Thread: Make your own tools using a printer

Good one.

Does his mean our astronuts are careless?? loose your tool in space its bad enough loosing tools in the shed but out in space.


Business idea as spacial tool collector, not to mention the need to transport powder, printer repairs.

Notice they have to scan a tool first how do you do that in space when you just lost the damn thing and its floating round out there somewhere.

Well,

Strap me to a dog!!

Cheers and beers,

Muzz

I have been told about this stuff but its the first time I have ever seen it in action this is the way of the future.

I can see it replacing casting completely, as well as the machining of complex parts were material is wasted. Their must be technical limit to this in terms of materials, however in time this will be overcome. The problem for time being is cost, I suspect that its still a costly undertaking.

Imagine a 3d printed dovetailed infill plane. With different colors for the sides and the sole.

Originally Posted by wheelinround

Notice they have to scan a tool first how do you do that in space when you just lost the damn thing and its floating round out there somewhere.

That is simple. Before launch a database of schematics would be uploaded to the ships computer. The tool would be generated from the schematic once its is needed. Probably, once the tool is finished being used, it could be decomposed into its constituent parts, and recycled so that all you would ever need is the database the base material and the printer, print, use and decompose tools all the way across the galaxy. If you do not have the exact tool edit the schematic to suit and print.

I can just imagine, things like hearts, human body parts and organic components being produced down the track for replacing damaged components in humans.

Originally Posted by thumbsucker

I have been told about this stuff but its the first time I have ever seen it in action this is the way of the future.

I can see it replacing casting completely, as well as the machining of complex parts were material is wasted. Their must be technical limit to this in terms of materials, however in time this will be overcome. The problem for time being is cost, I suspect that its still a costly undertaking.

Imagine a 3d printed dovetailed infill plane. With different colors for the sides and the sole.



That is simple. Before launch a database of schematics would be uploaded to the ships computer. The tool would be generated from the schematic once its is needed. Probably, once the tool is finished being used, it could be decomposed into its constituent parts, and recycled so that all you would ever need is the database the base material and the printer, print, use and decompose tools all the way across the galaxy. If you do not have the exact tool edit the schematic to suit and print.

I can just imagine, things like hearts, human body parts and organic components being produced down the track for replacing damaged components in humans.

You may just get the chance to see similar at Canberra wood show there was a 3d printer on display and working at Sydney. Producing all sorts and only $2k small enough to sit on your desk.

This sort of thing is not that new really Sebal? plastic chair I think came up with similar in a gel using lasers way back in the late 70's I think it was.

Originally Posted by thumbsucker

Imagine a 3d printed dovetailed infill plane. With different colors for the sides and the sole.

Why would you need dovetails? If the appearance is needed just change the colour, but introducing an actual dovetail would simply weaken the structure.

Being an entrepreneur, I reckon buy one and then use it to print up another one. Sell that to recoup your money, then it is all profit from there on

I wonder how well their "composite material" will take and hold an edge?

For under a grand you can build your own.Just google Reprap.

And how about employing this technology to reproduce organs using human cells -- even at actual wound sites:

TED Blog | Printing a human kidney: Anthony Atala on TED.com

Ah, the Brave New World! I am enjoying my twilight years rendering my calligraphy, writing out and binding books, composing web pages and fondling/using my wonderful old woodworking tools -- what a marvelous existence! I am fully prepared to "shuffle off this mortal coil" and let the youngsters (those under the age of seventy-five?) enjoy the fruits and reap the rewards of this magnificent new technology.

James

G'day Y'all
Where have you been fellows? This has been around for some time.

this link
http://www.ted.com/talks/anthony_atala_growing_organs_engineering_tissue.html
shows a DR describing how he grows bladders using a three D printer. This was taped in Oct of 09 and the procedure is older than that.

Regards
Joe

I read about these printers a few years ago. About a year ago the company had some manufacturing issues. For some reason they didn't have enough spare parts to keep up with demand. They contacted customers who'd purchased their printers and asked them to help out by using their printers to make the spare parts the company required.

Regards,

Denim

Originally Posted by Groggy

Being an entrepreneur, I reckon buy one and then use it to print up another one. Sell that to recoup your money, then it is all profit from there on

Surely, Groggy, as a real entrepreneur, you would hit the 999 copies button and supply Forum members at numbawan mates rates. Even more and more $$$$'s.

Then I could replicate a Felder combination machine, and a set of Gordon's planes, and a set of Chris's tools, and some of Derek's masterpieces, and a Porsche, and a ........

I think I have just wandered into a legal minefield..

Cheers

Graeme