How to deal with the proliferation of 3d printed nonsense?

I'm becoming disgruntled at the proliferation and general acceptance of 3d printed low volume retail products.

I appreciate, respect and compliment the concepts and creative uses of materials. But I'm really struggling to bite my tongue with full grown adults marketing products that look like god awful shit and people actually buying the stuff.

I feel like it's an erosion of craftsmanship when things that could be made very nicely and affordably through any number of manufacturing processes are 3d printed, look like cheap fuck and folks actually by into it and support that.

Am I out of line with this?

Some items could benefit greatly by spending qty (5) minutes at a belt sander....

Yes no maybe?.
I have seen some really cool jewelry that was 3d printed, cleaned up, then cast in real materials. Clearly 3d printed when looked at- nice use of process.
Is this normal, above average? No.
Very rare.

I have yet to see people play with the g-code or cam process to make flow passes or anything outside basic slicer on gosh awful stl based geometry.

The process anti craft because you remove yourself from material; this is my theory.

I recently acquired a Prusa Mk3s printer. (Made in Czech Republic and wonderfully supported by the vendor) It enables processes that would be extremely difficult by any other means to complete and to do so in a economical and timely fashion. I invite anyone who has not actually had their hands on a 3-D printer and looked beyond the first pass slicing that’s done on some set ups to look a little more carefully and to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with someone who has some experience to learn what the capabilities are. For instance it is possible using a so-called “Sweep” process to make an adapter that will connect a square orifice to a round orifice that are in a different planes From each other. While I suppose a similar part could be machined using a five axis Mill from solid material, doing so would be quite costly and time-consuming compared to CAD drawing the part slicing it and then putting it into a reasonable printer. Making one offs this way is an excellent way to test a concept that might later be converted into an injection molded or cast item. Not too long ago I visited a Paccar factory not too far for me where indeed they were using 3-D printers to prototype complex parts to check for potential interference problems and assemblies in engine compartments cabs etc.

I personally am using the printer to make patterns for castings and find that there is considerable time saving involved in using such a process. And I will add that achieving an automotive grade finish on my patterns is necessary for them to work properly. This can be accomplished through a variety of processes but in my case is as simple as applying just a few coats of lacquer and just a little bit of hand sanding.

I don’t think using a 3-D printer removes one from the material as suggested above. It’s simply that you’re using a different material that has just as many quirks and nuances as any metal or wood that I’ve worked with. It is up to the user to learn those quirks and nuances so that you can make parts that aren’t “crap“

Denis

This sounds very much like a post someone would have made back in the day when folks started injection molding parts instead of hand crafting them out of a nice block of wood.

3D printing has its place, and the quality is getting better all the time. On the low end, If you are only make a few of something and crappy plastic is acceptable, I don't see how you can beat that with another manufacturing process on price/time/effort. At the other end of the spectrum, if you are making a cast titanium part in low quantities, I bet you'd be better off 3D printing a Ti part instead. Folks do keep trying to stuff it into places where it has no business though.

Garwood said:

I'm becoming disgruntled at the proliferation and general acceptance of 3d printed low volume retail products.

I appreciate, respect and compliment the concepts and creative uses of materials. But I'm really struggling to bite my tongue with full grown adults marketing products that look like god awful shit and people actually buying the stuff.

I feel like it's an erosion of craftsmanship when things that could be made very nicely and affordably through any number of manufacturing processes are 3d printed, look like cheap fuck and folks actually by into it and support that.

Am I out of line with this?

Click to expand...

Printed stuff is great for certain things. However, I believe that, like a lot of other stuff, it will find where it's needed and be excluded from where it isn't. My suspicion is that in the near future, shops will be asked if "you actually cut metal or just print the parts?"

Hold the fuck on, Whoa!!!!!!

I think there are phenominal uses for plastic 3D printing. Like making prototype to test fit for form and mild function, making complex patterns for casting and for one-off parts that your 3D printer is the best tool you have.

THAT IS NOT AT ALL WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE!!!

I'm talking about products, entire businesses in fact, based solely on 3D printed garbage looking shit. It's prolific in the automotive product realms.

Garwood said:

I'm talking about products, entire businesses in fact, based solely on 3D printed garbage looking shit. It's prolific in the automotive product realms.

Click to expand...

Got some examples?

I think part of it is in the pop-culture hype of it all. People will watch a Youtube vid of something being 3D printed and think "Oh, that's how it's done!" Now if I try to explain, milling, forging, molding, etc. It's like I talking calculus to them.

It's a recent symptom of an older problem. Why try when something so easy is right there? It's been compounded by globalization, the internet, and extensively by poor parenting and mentoring. The results are always the same. You COULD buy groceries and eat a balanced meal.... or you can go buy that tasty cheese burger! Oh, now you're fat and diabetic? Well that sucks...

jaguar36 said:

Got some examples?

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Example:


There are tons more, I will post more. You can't just search "3D printed products" or some such because these websites don't say their stuff is 3D printed. But there are tons of these businesses out there selling interesting products, but they look disgusting.

jaguar36 said:

Got some examples?

Click to expand...

there are things that can only be 3d printed.

jaguar36 said:

This sounds very much like a post someone would have made back in the day when folks started injection molding parts instead of hand crafting them out of a nice block of wood.

3D printing has its place, and the quality is getting better all the time. On the low end, If you are only make a few of something and crappy plastic is acceptable, I don't see how you can beat that with another manufacturing process on price/time/effort. At the other end of the spectrum, if you are making a cast titanium part in low quantities, I bet you'd be better off 3D printing a Ti part instead. Folks do keep trying to stuff it into places where it has no business though.

Click to expand...

In fact the Navy did just that when they needed to make a prototype closed circuit manifold for a deep sea diving helmet in order to reduce the amount of helium used during dives. For those who don't know, "closed circuit" means essentially the same as a "rebreather". They 3D printed titanium parts for the initial trials, intending to cast production units.

Garwood said:

Example:

Solvefunction

solvefunction.com

There are tons more, I will post more. You can't just search "3D printed products" or some such because these websites don't say their stuff is 3D printed. But there are tons of these businesses out there selling interesting products, but they look disgusting.

Click to expand...

Actually, while some looked pretty bad I scrolled through several of their products and zoomed in and some didn't really look much worse than many injection molded products. Also, several of them are hidden when installed so cosmetics aren't really critical. I suspect that many users will have a body shop clean up and spray larger exterior parts since these are after all mainly for Land Rover product$.

This reminds me of the JFK bust that looks like it is made of chewing gum stuck together. For some reason it is considered great art with a capital A.
Bill D.

Garwood said:

Example:

Solvefunction

solvefunction.com

There are tons more, I will post more. You can't just search "3D printed products" or some such because these websites don't say their stuff is 3D printed. But there are tons of these businesses out there selling interesting products, but they look disgusting.

Click to expand...

Wow, Those aren't even good 3D prints. You could do better with a cheap ass Ender than alot of those parts. They're not cheap either.

Bill D said:

This remind sme of the JFK bust that looks like it is made of chewing gum stuck together. For some reason it is considered great art with a capital A.
Bill D.

View attachment 370098

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Maybe it's just me, but I'd buy that, if it showed the splatter pattern out the off side!

Yeah, I know.... LOL!

What puts me off with printed plastic is that usable models can be made by hand, from bronze or steel, without electricity, without a damned computer. That the clueless prefer the leaf blower to rake or broom. It feels like humanity has become disabled. Too many chair buttocks, all-thumbs, and precious everywhere. Just look at them how they walk around with the magic little board in fingers and a big question mark in their face!

thermite said:

Not.

A ToyOdour Land Crusher.is not a Land Rover

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That's for sure the Toyota is reliable, the Land Rover is a endless money pit, always broken down or about to break down in five minutes..

How to deal with it? Just chill out and ignore it. Have a brew or glass of wine, kick off your shoes, and enjoy the good things in life.

Oh, wait. Grab your blood pressure meds! I just noticed a video on YouTube titled, "3D printed high precision V blocks" (improper lack of capitals is not my doing, just copied from the screen). I didn't actually watch it, just saw the title.

The only thing that I don't understand about the popularity of 3d printing is that people think and act like its a new thing. I have known about it for years (at least 15) I think I was in high school when I first heard about it and it had been around years before that. I still call it Rapid Prototyping.