Paul,
I'm looking forward to seeing the new part. I don't know that 'slightly taller' should matter too much, but we'll see. The big question from my perspective is the wear/durability issue and I don't know if I can answer that. The test would be to have someone in need, who could mount these in all four positions and then use the saw for whatever extended time necessary to satisfy their own usage. (One of the things I just learned from this project is that things like "pins" and small holes don't work well for 3D printing. First the resin isn't strong enough to give structural integrity to skinny little protrusions and little holes appear to contain little strand webs.)
Perhaps the real issue here is that the parts are durable enough to justify their printing at a local level, where one doesn't have to depend a distant supply chain that is subject to inventory and marketing whims.
If this proves workable, then that opens up the possibilities of other plastic or non-metal parts being available for local "3D printing".
That is where I see that technology's main advantage in the very near future. One of the problems I had in looking at 3D printers was that much of what is touted in the market is simply NOT available yet... most of the really attractive models are still in development or pre-startup stage.
The readilly available units, like the Dremel and the MakerBot are great machines, but relatively costly. The biggest hang-up that I have with those at the moment is that they print only in PLA plastic, which is somewhat brittle. Printing with ABS requires a heated build plate and I understand that it has a lower resolution. What I think is needed is a printer that will use any one of a variety of filaments so that when making a part you have a choice between durability, strength, lubricating qualities, or even flexibility or softness. Having the ability to print in nylon, ABS, carbon fibre, and other materials for particular applications is a necessity for really true applications.
So far, almost everything one seems to be focused on is printing toys of one type or another. Even $500 would be an absurd price for a 3D Printer if all that can be printed is key-chain bobbles and similar curiosities that seem attractive to many buyers. Most of the good printers are $1,000 or substantially more.
In any case, the new design slide looks really good and I look forward to seeing it.
On a last subject, I just discovered new 3D software from AutoDesk. It's not new, but a new discovery for me. The program "Fusion 360" is a full-blown 2D/3D drawing program that offers a variety of first-class tools. I have no idea what it costs, but for hobbyist, students, and instructors, it is free. For myself, a hobbyist, I just downloaded and have license to use it for one year at no cost. My understanding is that I may be able to renew that on a yearly basis. While there are no limitations of the program, the limitations for it's free hobbyist use is that I cannot use it in any commercial way. That certainly makes it viable for someone like me, I'm retired and just enjoy drawing stuff. Here's a link for anyone wishing to explore their own CAD: http://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/overview
CWS
I'm looking forward to seeing the new part. I don't know that 'slightly taller' should matter too much, but we'll see. The big question from my perspective is the wear/durability issue and I don't know if I can answer that. The test would be to have someone in need, who could mount these in all four positions and then use the saw for whatever extended time necessary to satisfy their own usage. (One of the things I just learned from this project is that things like "pins" and small holes don't work well for 3D printing. First the resin isn't strong enough to give structural integrity to skinny little protrusions and little holes appear to contain little strand webs.)
Perhaps the real issue here is that the parts are durable enough to justify their printing at a local level, where one doesn't have to depend a distant supply chain that is subject to inventory and marketing whims.
If this proves workable, then that opens up the possibilities of other plastic or non-metal parts being available for local "3D printing".
That is where I see that technology's main advantage in the very near future. One of the problems I had in looking at 3D printers was that much of what is touted in the market is simply NOT available yet... most of the really attractive models are still in development or pre-startup stage.
The readilly available units, like the Dremel and the MakerBot are great machines, but relatively costly. The biggest hang-up that I have with those at the moment is that they print only in PLA plastic, which is somewhat brittle. Printing with ABS requires a heated build plate and I understand that it has a lower resolution. What I think is needed is a printer that will use any one of a variety of filaments so that when making a part you have a choice between durability, strength, lubricating qualities, or even flexibility or softness. Having the ability to print in nylon, ABS, carbon fibre, and other materials for particular applications is a necessity for really true applications.
So far, almost everything one seems to be focused on is printing toys of one type or another. Even $500 would be an absurd price for a 3D Printer if all that can be printed is key-chain bobbles and similar curiosities that seem attractive to many buyers. Most of the good printers are $1,000 or substantially more.
In any case, the new design slide looks really good and I look forward to seeing it.
On a last subject, I just discovered new 3D software from AutoDesk. It's not new, but a new discovery for me. The program "Fusion 360" is a full-blown 2D/3D drawing program that offers a variety of first-class tools. I have no idea what it costs, but for hobbyist, students, and instructors, it is free. For myself, a hobbyist, I just downloaded and have license to use it for one year at no cost. My understanding is that I may be able to renew that on a yearly basis. While there are no limitations of the program, the limitations for it's free hobbyist use is that I cannot use it in any commercial way. That certainly makes it viable for someone like me, I'm retired and just enjoy drawing stuff. Here's a link for anyone wishing to explore their own CAD: http://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/overview
CWS
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