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1. • CommentAuthorstlouistechy
   • CommentTimeMay 17th 2010 edited

    
   I am in the beginnings of what looks like a very long fabrication project. I have 3D models I am needing to find a way to print, but RP and 3D printing are extremely pricey using service providers like Shapeways.com etc. This has driven me down the road of building my own device at home to handle the project. I have been in deep talks with the RepRap community for the last week on building a new concept printer one of their members designed in Germany. This is the "LeBigRep" which is basically just the RepRap Mendel, but a much larger scale that is designed to handle a 1x1x1 meter print area.
   
   However, I am still very uncertain that 3D printing can handle the job. Resolution is important, but not an absolute must as I can do allot of the finishing after print that should make up for most of what is missed. However, the 3D printers have serious problems with malformations on large pieces as they cool and settle that have yet to be corrected. Not to mention the total time taken to print large objects can be many days.
   
   After learning more about rapid prototyping tonight, and how perfect it would be for my project, I began looking for any old or broken models for sale all over the US and failed to find anything under $5k -$6k. That's when I ran across CandyFab here :-D
   
   I see allot of potential here in your project, and allot of hidden resolution that we may be able to gain using better materials and heaters. I am sure allot of what I would want to achieve has already been considered, but I wanted to check in here before potentially wasting time on building a 3d printer.
   
   Have their been any attempts in printing to very fine plastic materials yet that could give much higher resolution?
   
   Would you think it possible with some trial and error with the media, and heating system to achieve resolutions like many of the commercial systems? (Z-corp, 3Dsystems, etc)
   
   If there is some possibility of getting to this point, I would love to jump in and and start devoting allot of research time into building this model and adding some great enhancements. As well as help grow the awareness and organize, anything I can do to help! ;-)
   
   Let me know your thoughts, thanks!
2. • CommentAuthorstlouistechy
   • CommentTimeMay 17th 2010

    
   It looks like the commercial systems are using Selective Laser Sintering with a high powered CO2 laser. I am finding many different homemade techniques to create these. This may be a great replacement for the heating element to gain an edge on high resolution printing with plastics and many other materials that commercial systems currently support.
3. • CommentAuthormjm
   • CommentTimeJun 15th 2010

    
   Windell, I think (nothing other than personal thoughts to base this on) that you might find many people willing to help on this project if possible. I know you said you don't have much time to devote to the project, but if you were going to work on it a bit, perhaps the best thing would be to make available some designs that you have from the CandyFab 6000. That way people can try building their own and maybe make suggestions/improvements, and it would be as many people as want working on it instead of just you occasionally.
   
   Also, perhaps for people experimenting it would make sense to use RepRap boards and software. There is a very similar set of tasks (extruder flow temperature, flow rate, x,y,z axis commands) and their software handles slicing of vertex based models. Really the main difference is stepper motors vs servos, but in the RepRap architecture there are seperate boards for axis steppers which could be replaced with something for servos. It seems to be a good enough fit that it would reduce the amount of effort needed to get something functional to play with even if Zuccherino boards are produced eventually. They are not too expensive and don't use many superfluous components for CandyFab purposes.
   
   Something to think about, at least.
4. • CommentAuthorWindell
   • CommentTimeJun 21st 2010

    
   stlouistechy: I cannot recommend building your own CO2-based SLS system. It's freaking dangerous. End of story. CandyFab was never intended to compete with high-resolution/high-accuracy systems like these, and probably wouldn't be a good substitute even with a lot of work.
   
   mjm: In the past when we have solicited help on the CandyFab project for specific tasks, we've gotten an impressively silent result. We were able to get nearly zero actual help on software or hardware or other research topics, despite having a pool of thousands of enthusiastic volunteers. By contrast, when we've asked for help in general, we've ended up with hugely volumetric discussions, in which I spent geologic quantities of time answering questions, performing analyses of hypothetical setups, re-explaining things in the FAQ, and on and on, to the point that we had exactly zero time left over to perform any engineering on the project. It was absolutely paralyzing to the project-- I could either choose to work on the project one day or spend the evening answering questions.
   
   In both cases, it's been extremely counterproductive, and the only forward progress has been made when we go it alone. What would have helped everything oh-so-much in the big discussions would have been to have a common set of hardware to start out with, as a common ground to improve. None of our hardware thus far has been good enough to distribute as that reference platform. Distributing a set of plans for a machine that does not work is a *bad* idea, and would generate more ill-will towards us than you can probably imagine. Right now we have a goal of getting a local workspace here so that we can recruit several teams of interns to help out with the project. There *is* a lot that can be done. However, we don't really have the physical infrastructure right now to support as many people as I'd like to bring in.
   
   Now, I can spend the next hour or so explaining why the reprap hardware won't directly work, and why we don't use an extruder, and so on, but I'm busy in another low-end CNC kit quagmire right now, and I like to think that I've learned my lesson. :)
5. • CommentAuthormjm
   • CommentTimeJun 22nd 2010

    
   Sorry for having warranted a time wasting reply. Best of luck making progress with it. I eagerly anticipate building one even if I don't have useful skills for designing one. In the mean time I'll keep working on a RepRap so I can PRINT a CandyFab...
   
   (half kidding, I know that a lot of it (bed with liner, heater parts) would not be good candidates for printing, so no need to explain anything)