Up until a week ago, that would have been a no, now it has one. Hello the few but more than 1 people who will read this blog.
Forum
I know of a few people who have started work on a plan B. I have had a few people who have offered to help with both Plan B and future projects. I am really happy with this help and support and hope I can help create something here. To keep the knowledge gathered from this out of my mailbox and get it on the magical place that is the internet, I have opened a forum. I hope I can gather a group of active people who will help me prevent my forum from becoming yet another forum on the internet with an update frequency of only once every 3 months.
The forum exists for a few reasons.
- I have my prop projects. These are somewhat more popular than my functional projects, and I know of a lot of people making these, or buying them from other people. I LOVE to see what you have made. There will be a topic for each prop, where hopefully you will be so kind to share pictures and tips of the prop you have made. (Also suggestions would be great here)
- To gather all the information that is acquired on 3DP printing (and perhaps other powder and 3D printing techniques?) in one clear place. All knowledge here will be bundled up into the next generation(s) of open source 3DP printers. Work is already begun on the 3rd generation and technical input would be great here.
- To ask questions about the site in general, specific content and future additions to the site (like the shop (still in progress)).
Find it here: http://ytec3d.com/forums/
3rd generation 3DP printers
Focus was a prove of concept for powder printing in general. It proved that 3DP printing was a viable technique for hobbyists. Plan B was a prove of concept for 3DP printing, it was built on existing and hacked technology to prove 3DP printing was really capable of producing parts. Now it is time to design something that can actually work for makers and artists. This printer will not be here next week, it will not be here next month, but I hope to have it next year.
I already gave a list of reasons why 3DP printing is still interesting. Full color, no support, reuse powder, varied materials. There is one other reason I forgot to mention. Cheap. 3DP printing powders can be made for as little as €2/kg (gypsum, sugar and maltodextrin). Binder can be made for as little as €5/liter (water and isopropyl). The only expensive part is post processing, but that can also be fairly cheap if you get the CA at the right place.
Some requirements for this new printer:
- Be at most €1500,- for a kit and €2000,- assembled;
- Full color compatible, for 3DP this means 5 colors;
- Be made as much as possible from of off the shelf parts;
- Be as user friendly as possible;
- Faster than Plan B, as fast as FDM printing.
The most important part on this printer will be the printhead. 5 colors with more nozzles, preferably not requiring any modification. There is only one printhead at this point which meets all requirements, the CN642A. This week I got my first printhead for hacking. I will start hacking shortly. The internet will probably know when I have succeeded.
You can find a more frequently and thorough updated progress report at the forum: http://ytec3d.com/forums/topic/step-1-hacking-the-cn642a-inkjet-printhead/
The 3rd generation printhead to be (hopefully)
Licenses
As some people will see now, every project page on the site has a license. At the end of each project there is this:
The project described on this page is licensed under the Creative commons - Attribution - ShareAlike license.
This means that if you want to use any information gathered from Ytec3D, you are completely free to do whatever you want with it. There are however 2 conditions.
- You will need to provide a link to the information gathered here and state that this is where this information (like files and knowledge) came from here;
- You need to post whatever you did with this information under the same license.
Do this, and you are completely free to do whatever you like. Sell it, improve it, modify it, (deprove it?). Don’t do this, and depending on what and where it is, it might be taken down. (I did it before, I’d rather not though)