Re: I need someone to print something for me. Willing to pay.

[Cymon]

I recomend posting on makurze.com in the services wanted board. It's a growing community makers and people wanting things made. You'll get more than just makerbot operators.

Be sure to mention you need them printed in food safe PLA

On Sunday, January 13, 2013 7:04:28 PM UTC-7, Drew Johnston wrote:

Hi Guys!  I am not sure if this is appropriate to post here as this is my first time dabbling with Makerbot but I am in need of someone's services. I need to have a Cookie Cutter printed.  I was able to create the Makerbot file by using this: http://www.cookiecaster.com/

I have the file ready to send.

Now, the reason why I can't just use, cookiecaster.com, is because I need these as party favors and need about 60.  That website charges $27 each and that is way out of budget. 

Hiring someone to custom make traditional cookie cutters out of aluminum is proving to be more difficult than I though so I am trying my luck here.

If this is the wrong place to post this, does anyone know where to right place is? Thanks.

[Cymon]

I don't know which cookie cutter you were thinking of doing so I just went and downloaded a recent one. Ninja turtles. Smallest size, thinnest walls, not even sure it'll print like this, but RepG is estimating 18 minutes with .27 layer height. When I did a medium settings cookie cutter the time went up to 53 minutes. So multiply that by 60 and add some for fiddling that's the commitment you're asking from someone. Either 18+ or 60+ hours.

On Monday, January 14, 2013 9:29:13 AM UTC-7, Cymon wrote:

I recommend posting on makurze.com in the services wanted board. It's a growing community makers and people wanting things made. You'll get more than just makerbot operators.

[Drew Johnston]

AH! I see.  Darn.  Thank you for educating me, I didn't know about this.

[Cymon]

I'm very curious what you thought when you asked for this?

[Drew Johnston]

I thought that maybe it takes around 5 minutes to print something like this. I saw demonstrations at Comic Con and on the Colbert Report and it seems like even if 5 minutes was crazy for me to think, it still wouldn't take close to an hour.  Keep in mind, this cookie cutter is 3 inches tall and is pretty much an outline of a shape, not a solid object. I also figured that a roll of the material could produce like 20 and I know the rolls are $48.  Sooooooo  I thought I was in the neighborhood of $200-$250.

--
 
 

--
Drew Johnston
7tic...@gmail.com

[hellphish]

I will say that 20 minutes seems excessive for a simple cookie cutter. I just sliced the pi.stl from http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:33096 and I'm looking at a 9 minute print for one at 60mm/sec, 17 minutes for two. Send me your model and I can give you a more definite answer.

--
 
 

[Joseph Chiu]

The time to print will depend on layer thickness and the complexity of the part.  Without the actual stl in question, it's difficult to say for sure.    Given that it's a cookie cutter, the surface quality might not be so important, so one could probably save time by keeping the perimeter and shells running at full speed.   I just recently did a 3.5" tall, 1" diameter thin-walled cyliner with a solid-ish top (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:42215)  -- that was 15 minutes with a .3 layer thickness when printed at 30 mm/sec...  So I don't think Cymon's numbers are out of whack.  It partly depends on the quality you're expecting...  

Shouldn't this be done in certified food-grade plastic, though?

--
 
 

[hellphish]

Certified food-grade plastic doesn't mean squat unless your entire hotend and filament drive is food-safe as well :)

I'd agree that surface quality won't matter. My numbers were at 60mm/sec with .3mm layer height.

[Drew Johnston]

I'm on the road right now but will post the Stl file as soon as I get back. But all I did to make the Stl file is I went to cookiecaster.com, upload the image I am linking below, and then did magic trace. Takes 30 seconds. Ill do it and upload when I get back though.

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s259/sh/7ad25c31-8536-41e6-9376-4349221ee291/aec904e31f4d03399a7a96a42ced1fc9

Please excuse typos; Sent from my iPhone

--
 
 

[Sun]

This is quite interesting as I did print cookie cutter before for my friend and it took me about 1 hour and 20 minute.  It was this model

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:14540

One thing about 'food grade' or 'food safe', isn't it basically pointless as long as a single component involved is not 'food grade' which makes whole thing not a food grade?

Also when I use plastic mold to mold anything food-related I would use plastic warp or non-stick aluminum foil as it makes everything whole lot easier.

Keep us updated, I would like to see how it turns out for you : )

-Sun

[Joseph Chiu]

Well, I guess my thinking is that if one "flushes" the extruder long enough, then the incremental contribution of "non food grade" stuff is minimal, while the principle object being made would still be food grade.  What I'm not so sure if a good idea is to have the actual stuff that is in mechanical contact with the food be non-food-grade if it were to get chipped, for example.

I'm sure I'm mostly being overly cautious...  But I feel better that way....

--
 
 

[66tbird]

I did a bunch for xmas and it was about 20 min for the print run 110/130mm/s with a .2 layer. Basically it was two an hour. Oh, then the six test shots till I found the settings.  Thank you for the cookie cutter link, sure would of saved me time.

[Drew Johnston]

Okay. I have attached he .stl file to this post.

The thing about food safe is that, since cookiecaster.com claims their stuff is foodsafe, I figured everyone has the same material. I guess I'm wrong or cookiecaster.com is maybe stretching the term "food safe" to fit their needs.

To me, something being "non food safe" is when the material used has a characteristic that harms the food and such characteristic can be removed by washing or through some other method. In other words, that characteristic is permanent to the product.

[Joseph Chiu]

Well, there's "this stuff should be safe if it touches your food" and then there's FDA approved plastic materials...  

--
 
 

[Drew Johnston]

I know this is besides the point but you could probably put serane wrap between the cutter and the cookie and still cut the cookie but not the wrap.

Please excuse typos; Sent from my iPhone

--
 
 

[Eighty]

I live with a health nut, so you'll never see a printed cookie cutter in my house. But since husbands and wives are obligated to disagree on things, I have to take the side of "what's the harm?"
If it was a container that sat for a week with food in it, and maybe was used in the microwave, then I could see it.
But a cookie cutter makes contact for a whopping 5 seconds. And that's if you're a perfectionist about cookie cutting. Heck, I'll eat a cookie off the floor if it's been less than 10 seconds. And that definitely isn't FDA approved!
So is it really that bad?

[Jetguy]

This is the dumbest argument. You guys do realize that there is a
percentage of rat feces, insect parts, and general dirt in FDA
approved food products. I think the plastic you use to cut the dough
before it's baked shouldn't even make the list of worries. Seriously,
people use rusty steel antique cutters and don't care, why in the
world even take time to think about the plastic that any chemical will
be baked out of the food anyway? We have bigger problems in this world
to waste brainpower on. You don't think the 350F or 400 F of the oven
will gas off any remaining particles or chemicals that weren't gassed
off by the extruder at 230C?

Do you think a store bought item is only shipped with food safe items
in the container ship from China? Then further, you assume the factory
in China is clean along with the entire source chain they use for
plastic? No there are rat turds all along the way. It gets fumigated
at the port with some god awful chemicals, then stored on a dusty
shelf in Walmart. Let's not pretend somehow then that something that
was extruded in front of us in relatively controlled conditions is
less safe than the above scenario.

[Bottleworks]

I believe I can help you. Email me and we can talk further.

[Drew Johnston]

Wow. You know, when you put it that way your 100% right lol.

Please excuse typos; Sent from my iPhone

> --
>
>

[Bottleworks]

Wow...I agree with Jetguy. I never thought I would ever say that.

[Jetguy]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20013038-10391704.html

[Justin Leone]

Generally speaking, PLA is food safe, insofar as it doesn't, by itself, consist of anything innately harmful.  Chances are, you could swallow it and be just fine.  Being FDA approved is another matter entirely, and would require not only the plastic, but the dyes used to color it, the factories producing it, and the printer it's printed on to all be checked out and certified by the FDA.  So that's not going to happen with home-printed objects.  That said, undyed PLA is about as safe and inert a plastic as one can ask for, and I can't imagine it being dangerous if it briefly touches cold food which will then be baked.  So it's sort've a "we have to say 'use at your own risk', but really, there's no risk" sort've situation.

Also, I wouldn't put them in the dishwasher, in any case, because they'd probably deform.

[whpthomas]

+1 for what Jetguy said,

What about the fact that the hand soap runs out in the gents room at said bakery and no-one bothers to refill it for a week - how often do they even wash those cookie cutters if they are using them regularly throughout the day?

[Joseph Chiu]

Touché! Point conceded. :)

--

[Dan Newman]

 Heck, I'll eat a cookie off the floor if it's been less than 10 seconds.  And that definitely isn't FDA approved!
So is it really that bad?

Dude… 10 seconds.  That's bad: the germs only count down from 5 in my house,

Dan

[66tbird]

I'm so glad we have someone here that will say what most just think. I just pass usually on these types of discussions because people can be extremely set it their believes and no amount of logic or value of experience will change their minds. Yet having the down to earth spelled out plainly surely has to help sway the borderline views to some degree.

> >  -- This is the dumbest argument. You guys do realize that  there is a

[Drew Johnston]

Thanks for all the help on this guys. I've emailed those that have offered to help. Crossing fingers!

--
 
 

--
Drew Johnston
7tic...@gmail.com

[Drew Johnston]

I just though I'd share this with you guys. Someone here was able to help me out: http://ohearth.com/c4.jpg

[Wingcommander whpthomas]

Oh - very cute!