Re: Re: Homebrew RP?

Randolph Lee wrote:

>
> From: Randolph Lee <boss@...>
>
> >From: Andrew Werby <drewid@...>
> >
> >Message: 2
> > Date: Sun, 18 Jul 1999 10:06:12 -0400
> > From: Randolph Lee <boss@...>
> >Subject: Desktop Rapid Prototype
> >
> >As far as I know there Are only a few companies doing Desktop Rapid Prototype
> >
> >I saw one of them in action a few years ago At EasTec...
> >http://www.sanders-prototype.com/main.html
> >It does work like (and is about the same size as) an inkjet
> >printer... putting down 2 types of plastic (for the part itself and
> >for the undercut support... that latter can be dissolved away) after
> >each pass the main trick is they run a planer blade over the surface
> >Between each pass to create an exact thickness for each layer... they
> >were selling rebuilt Modelmaker I units for about $2000 last
> >winter... might be worth contacting them to see if they had any
> >left...
> >
> >[They laughed when I asked about that- these things go for $40k used, and
> >$56K new. Too bad- I was seriously tempted. They do seem to get some pretty
> >good surface detail, if the photos on their site are to be believed. I'm
> >sending off for an actual sample. ]
>
> Humm Well I have PR material from them dated 1995 that quotes a price
> of $20,000 for the the first version of their 3D printer and I think
> that price included an IBM PC... and while I may have disremembered
> the Price I saw last year on the used versions of their first unit
> and just chopped a zero off the original price in my mind... on
> further reflection though I am sure that the web page I saw last year
> was not asking for more than $5 or 6 thousand... what I am not sure
> of is if they were selling them or it was a 2ed party web site I
> found with a search engine... memory is tricky thing and as I get
> older I seem to be less and less able to rely on it... sorry if I got
> your hopes up on this.....
>
> the 40k to 56k sounds right for their current and much larger Version
> that they have sold for the last few years
>

This is a quote from an email I just received from them;

"Yes, a refurbished ModelMaker 6PRO system is available at $39,900
(originally sold for $54,900). The technology is identical as in the
ModelMaker II, but the build envelope is a 6 in. cube. The system comes
with all the items listed below for the MM II."

The new version goes for $66,900.

A little out of my price range. Unfortunately I'm nowhere near
qualified to experiment with building something like that but it seems
to me that the control would be relatively simple. The difficult part
would be the inkjet or whatever they are using to spray onto the
powder. Possibly the Stereolithography method using a photo cureable
epoxy resin with a laser to cure it would be easier, see
http://www.bath.ac.uk/~en7bnd/rp/stereo.htm

Al