Is 3D Printing Useless???

[Kurt The 3D Printer GUY!!]

So - a buddy of mine back in NYC - from a NYC 3DS Max user group - I've been buddies with him for YEARS now - and, I tend to call him if I have a tricky Max question. 

Anyway - he loves to send me strange videos via FaceBook. But, him and my other buddies from the Max group - they tend to send me cool things that saw that was 3D Printing related - as they know it's my obsession. So - he sent me this video link today - and some of the 3D Printed items - all USEFUL Items - it was pretty cool:

     Useless 3D Printing? 

Ironically (or maybe not so ironic) - was the next video of a Big Arse 3DP - with a really COOL Print:   A Really Big Print!

TGIF!

-K

[Bryan Eckert]

Okay that laptop stand is pretty sweet. Might try to find it

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "3D Printing Tips and Tricks" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3d-printing-tips--...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/3d-printing-tips--tricks/c37296a9-59a2-4675-a5fd-a0bd2c56f0c9n%40googlegroups.com.

[3D Printing Tips and Tricks]

Guitar holder? Not!

Eventually it breaks and the guitar falls.

[Joseph Larson]

𝅘𝅥𝅮 Tale as old as time. ♫

I appreciate videos like this, but even those prints, you'll notice, were the flashy useful prints. None of them were "I used 3D printing to make a grommet that I needed instead of going to to the store."

IF you spend some time scrolling facebook, you might get the impression that everyone is in an amazing mood and doing great financially. But that's just not the case. What's really happening is people are only putting the stuff out there that other people want to see. Same thing with 3D printing. It 100% is useful, but those print's don't get he likes and views. But post a video of a self correcting coffee mug holder ("useful" in only the most generous definition of the word), and everyone goes "Woah, cool."

And I do it too. I didn't post about the fix I made to my phone holder because it was a cylinder of plastic with another cylinder around it. But it worked, and I'm happy with it. But the LED walking cane I made, you bet I told folks about that.

[Kurt The 3D Printer GUY!!]

Hey there Jo - Nice reply!

Yes - it's TRUE - the most Useful items tend to be the Less Flashy. And, like you - if I'm going to post a print job I did, online via Social Media - I'm almost never going to post the BORING print jobs - as it simply is NOT the Eye-Candy that the world wants to See!

{My last comment just reminded me about something. I actually came up with an Algorithm to allow Claude to have "Vision" this past week. It's in regards to giving him the ability to see a screen design layout - so he can get the code behind a screen done correctly and NOT have overlapping screen design elements. Yeah - this is in regards to my Database systems programming work. But, I shall not steer this off-topic - so, back to the discussion at hand...}

So - Jo - How DARE you Tease me with teaser comment -"But the LED walking cane I made, you bet I told folks about that..."- yet you leave me Hanging with Baited Breath...

Where's a pic or link to a video of this supposed Cane?!?!?

-K

[David]

It is not useless, but unfortunately has been imparted a view in <5 years that it is only useful for trinkets, toys, and items that have zero end-use application whatsoever.  I do not see this trend ending any time soon.

There are polymer AM technologies that still have end-use applications. However, the list of Engineers willing to use them is dwindling fast because all they can design around are budget machines, polymers and they have adopted a trinket mentality to a technology that now suffers greatly from an optics perspective. 

It can be hard to change views, but eith Polymer AM, it seems to be very challenging given the changes made in the past 3 years. 

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "3D Printing Tips and Tricks" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3d-printing-tips--...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/3d-printing-tips--tricks/053faa73-8104-45e2-9b3d-17ea8f6ae802n%40googlegroups.com.

[Kurt The 3D Printer GUY!!]

David - the Title of this posting was made more as a Joke. As nobody who knows how Obsessed I am with 3D Printing - could possibly take this posting Subject line as serious - just sayin'...

Now, to contradict one of your points. In fact, the core of the business behind the machines sold by VisionMiner is to actually produce USEABLE Parts. Yes - generally printed in more exotic materials like PEEK & ULTEM & Composite versions of those materials. 

Even CF Nylon parts have their usage - as Viable parts. Now, I WISH I could share a pic of the particular part - but, the printing of these particular parts at VM is very much under NDA. I will only say - they nicknamed them as "Piano Parts" - because they way they look. I will say - they are big parts - like maybe 12"x18" each, they are used in Pairs, and they charged the co.s a Pretty Penny for them. I don't remember their selling price - but, it's in realm of like maybe $250-450 a pair. And, the co. gets them in large sets - I think last batch I worked on was like 10 pairs! The last detail - it's used for Drilling rigs - not sure if it's Oil or Water - but, I think maybe it's for oil drilling. 

So - YES Indeed - there are polymer FDM printing or parts that are Very, VERY Useable items. Also, although not generally FDM - co's like Shapeways have been printing things for customers for YEARS now - and I bet at least 75% of the customer printed parts are useable items and many probably STILL in use! 

-K