Re: [tlug] 3d printing

[Travis Cardwell <travis.cardwell@example.com>]

On 2014年06月06日 21:33, Simon Cozens wrote:
> I'd like to make some cookie cutters. If I were back in the UK, I'd
> find a friend who is a member of London Hackspace and get them to print
> it out on their communal 3d printer. In Japan all I can find are
> incredibly expensive commercial services. It seems like Tokyo
> Hackerspace doesn't have a 3d printer, but does anyone else know of any
> similar style shared-access printers, or indeed, anyone with a printer
> knocking about in need of print jobs?

I was just at FabCafe (mentioned in another reply) yesterday, to use their
laser cutter!  They have some small 3D printers there.  If it is
convenient, you might want to drop by to discuss your project and
determine your options.  (If you want to go there, email me privately if
you want an introduction to the technical staff.)

http://tokyo.fabcafe.com/en/

The Tokyo MakerCamp was held at MONO, a coworking space in Odaiba that has
a number of 3D printers.  If you can go on a weekday, the price is not
bad: only 2,000 yen for the day (plus materials)!

http://mono.jpn.com/english/

Maker's Base, a coworking space in Meguro, has a number of 3D printers as
well.  It is not as cheap, and note that you have to take the training
course before you can start using the machines (by yourself).

http://makers-base.com/

You might also want to check with your municipal government, as I have
heard that many 3D printers are available for use in order to encourage
innovation.

The 3D printers in Tokyo that I have seen so far all use Fused Deposition
Modeling (FDM) [1], and I have not been very happy with the quality or
speed.  For example, expect it to take hours to print a single cookie
cutter!  A good alternative to using a 3D printer yourself is to use an
online service such as Shapeways, which has higher quality output.

http://www.shapeways.com/

With Shapeways, the (shipping) fees can be annoying for small orders.
Some members of Tokyo Hackerspace are thinking about pooling orders in
order to share the fees, however.

About your project, be sure to use an appropriate material.  Food-related
objects should use food-safe plastic, but that is generally not a concern
for amateur cookie cutters since no heat is applied to the plastic while
it is in contact with food.  If you want to be able to wash the cookie
cutter with hot water, however, you might want to avoid ABS and PLA
plastic, which is what most FDM printers use.  With Shapeways, you can use
food-safe ceramic or stainless steel.

Cookie cutters are a popular project, by the way.  Here are some links for
inspiration:

http://www.wired.com/2012/12/3-d-printing-cookie-cutters/?viewall=true
http://www.shapeways.com/search?q=cookie+cutter
https://www.google.co.jp/#q=3d+printing+cookie+cutters

Cheers,

Travis

[1] A brief introduction to 3D printing:
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/things-know-buying-3d-printer/