Anyone else use a 3d printer?

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chrisw
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Anyone else use a 3d printer?

Post by chrisw »

Just wondering if there's any other 3d printer users on the forum. I have one and occasionally churn out bits and pieces for my projects (mostly electronic enclosures and small stuff) but of course using it to print small to medium size parts for my kayak has come to mind.

I've had a poke around on Thingiverse and was a little surprised there's not very much there for hobies at least, e.g. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1956216, https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2056743, http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1859787 and http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2128402 but I didn't find much more.

In particular there seem to be no H-Bar mounts, which is surprising (hopefully it's not due to a patent or something) as being able to print your own mounts would be way cheaper than buying them. While it is fair to say a printed mount won't be quite as strong as a injection-moulded one (I likely wouldn't use a printed one to hold a $500 gopro unless it's also tethered) there's still plenty of applications printed H-Bar mounts could be useful for.

So if any of you do use one and have designed any useful parts that you don't mind sharing an STL for please hit me up :). Ditto if you have an idea for a useful part.

If I end up making anything generally useful I'll probably put it on thingiverse (and may post it here as well if there's anyone who could use it). One thing I'm thinking of in particular is a jig for attaching the PA14's in-hatch tackle box holder frame to the H-Rail instead.
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vicyak
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Re: Anyone else use a 3d printer?

Post by vicyak »

I have a small office with about 30 staff. We have an old 3D printer which we use occasionally. You say it is cheaper however if you count the time it takes to design the part suitable for the printer you are just better of buying it.
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chrisw
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Re: Anyone else use a 3d printer?

Post by chrisw »

vicyak wrote:I have a small office with about 30 staff. We have an old 3D printer which we use occasionally. You say it is cheaper however if you count the time it takes to design the part suitable for the printer you are just better of buying it.
Generally speaking yes, which is why I was disappointed there wasn't much on thingiverse. It's not worth my time to design a H-Rail mount, so I'll just be buying them.

However for stuff you can't buy (custom parts) it's worthwhile if you think the part will save you at least as much time/hassle as it takes to design and print.

I occasionally design and prototype electronic gear; if I can find a pre-existing case that suits and it's available locally I'll aways go and buy it but if I need something that fits the PCB exactly or needs to have a particular profile I have little choice but to design and print it. For me 3d printing is less about cost and more about getting something that does exactly what I want - in fact it's fair to say I've spent far more on the printer and associated gear than I've saved or likely ever will save by not buying things.
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