Here are some weird things you didn't know could be 3D

This really stunes my Beiber...

Political power grows out of the nozzle of a 3-D Printer.

3-D Printer Ping!

You know what's the absolute worst? Knowing you're having a baby but having to wait a whole nine months to see whether it's going to be cute or not.

All babies look like Winston Churchill anyway.

Well unless they are black then they all look like obama

Good to know the obligatory picture is back. Vundebar!

"Talk about your childhood wishes
You can even eat the dishes..."

… what can you actually do with your overpriced 3D printing equipment?

Problem is, what can you make that you can't easily and cheaply buy? Still pricey, except for prototyping parts. One good idea I read is to buy a bunch of ten-foot PVC tubing (real cheap), then 3-D print all the connector joints you need in order to build the framework for small structures such as greenhouses. Better print with ABS if for outdoor usage, as PLA breaks down (made from sugary plant products). If ABS connectors are glued inside PVC tubes, they should last a long time outdoors.

When can we 3D print a beer?

I prefer the blonde babe.

She’s still around. Maybe after my printer comes?

I would love that. You can find just about every type of connector online, but they’re expensive. The parts for a trellis I wanted to build would’ve totalled almost $200!

(I’m thinking of using screws to attach PVC caps to a block of wood to make the same connectors. It’ll take longer, but it would fit my budget better.)

I’m really hoping 3D printer prices drop even more soon. I’d like one that can work with both plastics and metal, so I can prototype some of my inventions.

You can find just about every type of connector online, but they’re expensive. The parts for a trellis I wanted to build would’ve totaled almost $200!

PVC bends & stretches easily when heated with a heat gun, gas burner or charcoal fire. Get a coiled spring with an outside diameter slightly smaller than the pipe which you need to bend.

Tie a piece of cord to each end of the string then use this cord to position the spring inside the pipe. Heat the portion of the pipe you need to bend then bend to the appropriate angle. Cool the pipe with a wet rag then pull the spring out for the next bend. (this is much easier than the old method of packing the pipe with sand, then plugging the ends.)

Connect your custom bend with ordinary "Ts", "Els", and Couplings. Lowes & Home Depot also have 4-way crosses in some sizes. If you need 3-way corner fittings those probably will have to be ordered online.

Schedule 40 PVC in sizes from 1/2" through 1&1/2" can be heated and pushed inside/over the next larger/smaller size so you do not need reducers. Solvent weld as usual.

You can also make T's, El's etc at home.

General - making pipe fittings, air chambers, etc - part 1

PVC bends & stretches easily when heated with a heat gun, gas burner or charcoal fire.

I've done that with a propane burner, gently heating a PVC tube to get the correct bend. I did that for underground water piping for irrigating my garden. Connectors do add up to a lot when doing many connections.

I had a greenhouse a long time ago that fell apart so I tossed it out (rusted metal pieces). I figured that if people own 3-D printers, why not put them to use to make the connector pieces. For a structure, you're not concerned about making a watertight connection, just something strong enough to hold pieces together under load. Should be relatively easy to create designs that minimize amount of material printed that gets the job done.

I'm planning on buying a 3-D printer soon. Just trying to figure out what I'll create beforehand, in order to decide which model to buy. PLA is easier to print. But ABS is stronger, more flexible, doesn't break down as easily however it is more difficult to print (warp issues).

If you want to start inexpensively, build your own 3D printer. Here is a recent article.
http://www.computerworld.com/slideshow/detail/128090
“5 cool 3D printers for less than $500”

Though not mentioned in this article, I really like the Rostock/Delta design. Steve Graber’s “Cerebus” looks great and affordable. You can build it to print with ABS, PLA, Nylon, Carbon Fiber filled filament, Wood filled filament, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmuobEa7Tt8&list=UUn8_8lCxnFYEPLXFlKSxRCQ

https://github.com/grabercars/Cerberus

Steve uses the magnetic ball joints developed by Werner Berry. Very innovative!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6PLHl0HHq8

Thanks for the tips! I’m filing them away for later.

Unfortunately, with the trellis I’m working on, bends wouldn’t help much. I need a strong cage-style frame, but taller and wider than any of the ones I’ve found at the store, preferably in a block of 8, and strong enough to hold 100+ pounds of tomatoes and vines. The design I think would work best would require several 6-way, 5-way, and 4-way corner connectors. I found a place that sells all that but for more than I can afford. For now I’m still thinking that attaching caps to blocks of wood would still be the best alternative. It’ll look like a giant lego set, but it’ll work.

And hey, who doesn’t like legoes?

CROSS CONNECTORS - PURLIN CLAMPS FOR GREENHOUSE

Dutch Bucket Tomatoes

He has lots of good ideas on growing tomatoes by the Dutch Bucket method.

Thank you both for the tips. I’d rather buy an assembled 3D printer, as my time is spread thin. Once I do, I have some ideas for making some greenhouse parts, that would also work for a trellis. When I did have a greenhouse, I had overhead string supporting my tomato vines. Now, I envision making some plastic bars with multiple holes and a hanging loop on either end. The loops would hang on horizontal supports (probably PVC). Wooden rods would go through the plastic bar holes reaching across the greenhouse. Plastic clips would hang on the wooden rods and support the strings. I’ll make all the plastic parts with a 3D printer. Greenhouse will be built with combination of round wooden posts, and PVC tubing. Ellendra, I would like to hear of your trellis designs and how it works out, thanks!

Over a month ago I mentioned I was in the market for a 3D printer. I bit the bullet and bought one, and it's working out very well for me. Originally I had planned on buying a Makerbot Replicator 2 or 2X. Well, those were going for $2500 to $3000. They just announced a price reduction a couple weeks ago because of a newer model, so the prices dropped to about $2000 to $2500. Still expensive.

On eBay, I ended up buying a CTC 3D Printer with dual extruders. It's a clone of the Makerbot Replicator printers, and uses the same software and setup. It does everything the real printer does, far more cheaply (about a third of the cost). Of course, it doesn't have the same ease of setup and support, being the support is some Chinese guys. These guys put several up on eBay every day with a starting bid a couple hundred less than Buy-It-Now. Don't bid more than the starting price, keep trying on successive auctions to get one at starting price. I've been downloading object files that others created, and sent them to print on my printer. It works great. Among them are connectors for 3/4 inch PVC tubing. I also bought 1kg spools of ABS plastic filament, goes between $19 to $24 a spool (stores sell it at $45 and up).

Works right out of the box, after setup and downloading free software. I've been printing brackets and tool items for my workshop, things that are very useful. I'm a believer in 3D tech now! Mail me for more info.