Any Sumpod feedback yet?

you can post on the forum now so i think we should move all the discussion there. a update from me: i received mine in canada and i am number 9.

I wonder when my free Sumpod will arrive [Richard PM me for my postal address details - cheers] from all the free publicity I helped generate.

Nice apology.

lob Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder when my free Sumpod will arrive from all
> the free publicity I helped generate.


You sure you want it? I mean, what with all the MDF it's made out of and everything? Why, you'll have cancer in a week and probably be dead before Christmas!

I see the sumpod website is down again,.. what's the story here? Has Richard solved his production issues, or did only a small number of sumpods get shipped?

sum day
sum where
sum how
maybe next sum-mer
when sum site is not down
sum more or
sum one
might, to sum-marize,
get their sumpod
maybe

Mine arrived here in the USA yesterday afternoon. Will put pics up by the weekend. - Eric

Just out of interest, do you know which number you were?

erickphd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mine arrived here in the USA yesterday afternoon.
> Will put pics up by the weekend. - Eric


Just out of interest, do you know which number you were?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2011 05:40AM by thip.

thip Wrote:

> Just out of interest, do you know which number you
> were?

=> he is #34

if you look at the first campaign from 4 months (!) ago (http://www.indiegogo.com/SUMPOD-3D-PRINTER) and compare the usernames you will see he is around #34.
funny fact here is that some people with a lower number haven't received theirs yet.

3rd indiegogo campaign is on halt.
richards website is down

does ANYONE have a working sumpod printer?
has anyone heard from richard in the last 3 days?

3rd campaign was "halted" after the goal was reached. Main reason being is that further SUMPODs will be sold direct from the main site. This is due to costs of using IndieGoGo but also to ensure all production problems are sorted properly.

vitamine, I would be interested why you are interested? One thing that I find odd is the number of people who have no interest in SUMPODs yet pop up to try and put doubt where there is none.

It is possible to visit SUMPOD HQ, many have. It is also possible to talk to me directly? Some have.

It would be nice to find out why some feel the need to make things harder for a startup. I see most don't care if SUMPOD succeeds as they have bought another machine, so why the problem making? I didn't think the reprap forums, given what the philosophy is, would harbour such negative people.

Its like I see that one person is doing their best to try and scare people off buying filament from one supplier? Why? Over some photos?

I think the SUMPOD is a great machine that unfortunately has had some production problems, mainly a large industrial cnc machine not working properly from August. If you bought a machine you will understand why this is a problem. It needs to be routed accurately.

I cannot wait for feedback from the ones who have bought one and also the time to work on the addons promised in the first campaign. Lathe, drag knife, dual extruder, eggbot, all which are quite possible given the hardware and simply implemented. Hardware that is a step above some of the usual offerings. Aluminium pulleys, 10mm linear bearings, high torque nema 17 motors all round, trapezoidal drive screws, lcd, and full mega and ramps setup.

Also its probably the strongest hobby machine, given its build, for three times the price.

Its like Lob and his comments. Not even the decency to apologise. Maybe that's the reprap way. I dont know.

Maybe instead of innovating I should have bought a cheap mendel and sold cheap copies. This would have cost less and been less stressful. Unfortunately not my way.

No point in doing something if its not better in some way. Even if only 100 buy one.


Richard

WOW Richard you have NO CLUE. This is an open community that polices its self. When one person clearly makes statements they can not uphold or do something completely against the good will of all the people involved. WE TAKE OFFENSE. Maybe try making less promises and produce the first run of machines. Quit telling people your machine is the best in the world when you can't even get the first order out of the door. Maybe use you amazing, better than every other machine on earth machine to help make your machines. Stop making excuses and produce a product and this entire thing will disappear. But no you keep asking for more money, keep making wilder and wilder promises of the machines capabilities and yet you can't even show a working machine. You sir make this entire project look bad for those of us who are doing this to make a better world not just PROFIT.

---

FFF Settings Calculator	Gcode post processors	Geometric Object Deposition Tool Blog
Tantillus.org	Mini Printable Lathe	How NOT to install a Pololu driver

Yes it was about profit.

So someone used photos to illustrate their product and you think it normal to post in every thread.

Have you used the filament.

This is also an open community in which the people who shout the loudest gain the most attention. By all means people can complain and voice their opinions, I'm all for free speech, but it works better if everyone can try to speek in a civilised (and possible sane) way. Please just go and read the things that lob and duncan have said, I'm sure you will be able to see how crazy this thread has gotten at times. It has dragged the tone of this thread down. People seem to forget that the readers of these threads are human too, and that not everyone who produces a product is some faceless corporation. I believe that Richard's aim for this project was to create a quality product for an affordable price and he has held true to that. In fact, I think that many of the delays have been related to that. If soldiering on and producing something that you promised even with the production setbacks, unforeseen difficulties and at least two people behaving in a way that could only described as abusive, DESPITE having the full ability to simply give up with absolutely no consequences (go and read the indiegogo small print) does not scream integrity, then I dont know what does. I would not be surprised if people think I'm just the other side of the crazy fanatics, but at least I've put money in, had numerous communications with Richard and got a unit out of it all. I am away from home at the moment but rest assured, I will post feedback once i have mine put together and running, for now I will say that what I have done so far leads me to believe that the SUMPOD will be everything that Richard claims it is.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2011 05:29PM by thip.

common thip, it is both funny and sad what's been going on here. No, I'm not a troll. I'm all for new startups with new and novel designs. But eventually when things don't add up, sometimes a bit of humor is what's called for. And someone has to call a spade a spade - thank you Duncan. I don't think people should buy a sumpod until a) the current funders get their sumpods, and b) they provide feedback on it working as expected. If some of us skeptics have helped someone who was thinking about buying a sumpod decide to put this on hold for awhile, wait and see, then I think we've benefited the community. Compare the sumpod startup with the eMaker startup: JM has had production problems also. People have provided some negative feedback over assembly instructions, drill holes being the wrong size, etc. Does JM delete forum posts, take his website down constantly, etc? No. He answers posts, tries to fix any problems, tells people about delays, gives reasonable expected shipping times. In my case he sent me a replacement part for one I broke (probably partly my fault). People already have working machines, and are taking about successes and problems on the forum, helping each other out. I do honestly hope sumpod is a success, but things just don't seem to add up at the moment. Why, for example, if the cnc machine is the main problem, does Richard have a funding campaign for cnc machines? Surely, he could just build a new CNC machine for the purposes of finishing of the current backlog of orders??? Why does sumpod.com keep going down? You can update a website without it going offline for days (or weeks.) Weird.

btw since Richard seems to have trouble building a new cnc machine - despite the fact he's selling them - maybe he should use some of his small fortune he's raised and buy this kit:

[www.probotix.com]

again thanks for the apology.

i understood from some of your posts that you have a hidden agenda. i and others have been amused at your wild accusations and your need to be involved.

regards trouble building cnc machines. i have no problem building them and in hindsight would have built my own. you just dont go around modifying £3500 machines if you want to keep the guarantee.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2011 06:22PM by progomez.

The thing is he DOES answer our questions and keep us up to date by email and phone. If you have not ordered a machine you will not be getting these communications and as such, you will not have the full picture. The reason the forum goes down and posts are deleted is because it is constantly being assaulted by someone with nothing more than a malicious agenda. Duncan asked for his money back, he got his money back. it should have ended there, but instead he decided to bombard Richard with baseless accusations of fraud. Would you have the energy or inclination do deal with these all the time when all you want to do is finish a project that keeps running into unforeseen setbacks? I dont think he has made a small fortune yet. Net income does not equal net profit. Funnily enough there are costs involved with building things. Intact, when someone tried to do the costing for a sumpod earlier in this thread (I think it might have been duncan) it came out as being more expensive than Richard was selling them for. I haven't the energy to go on much more but for the benefit of those who have not ordered, here is the last email Richard sent regarding the current situation:

Quote

Hello,

This is an update on the shipping situation. I have sent tracking numbers to all campaign one members who I had enough information to book the courier. Anyone who has not received a tracking number from campaign one who is not having the machine built by prior arrangement please resend/send me your address details including a valid telephone number. I cannot book if the number is incorrect.

I will also be starting on the second campaign and will be changing how I cut peices. At the moment, due to cutting offsite, I made batches of parts. I will start making full machine sets. Although probably slower this will ensure I can send SUMPODs hopefully daily from the beginning of next week. I will spend some of the weekend redoing the drawings.

Sorry for the delays.

Also the site will be back up soon.

Thanks

Richard

Please note: I am in full agreement with you on one aspect, lob, that this is not for everyone. If you need a 3d printer and you need it right now this is not the one for you. However if you are prepared wait for the issues to be ironed out, and can appreciate that this is one man trying to make his ideas a reality, then this is shaping up to be a brilliant piece of kit.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2011 06:37PM by thip.

All he needs thip is to employ a basic spreadsheet:

item quantity price total

the item could be bolts, washers, postage, funding site charges, mdf, etc.

For example, The mdf component

*mdf per machine: 1.2 m2
mdf sheet size: 6 m2
machines per sheet: 5 [divide sheet size by mdf per machine]
Orders for Round 1: 33
mdf sheets needed: 6.6 [divide total orders by machines per sheet]
waste: 1.2 (20%): 7.92 [multiply mdf sheets needed by 1.2]
Rounded: 8 [round up to whole]

Item: mdf sheets quantity: 8 Price: $80 Total: $640

REPEAT for every single item.

The item in bold is at the top of the spreadsheet and is copied. Thus you can work out the cost for 1 or 100 machines just by changing this figure, and it will change all the subtotals and totals all the way through.

At the bottom of the spreadsheet, add another 10% margin to the total just to be on the safe side. Then add whatever profit margin you want. (Too high then obviously you might not get many sales.)


*Obviously this would be calculated on a separate sheet by adding all the sizes of each mdf part together 0.2m x 0.6m etc


This stuff is not rocket science. Did Richard just make a guesstimate regarding his overheads and likely profit margin?

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2011 07:21PM by lob.

lob thankyou for your help. would you like a signed photo. im flattered by your constant attention.

hi thip, when did richard send that because i did not get that message and all my question regarding manual goes unanswered for a few days now so ill just ask here instead. many pods have been sent but still no complete manual to get it running and i am sure there are people that want to know if it can run and if there is a quality problem. my build is about 30% complete and is sitting there untouch for a week now. the latest email i have is that you mention some will come with manual so shouldn't be too hard to make a digital copy.

No! I want my free sumpod for all my helpful publicity and advice goddamn! However, I don't want to actually ever receive it. That would spoil the constant joy of anticipation as well as not allow me to rant and rave on forums like this every now and then. No, just send me updates and emails ever few weeks saying stuff like: "early next week....waiting on some parts....cnc machine is almost operational again...your tracking number is" etc.

i would send you one but wouldnt want you to suffer guilt pangs.

sypher sent you pointers on the software. you said you had completed the build?

I was out at a national technology conference in Washington, DC the second half of last week but to answer the previous question, yes, I was campaing one, #34 and yes, I did receive a machine last Tuesday. Since getting back this weekend (and partially snowed in on Saturday in the US northeast) I've been sorting out the kit and getting the MDF pieces primed. They are all done and the second coat is curing today, so I can start the real build and documentation. I have the RAMPS board all done as well.

First, as an engineer, despite others' criticism, let me say there has been a lot of thought and engineering put into the kit. as Thip said:

" that this is not for everyone. If you need a 3d printer and you need it right now this is not the one for you. However if you are prepared wait for the issues to be ironed out, and can appreciate that this is one man trying to make his ideas a reality, then this is shaping up to be a brilliant piece of kit."

I tend to agree. This is not a plug and play kit but will take some patience to work through the details. However, it is clear that frame is very rigid and with ongoing refinements from Richard and those in the build community, I suspect that it will perform very well. Everything was there and packed in organized groups of parts. So far I'm very pleased with what I received for the pledge. And, as I am using this in a manufacturing class at my college, the value to my students is very good.

I'll be posting a blog to complement other ones already out there rather than try to duplicate things from scratch. And if others have questions from this current Sumpod bulider, feel free to ask. - Eric

this is definitely a bargain for the amount of thought and effort that has already been put in but until we get it running, it is only a potential product for me. thumb up for the design atm. btw, i am still waiting for that email richard.

I have started posting my SUMPOD build instructions and suggestions here: www.renaissance-engineer.net

Part 1 of the build sequence is now in a PDF file, freely available for download. More to come in installments as I get time to edit and polish things for publication.

Feel free to provide constructive criticism and suggestions for any additional information. While my unit is not completely finished, I am pretty close to the end. - Eric

looking good so far and this is something that i expected as a manual when i bought my sumpod. can't wait till 2,3, and 4. really like those close up shot and maybe use a less distracting background but keep it up. it is shaping into a great community and thanks for taking the time to do this.

Part 2 is now posted which completes the mechanical build, other than the hot end. That is next on the agenda. - Eric

Hi All,

Just adding myself to the list of people whose SUMPOD's have arrived. I was part of the original campaign and mine arrived today.

I'll also post pictures and updates once I get going on the build.


Thanks Richard!

Hi All,
my SUMPOD have arrived today.
I was also a part of the first campaign.

Regards
Oti

mine (first campaign) arrived today aswell.
i made a video unboxing the single extruder version.
sumpod unboxing video
more videos will follow. right now i'm done sanding (took me 90 minutes) and will apply the primer now.