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RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers

Posted by casainho 
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 06, 2010 04:54PM
The reprap materials page puts the parts cost at $520. It allows £15 for RP parts. They currently cost £160 or less on eBay, so that is an extra $223 making ~$750, which makes it still the cheapest 3D printer if you buy the bits from different sources. You pay a lot of money for somebody to collect all the pieces together and make a full kit, but then that is quite a lot of hassle.

Quote

Should everyone take many months to build a RepRap? does they need to have tools for/know about mechanics, electronics, firmware and software?

Yes I think so. It took me about a month of my spare time to make mine with a lot of experience.

So Mendel is cheap in terms of parts, but expensive on time. That is always the trade off with DIY and why only enthusiasts or people that can't afford the alternative do it.


[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 06, 2010 05:36PM
I still think this sucks because there are a lot of people working but everyone is working for his side. OpenSource community may be big when compared with small companies as Makerbot, such a big community would be able to make the best 3D printer, no? but that is not the reality! A small company/group of people (3??) as Makerbot ended up with one printer more accessible than the one(s) made by RepRap big community.

The good thing is that they still are OpenSource, they can take advantage from work/development made by unorganized RepRap community and earn money :-)

I guess the same as UP printer (although not OpenSource) , they wrote that they follow RepRap community. I am sure they are selling UP printer for $1500 and earning a lot of $$$, they did lowering the price to be just equal to Makerbot CupCake CNC or RepRap Mendel. I am sure they can go lower, but as good business, they should sell at/earn the maximum as possible :-)

In future, I would prefer to work on an organized team, be it an OpenSource project or a small company as Makerbot. RepRap community is unorganized and for me that sucks because as I think/learned that RepRap have the worst printer(s) from market because of that unorganization.


---
New cutting edge RepRap electronics, ARM 32 bits @ 100MHz runs RepRap @ 725mm/s:

[www.3dprinting-r2c2.com]
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 06, 2010 05:51PM
I must have missed the point right from the get go. I thought that Reprap was a project not a product. And here I thought that Mendel was a step in the evolution of this project. How can you compare it that way. It doesn't cater to it's customers because it doesn't have customers. It's just a growing group people from all over the globe trying to leave their little mark on it. Whether it's a major innovation or an update on the Wiki, there is a chance for anyone here to say: I did that......

I must say I find myself a little disgusted at the comparisons made between Mendel and Cupcake. I printed several Mendels on my Cupcake, “I should say we, there are three of us” .I spent so much time cleaning cobwebs off of the prints. I spent so much time nursing that little wooden hobby toy along to a maximum 33 millimeters per second while it tried to shake itself to pieces. It took numerous modifications to even achieve that speed....... Crazyglued bushings, “Priceless”......... Captivated nuts cutting through soft plywood end grain like a knife through warm butter....... What were they thinking? How to keep them tight? I ended up gluing all the wooden parts together. I bought their first heated plate, glass on silicone. What a joke, unfortunately the joke was on us. We were out the Seventy five bucks. I ended up making my own. And then That Freaking Extruder. I saw mention of the MK5, looks kinda like a Nophead knockoff to me.

I have a tray that I print on my Mendel, I start it up, make sure the fist layer goes down OK and then I walk away. Nine hours later I come back to forty six shiny little Mendel parts ready to pop off the plate “ready to use”. There's no cleanup, well a little trimming on the bottoms here and there. People look at the parts and say WOW are they ever nice. People looking at the Cupcake parts would ask: What's with all that stuff stuck all over it “ie cobwebs”.

Our Mendel prints at 55 millimeter per second. Do any other machines run that fast?

By the way Casainho Our Cupcake is now a Mendel....... Thank goodness. The only reason that we bought a Cupcake in the first place was to print the parts to build a Mendel.... because there was no other option at that time.

So you have problems. I think we've had more than our fair share as well........”With both machines”
I see that you posted about nozzles. I made my own, drilled the tip with a .016” drill bit that I bought from a local hobby shop. There's no need to go any smaller than that.
I'm not engineer, I don't have much in the way of education at all, but I managed to make a whole tube and nozzle assembly on a cheap old drill press. It.... actually two now, never plug or fail. I posted a picture. Nobody responded...... whatever. Between the two we've now run nearly 30 lbs. of ABS in the last few weeks. In the big picture that's not a lot but it's a pretty good sample run, I think.

Getting frustrated is understandable, we've been there too.
But to call Mendel the worst is a blatant lie.
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 06, 2010 06:26PM
You keep saying it is the worst, but it is the cheapest and produces prints better than a CupCake and probably the same as a RapMan.

Quote
casainho
NopHead, and you maybe could say why are not using RepRap electronics, firmware and software! I am sure that if they were good, you would use them.

Historically, at the time I found the project it was using a token ring of PICs , full step bipolar stepper motor controllers and an open loop DC motor. I knew that would never work well, so I designed my own electronics using parts I had laying around. Since then reprap has gone through many generations, but in that time I simply updated my extruder controller from DC motor and shaft encoder, to a microstepping stepper.

Since then there are many more design decisions that I don't agree with, like the decision to use gcode, so I have continued to use all my own stuff. It is quite primitive in the sense that it does not have a GUI with jog controls and a 3d view. I simply have a script that makes an object. Having recently watched the videos here I could not believe what a faff it is to do it the way Adrian does.

I should do a comparative video.
When I reset the machine it homes.
I run a script telling it to make an object specifying the file and the plastic and the bed. It warms up the bed and the extruder which takes 8 minutes. When they are both up to temperature it moves the nozzle over the edge of the bed and extrudes for a few seconds and plays a sound to prompt me. I pull the dribble off the nozzle and hit a key. It makes the object, cools it with a fan and them moves the bed to the front and waits for me to pluck it off. That's it, job done. I occasionally clean the bed with acetone.

If I want to make several objects together I position them in AOI, union them and save as a gts, which I then slice.

No bells or whistles, but it gets the job done reliably. I find scripts are much more powerful for automation than GUIs.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/2010 06:30PM by nophead.


[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]
sebastien, as i saw you discussing mediawiki on the mailing list, maybe i can share these links:

  • [gitit.net] , a git-based wiki written in haskell. it has a clean and simple interface.
  • [wiki.bildr.net] , a wiki for diy and electronics, focusing on the integration of components.
  • semantic mediawiki , an extension allowing to embed properties like weight, license and author on mediawiki pages.
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 06, 2010 07:01PM
casainho Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I still think this sucks...
>
> In future, I would prefer...

But this is the problem with everything you are saying! You are expecting everyone else in the very large global RepRap community to work the way you want them to. It should be clear by now that it is not going to happen.

At this point it seems to me that you have two choices: You can accept that RepRap development as a whole is never going to be quite as organized as you would like and dive into the chaos and try to make things better from within the chaos, or you can give up and buy the universally-agreed-to-be-inferior Cupcake and go complain on the Makerbot list. It's already clear that neither path is going to satisfy you fully, you only need to decide which is more important to you: Short term ease or long-term quality.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/2010 07:02PM by kludgineer.
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 06, 2010 07:19PM
This is an interesting discussion I would like to add my thoughts to.

1/. RepRap could be made to be a lot better than it is at present.

Here are my Ideas on how to make it better.

Using all the know how & Experience gained over the last 2-5 years of rep raping.

A basic simple 3D printer design could be created lets call it Basic RepRap.

Basic RepRap can print all the parts needed to build Huxley

Basic RepRap uses only materials and components that any one can build or buy no RP parts.

Basic RepRap is low cost low tech simple to install software no bell no whistles it is only designed to print a Huxley.

As many bought in parts as possible can be re-used in Huxley.

2/ The software and hardware design of Basic RepRap is frozen locked it is the starter machine the seed.

Any one or his sister can make it and install the software an print Huxley parts.


3/ The cost of Basic RepRap should be in the region of £150 to build from scratch.
Pocket money price that the partner of the builder will not need lots of persuading to approve the expenditure.
Keeping the price within the range of buy your self a present ability.

From my experience and reading those of many many others over he last two years it is the fluid nature of the open development environment that is causing the many disillusioned experiences as its a forever ever changing project.

Making a common starting block for new users that provides instant gratification from the get go of the build.
We will achieve the goal of spreading the use and idea of printing your own self replicating self modifying ever evolving home use 3D printer.

As to one of the comments earlier regarding using replicatorG on Mendel I don't think it is that easy.
The communication protocol has now been changed to this:-

[docs.google.com]

1/ the V2 G3firmware can not be built using Arduino in Windows.

2/ Even using the recommended configuration as described here [wiki.makerbot.com]

For Windows using

* The avr-gcc compiler and library
* avrdude, a tool for uploading hex files
* scons, a build tool

Still results in a failure to build the firmware.

3/ I need to re-build as the hardware I wish to use is not supported in the ready made builds.

4/. Even using the correct hardware and the ready made builds I fail to get a working system due to RS485 communication problems. Which seem to be quite common reading the forum and google user group. As yet there appears to be no tip or trick to solve this problem or any kind of indication as to what could be causing the problem.

It looks like it could be a known problem by the number of RS485 test applications found dotted all over the Makerbot source code.

Saying that though the ReplicatorG software package is the bees knees it is well documented easy to use and by far the best candidate for a Basic reprap machine according to the forums it will soon support 5D printing.

I forgot to say all other rep rap development activity remains the same as it is now every getting better and improving the vision. May be we should also make each older machine IE Darwin frozen projects in same sense as the Basic RepRap machine would be frozen.

For example new user builds Basic RepRap then they can choose to build Huxley or one of he fully working fully documented frozen machines or the latest cutting edge machine which could be Columbus or Ifel or RepOla.

So there you are my 2p worth..


Bodge It [reprap.org]
=======================================

BIQ Sanguinololu SD LCD board BIQ Stepcon BIQ Opto Endstop
BIQ Heater Block PCB BIQ Extruder Peek clamp replacement BIQ Huxley Seedling
BIQ Sanguinololu mounting BIQ standalone Sanguinololu or Ramps mounting Print It Stick It Cut it


My rep strap: [repstrapbertha.blogspot.com]

Buy the bits from B&Q pipestrap [diyrepstrap.blogspot.com]
How to Build a Darwin without any Rep Rap Parts [repstrapdarwin.blogspot.com]
Web Site [www.takeaway3dtech.com]
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 06, 2010 10:07PM
In future, I would prefer to work on an organized team, be it an OpenSource project or a small company as Makerbot. RepRap community is unorganized and for me that sucks because as I think/learned that RepRap have the worst printer(s) from market because of that unorganization.

Likewise. But we're RepRap. Sometimes, drive-by uploads like Frank Davies' Saurrus Linkage, Nophead's deep stealth electronics smiling bouncing smiley, or your EMC stuff blow away anything that would be on Adrian's (fictional) roadmap. Heck, look at the gada prize "Let's reinvent every part of the toolchain" stuff. eye popping smiley



I propose that you go for a long walk, brainstorm on paper, and then organize a working party in reprap-dev with a focus on one of RepRap's weak spots.

I would suggest either
1: improving reprap-host. Bug hunt and Improvement.
2: smileys with beer your emc stuff. smileys with beer
3: Mendel mechanical fix. Let's polish it until it's a glowing gem!

Please pick one, and I'll relay it on the blog, and then we can organize a team on something you know is important.
(Hint: emc for the win!)

This is RepRap. You're in charge, Casainho. smiling bouncing smiley


-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything! grinning smiley
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 06, 2010 11:13PM
I think that the statement "reprap sucks it is the worst of all 3D printers" has to be examined. He is saying it because he likes the idea of a polished product that you can buy and it works right out the box. But, any one with common sense would rather spend the same money to get quadruple the print area size. Who would pay for a 4X4 build area cupcake when, with a little more effort or money, you could get an 8x8 print size? Cupcakes were cool, but anybody wanting their first printer wants the max build area for the money. The fact is, go on youtube and search "mendel reprap" and look at all the videos on there of actual people printing and building these mendels. I think a more accurate statement is "reprap sucks - it's the worst of all 3D printers (because I'm too lazy to put in any effort to understand it)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/2010 12:40PM by jkelso.
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 06, 2010 11:58PM
I think a more accurate statement is "reprap sucks - it's the worst of all 3D printers (because I'm too lazy to put in any effort to understand it)

False. Casahino gets reprap, likes reprap, and is one of our lead developers for heated bed and emc-reprap. He wants reprap to become better and blow away competing commercial forks. He just wishes we were organized and disciplined. I can't blame him. But I don't think a road map will help us do it, because that road map will be a stop sign for the cool drive-by uploads reprap needs to mutate and grow. smiling bouncing smiley

I'm going to put on my crypto-facist control-freak hat and lock this thread in 12-24 hours, abusing my powers as reprap forum administrator. >grinning smiley<

Because we're getting good proposals in this thread, but they need to nucleate in their own new threads, and grow there. We really don't want new devs to have to wade through stuff like me bitching about our mildly forked documentation system, etc. eye rolling smiley



To all readers, expect a blog.reprap.org annoucement of an emc, reprap-host, support material, or mendel-mechanical working-party in reprap-dev, as soon as Casahino figures out what our mission objectives should be.

Or maybe Nophead will announce his deep stealth alternative electronics on blog.reprap.org. smiling bouncing smiley


-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything! grinning smiley
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 07, 2010 12:46AM
sebastien, as i saw you discussing mediawiki on the mailing list, maybe i can share these links:

Thanks, nonchalant noman, we really need something that acts as the front end to a bunch of developer's git stuff, with git->povray->wiki page. And we want an upload button of the front page of the wiki.

[*] [gitit.net] , a git-based wiki written in haskell. it has a clean and simple interface.
Interesting. I don't know haskell, but it may be worth looking into. I'm assuming that gitnet allows folk to upload xml files, unlike mediawiki. smiling bouncing smiley

I'm waiting to see what Bryan and Fenn have been working on.

[*] [wiki.bildr.net] , a wiki for diy and electronics, focusing on the integration of components.
That's some flavor of mediawiki. Interesting. I like the css skin they're using.

[*] semantic mediawiki , an extension allowing to embed properties like weight, license and author on mediawiki pages.
I've heard of it, and if we stick with mediawiki, we may want it.


-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything! grinning smiley
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 07, 2010 05:21AM
Quote

Casahino gets reprap, likes reprap, and is one of our lead developers for heated bed and emc-reprap. He wants reprap to become better and blow away competing commercial forks.

Undoubtly, he'll also swallow the fact ranting or sending long wish-lists doesn't help, but actually doing things. Huxley's page has already some sort of roadmap, so there's nothing stopping him to dive in there, maintaining this paragraph and refining things.

Quote

Because we're getting good proposals in this thread, but they need to nucleate in their own new threads, and grow there.

Ah, yet another guy trying to enforce others for a better world *sigh*


Generation 7 Electronics Teacup Firmware RepRap DIY
     
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 07, 2010 06:48AM
Traumflug Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ah, yet another guy trying to enforce others for a
> better world *sigh*

The only way that I see "to enforce others for a better world" is to create a company like Makerbot. RepRap is dependent from such companies, as for example the electronics boards were just source from Makerbot and now from a few other companies. I think the key is to do just like Makerbot, get the development/knowledge from OpenSource RepRap community and after provide the products ready for community consume.

In future I will help/participate on RepRap (enforce RepRap community for better world) by making a company and providing products that RepRap community is dependent. Inside that company I can define the roadmaps and organize the team.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/2010 06:50AM by casainho.


---
New cutting edge RepRap electronics, ARM 32 bits @ 100MHz runs RepRap @ 725mm/s:

[www.3dprinting-r2c2.com]
VDX
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 07, 2010 07:06AM
Hi Casainho,

i think it's more a kind of 'symbiosis' - the basic design of the MakerBot-electronics comes from reprap (Zach is/was in the core-team and run the www.rrrf.org then)

Most actual active companies selling 3D-printer-kits (except for f@h) selected (or 'froze') a specific version or derivate from the rerprap-'ecosphere', added some proprietary specifics or changed electronics and/or software, wrapped them in a case and start selling them ...

Even most of the progress this companies include in their updated versions was prior developed and discussed in the reprap-forums grinning smiley


Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 07, 2010 07:42AM
VDX Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi Casainho,
>
> i think it's more a kind of 'symbiosis' - the
> basic design of the MakerBot-electronics comes
> from reprap (Zach is/was in the core-team and run
> the www.rrrf.org then)

Right. Maybe that's because of all this I am being trying to explain, that Zach "leave" RepRap and created the company Makerbot.


> Most actual active companies selling
> 3D-printer-kits (except for f@h) selected (or
> 'froze') a specific version or derivate from the
> rerprap-'ecosphere', added some proprietary
> specifics or changed electronics and/or software,
> wrapped them in a case and start selling them ...

Right. Looks to me that for example, Makerbot continues to improve his printer and make innovation. Makerbot CupCake CNC is full OpenSource :-) -- and I understand why the laser cut pieces of wood instead of printed parts. The only big difference from Makerbot CupCake CNC from RepRap Mendel is the self-replication. However some Makerbot users already fully printed a CupCake CNC (Makerbot CupCake CNC self-replication) and are printing parts as the extruder.

I were trying to edit RepRap first page to include a link to RepRap self-replication CupCake CNC but I don't have permission. SebastienBailard, can you please put the link? On RepRap first page we can read:

RepRap is about making self-replicating machines, and making them freely available for the benefit of everyone. We are using 3D printing to do this, but if you have other technologies that can copy themselves and that can be made freely available to all, then this is the place for you too.

Since Makerbot is OpenSource and self-replicating, I think is unfair to not have a link to it and just for RepRap printers.


> Even most of the progress this companies include
> in their updated versions was prior developed and
> discussed in the reprap-forums grinning smiley

Nice to know! For some reason they "leaved" RepRap to focus on theirs ideas/printers -- and as I still believe, all of them are better than RepRap printers. Maybe that's the better way to go :-)

HEY! Even some other RepRap developers are doing this, like NopHead! That do not uses RepRap electronics, firmware and software because: "Since then there are many more design decisions that I don't agree with, like the decision to use gcode, so I have continued to use all my own stuff."

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/2010 07:57AM by casainho.


---
New cutting edge RepRap electronics, ARM 32 bits @ 100MHz runs RepRap @ 725mm/s:

[www.3dprinting-r2c2.com]
VDX
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 07, 2010 08:08AM
... but this all is also the main difference betweend democracy and more centralized/predefined political/sozial structures winking smiley

And one of the basic goals of reprap is 'democratisation of tools' - so think again, which options you'll have with a 'frozen' design, you can start perfectioning until it's really mature ... or with an undefined, chaotically evolving subculture grinning smiley


Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 07, 2010 08:19AM
VDX Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ... but this all is also the main difference
> betweend democracy and more centralized/predefined
> political/sozial structures winking smiley
>
> And one of the basic goals of reprap is
> 'democratisation of tools' - so think again, which
> options you'll have with a 'frozen' design, you
> can start perfectioning until it's really mature
> ... or with an undefined, chaotically evolving
> subculture grinning smiley

I prefer something between -- I prefer to have a "just work" 3D printer from which I can create many things on my free time and not take all my free time to just create one thing, the 3D printer. Makerbot is the best example, it is self-replicated and "userfriendly". It have the latest technologies advances that RepRap Mendel had, but on this case as "just work/just buy/easy DIY": Heated Bed and Wade's extruder.


---
New cutting edge RepRap electronics, ARM 32 bits @ 100MHz runs RepRap @ 725mm/s:

[www.3dprinting-r2c2.com]
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 07, 2010 10:29AM
I look upon Reprap as a research and development environment where ideas, problems, solutions are discussed and acted upon, and this has spawned spinouts, directly or indirectly, but I do think that Sebastien has done a marvelous job in opening up the whole site to be as all inclusive as possible, and hope to see it continue as a research type place.

We are here for enjoyment, to share interesting ideas and concepts, each of us has his/her own reasons perhaps, but
to be told what to do and be given a specific direction would be what many of us get at work, for those lucky enough to have a job that is.


Random Precision
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 07, 2010 12:56PM
I were trying to edit RepRap first page to include a link to RepRap self-replication CupCake CNC but I don't have permission. SebastienBailard, can you please put the link? On RepRap first page we can read:

The front page is fairly tightly locked down, Casainho. smiling bouncing smiley

Mostly so we don't have new reprap devs tinkering with it. And because we don't want reprap's entrepreneur-developers like Zack tinkering with it. RepRap is a marketplace of ideas, but some parts of it are a formal marketplace as well, and things can get strange.

I'd be happy to showcase that fellow's all-plastic CupCake CNC if he uploads the stl files to RepRap wiki where it naturally belongs. Since it is currently only in Thingiverse, a commercial fork of RepRap created by the RRRF, I'm not going to bother. smiling bouncing smiley

I'd rather showcase this machine on the side of the front page.
http://reprap.org/wiki/Pirated_CupCake

However, if Zach and Bre start maintaning that page along with the Gen 4 page, and mirrors the rest of their wiki along with RRRF's Thingiverse over here at RepRap, I'd be more comfortable with your suggestion.

Also, Zach has impulse control and integrity issues, and likes to play control and ownership games with his stuff. He used to work for vimeo.com, and he immediately conceived of Thingivese when he read about RepRap.

So, he joined RepRap's core team as the first step to creating Thingiverse.

The next step was creating the RRRF webspace. (the RRRF is a front company for Thingiverse).

Then, rather than helping build a vimeoesque replacement for RepRap's old twiki, (one with an upload button), the RRRF made sure that reprap research like sanguino and replicatorg is not part of reprap, which is sort of ... strange, but very useful if one's primary reason for joining RepRap was to create Thingiverse.

Basically, your standard Web 2.0 embezzlement scheme. sad smiley I'd forgive Zack if he'd embezzled mere money, but he was after our user-developers. (The most valuable part of RepRap is the documentation and the community, and most of that is flowing into Thingiverse's coffers.)

These days Zack really doesn't care what goes on here at RepRap since he's taken what he needs from it. Still, I find contemptuous gestures like this to be slightly irritating. And considering that Bre Pettis, who I think of as the RRRF's treasurer, likes to write nasty stuff about our documentation system and his fellow RepRap developers on Thingiverse's blog, so ... ???

So, considering all that ancient history, I'd prefer that the RepRap wiki front page point at projects in the wiki rather than point at the webstores of random entrepreneurs who tend not to upload files to reprap.

This includes the Gen 3 Techzone remix, The Gen 6 stuff, LaserCut Mendel and Issac, or your I'm also very interested in your new Unnamed Electronics all of which is neatly documented in the wiki. smiling bouncing smiley

Your suggestion does have merit, but considering other factors, I don't think we should do it. It's not fair to other RepRap entrepreneur-developers who are working hard to make RepRap better.



Nice to know! For some reason they "leaved" RepRap to focus on theirs ideas/printers -- and as I still believe, all of them are better than RepRap printers. Maybe that's the better way to go :-)

http://reprap.org/wiki/Pirated_CupCake has a much smaller build volume than Mendel, and it takes a lot more plastic to print one. But I agree it is much prettier.

I do think calling Huxley "RepRap III" is utterly silly; it is faster to print, but has a smaller build volume. Mendel Apollo might be a better RepRap IV, but I think it makes more sense to keep numbering electronics boards and stop numbering RepRaps.

ZetaPhoenix has proposed new electronics naming protocols, but I think he'll find it would be too much work for him to try to enforce:
http://reprap.org/wiki/Electronics_Naming_Conventions

Also, aside from Generic_Ethical_Guidelines, we're not really here to police each other's behavior.



HEY! Even some other RepRap developers are doing this, like NopHead! That do not uses RepRap electronics, firmware and software because: "Since then there are many more design decisions that I don't agree with, like the decision to use gcode, so I have continued to use all my own stuff."

Nophead does use RepRap electronics. He is just taking a ridiculously long time to document them in the wiki. The wiki is very patient, but considering the results he is getting, I personally am very eager to see that stuff more thoroughly documented in blog.reprap.org and in the wiki. grinning smiley



Casainho, I agree with you that some of RepRap's road map stuff and documentation practices are slightly crazy. You can bring it up in reprap-dev, but it's not really development, so it will probably get bounced back to this forum. The proper place to discuss RepRap Research matters would be a RRRF board meeting. If Adrian and I ever get an email invite to one I'll forward you a copy. smileys with beer


-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything! grinning smiley
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 07, 2010 01:01PM
By the way, I'll be locking this thread in a few hours. sad smiley

I find many of Casainho's suggestions or exclamations of frustration have merit, but I'd prefer that we start individual new threads or announce a smileys with beerworking partysmileys with beer in reprap-dev.

It will be more fun that way. smiling bouncing smiley


-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything! grinning smiley
Re: RepRap sucks -- it's the worst of all 3D printers
September 07, 2010 07:26PM
I'm invoking my dictatorial forum-admin powers and locking this thread. sad smiley

I feel many of the points brought here were valid:

* RepRap sucks at agitprop, aka "marketing".
* We have oodles of developers, all of them with a strong vision for what our Road Map should be.
* smileys with beer I think we should switch to Casainho's emc stuff; he's one of our lead developers. smileys with beer
* Not everyone is particularly courteous about uploading files to RepRap. (Our web infrastructure may be slightly lacking).
* etc.


-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything! grinning smiley
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