Hour 40 of a 2-Day Print...
*Claws, wings, toes & tail crossed for luck*
mnem
*Off my runner*
Looking good but it also looks as if 3D printing and printers still have some ground to make up before they really become both viable and reliable enough to warrant investment in one.
I disagree. I believe that with the advent of $300-400 ARF units like the Tornado and CR10, we've finally broken the usability barrier and no are no longer looking at an "investment"; I've spent more than $400 on a night out. FDM is ready for Prime Time, given the caveats I outline below. Bottom line is there is no
affordable 3DP tech that will yield product which is BOTH commercial-finish quality AND functional as a stressed part in any way.
It depends on what you're wanting.
If you're wanting commercial-finish product ready to use right off the printer, there is no such thing that isn't an utter PITA to use and not fit to use (good to put on a shelf and admire its crystal-like finish, but nothing useful) for functional product. I'm looking at you, SLA.
If you want to make stuff of functional quality and you can live with the finish inherent in FDM 3DP, then my personal experience with the Tornado is proof that it's a mature, consumer-ready product. Admittedly, there are two ends of the spectrum... small build volume and expensive but Facebook crowd easy-to-use (Makerbot, FormLabs, XYZ) right out of the box vs reasonably large build volume and reasonably-priced but a medium-steep learning curve (CReality, FolgerTech, Tevo) and hardware that's truly "minimal assembly required" like the road I've taken with the Tornado.
I certainly cannot recommend that ANYONE go the full-kit build route as a first printer like I did with the Tarantula, unless you have a large club right at hand to help you get it working right.
You'll be mad enough to eat bees a couple hours after you open the box, no bullshit.
mnem
Those that CAN do such product are decades away from being affordable, if EVER. We're generations away from having a
FabberChow or
Replicator in ANY home, and that won't change until we as a species grow up and stop squabbling over little bits of paper and lines in the sand. There's just too much profit in keeping such tech and the personal freedom it represents OUT of the hands of the people.
But it will NEVER happen if we who CAN make it happen don't show that there's a demand by getting into the tech and driving it forward.
mnem
Cassandra got nuthin' on me.