First 3D printer on sale for use in the home

[Still Waters]

Electronics retailer Maplin is to sell the first 3D printer for use in the home.

Priced at £700, the Velleman K8200 will allow customers to print anything they want, provided it is below 20cm cubed. For example, if you want a new mobile phone case or lose a chess piece, you can simply print another one.

The technology has been hailed as the future of manufacturing but previously only been sold to professional printing companies.

http://www.telegraph...n-the-home.html

[Taun]

I'm saving up my money to get a Makerbot Repliator 2.... right at $2,000... but it's the same model we use at work... Do I need one? Heck no... Do I want one? Oh yeah!...

[rashore]

I this the first printer for sale in the UK? Because they have been available for a few years now in the U.S.

We have outgrown our cupcake, and are anxiously awaiting the delivery of our Replicator 2. My hubby has been chomping at the bit to print off his powerstrip, lol.

Edit: read the comments on the article, it is UK, and first high street retailer... What's a high street retailer?

Edited July 8, 2013 by rashore

[Taun]

I this the first printer for sale in the UK? Because they have been available for a few years now in the U.S.

We have outgrown our cupcake, and are anxiously awaiting the delivery of our Replicator 2. My hubby has been chomping at the bit to print off his powerstrip, lol.

Edit: read the comments on the article, it is UK, and first high street retailer... What's a high street retailer?

I think a "High Street Retailer" is the equivalent of 5th Avenue or Rodeo Drive type "High Prestige Retail district" - though of course I could be mistaken...

Edited July 8, 2013 by Taun

[Space Commander Travis]

I've no idea how these things work. You can't make things out of paper, can you? Are you supposed to like load it with plastic or something?

I think a "High Street Retailer" is the equivalent of 5th Avenue or Rodeo Drive type "High Prestige Retail district" - though of course I could be mistaken...

High Street is just a generic term for town centre or center shops.

Edited July 8, 2013 by Colonel Rhuairidh

[questionmark]

I've no idea how these things work. You can't make things out of paper, can you? Are you supposed to like load it with plastic or something?

High Street is just a generic term for town centre or center shops.

Mostly they make an object out of plastic according to 3d input from a CAD program. Lately famous 'cause somebody made a gun receiver with one.

[rashore]

I've no idea how these things work. You can't make things out of paper, can you? Are you supposed to like load it with plastic or something?

High Street is just a generic term for town centre or center shops.

Yep, you can print with plastic, it's the most common type. And there are a few plastics that are used. You can print with food like chocolate or frosting, metal, paper, ceramics... Of course the extruders are different for different materials. Like you don't use a plastic extruder to print chocolate, ect..

And thanks for the explanation about what high street is

[Taun]

We use it here at work to print model aircraft to be used in Table Top Simulation Labs (model airport and control tower)... We use to pay about $8000 for the models - per set

(and we have numerous table top labs)... Now one spool of plastic stock will print 200 aircraft for about $75.... (takes a lot of time though)...

Edited July 8, 2013 by Taun

[Space Commander Travis]

Yes, there was some controversy about a Gun you could print recently, wasn't there. I'd wondered how that was supposed to work; a paper Gun would be on the same level as the choclocate kettle for usefulness, I was thinking.

[questionmark]

Yes, there was some controversy about a Gun you could print recently, wasn't there. I'd wondered how that was supposed to work; a paper Gun would be on the same level as the choclocate kettle for usefulness, I was thinking.

well, it is not paper...

instead of ink little droplets of plastic are deposited row after row until you have a 3d model of what your CAD program inputs the printer.

I will find it very useful for foundry model making.

[rashore]

Yes, there was some controversy about a Gun you could print recently, wasn't there. I'd wondered how that was supposed to work; a paper Gun would be on the same level as the choclocate kettle for usefulness, I was thinking.

Lol, you wouldn't cook with a chocolate kettle, you would fill it with other edibles. Food printing like that is for art. Though some folks are tinkering around with printed meat too, for regular eating. As far as I know, paper printing has been more for art than for useful objects too.