3D Printer

sillygoose

patman99 wrote: »

The Velleman one in your link is the same one Maplin do.
As for AliExpress, I have used suppliers from there many times and each time, the stuff supplied has been fake or non-working so requiring raising a refund request.

For expensive stuff like this, I'd rather deal with UK-based suppliers as it is much less hassle.

I also used to work in quality control for a major medical diagnostics kit maker and 90% of the parts we got from China were always outside the required specs. Their entire ethos appears to be 'who cares about quality, just concentrate on price.'

Sorry but I strongly disagree. The stuff in the UK or the magazine will be made in China just the same. As to Aliexpress, well its not my experience, I import substantial amounts of electronics and not had any major problems. Actually I am just taking a break to print some labels for a bespoke EV vehicle charge metering system using a module that arrived from Aliexpress this week, superb item for a ridiculous amount. I may market it.

I have also worked in quality control in the defence industry (amongst many other things in 35 years of electronics engineering) so I am no sucker for poor quality. I have not seen anything worse than hardware produced by Roche, Abbott or Siemens of which I am very intimate with.

jaydeeuk1

The da Vinci one for under £500 looks OK and has a decent print bed size. Otherwise quite fancy a £99 3d doodle pen and hack something together with a lego arm.

Babbawah

I'm probably the only person in the UK who has the real world need for a 3d printer that doesn't cost the equivalent of a third world countries debt.

I need prototypes that I can feel & touch & see & offer up to the God of good design.

Thank you for some very amusing posts, you're not just ignorant of the current capabilities of 3d printing . . . you're absolutely stupid to boot.

Dr._Shoe

There is a very, very cost effective way to give 3D printing (and laser cutting, micro-elcetronics and just about anything geeky) a go. Join your local "hackspace group"!

Most are democratically run and some are free to join and you just pay to use the resources. Ours (Reading) charge a monthly sub and also charge a very nominal sum to use the laser cutters and 3D printing but if you use the space less then you can negotiate a reduction and if you use it more than everyone else they may ask you to pay a little more.

If you then find that you are using a certain resource all the time then you can then go and buy one for yourself.

The good thing is in an established group is that there will always be someone you can go to for free advice and help.

www.hackspace.org.uk

If you're more into 3D printing and not interested in any of the other stuff there are groups around the country that meet and swap ideas and tips. Some even run schemes where they give you the plastic bits to build your own but you have to buy all the other bits and pieces. Guess what the first print is? It's the parts they gave you in the first place! The good thing is you always have someone to help you with your build.

patman99

Superb. Never knew such groups existed (although it appears the one in my town no-longer does).

Due to the existance of this thread, I now know who 'Reprap' are, that the majority of the Chinese 3D printers are actually Reprap designs and so are self-printed and that there are groups in existance who share resources and knowledge for the common good.

For the record I don't have the cash to subsribe to the magazine and even if I did, would have no-where to put a 3D printer. I do however, have many ideas that would tie-up such a printer for hours and hours.

Gloomendoom

Babbawah wrote: »

I'm probably the only person in the UK who has the real world need for a 3d printer that doesn't cost the equivalent of a third world countries debt.

I need prototypes that I can feel & touch & see & offer up to the God of good design.

Thank you for some very amusing posts, you're not just ignorant of the current capabilities of 3d printing . . . you're absolutely stupid to boot.

I have had access to what is now called 3d printing for 25 years or more.

Good tool, but it hasn't changed my life.

sillygoose

Gloomendoom wrote: »

I have had access to what is now called 3d printing for 25 years or more.

Good tool, but it hasn't changed my life.

I bet your never short for a paperweight though