MacEffects Appreciation Post

[caver01]

i don't know what else i would need to print

I used to think that same thing. I got my printer as a kit to learn and to print parts for an art installation idea I had. I have never use it to print knick-knacks (although people must because you see those models on the homepages constantly). In reality, some of the first things you print are minor upgrades to the printer itself—like a camera mount, or a case for the Raspberry Pi you setup for printing, or a better foot, or something to route cables, or attach tools. After just a few successes you begin to recognize the freedom to experiment, and then it happens: The 3D printer becomes the most important tool in the toolbox. Life proceeds normally, only now you start to see the world with an engineer’s mindset. Something breaks around the house and you fix it yourself. Inconveniences now make you wonder—could I print something to solve that? Am I the only one to run into this problem? Most of the time someone else has already solved your problem and uploaded their STL.

3D printing has become an incredible problem solver in my house. I have paid for the minor investment MANY MANY times over with the challenges I have solved. It has also become a fun hobby and an excuse to connect with people like in this thread. And like any tool, it crosses domains into all of your hobbies, thanks to beige filament, clear filament, and old computers with missing parts!

 

[Dave928]

Dave928 said:
PCBway did send other emails, mostly about parts being too thin in certain areas and they wanted to print them thicker or add support. so they do put each part under "engineer review" (for whatever that's worth in China).

Wow!
If PCBWay really will alter the STL in all the right places to make the excessively thin parts thicker, then that is a huge win for the customer! JLC won’t do that. JLC just tells you they either can’t print the part or you the buyer need to accept all risk of possible deformation!

so I should clarify my ealier statement. they sent another email. I misunderstood that they would print it thicker when what they really meant was for me to edit the file myself to make the parts thicker and re-submit the file. I have no way of doing that. but they do give you the option to accept the risk that it might not print correctly or break in the printing/shipping process. if some non-appearance part like a bluescsi bracket shows up with a crack in it, I can always glue it.

 

[JDW]

More bad news with JLC. This is the 2nd night in a row I've stayed up to 1:00am only to see they still are refusing to accept my payment, saying their printing capacity is maxed out.

 

[Dave928]

they can't be like a normal business: take your money and put you in the queue?