3d printer

This page is about SkullSpace's eventual 3d printer (and hopefully, soon, about our current 3d printer)!

On January 23, 2013, Ron emailed announce@ to solicit donations for the printer. So far, we've had pledges of:

• $100
• $100
• $100

For a total of $300 of our $1350 goal!

Proposal

Hey everybody,

Ben Bergman knows somebody who's selling a 3d printer. He has pictures and stuff that he can post later, but for now, the important info is:

- It's worth about $1500 new, it's being sold for $1000 - There are 7 spools of plastic refills for $50 each (retail price is $65)

So basically, if we can raise $1350, we can buy SkullSpace a 3d printer! This is an all-or-nothing thing, so please email me off-list and tell me what you're willing to contribute (I'll personally put in $100). A few others at the Awesome Foundation meeting last night offered to put in, as well, so please let me know who you were.

If we manage to get enough donations to make the $1350, we'll go forward with this. Then plan would be to leave it set up at the space, and maybe take it with us to special events if it's mobile enough (I don't know much about this stuff, obviously). It would be free for anybody to use, but we'd ask for donations for material (like the drink machine fund).

Here's Ben's proposal, from the Awesome Foundation site (reprinted with implied oral permission, not express written permission): -- I would like to purchase a 3D printer to use in my open hardware projects. Open hardware is where all the design files for recreating some physical object are fully published and available to anyone that wants to recreate it with whatever changes they want. To facsilitate the spreading of the open hardware movement and the utility of 3D printing, I would like to bring this 3D printer with me to public events where people can try it for themselves and see what is possible with this up-and-coming technology. The ability to quickly create a prototype object greatly improves the ability to bring an interesting project to fruition.

When not is use at events, the 3D printer would be located at SkullSpace, Winnipeg's hackerspace, to grant easy access for others interested in 3D printing and open hardware. SkullSpace has open events multiple times per week which would make a good time for non-members interested in these things to drop by and try things out.

There are other organizations that have 3D printers available, but their memberships can be prohibitively expensive for hobbyists or people trying to start small side businesses. Easier access to one of these tools will aide in the creation of more great devices and local businesses. --