New 3D ABS printer on the cheap

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Wrenow

Senior Member
For those who missed this on Dvice, Gizmodo or Make, I came across this this AM: http://www.makerbot.com/

It is a 3D printer that works in ABS plastic, to build 3D objects about the size of a cupcake or smaller. I am betting there would be tons of uses for cases, knobs, etc. in Picaxe projects. At US$750 for the kit ($2500 fully assembled), it is not cheap, but is still the lowest price I have seen for a "replicator" that builds the objects in a useful material.

They are working on a 3D scanner to go with it. I lust heavily......

Cheers,

Wreno
 
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Dippy

Moderator
If you are "lusting heavily" about an inanimate object that will spend most of its time in the cupboard then maybe it's time to get another hobby :)

I've just ordered one.
 
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Mycroft2152

Senior Member
Dippy said:
I've just ordered one.
Click to expand...
Dippy,

Incredible machine for the price! Bret Pettis does some fine work.

It's called the Cupcake CNC because it can create an object the size of a cupcake ~10 x 10 x10 cm

But check the Makerbot Cupcake CNC blog. There are still some quirks with version 1.

For anyone with a "normal" CNC, the plastic extruder head is available separately.

Hmm, would I rather have a Laser Cutter or a 3D printer? Tough question.

Myc
 
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hax

New Member
I'd love to have access to one of these printers.

In my opinion, every school should have one at that price.

There are many commercial companies offering their services for rapid prototyping but the cost per "cupcake size" piece is still around $150.

I recently got a quote from redeye http://au.redeyeondemand.com/Default.aspx for a small 100mm by 50mm by 30mm case. It cost $98 including shipping.

So many projects would look fantastic with a custom enclosure.
 
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Dippy

Moderator
Every school should have one?!!

Thanks for spending our Taxes with such alacrity Haxby ;)
Yet another 'toy' that gets used once a month - except by a few ghastly teachers making cup-cake sized boxes for their projects and by Haxby who sneaks into schools to use their equipment.

Yes, I want one too.
I also want a proper excellon drill/profiler for PCBs, a resist and ident screen-printer, and someone to do it - all for nothing.

Fantasies are great aren't they. Dana Scullery was never on my fantasy list.
 
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Dippy

Moderator
Your sig is very good boriz.
I'm not sure which side Dark Energy and String Theory sits on though.

Even after seeing it 100 times its still very good boriz...

I thought the X-Files was real?
 
B

boriz

Senior Member
Idea:

Would it be possible to ‘cut’ a PCB just using a laser? I mean remove the unwanted copper, leaving the tracks, like a CNC type approach?

If that’s too hard, what about vector scanning the photo resist?

Or drawing the circuit onto etch resist? (Paint the board black, burn the paint off where the tracks go).

It would be relatively easy to scan a laser beam, using quality servo’s perhaps. You can get quite strong lasers from defunct DVD writers. And it can scan the same place over and over, all night even.

This must have been done somewhere?
 
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Mycroft2152

Senior Member
Boriz,

You need a very high power laser to vaporize the copper. And you have to very carefully control it to prevent the laser from cutting through the "softer" fiberglass base.

The best result that I have seen is to first coat the copper with black paint and then laser a resist pattern on it, then etch normally.
 
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Mycroft2152

Senior Member
Rickharris said:
Ebay 40 watt laser cutter China approx £4500 a bargan New + extra Laser tube
Click to expand...
Rick,

The US made Epilog Lasers are the top of the line, a desktop isa bout $7000 US

There are some 40 watt chinese knock offs starting to enter the US market for under $1500.

Rabbit laser is one.
 
B

boriz

Senior Member
"The best result that I have seen is to first coat the copper with black paint and then laser a resist pattern on it, then etch normally."

Cool. Where did you see this? Link?
 
A

alband

Senior Member
Sorry this is a tad off topic

boriz said:
Idea:

Would it be possible to ‘cut’ a PCB just using a laser? I mean remove the unwanted copper, leaving the tracks, like a CNC type approach?

If that’s too hard, what about vector scanning the photo resist?

Or drawing the circuit onto etch resist? (Paint the board black, burn the paint off where the tracks go).

It would be relatively easy to scan a laser beam, using quality servo’s perhaps. You can get quite strong lasers from defunct DVD writers. And it can scan the same place over and over, all night even.

This must have been done somewhere?
Click to expand...
Another idea: lasers can be pretty damn accurate, and I'm sure it is possible to get UV ones... you see where this is going?

Instead of printing onto an Artwork then photographing through it with UV lights, print directly onto the board with a UV laser, then you're ready to develop and etch!
 
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Rickharris

Senior Member
Mycroft2152 said:
Rick,

The US made Epilog Lasers are the top of the line, a desktop isa bout $7000 US

There are some 40 watt chinese knock offs starting to enter the US market for under $1500.

Rabbit laser is one.
Click to expand...
We have a 35 watt Epilog laser in the dept at school Works well - Won't cut metal but as said can engrave a paint layer and then etch, although just as fast to print an acetate and use the light box.


HOWEVER the 35 watt we hace with the filter system and compressor cost £14,000 !!! 610 x 457 bed.
 
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Rickharris

Senior Member
boriz said:
"The best result that I have seen is to first coat the copper with black paint and then laser a resist pattern on it, then etch normally."

Cool. Where did you see this? Link?
Click to expand...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-80W-CO2-Laser-Engraver-Router-Cutter-1290SP-CE_W0QQitemZ350206136439QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item5189e99077&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A1|72%3A1688|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/The-Best-Professional-40W-Laser-Cutter-Engraver-3040_W0QQitemZ270403658092QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item3ef550616c&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A1|72%3A1688|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50
 
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D n T

Senior Member
CNC for you and me

HEY Hax and others
I'm getting a Roland MDX 540 CNC mill (for my engineering/mechatronics program at school), Also getting an autoCAD translation program and a PCB cutting program to go with it, among others.
I won't get it for a year or so, I'll let you know (government red tape), but when I get it I'd like to make it available to persons on this forum who don't live too far away for single prototype baords or parts. Along the lines of email a design and I'll cut it, you will have to pay for the board though, haven't figured that out yet. But the kids would like to watch it working, its very cool.
PS too far away could mean 50 kms east of Wellington NZ
 
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papaof2

Senior Member
Let's see: 50 KM is 50 Kilo Miles isn't it? That covers the entire planet - twice ;-)

Very generous offer for those who actually are close enough to you.

John
 
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D n T

Senior Member
political

If the australian taxpayer realised the amount of bs teachers put up with from students, parents, politicans and those further up the chain then perhaps they would not mind. By the way all those holidays we get... we spend them writing teaching programs and marking as well trying to get the four weeks a year to go on holidays that evey one else gets and drinking to calm down.
If the governemt sent the kids to school for all but 4 weeks a year, we would work, but they would have to raise our pay a lot, but imagine the out cry from the goodie goodies.
Now that I have bitten at that, sorry.

Allowing others acess to use the machine proves its value in industry and make the school look good, at tleast thatas what I tell the boss man.

PS thats 50 Kilometres (50 000 metres, 5 000 000 centimetres, 50 000 000 millimetres, 3 106.86 miles, 5468073.6 yards 196850649.6 inches )
east of Wellington NZ, but hey If I can help the rest of the planet, I'll give it a go, but I've only got one machine
 
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Dippy

Moderator
Teacher-baiting is my latest hobby ;)
I'm so glad teachers aren't called 'Masters' now.

I think (most) teachers do a great job. I wouldn't have the patience.

If you get bored with it then simply ship it to me.
 
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Dippy

Moderator
Black belt 10th Dan in anti-Karate.

Though I bow to the expertise of some here who are far better than I at DIY.
I always make a right fist of it.
 
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Rickharris

Senior Member
re DnT teaching in Auz sound pretty much as it is here then!!!

Hey, who cares, I only have 5 weeks to retirement :) then its one long holiday!
 
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papaof2

Senior Member
Mycroft2152 said:
Been there.

The holiday lasts about 6 months, then you start looking for things to do.

Myc
Click to expand...
Couldn't agree more.

I took early retirement in 1998; then started back to university when the next semester started (less than a month). I was a full-time student for one semester, then was called back to company I retired from as a contractor. Continued part-time at uni for the 16 months the contract work lasted. Did some hardware depot work while back full-time at uni (recovering/saving data and reloading/shipping laptops and shipping printers for a very mobile consulting company). Completed the information systems degree (SCL) in 2 1/2 years. Then did some contract work for the US military and some PDA software development for a local start-up. Did hard drive recovery for various people. Started selling/installing rainwater collection systems when the programming work went away. After a death in the family, I spent time getting a house ready for sale (electrical and drywall repairs, painting, etc). Took 9 months off to recover from spinal fusion surgery. Now mostly involved with "Honey do" for the wife and "Daddy can you?" for the adult daughters - and spending as much time as possible with the grandkids ;-)

Retirement? What's that? ;-)

John
 
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Mycroft2152

Senior Member
P of 2,

That sounds so familiar!

Just no grandkids yet. My eldest graduated a few years and is settling in nicely as a pharmacist, my youngest just graduated from college. Now she's going for a masters in teaching. (See Stan, I don't hate teachers)

Yes, there are a lot of Honey-do, and Daddy-please projects, but sometimes I get to stick in a My-time project.

Myc
 
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Rickharris

Senior Member
Mycroft2152 said:
Been there.

The holiday lasts about 6 months, then you start looking for things to do.

Myc
Click to expand...

Got plenty to do and SWMBO will always fill in the gaps. I see retirement as a chance to be able to afford to do the things I want to do - maybe some of them will even make a bit of money but not essential.

3 grand children so lots to go at.
 
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Wrenow

Senior Member
E-machineshop is pretty nifty, but $$$$ for a one-off. A dozen or so one-ffs and you would have been able to purchase a small CNC mill of your own. Also, as of the last iteration, drilling at angles (something you do for the feed ramps in R/C Model Wasrhip Combat gun turrets) is not an option. Aboslutely love their design and visualization software (3D), though. Buth that some of the major 3D cad software manufacturers could make theirs so intuitive.

Another interesting source is http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/
also with free design software, but for front panels only. I have boutght from them, and great service. If you are looking for a panel for your project.......

Cheers,

Wreno
 
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