3d printer stls from GT

[ArtF]

Hi Dan:

Finest layer it does is 200 microns. Id have ot say Im petty happy with it, but thats likley because most
FDM printer samples Ive seen looked pretty coarse and I wasnt expecting too much, so to have it put out this high a resolution was a pleasant surprise. I got the mini sized version of the Up!. Its at http://www.pp3dp.com as a link. They have a US and a Canadian distributer..its about a 3 week wait while they build it. It retails for 999.00

 They dont allow you to set temp because their filiment is set higher so if you use anyone elses ABS, it bets a bit burn smelling so I hear, BUT people have solved that already with an easy mod so it will take any 1.75mm filament. While Id chide them for not allowing the user to select temp in the software, Id congratulate them on allowing people in their forum to post mods to bypass that problem. I imagine it because their ABS is more expensive than most competitors. (Though I see Thinguniverse has a extruder for the home that someone designed that makes filiment at about 5 cents an oz..)

 So far, so good. Im happy enough with the printed results Im doing a push on GT to get to an alpha
release as soon as possible so that any STL concerns with GM will be moot. Once users have the stl capability in hand, then features will be slowly added to the new platform to make it increasingly usefull
to everyone, cnc, printer and laser users alike.

Art

[ArtF]

John:

  Yes, I think most printers have a pause button as does this one so you can temporarily stop it. Youd have to make sure you dont disturn the model while inserting, but as long as the inserted object is level or lower than the last print level all shoudl be fine for doing that. (That solid ABS gear, now that Ive had time to play seems strong enough to drive quite a bit.. much as if its a moulded plastic gear. ).

Art

(Im almost ready to release an alpha, Im just firming up a few options on the GUI, this release will be primarily to give the STL output option, and to see how most peoples systems respond to the new GUI.
Ive never liked the internals of GM's GUI, so Im spending alot of time making this one better and more configurable.).

[Google Feedfetcher]

Art,
What do you think about the UP! Plus ?

The Mini is $999 plus shipping and the Plus is $1499 plus the same shipping but larger area. If I'm going to get raped for import duty and taxes I only want it to be once.

"Be gentle with me"  is a term Customs and Excise have not heard of.

[ArtF]

John:

  The Up! Plus almost got my vote. It was only the enclosure that made me take the mini, because size wasnt that important to me. It DOES look to be a very nice unit. Thre are a few more coming on the
market that look professional as well, ( which was one of my aims.), but none of them seem to be delivering yet. Pricing seems fine too on the Plus. ( You have to be tolerant of the fact all these printers cost 8 times more than their really worth in terms of what they are. ).

  I do see where the temperature mod will be required on the Up! line, their abs is about 70$ a roll, about twice the going rate, so the temp will have to be lowered to the normal ABS rolls. ( All it takes is a resistor addition though..)..

Art


Art

[ArtF]

Couple more photo's.. This is the guy you see on your screen in GT..
Again, Hollow with no support inside, 2 supports held it up while printing..
About 2.5 hours to print this one in the finest resolution..

Art

[Mooselake]

Now Im psyced for further 3d porinter software, this stuff is very cool...

Now that you're hooked it'll take over your life    Next you'll want to port Mach onto one of those little controller boards (look at the ARM based controllers, like the SmoothieBoard).

Welcome to the 3D printer community!

Kirk

[ArtF]

God help me if I get into motion control again..... but then you never know,
one thing leads to another ..


Art

[Google Feedfetcher]

Yes but you have already done the motion control bit.

Mach3 0.042 is far better than that vapour ware promised.  :-*

Question is , do I need to get Gert's chequebook out whilst she's not looking or wait a bit ?

[ArtF]

John:



Might want to leave her checkbook alone for a few more months. Most of the good looking startups
are supposed to start delivering this summer. The increasing quality of the prints is due , IMO, to the
evolving software methods and the evolving extruders. Those are really the most inexpensive components too. So at the moment, its a premium on the lack of competition for a good looking machine.

  Just my opinion, but I think you can target about $600.00 or so by fall for a machine that will match the 1500.00 ones today. The X,Y,Z componenets are all light duty, nothing heavy is required, and its all
basically identical to CNC, just an extruder instead of a spindle.
  When I look to the technology, what Im seeing is much better software, like easily removed
  support structures as a result of more logic in the way their applied. The extruders are REAL
  simple devices as well. All in all, I think 3d printing is almost ready for prime time, a few more
  months will likely see the competitors smooth things out in terms of whats available.

  I plan to build an extruder now for my robotic arm and see about controlling it myself..

 
  just my opinion of course..

[JimG]

Art,
What do you think about the UP! Plus ?

The Mini is $999 plus shipping and the Plus is $1499 plus the same shipping but larger area. If I'm going to get raped for import duty and taxes I only want it to be once.

"Be gentle with me"  is a term Customs and Excise have not heard of.

John,

There's a UK importer who hasn't used the $ = ? calculation 

http://www.coolcomponents.co.uk/catalog ... 89_99.html

Jim.