User:Tms54

1. useful: Toothpaste extractor (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:29335) Who doesn't want one of these? Just think about how much time humans have spent sliding mostly empty toothpaste containers against the edge of the counter.

2. artistic/beautiful: Julia Vase #004 - Bloom (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:28050) If you saw this in a store I would cost many dollars. It shows all those traditional vases what's up with it's awesome curves.

3. pointless/useless: Steak - (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:28675) It's a steak you can't eat... It also seems to me that there are better uses of plastic but maybe it's a good paperweight or ornamental dinner setting.

4. funny: Spine Candle Holder - (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:27560) SPINE CANDLE HOLDER! What kind of reaction do you think it would get? I personally laughed when I saw it.

5. weird: Chinese Throwing Spork - (hire-shuriken) (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:28638) I like the idea but no doubt it is weird. Throwing spork? Throwing stars are sharp and all but could a throwing spork really do that much damage? You would have to sharpen the prongs a lot.

Blog post 2

1.Do you think his goal of a ‘self-replicating universal constructor’ is feasible? What remains to be done to achieve this, or alternatively what would prevent such a goal?

A “self-replicating universal constructor’ in its complete sense is not feasible in my opinion. Printing circuit boards or growing substrate layers is a process that needs a very controlled environment and a home is not a place to create ICs. Printing metal although it would be very hard would I think be doable. The idea of having a pick a place machine is doable but the amount of equipment need and maintenance could be a large concern for the average user.

2. The phrase “wealth without money” is both the title of his article and the motto of the reprap project itself. What does this phrase mean? (To him and to you if they differ). Discuss implications, problems, and possibilities associated with this idea.

It means that you can have what you want without needing tons of money because you can just print it. It’s like fine artwork: the original might be hundreds of thousands of dollars but you can just print a replica on large paper for under a hundred. One problem the author discussed is that people will just print everything ever and that creates a lot of waste. The leads to the issues too that if something breaks you would just print a new one instead of trying to fix it.

3. The Darwin design was released in 2007. It is 2012 now. Imagine future scenarios for RepRaps and their ‘cousin’ 3D printing designs (Makerbots, Ultimachine, Makergear, etc.) how do you think the RepRap project (community, designs, website, anything and everything) might evolve in the future? Describe as many scenarios as you can envision. Due Sept. 13

There is the possibility of the project failing. I do not think this will happen because of the community following. It could also keep evolving at the rate it currently is and grow huge were in maybe 10 to 20 years people will have 3D printers like they have paper printing printers. It could also just stay as a scene project and grow only slightly. In last two I think there will definitely be improvement but the rate depends on demand.