Making new RepRap designs the easy way

I don't know if people are already doing this, but it occurs to me that some people already have RepRaps, and others are trying to make them. It would be very helpful if people who have them would make parts for people who don't. Not just existing designs, but new designs as well.

Organizing such efforts should be easy. This forum should already be setup good enough for it. I posted a message in one of the local user group part of the forum. Hopefully that'll get me the help I need.

I was trying to design it in a way that anyone could build it without a RepRap, and then redesign it for having a RepRap make the parts, but that means a lot of extra unnecessary design work, and more cost as well. It would save me a lot of time to have someone make the parts I need on a RepRap.

Sure I could send out stuff to a professional 3D printing service, but that costs lots of money. It takes money which I could be using for other more important stuff.

Tony

I think what most people are planning on doing is to build another one for just such work and then have the other one to play on themselves. There is a bit of delay in those with a working a Reprap producing a second one however.

I would expect that such a scheme would start to gain traction early on in the new year.

Personally, I'm planning on using my first build as a learning experience and (hopefully) get 2 full darwin sets of parts out of it. At that point I'll talk to a few local friend who are interested and see if they want to come together to help build them over the course of 2-4 weekends. The ideal would be that these people would then help develop the modifications you're talking about.

Since my faculty already has a commercial 3D printer, I expect to print out a couple of proof of concept parts and then start churning out the Darwins!
first one for me (Hi, I want one too, you know... ) and then sets for anyone who needs them for the price of the plastic, the shipping and a photo of the new Darwin and it's creator

-Leav

very good idea leav!

Ant, I'm sorry all I read from your question is:
"is anyone willing to make me some free parts" without any information on WHAT parts.
maybe you'd be more successful in finding someone that is willing to spend hours and hours for your unspoken idea if you add the "parts to be printed" to your question.
that way a potential partner in crime could see what he had to offer (in time and effort)

just a thought!

'sid

My project isn't a Darwin, it is a totally new design. It'll have linear encoders and regular DC motors. I'll be much more accurate and use much less electricity during operation. So if you're willing to make parts, to help me get started, let me know. It may be a month or more before I get the parts designed, so no problem making one for yourself first. And yes, of course I'll pay for the plastic and shipping.

As for Sid's comment, We're trying to create a world where people are equals, where everyone has what they need, and you're treating me like a lesser being.

One of the main things mankind needs to learn is respect. This new form of society which we are evolving into is a society of respect. People will soon respect each other as equals.

In the future when someone says "I've got a new idea, can you make this for me so I can make something new?", the answer will be "sure". Not "why should I?" or "do it yourself". Not even "I don't know how", 'cause all those are replies brought on by our current form of society.

Don't assume you have the vision to understand someone's idea. If you had the vision, you'd create the idea yourself. Long ago people were thought of as crazy people if they thought people could fly, now people fly all over the world. Do you think you are so much smarter than the people who thought those people crazy? You are not. None of us are. Respect the visionary. Respect the inventor. Let that person make what they want to make, and then you will see and understand the vision.

Our current form of society thrives on powerless people. The rich powerful people control us by making us powerless. They control us by making us greedy and selfish as well. They control us by preventing us from helping each other.

They've got us stepping on each other, fighting over scraps, like dogs.

To break free of that form of society, we need to help each other, and respect each other. Share what we have. Help people in poor countries.

When I say help people in poor countries, it is not because I want to be nice. It is actually a way of getting cheap labor to help our cause. If someone wants a RepRap but can't afford it, and you can pay a little to give that person access to a RepRap, our cause gains another person.

That is why my machine will be controllable via Internet. By doing so, it will gain many times more people than regular RepRaps. People won't need the money to buy the parts and materials need to build one for themselves, there'll have access to the machines without having their own.

People lack the vision to see how control via Internet will help, but just because you lack the vision doesn't mean it won't help. You have to learn to respect the creator of an idea.

As this thread seems to show, there doesn't seem to be a lot of people volunteering to make RepRap parts for other people, yet that is what the RepRap project is founded on. That is the bases of the project. Do we give up on the project because human nature doesn't seem to be helping it? I say, no! We simply adapt.

My plan is to create an organization which creates these machines. It doesn't require individuals to be so giving. It will sustain itself and even grow, while human nature is evolving and adapting to the new form of society.

Human nature has been very strongly influenced by the reward training of Capitalism. That reward training is what makes people selfish. That reward training will take a few years to wear off, and until it wears off, people will not be very sharing. People will continue to be selfish until that reward training wears off, so we must have a plan which continues to function and prosper even though people are highly selfish.

What we are doing is sort of like leading the way. Creating a new path, a path of giving and sharing. A very small number of us creating a new path will in time lead to more and more following this new path.

So, when someone says "can you make some parts for me", if you want to make a difference in the world, you say "sure", 'cause in so doing you are forming a new path for mankind. In so doing, you are leading mankind onto a new path. A path where people are not slaves. A path where people care about each other and help each other.

If just a few people are willing to do that, the RepRap project will help lead us into a new form of society. So if you want the RepRap project to work, than make parts for other people.

Mankind is right now like a gigantic flock of lemmings all headed for the cliff to jump off into the sea and die. Our system of society creates global warming, peak oil, poverty, massive environmental destruction and global war. Now we have nuclear weapons and if we continue on our current path, we'll either destroy ourselves with nuclear war, global warming, or destruction of our ability to grow food. If you study the history of nuclear weapons accidents, you'll know there's zero chance of mankind surviving on our current path. We were extremely lucky to have survived as long as we have.

So what I'm saying simply, is step off that path and get a few others to follow you. Walk the RepRap path, make parts for other people, and just maybe in time the rest of mankind will start to follow this new path. This new path is a path which does not lead to destruction, but rather to salvation for mankind. This new path will eliminate poverty, global warming, peak oil, environmental destruction and war. Walk a new path, and in so doing you'll be doing your part to save mankind.

Tony

Quote

As for Sid's comment, We're trying to create a world where people are equals, where everyone has what they need, and you're treating me like a lesser being.

Sorry Ant, never meant to,
all I wanted to say is that it's hard to make promises if you don't know what you promise.
See, most people who have a working machine are trying hard to improve it or make another one and as we can see clearly it takes a lot of time to make the parts for a darwin.
So not knowing how much time one have to spend to help you out will result in hesitation.
I myself need the help of a friend to complete my cartesian, and I'm waiting for him to take the time to help me out for month now...
Just because I couldn't tell exactly how long I need his hand and shop.
That's annoying, but it's mainly my fault.

But from what I've learned the hard way it is way easier to find someone willing to help if that one knows what he ought to do.

And yes...
it should be that everytime you ask "can you help me.." the answer is "yes of course.." but we're still too far away from that I'm afraid.
So your answer will be "help you with what?.." if you're lucky enough

Good luck, honestly.

'sid

[edit] now that I've read more of your post than that quoted sentence...
you're not talking to me anymore, do you?
Otherwise I had to reply

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/2008 07:56AM by sid.

Here's what my current design looks like. That might change though. It is welded steel construction, so not so many plastic parts. The sheetmetal is attached in the direction of the force, so it adds a lot of rigidity. It uses roller skate ball bearings for riding on the bars, one bearing fixed and the other bearing pressed against it with 70 lbs of pressure from a spring. The firmware will compensate for the inaccuracy of the bars.

[forums.reprap.org]

Also, it will have two vertical travel units, one very cheaply made with only a few pounds of spring loading, probably just rubber wheels pressing on one side, no springs. That second travel I'll make first and get it setup for 3D printing, and then I'll use it to make the parts for the rest of it.

This is my 3rd design, so as I said earlier, it might change

Tony