Architecture Models?

Heya,

I'm curious on people's opinions. I've just started a Master's in Arch PRogram and a big part of it is making models of our plans. They have two 3D printers for ABS and a few more for I believe its plaster sintering?, but theres a combo of:

-Very expensive to use
-Time restrictive
-Requires supervision

I'm attempting to grasp if it may be cheaper in the long run for me to buy/build my own 3D printer and I've been drooling over the different Reprap/Makerbot iterations.

So two main questions:

What would yous ay the cost of printing with ABS is per say square inch?

If I have access to fairly cheap acrylic and a laser cutter, whats the cheapest package I can buy that would allow me to put together either the Maker Bot or the newest iteration of RepRap?



I hope that last one doesn't come across to much as, "I'm too lazy to look it up on my own!"...I've been checking the sites and I've gotten quite lost on which package has the full system I need....I have little electrical experience but am very capable mechanically, so I've been trying to figure out what combination best supports that.

Thank you for any help.

Michael

If I have access to fairly cheap acrylic and a laser cutter, whats the cheapest package I can buy that would allow me to put together either the Maker Bot or the newest iteration of RepRap?

You probably want to build a:
http://reprap.org/wiki/LaserCut_Mendel

using some flavor of: http://reprap.org/wiki/Mendel_Buyers_Guide#Electrical_and_mechanical_kits_and_parts

LaserCut Mendel requires a "Vitamin Kit" for"Generic Mendel" plus a few more fasteners, I think, and one of the flavors of electronics. BotMill and Techzone should be able to meet your needs, as will many of the other folk listed on the Mendel Buyers Guide.

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What would you say the cost of printing with ABS is per say square inch?

Using a commercial 3D printer, it will cost you ~$500-$1000 to print a set of Mendel parts.

You can also do a powder printed mendel, and then paint the parts with an epoxy. (I'm not sure how well that works.)

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These are good folk:

http://groups.google.com/group/reprap-michigan

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-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

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Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything!

>
> You can also do a powder printed mendel, and then
> paint the parts with an epoxy. (I'm not sure how
> well that works.)
>
>
I have seen a skateboard ~16" long deck made from epoxy saturated powder print that had a 180 pound guy ride it, and not delicately either. Powder printing with the right infiltration can be incredibly strong. Even the CA infiltrated ones are very strong.

if you have a laser cutter just make your architecture model parts with that and it will look beautiful! if you don't mind gluing the parts together like a chump i guess.

Are you in Michigan? U of m Ann arbor? Actually I'm a 2nd year(3g4) and thinking about building a Mendel as well. However the inability to print overhangs(think floors on a multilevel building is giving me second thoughts. Regardless, if you're from tcaup we should discuss our options given the great resources available to us.

mlagana: You haven't seen some of the buildings they've made with 3d printers

Watanabe: Very cool, I'm a 3g2. I wasn't worrying about the overhangs, I figured the printing area on the Mendel and the cupcake printer at matkerbot are small enough this would be more useful in the sense of, setting up all the things to be printed in sections, go to sleep, wake up and have a pile of pieces that can then be glued to each other. The resources are good but i've been a bit confused, talkign to people at MakerFaire it seemed that the ABS printing with a makerbot is much cheaper than what the school charges.

It is cheaper, but it has a pretty big buy in. Check your local RUG and see if someone will let you print a Mendel on their bot.

I disagree with Sebastian on the best lasercut set to cut. I would say the Cupcake is a more polished design than the Lasercut Mendel. It's designed from the ground up to be a Lasercut set, and it shows in how few issues they have out of their Cartesian bot. Not to mention it allows you to easily buy upgrades for you bot.

My suggestion would be Gen6 electronics, motors, and power supply from Mendel parts, Rods hardware, gears and belts from Mcmaster carr, and cut a Cupcake Clone on your lasercutter.

For your extruder grab one off Ebay, or get one off one of the loaner program guys like me.

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repraplogphase.blogspot.com

I disagree with Sebastian on the best lasercut set to cut.

No worries.

I disagree that mhsenkow should lasercut it.
mhsenkow,What Tooling Do You Have?

Table-saw!

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-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

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Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything!

SebastienBailard: I'm leaning towards the laser cutter because I'm also leaning towards the CupCake clone and I like the look of acrylic.

Watanabe: Hit me up, I'm the guy with an iMac that has no stand in the middle of the 3G2's.

He has access to the same stuff I do

[forums.reprap.org]

I just bought a gen6 mobo from pzilla so we'll see what we can get up and running.

Cost for me for ABS for reprap is around $0.30(US) per cubic inch.

There was some mention about overhangs in architecture models.
If possible I orient my models to print so there is no overhang by either printing
the model on its side or upside down.
Sometimes I add 1/8" diameter supports that expand out to the flat surface and
then remove them with a jewelers saw and file after printing.
Sometimes I just sit and curse at the design because it can't be printed as one piece,
so I break it up into pieces and then glue them together.