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This post brought to you by Makism. All opinions are 100% mine.
The more I build things with my Arduino and Raspberry Pi, the more I fantasize about getting a 3D printer to build product housings and prototypes. The cost has been a factor, but I've also worried about the limitations of what I could print. I was speaking about this at the office just a couple days ago and then I learned about the Makism 3D Printers, specifically the Wideboy.
Benefits Of Going Wide
The amazing thing about 3D printers is that there are so many out there to choose from these days. The problem is that many are still expensive and don't improve on the print volume you have to work with. 3D Printers can range from $199 to over $24,000 and offer a smaller print volume than the Wideboy's 297mm x 210mm x 150mm. When I go to maker and tech events, I always see these things printing out keychains and trinkets, but I want something that can print real product-sized products.
No Assembly Required
While the obvious selling point of this 3D printer is identified in its name, another benefit of the Wideboy is the lack of assembly required. There are printers that are cheaper that you have to put together before you can use them, but the Wideboy is ready to print right out of the box. It seems like putting one together would be a fun project (especially for someone like me), but I'd be a little heartbroken if I messed it up or had to order a missing part and wait another week or more to get printing. With the Wideboy, you can dive right in on your larger projects the day it arrives at your door.
What's Bigger Than A Wideboy?
For my needs, the Wideboy is probably going to be plenty and at $1,500, it's about the average price for a 3D printer. If you have bigger needs and a little room in your budget, the company also makes a Wideboy Pro and a Wideboy Mega, so check out Makism 3D Corp's site for yourself and look through the of Makism 3D Products to find one that might suit your needs.
What Would You Print?
A couple years ago, I thought 3D printers were cool, but couldn't imagine what I would print that would make a 3D printer a practical purchase. Today, I cound use it to print cases for prototype boards, the frames for the homebrew Google Glass I'm building, prototypes for invention ideas, and the list goes on. If you had a Wideboy, what would you print with it? Let me know in the comments or on Facebook.
