Night Owl III | 12 Mar 2015 2:29 p.m. PST |
I've been looking over some of the older posts but am interested in updated info from those who might be more in the know. Has 3D printing stalled (or plateaued)? Is now a good time to invest in a 3D printer from a business perspective? What could I expect for $20 USDk-25k? I'm looking over some websites but just starting to learn. Obvious hobby geekery set aside is there a market that could justify such a purchase? Thanks ahead of time, Night Owl |
Mako11 | 12 Mar 2015 2:42 p.m. PST |
I was pondering this the other day. I'm quite frankly surprised that there isn't more CNC machine milling of 3-D designs, especially for vehicles, and similar items. Not sure what is really needed, e.g. 3-axis, 4-axis, 5-axis machine (surprised at more than 3-axis available, so don't know what 4x and 5x really mean). Seems to me someone with a small, but precise machine could make some decent money taking on contract jobs, to produce prototypes, which can then be cast in the usual manner. Here's a link to some CNC machines, with pricing, many of which I suspect are overkill for small minis like we require to be made: boltontool.com/cnc-machine |
Night Owl III | 12 Mar 2015 2:54 p.m. PST |
Thanks for the reply Mako11. Wow, those are beastly. I assume such a unit could mill molds for plastic sprues? Hmmm, that's interesting direction to think. Thanks! Night Owl |
John the OFM | 12 Mar 2015 3:11 p.m. PST |
If you are expecting to spend in the neighborhood of $25 USDK, and don't know anything about it, you have come to the right place for advice. |
Night Owl III | 12 Mar 2015 3:16 p.m. PST |
Ha Ha! Darn it, you made coffee come out of my nose. What better place to start than with a group that is just as crazy as I am! :) Interesting youtube video about how molds are made: YouTube link and a comparison site pf 3D printers last updated 11/14: additive3d.com/3dpr_cht.htm |
darthfozzywig | 12 Mar 2015 5:15 p.m. PST |
3D printers haven't stalled by any stretch, but they are still a way from the detail level most tabletop gamers are accustomed to now. They will continue to advance rapidly, however, so it's not that far off. Hero Forge is making a go of it, but it's still pricey and limited. Printing our own minis – and in the resolution we like – is coming soon. Even now there are some "good enough" models available, especially for low detail, flat surface designs like ships. |
Cherno | 12 Mar 2015 5:46 p.m. PST |
I know nohing about the state of the industry, but I have a theory: The reason why we don't see more people using 3D printers and, to a lesser degree, CNC machines for miniature (master) production is that the machines and processes are still far too expensive to be used for such a niche, low-profit field. |
Only Warlock | 12 Mar 2015 5:47 p.m. PST |
I often buy 3D printed models with equal or better detail than most cast metal minis I buy and they are getting better and cheaper all the time. |
Tom Bryant | 12 Mar 2015 6:20 p.m. PST |
Night Owl III: please look into the following website for MAKE magazine at makezine.com for more info. Right now there seems to be a move to get UV resin 3D printers more price accessible for the hobbyist and maker community. I highly recommend both the magazine and website. Its not just for Arduino/electronics junkies, but it has lots of fun, interesting and useful stuff there as well. Mako11: you said
Not sure what is really needed, e.g. 3-axis, 4-axis, 5-axis machine (surprised at more than 3-axis available, so don't know what 4x and 5x really mean). I can explain. 3 axis milling is the standard X, Y and Z axis we all know and love. The 4th axis is revolution about the X axis and the 5th axis is revolution about the Y axis. What it means is that the cutter/tool has the ability to not only translate in plane forward and backwards, left to right but also up and down and to be able to rotate about the X and Y axes as well. This allows for some very complex and tricky machining operations that would be difficult to impossible otherwise. Hope this helps. |
aegiscg47 | 12 Mar 2015 6:34 p.m. PST |
Look at the stuff being put out by Trenchworx. Amazing vehicles from 3D printers. |
Night Owl III | 12 Mar 2015 8:30 p.m. PST |
Thanks for the replies all. This is rather encouraging. Tom, thanks for the link – looks a like a trove of info there. I'm currently looking at the Ilios Ray that uses laser and resin. aegiscg47, wow those look fine to me! So, from what I'm gathering, vehicle and terrain are no problem while miniatures and faces specifically are still a little ways off. Also noticing that 4X's the cost doesn't necessarily equal 4X's the quality – interesting. |
Patrick R | 12 Mar 2015 10:22 p.m. PST |
I compare it to regular print. We are used to finely bound leather volumes on quality paper and printer technology at the home level is moving into from 8-pins to 24-pins matrix printing on chain-paper. Yes you can with a lot of work make a readable book from it, but not the quality level. Expensive pro machines will produce something like the output of a generic inkjet printer, you can have colour and decent quality, but it's still not quality print. I'd say that we're getting there, machines and software are getting better, will just have to wait and see when the first home level quality printers become available at an affordable price. |
Black Scorpion | 13 Mar 2015 2:47 a.m. PST |
I met a very young chap in spain who had done just this. Got a loan to buy a top of the range 3d printer to start a business in the wargame market. His samples were outstanding, not only in 30mm with equal quality but in 10mm! And trust me I'm picky… I think he'll do well. However as a business it remains tricky as (for now at least) digital is a process ( sometimes additional and expensive ) as part of the manufacturing stage, not the production stage. If you have a solid knowledge of the miniature process and where digital fits in there's a rapidly growing market. |
Mako11 | 13 Mar 2015 5:04 p.m. PST |
Thanks for the info, Tom. I appreciate it. Hadn't thought about the ability to rotate on various axes, but see where that would definitely be needed in many cases. |
John Bear Ross | 14 Mar 2015 7:53 p.m. PST |
If you just want to make models, rent time on someone else's machine. If you don't want to answer complaints about stepping and ridging, you're going to want a jewelry-quality machine. That costs money, along with a huge learning curve to run it, and the technology is constantly advancing. It's hard to keep up. Better to go to a reliable service bureau. Moddler or VisionProto are my go-to guys, but there are others. Otherwise, you have a very expensive machine that you are making payments on, that costs more than a car, gathering dust. We're just not at the "push a button and master-crafted prototypes pop out of the end" level yet, though I hope it happens someday. Best, JBR |