REPRAP COST EFFECTIVE?

I love gadgets and stuff like this machine. and I want one. but I have
to know how much I would use it an if it would be cost effective.

An example: A part I make for a company is a spacer. It is 0.500"
thick, 1.625" by 2.500". there is 1.125" hole centered on the piece and
2 0.1875" holes one on each end. They cannot be wood or metal so that
means plastic.

Can any one give me an idea of what the cost of materials and time to
make the parts.

I realize that the faster the machine is the more they cost.

I have a prototype probotix V90with a 8.5" X 12" XY axis and 3" Z axis
OR a Sherline CNC milling machine that I could probably convert.

How fast could the part be made and how expensive is the material.

I would love to justify building one.

OR

Can some one suggest a better group to ask this kind of question?

BOB


Ron Thompson wrote:

>
>
> The price is coming down, due mostly to lower part count designs and
> Arduino based electronics.
> And print quality is improving due to better software and smaller
> extrude size. The more people who get involved, the faster the
> improvements.
>
>