We need a magazine

O.K., I know that there is a sub-forum within the RepRap forum for a magazine, but it is deader than a Norwegian Blue nailed to a perch. My question is, why is there no magazine for 3D printing enthusiasts? O.K., there are a couple of professional publications dedicated to additive manufacturing and there is always TCT magazine, but what I mean is something for the denizens of this forum and for the related maker, DIY and even semi-professional model makers who can't - or wouldn't want to - spend 70,000 of your finest currency units on a printer.

Doesn't anybody pine for articles on how to get a better finish, how to make stronger prints, print faster, keep your filament dry or a hundred and one other things. Something with regular contributors - "The view from the hotend". new filament reviews by a Scotsman called "Plastic Mac" and Guest appearances by some of the early timers. Even the adverts could keep up to date with what is available in stepper motors, electronics, extruders etc..

While I know that anybody with their ear to the ground will hear the soft 'PLOP' of another magazine going bust, but I find it hard to believe there are too few who would buy a paper - or even electronic only - magazine. On "Have I got News for You" there are usually guest publications with titles like Potato Storage International; Trolleybus magazine; Modern Ferret; Catfish Insider or Picture Postcard Monthly. I guess that Potato Storage is a multinational business involving a lot of money, I can't believe that there are that many fans of Modern Ferrets, the insides of catfish or even of trolleybusses. Even more difficult to believe is that a magazine with a cover showing a sexy Delta printer would fare badly against the endless rows of magazines with inanely smiling people on the cover and even more inane articles inside.

Or am I missing something, does such a publication already exist?

Mike

There are lots of websites that offer free publications, articles and advice, not to mention youtube and forums. I don't think anyone would pay for a magazine like this. Established magazines and newspapers are struggling to compete with free online articles so I don't think you'll have much luck in the bought magazine regard. The reprap magazine was a volunteer and community run thing as far as I'm aware, and if you feel like contributing by all means go ahead, I'd probably read it.

... the RepRap Magazine was a good start, but driven only by a single person -- so "died away" with him, changing interests

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Make magazine usually has a lot of 3D printing stuff.

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Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

What ? A "magazine" printed on REAL paper made of REAL tree chunks, water, chlorine ... ? It is so "passé" Should be 3D printed on thin sheet of PLA !

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"A comical prototype doesn't mean a dumb idea is possible" (Thunderf00t)

In Braille for the Blind.

It could work but....

We all learnt from forums, YouTube and online articles. Your core target market is well versed with, and prefers, online media. New users and professionals may turn to a magazine, but to begin with your core audience will be die hard reprappers until it becomes established.

Not to mention that making money from such a venture would be quite hard. This is especially true when online articles and YouTube videos are more readily monified. Perhaps a reprap based YouTube series? You could make videos that fit a reprap niche rather then just endless unboxing and consumer product reviews like other big youtubers do.

Topic ideas -

• interviews with small time reprappers, the people who make and design printers all the time but never get credit
• reprap product reviews, only for true open source products
• printers mods
• tutorials

I would watch that channel.

So how is it that the raspberry pi foundation who started with a digital publication made a successful transition to paper?

There is also the issue of prior art which needs to be published (at the time of writing) on paper for it to be a valid way to prevent open source ideas being patented.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions