Spending some time contemplating the personal allure of 3D printing in the hobbyist (non industrial application) realm. I am not making general assumptions for every person. Just how I see what\u2019s happening in my experience.<\/p>\n
All hobbies are (or should be) a form of enjoyment of the time spent. Hobbies are all about available time and resources not required for daily survival such as food and earning a living supporting a desired level of life style. Not going into depth here. Just a comment that hobbies are a habit that that should be optional to basic needs. A time for play.<\/p>\n
For me, I always loved my life work. Supporting <\/span>my many hobbies was not the purpose of my occupational careers. But hobbies have always been a huge part of my self-identity. <\/span><\/p>\n Age 74+ and retired from all active income careers, I have lots of time and resources for play.<\/p>\n Ok, enough of that.<\/p>\n 3D printing is a newer interest for me. It\u2019s primary allure is the technical requirements of the process. All my hobbies are extremely technical. Mastering the technical and problem solving is the driving force of my entire existence. <\/span><\/p>\n When I become comfortable with a learned technical skill or ability, I begin to look for new challenges. (No more problems to solve, I suppose.) I am not good with doing the same thing again and again. That\u2019s how I moved into 3D printing. The cost of the printer toys became reasonable and I had plenty of time for learning how they work.<\/p>\n I am at a point now, of trying to understand what I should be making with a 3D printer. Not how to make them work. Not saying I have all variations of processes completely mastered, but I do have a total understanding and use of the required skills.<\/p>\n \u201cHobbyist use\u201d by definition, is NOT making a particular component for a commercial product. I end up designing and \u201cmaking\u201d what I call plastic JUNQUE. (junk) Ha! <\/span><\/p>\n Stuff not really critical for any particular need. It\u2019s not really junk. It\u2019s just nice \u201cstuff\u201d that didn\u2019t really have a need to be made. A lot of my Junque is given away, just to get it out of the house. My Junque is sometimes other people\u2019s treasure.<\/p>\n I have gathered and develop the tools and skills to make perfect printed parts. Now, I have to find a need for making those perfect parts. Plastic does have its limitations for what needs to be made from plastic.<\/p>\n When in 1975, I assembled my very first \u201creal\u201d hobby computer, An Imsai 8080<\/a>, I demonstrated it to my mother, who was visiting my home. I was proud of the LEDS I programed to blink in a sequence. She said, \u201cThat\u2019s very nice\u2026 but what is a computer good for?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Those words still ring in my head\u2026<\/p>\n My vision of the future was way ahead of its time.<\/p>\n That dilemma is nothing new. The original 3D printers (called RepRap) were justified by the concept they could be used to duplicate themselves by printing the parts from which they were assembled. A kind of \u201csustaining life form\u201d in a very loose interpretation. <\/span><\/p>\n The hobby of personal computer has come a very long way. Hobby level 3D printers have a long way to go to become as relevant as the personal computer.<\/p>\n I recently perused<\/strong> a prosumer (~$2000 level) hobbyist printer called a \u201cVoron2\u201d<\/a>. The brand identification offers several variations. It\u2019s not a 3D printer one buys off the shelf. It\u2019s a very technical build-it-yourself product. The potential quality of its printing abilities is highly dependent on the parts, skill, and quality of the build and builder. The designs are basically sound.<\/p>\n I have no desire to build a Voron. I just understand the attraction. I wrote perused<\/strong>, not purchased! ha!<\/p>\n Voron<\/a> is a \u201ccult\u201d of designers, builders and owners. Not a true business venture to sell high quality FDM printers. The best use of the printers that have been assembled, seems to be printing the plastic parts for the next builder. There are a great may parts required to be printed. There are also a great many parts in total!<\/p>\n Of course a good functioning Voron can be used for much more than self duplication. But the question remains, \u201cThat\u2019s very nice\u2026 but for what can it really be used?\u201d<\/p>\n What I see is the mission of the Voron is not offering a finished product, then looking for something to make. That\u2019s is definitely not the reason for starting a Voron project build. Since there is a very strong commercial market source, buying a commercial made unit makes much more sense (to me) than building a printer from scratch for an identified immediate specific purpose.<\/p>\n I was very active in another building hobby. Experimental Aircraft. (EAA) <\/a>The point of building your own real airplane is the building. Not a low cost way to own an aircraft. <\/span><\/p>\n I bought a 1947 Luscombe for far less than I could build an equivalent from scratch. It was perfectly airworthy due to FAA requirements of inspection and maintenance of all civil aircraft. And a TON of fun to fly!<\/p>\n The EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association)<\/a> is a type of cult, much like the Voron group. Flying your finished aircraft is definitely part of the fun, but it is the association of other builders and the camaraderie, is what it is really all about. I was an active member for 20 years and chapter 210 president for five of those years.<\/p>\n I have another parallel. The hobby of Amateur Radio. By it\u2019s very nature, it is a very technical avocation but also a very communicative one. <\/span><\/p>\n Building or buying radios to just listen is also a hobby (SWL) Short Wave Listener. I assume the SWL has pretty much fallen by the wayside. Commercial (and ham radio) stations will (would) send out confirmation (QSL cards) to people who report (from a great distance) hearing their signals. Not such a big technical wonder these days.<\/p>\n3D Printing<\/h3>\n
Personal Computer<\/h3>\n
The Voron<\/h3>\n
Aircraft Building<\/h3>\n
Amateur Radio<\/h3>\n