[ExI] Man prints 3D printer with 3D printer

[Tomasz Rola]

On Mon, 3 Feb 2014, Kelly Anderson wrote:

> Funny, but it is true that most 3D printers have PARTS that are printed on
> other 3D printers.
> 
> -Kelly

But it doesn't really matter. I can print 99.99% of it on a printer, and 
still need to _buy_ a cpu and other electronics, because a printer without 
steering elements is just a - perhaps costly - decoration. And I guess I 
need some electric engines to actually move some parts, heads or plates. 
Looks like many people neglect importance of those elements, instead 
raving about how cool it is to 3d print of dumb bear figure, empty inside 
and totally passive.

For me, right now, 3d printing appeals to imagination, a lot, but it is 
just somewhat interesting. If I wanted a screw, I'd rather cnc-mill it 
from a piece of metal which parameters I could somehow control. 
Otherwise, there is a risk my screw will become a dust in certain not very 
stressing conditions. Now, I don't have a cnc and neither I have a place 
for it. But having a choice, I guess cnc is more practical and will remain 
so for quite few years.

I admit printing guns and pizzas sounds cool, even though I am not sure 
who would want to do this. But there is something fishy in this idea 
(fishy, like, guys who won't touch a hammer feeling sensations about 
think-do magic machine touching the hammer for them, so they don't even 
need to bother what hammer is). I'd like to see a printer which can do 
some non-trivial stuff. The easy nontrivial is block of core memory. AFAIK 
there is no printer capable of doing this... So maybe just one flip-flop 
circuit? No? The harder is electric engine, with good enough inner 
surfaces to work efficiently and smoothly. Ball bearings? Lol. Even 
printing buildings may be not so cool as it sounds. Depends of material. I 
like reinforced concrete - cheap and strong. I might also like fiberglass 
(not cool near supernova). But 3d printed? Only as strong as a glue, it 
seems.

I will change my mind when I see a bicycle, fully 3d printed and at least 
as good (comfortable, durable, but not necesarilly 1 to 1 replica) as my 
old one. But to convince me, something like adder/shifter and/or memory 
would be better :-). It may even be a size of my table, but not 
electromechanical, just electronic.

I freted about 3d printing myself, for a while, before I realised majority 
of things around me is complicated stuff built from many elements and 
materials of many properties (even something as simple as soil for my 
flowers). 3d printing has very very long way to go before I start freting 
again.

Regards,
Tomasz Rola

--
** A C programmer asked whether computer had Buddha's nature.      **
** As the answer, master did "rm -rif" on the programmer's home    **
** directory. And then the C programmer became enlightened...      **
**                                                                 **
** Tomasz Rola          mailto:tomasz_rola at bigfoot.com             **