3D Printers/Printing

[wagnmkr]

I'm wondering if there is enough interest to have a 3D thread? Any comments welcome.

Tom

[sshire]

Absolutely. I'm in.

[crueby]

Sounds like enough people interested in these threads to make a category/subforum for it.

[b.lindsey]

The idea has been suggested and as far as I know is being considered by the admins. What  form it may take is yet to be determined, but I suspect a sub-fora

Bill

[Tin Falcon]

You know I I would support and contribute to a 3D printer sub forum.
Tin

[Pete49]

wat he said +1 
Pete

[cfellows]

Count me in.

[Steam Haulage]

 
and me too!

[Ian S C]

I'm watching too

[GordonL]

I would certainly welcome a place to ask questions. I just bought a Monoprice 3D printer and I am having the usual beginner questions.

[zeeprogrammer]

As interested as I am, I can't help but voice a small concern. (And I suspect the admins are pondering this too.)

Knowing the friendliness, helpfulness, mentoring, and fun of the membership here, a sub-forum on 3D printing will be exceptional.
This may (read 'will') attract people from the 3D printing hordes..many, if not nearly all..have little or no interest in engines.
Consider what that means.

Also, while we have many different milling machines and lathes, I would argue they are more similar to each other than one finds in 3D printers.
I suspect there's room for argument there.

However, I do believe there may be a big difference in the kinds of questions we deal with in our machines and engines versus 3D printing.
And much of 3D printing will be found to be around getting the machine to work and getting good prints.
The huge variety of printers available makes many of the questions fairly specific.
And not just the printer. As was mentioned in another thread, changing filaments, even from the same manufacturer, raises problems and questions.
I don't doubt an analogy between 3D printing and machining can be made, but I still think there are a number of huge differences.

Once a 3D printer is stable, people don't generally mess with, modify, or improve them. They're off looking for something to print. Or how to make an STL file for printing.
CAD isn't the only way so we'll also get loads of interest in other interesting tools.

I am not against a sub-forum on 3D printing. I think a 3D printer can be a valuable tool even in our machining.
But I wonder how the forum can be controlled to minimize the chance of destroying our main interest here.
If a solution is needed...I haven't one.

I'll be a supporter if it's done.

Just my musings. Perhaps not as valuable as someone else's two-cents.
 

[b.lindsey]

I think you raise some good questions Zee and ones that should be/are being considered. As a support for our hobby be it fixturing, casting cores, even some lower stress engine parts or entire engine models, I think those would be well received and totally appropriate here on MEM. If the sub fora were to become just a help desk for the kinds of specific 3D printer questions you pose, then I think there are probably other and better forums for that purpose. Just my two cents, but your post does indeed point out the dilemma.

Bill

[wagnmkr]

Excellent thoughts Zee ... I agree that it could become a problem. My only thought is that normally, I don't think that non model engineering folk would think to look here. In reading posts on straight 3d printing forums, I see there are a few folk that machine their own parts, so they might show up from time to time.

Hard to say I guess.

This thought, and $4:50 will get you a cup of coffee ... somewhere.

Tom

[zeeprogrammer]

I've been thinking some more on it. Mainly because, as I said, 3D printing can be a valuable tool for us, with a number of members interested in it, and it would be a shame to suppress such interest.

We've seen some people enter the forum for the purposes of selling, or obtaining services, etc.
And the admins pretty quickly inform them of the purpose of the forum - namely - engine making, which usually puts an end to things there.

I expect the same thing will continue and that will likely make the difference.
Be an engine maker (sorry...ModelEngineMaker)...and then add to the other fun. 

I also appreciate the fact that we're not too constrictive here. The forum welcomes members to post about their other interests and hobbies. (Not to forget recipes  )

So I'm thinking I could be the boy who cried wolf.

My apologies if I rubbed anyone the wrong way but I believe it worthwhile to think about.

[Tin Falcon]

IMHO MEM is and will be about Building model engines.
A 3d printer is a CNC tool not unlike a Lathe or a mill . well unlike a lathe or mill in that it is additive manufacturing. As the price of printers drop and more Home Shop Machinists /Model engineers venture into 3d Printing I believe MEM should be there to help and support the use of this new technology. The members here should not be forced to go elsewhere for answers do to lack of information or support.
As more people get into 3d printing the general public (non machinists model engineers) may or may not end up here looking for newbie advice. But is there a difference  helping people learn to use a 3d printer vs using a cnc lathe?  Start a 3d printing sub fora and see what happens.  I do not think it will be detrimental to MEM. Will it draw spammers  possibly but this is the interweb spam happens and we deal with it.
Tin