3D printers on Kickstarter

Hey everyone. I'm new to 3d printing. I've been modeling for a while and like the idea of being able to print out my own stuff. I've been researching and reading as much as I can. I'm good with my hands, tools and building things so a kit doesn't scare me. I've learned a bit but I'm sure I still have a ways to go.

A printer has shown up on Kickstarter that caught my eye. It looks real pretty but unlike most of the other printers that I've seen. It's also pretty cheap compaired to all the other printers I've seen, $397!

The Buccaneer

The thing I don't like about it is that the software is cloud based. There is some grumbling in the comments section about it being a fake like Makibox. I was keeping an eye on Makibox but honestly I haven't checked his site in a while

I was just wondering if someone with a little more experience could take a look at the page and tell me what they think. My first instinct is to stay away...

This one looks a little more legit to me but I still feel a little unsure.

The Kossel Pro

I think you should get a printer that actually exists and is shipping to customers today, rather than some questionable product that *might* ship in a year if they hit all their dates (and nobody on kickstarter hits their dates).

Here are a couple excellent reprap-based vendors to choose from (google for their websites):
Lulzbot
Makers Tool Works

They announce it as being a corexy system, pictures show an H-bot (one belt instead of 2). As noted in the website, raking forces are a big problem in H-bot, not in corexy.
They announce stamped steel parts, there is no stamped part shown in the pic, and with what is pictured it does not even make sense to use stamped parts here, laser cuts will be cheaper and fine.

That being said the design seems to make sense and be real, but the dealbreaker for me is the cartridge system, just tailored to artificially inflate filament price and force you to use their own filament.

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alj_rprp
That being said the design seems to make sense and be real, but the dealbreaker for me is the cartridge system, just tailored to artificially inflate filament price and force you to use their own filament.

Their cartridge system doesn't force you to use their filament. You are free to fill the cartridges with your own filament, or ignore the cartridges altogether and just mount a spool above it.

They went with the cartridge system to keep with their design goal of being a sleek, all in one machine.

I have to say, the corexy is excellent for keeping that bar perpendicular, by increasing the tension on the belt you can correct the angle of the bar if it does happen to be off. also its rock solid, the trick however is getting the belts to cross over, and of course finding long enough belt.

I tried the hbot at first but the thing would torque its way out of alignment with every move so its a no go unless your system has no give at all, which is pretty hard to come by.

I don't see how they put out what they are showing for the price they are discussing.
The XY stage they show uses 3 carriage and rail bearings, even sourcing from China in quantity those are about $40 a piece.
They are throwing in a raspberry Pi as part of their electronics solution.

So my assumption would be that they intend to make the money on the consumables.
Or they intend to change the design significantly.

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My blog [3dprinterhell.blogspot.com]

aduy Wrote:
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> I have to say, the corexy is excellent for keeping
> that bar perpendicular, by increasing the tension
> on the belt you can correct the angle of the bar
> if it does happen to be off. also its rock solid,
> the trick however is getting the belts to cross
> over, and of course finding long enough belt.

I was looking at the CoreXY prototype last night and it finally dawned on me how they did it, I'd always assumed they just crossed the belts at an angle, but they don't, they run both belts at different heights which is much smarter.

>
> I tried the hbot at first but the thing would
> torque its way out of alignment with every move so
> its a no go unless your system has no give at all,
> which is pretty hard to come by.

Yes also my experience I think my last prototype was about as stiff as is practical using printed plastic parts and cheap LM8UU's and I still had issues.
The design is used in the dimension printers, but they use metal construction and I suspect they aren't using $2 bearings.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/2013 12:46PM by Polygonhell.

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My blog [3dprinterhell.blogspot.com]

The Buccaneer, beautiful work! But.. Shipping on February 2014.. By then we will be so much further with 3D printing.. I'm not going to wait And I'm not going to pay 100 dollars for shipping.

Kossel? Kind of expensive.. But good design cost good money.

It's beautiful to see all these new concepts.

i like the design a lot.
if all it does is showing the general public that a 3D printer does not has to be as expensive as a cuby or fakerbot, than that is fine by me.

at least they can show something that already works.
something that can't be said of some other kickstarter projects.

My experience with reprappro is good.(main trouble was the soldering, and me breaking a thermistor) I think ultimaker is also good.

> The thing I don't like about it is that the
> software is cloud based. There is some grumbling
> in the comments section about it being a fake like
> Makibox. I was keeping an eye on Makibox but
> honestly I haven't checked his site in a while

Why is everyone assuming that Makibox is a Fake?

Have a look at the latest 0.05 mm Prints and tell me that again.

Should have added the newest BlogPost

[www.makibox.com]