+1, second, third, whatever it's called.
On 4/2/2014 1:02 PM, Torrie Fischer wrote:
Also seconding this proposal so we can have discussion about it. Still needs a
third, I guess.
On Sunday, March 30, 2014 13:06:59 Omar Rassi wrote:
The Idea:
The grant from the Knight Foundation was given to help advance our
charitable activities. The 3D printer has been available for public use
since we got it and there is much more that we can do to improve the
experience and enhance guest visits.
What is needed?
Currently there are some minor deficiencies with the Prusa as it is right
now.
- Lack of a stable fan.
- Can be resolved by printing an appropriate mount for the tiny fan
we have now and making it a permanent fixture.
- Lack of variable filament types.
- Easily resolved by asking our contacts from the last acquisition of
filament for different types of filament.
- A plastic portion of the nozzle assembly is cracked (I think its the
carriage assembly).
- Can be resolved by printing a new carriage assembly from stronger
filament material.
- The current software in use is not stable and the settings from the
Mac Mini that was in use before have not been imported.
- I will resolve this by the end April by exporting the settings from
the Mini, burning the file to CD and placing it at the 3D printer cart
(someone more familiar with repetier host can import those
settings, I am a
3D printer n00b).
- I will also dual boot Windows and Fedora on the computer with a
shared exFat partition to store the 3D printer software
settings, this way
both OSes can share the same settings.
What is wanted?
I would like to add a grinder to and filament extruder so that bad prints
can get quickly recycled. I found the filastruder
kit<http://www.filastruder.com/products/filastruder-kit> $300
and the filabot <http://www.filabot.com/> $900. The filabot is more
expensive but it comes completed and seems like it could be sturdier in the
long run. The filastruder is much less expensive but it is a DIY kit which
is not exactly a downside for us :) and looks more vulnerable to accidental
damage.
The filament extruder takes pellets, not pieces, so bad prints need to be
ground up. I found a plastic grinder by
filabot<http://www.filabot.com/collections/filabot-core/filabot-reclaimer>
costing
$450.
Lastly, adding a 3D scanner would allow people to bring in their own things
and make a 3D model of it. Then edits can made, it can be enlarged, shrunk,
altered, or just copied in plastic monocolor glory. Here is Makerbot's
digitizer <http://store.makerbot.com/digitizer> for $800.
These additions to the 3D printer would cost between $1,550 to $2,150. That
is %10.3 to %14.3 of the grant.
How does this benefit the space?
Since we got the 3D printer, every day that I have spent more than a few
hours at Synhak during regular open hours, someone has come by saying, "I
heard you guys have a 3D printer." Its a very popular concept that is
making news everywhere that one is set up. Synhak's printer has become a
centerpiece to our space that gets a lot of attention whenever people
visit. Sort of a "come for the 3D printer, stay for all the other
possibilities" thing. By increasing its abilities, hackers can enjoy more
prototyping options, and will generate greater interest for Synhak and the
hacking community. The improvements will also stand as a small example of
what can be done with more grant funding.
I invite discussion on this idea, please suggest changes, negatives,
positives, thoughts. I am only one person with limited time so if anyone
knows of other options or alternatives to what I listed, please suggest it!
Thank you,
Omar
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