DIY Laser-3D-Printer on Instructables

[Seb]

I love , great site with quirky and amazing projects. This morning, I had this instructable hit my inbox :



Though the more technically adept on the forum might enjoy reading through this guy's efforts. The results have made some decent models so far.

- Seb.

[mangozac]

I beat you to it by 48 hours
I keep contemplating giving this a go, but the bottom line is that it still doesn't have the resolution necessary for miniatures. Would be a far better alternative to cupcake/reprap for larger scale models though. I wonder how tough the cured material is?

The problem I have with instructables is the amount of crap you have to wade through to get to something decent. But I guess all sites with a large user base can be like that...

[Seb]

Argh! haha..

Feel free to delete the topic

[blind pig]

[mangozac]

[Fleafa]

[blind pig]

[Fleafa]

http://3dhomemade.blogspot.com/

[factor40]

Did anyone happen to follow the link from that article?



Homemade DLP printer...

[mangozac]

Wow now we're talking! Still not Objet resolution, but if the price is right quite acceptable for making basic forms (like I had hoped to do with the router before I discovered how long it takes to machine stuff on it)(yes, I know that the 3D printer takes ages, but probably not as long as the router, plus you don't have the noise of a spindle motor).

Seriously guys, lets keep an eye on this!

[blind pig]

Was thinking tonight. If you were smart enough, and knew an Electronic Engineer, and had a spare LAZOR!!!! lying around and knew how to plumb in a UV laser into it as well as making the x axis gantry controlled, do you think you could make a 3D printer using a UV cure resin?

http://www.crystalaser.com/new/uv-laser.html

Or with the planoconvex lens that my LAZOR!!!! uses, would a UV LED (or several) do an adequate job?

[Lane]

From what I understand about UV cured resin it could be quite frustrating to use in a home made machine.

The detail it produces is quite good but any overhangs can be difficult to produce accurately. The resin tends to cure deeper than the step depth. IIRC one pro grade machine could be off on thickness by .005".

[mangozac]

[mangozac]

So as mentioned in one of the above posts I was taking a particular interest in the printer being developed . Interestingly it was mentioned again on one of the blogs I frequent () today, detailing the they are using the fund the printers.

Basically it's a complete load of crap. The comments on hack-a-day confirm that it would be extremely foolish to invest in the product from this guy - if the stupid pricing didn't put you off first! I mean seriously, $59 for him to email you a PDF with pictures of the design, without any measurements of technical detail?!? I can't believe people have signed up for that! The price options for an actual printer kit are pretty over the top too for what is essentially a hobby machine.

The printer options he is offering are very overpriced and he is making all of these statements about high UV curing resin costs forcing him to produce his own when there are apparently already companies offering it at $40 per kg!

From other stuff I've been reading the most promising, open source design is the (no idea what the name is about) project. I'll certainly keep an eye on that one!

Anyway, mini-rant over

[Fleafa]

Wow, those investment perks are seriously unimpressive...