As a redux of a plan I had in May, I'm now back on track with building a 3D printer. Spurred on by the release of MakerBot's awesome Replicator 2, it was either saving up and waiting until later next year, or hacking my own together now. Being impatient, the latter seemed appropriate.
Part of my logic is that I can quickly solve problems and technical issues with projects I have outstanding, by virtue of custom-making the parts I need and hopefully producing a better finish all round.
It also means I can quietly add to my stack of projects, but claim they're just sample print pieces when they fail or languish.
I also joined DEMU, a great resource for information (and detailed technical data) on diesel and electric traction, with a great deal of information on the on-track plant equipment I find myself drawn to (probably being bright yellow and a definite appearance of function over form).
I'd already heard of DEMU, but seeing them at the Warley show on Saturday and some amazing samples of printed parts (a pair of incredibly-massively-amazingly EMU detailed bogies) was just the shove I needed to join. I plan to make good use of their drawings for accurate modelling and printing of vehicles I've been trying to find desperately.
I've started sourcing parts for the printer, so it's probably time to start writing up the build in more detail. Even at this stage, there seems to be a whole range of technical issues to contend with before I even get hands on with building it.
I'm not sure how a 3D printer will solve my problems, but I just know it will...
To quote the Underpants Gnomes;
1. Underpants
2. ?
3. Profit
