General > General Technical Chat
Cost - 3D printed enclosure vs Project box?
NiHaoMike:
Didn't Micah Elizabeth Scott take a 3D print and coat it in epoxy to get something that looks nicer and is stronger?
Mr. Scram:
--- Quote from: tooki on October 30, 2017, 01:30:33 am ---Am I the only person who, despite understanding the aforementioned advantages of custom 3D printed enclosures, just can’t stand the look of them, since the surfaces come out so terrible? (I know that professional 3D printing can achieve much better quality, but that’s not what we are discussing here.)
--- End quote ---
Yes, I feel the same. It's okay for prototypes, but it screams hobbyist hour for anything else.
kalel:
--- Quote from: Mr. Scram on October 30, 2017, 02:59:15 am ---
--- Quote from: tooki on October 30, 2017, 01:30:33 am ---Am I the only person who, despite understanding the aforementioned advantages of custom 3D printed enclosures, just can’t stand the look of them, since the surfaces come out so terrible? (I know that professional 3D printing can achieve much better quality, but that’s not what we are discussing here.)
--- End quote ---
Yes, I feel the same. It's okay for prototypes, but it screams hobbyist hour for anything else.
--- End quote ---
I assume that different materials and maybe even different printers or settings give slightly different results, but I have noticed the outside texture in some videos/photos. I don't think it's a big issue personally.
The only thing still slightly high is the prices of 3D printers, but those are going down.
As for project boxes, they are also aimed at hobbyists as far as I understand.
stmdude:
--- Quote from: kalel on October 30, 2017, 03:55:45 am ---The only thing still slightly high is the prices of 3D printers, but those are going down.
--- End quote ---
No kidding. Just the other day I ordered a 3D printer for $130. I'm not expecting it to output super nice prints, but according to the reviews, it does print nicer than you'd expect for that price.
I'm going to play with it for a bit, and then it's becoming a test-mule for a controller-board I'm starting to design.
Btw. Am I the only "EE" here that gets nauseous when they look at the existing controller-boards for 3D printers? Disregarding that they all look like mutated Arduinos, pretty much all of them look like they were designed and laid out by complete beginners? Poor thermal planning, very little to no protection, much too thin traces, etc, etc. And these are boards we're running 100+ watts through..
( So far, the only semi-decent board I've seen is the Smoothieboard v2 pro )
Nusa:
3D printing is invaluable for prototyping or one-off projects.
For production purposes, 3D printed parts of any size are only practical for low volume or for items that are simply unobtainable by any other method. Rarely is it cheaper when there are alternatives.
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