I just got the quote back from the prototypers…
…
I now know why I have to build this thing as soon as possible.
This is going to be a slight spanner in the works – nothing new though. It is almost a year since I decided that I would like to build myself a 3D printer, and in real terms I am still not a whole lot further than I was then. I had time to work through some ideas, with a lot of plans scrapped before even attempting to build.
The thing is, I will soon have electronics. I have the motors, belts, pulleys, microswithes galore, power supplies, and the wooden extruder I made a year ago. No going back now, with or without the printed bits I needed.
Still have to say I am very surprised at the quote I got for 3D printing the STL for the experimental hinge. It is designed to be strong with the least amount of plastic, and would not have taken excessively long to print. This is probably one of the main reasons why there is so little R&D happening in my country.
I only recently found out about the Reprap, but have found this website, that sells a fully assembled kit: http://www.netram.co.za/3D-Printers/Makerbot-Thing-O-Matic.html
What is the difference between these printers? It sounds as if most interested parties in South Africa are struggling to source parts – in others words, a long-term project full of frustrations. Would you perhaps recommend a complete kit such as the one on the site I mentioned?
Hi Jaxstax,
The Thing-O-Matic (TOM for short) is a very nice little printer, and it is the printer that put Makerbot on the map, so to speak. At the time when I started the whole process there was no easy way to get one of these in SA, and I started on the long hard road already. By the end of the year I should have kits for my printer available for interested parties, especially to South-Africans that have to endure the discrimination of the exchange rate.
By all means get the TOM. I have had excellent service from Netram (they sourced my Arduino Mega) and that should get you printing stuff in no time.
PS: I am building up a list of RepRAP friendly suppliers during this first build, that might help people following in my unsteady footsteps…
The problem is not so much that the stuff is not available. It is more about where to look, and that the demand for these items do not warrant active advertising at this stage.