it is amazing!

 

[dstig1]

I use one all the time at work. Mainly prototyping, but a lot of test fixtures too. I can't see a ton of uses for the home hobbyist beyond the curiosity of it, but once in a great while there is something you need that can be made easily on a 3D printer, but some other way only with great difficulty. I made an adapter for a shop vac hose to my hand held belt sander that way. Rectangular to round adapter. Would have been a real bear any other way. We have 3 of the FDM type ones (the most common style) in our lab and a group in another part of the building has all kinds of them in every different technology that we use when we need some material or resolution that we can't do with ours.

 

[MechE1]

Designed, built a lab and installed a production FDM model. Using it to manufacture tooling for first-run products and one-offs. Spectacular tool.

 

[cabinhollow]

I have a ProJet 3500 HDMAX. Cost me over $80,000. I will load it on your truck for $40,000.
Have the shipping box that it came in, plus supplies.
I have not had time to use it in over 1 1/2 years.

 

[ktm250rider]

We have 2 in our building. 1 plastic 1 metal. The plastic printer runs all the time for protypes and mock ups, multie materials from clear to "high" temp. The metal printer is set up for aluminum which is much more difficult to run.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I have a ProJet 3500 HDMAX. Cost me over $80,000. I will load it on your truck for $40,000.
Have the shipping box that it came in, plus supplies.
I have not had time to use it in over 1 1/2 years.

I had no idea they cost in that price range. The BIG question, I and most likely everyone else would like to know is -
WHY? Whey did you buy it, for what use. And why aren't you using it.

 

[dfkrug]

I had no idea they cost in that price range. The BIG question, I and most likely everyone else would like to know is -
WHY? Whey did you buy it, for what use. And why aren't you using it.

Well, you don't HAVE to pay that much. Fry's has one for under $500.

There are now 3D printers that can even make food, if you can believe that.

I volunteer in a "Maker Space" at a local middle school, where they have 2
3D printers. Not cheap ones, either. Also an Epilog Helix 75W laser cutter.
Figuring out how to use these tools, and incorporating them in some
meaningful curriculum is a lot of work.

These tools have great "gee-wiz factors", but practical uses? Harder to
define, as you can see.

 

[cabinhollow]

I had no idea they cost in that price range. The BIG question, I and most likely everyone else would like to know is -
WHY? Whey did you buy it, for what use. And why aren't you using it.

When you get out of the toy range, $80,000 is almost on the low side.
At the time, I was working in my metal shop app 20 hours a week and had ( still have ) the cash flow to pay for it. The salesman sold me the wrong one. And in the end ( after 1 1/2 years ) I got this one. In the mean time, my metal shop work went up 3-400%. Last year one order was for 4 TTL's of the same item.
The one I have is a multie materials from clear to "high" temp plastic printer.