Buccaneer, sub $400 3D printer

[frank26080115]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pirate3d/the-buccaneer-the-3d-printer-that-everyone-can-use

It claims to have same capabilities as a Replicator 2

Some people are criticizing how the X and Y are on one platform, and thus will shake twice as much, is there any validity to this claim?

Some people commented that the spool design will force people to buy their spools, which I think is BS but obviously most "consumers" will still buy them

Other things to talk about... like how they used a R-Pi, the "cloud", etc. The most obvious concerns are addressed in their FAQ

Personally I like it but if I'm going to wait until next year, I'd rather see what else comes out onto the market, maybe a SLS printer, or maybe Staples will have their 3D printers ready. I'm being hypocritical here because I'm a Pebble backer.

[MacAttak]

It has been discussed a bit on another forum that I frequent. Might be some good insights there to draw from: http://www.fabric8r.com/forums/showthread.php?910-New-low-end-3d-printer-on-kickstarter-for-347

[MacAttak]

Essentially though, most comments seem to indicate that it appears to be well-designed and if the price point is viable then could be a breakthrough device to finally get 3D printing established in small offices and homes. The X-Y assembly is also a fairly novel approach that uses stamped and then machined steel. Until now, most printers were made from inferior laser-cut wood/acrylic or expensive fully-milled steel.

Regarding the stability, it obviously has a high center of gravity. It's going to be prone to "walking" when operated at high speed unless they provide a way to mount it to a tabletop or at least attach it to a heavy base. I don't think it will "shake" though other than the effects of the wobbling/walking.

Main flaw with their filament canister design is that it isn't sealed. Moisture absorption is a major problem in extrusion printers unless you keep your filament stored in airtight containers. The filament canister they have is going to be prone to being left out on a desk for long periods of time in between prints.

But yeah, the canisters are reload-able and the price per kg isn't all that terrible anyways for people who just want to buy whole refill canisters. The idea of having a scale built in to the canister tray is a great idea - so you can know if you have enough loaded before you even start it running.

[Corporate666]

That looks like a neat printer.  But almost all projects run over their deadlines, and especially the complex ones... so I bet it's realistically a year or more before these start getting delivered... that's a long way away, and a lot can happen in that time.

The X and Y being on the same platform will be a matter of how rigidly the thing is constructed.  In my view, manufacturer claims of resolution aren't all that important, what matters is what you can actually get.

How thin a feature can you really print?  How dimensionally accurate is a printed cube/sphere/pyramid/etc?

[GeoffS]

Interesting for the price.
Delivery is slated for April 2014 with sample/rewards earlier in the year so the timeframe is realistic.

If nothing else, it's given me the idea to incorporate a Raspberry Pi into my 3D printer. Why didn't I think of that before? 

[frank26080115]

They do have a video of the printer working and it doesn't look bad (meaning my inexperienced eyes can't see anything wrong...)

They claim to have 100 micron layer resolution

I'd like to see more sample prints that show off resolution

Is moisture really that important? Does anybody actually use sealed plastic spools?

[MacAttak]

Yes, if you live in a humid climate it can be very important. It causes the filament to swell slightly and causes sputter in the extrusion head. A lot of people go out and buy those tupperware cereal canisters to have a sealed storage system, some even go so far as to get those dessicant packs that change color when the humidity gets too high.

Once it absorbs moisture, the most common way to get rid of it is to bake it out in an oven for a few hours.


If you live in the desert then it probably doesn't matter.