This is a long shot, but my spouse is looking for someone who can donate a 3D printer or a laser cutter to a group of artists and #makers who used to experience chronic homelessness. It is an actual #nonprofit so you can get the tax write off. Please boost in case someone in the #fediverse can help.
(Edit to add: in #Texas!)
(edit 2: It needs to be able to print ceramics.)
The request for ceramic printing will narrow your prospects of getting the machine for free, or even cheaply.
Unless you want to use a proprietary machine with high running costs and high material costs, you'll need to make/buy one of the FLOSS versions out there.
The use of ceramics requires a LOT of careful calibration of the printer, and calibration of the filament recipe.
I got a long lecture about this during the London Design Festival 8 years ago. :D
I wouldn't recommend one of these as a first 3d-printer to learn on.
Use one that prints in plastic, so the the people using the printers can learn how to get the best from them.
Then print the components to make a ceramic printer. :D
If you have specific things in mind, eg. to print for sale, then once the designs have been tested for printability, take the designs to a print bureau to get a high-quality version made. :D
It's what a few member of the hackspace have done. :D
How much do these tools cost? Sounds like something that targeted outreach to manufacturers that use them, perhaps to get last year's model, that sort of thing, might lead to a source.
@punklawyer yea my spouse will definitely be doing that. I just thought there was a chance I'd reach someone like that in the fediverse, more than expecting any one person to donate a fancy piece of equipment.
@kitoconnell Guessing this is somewhere in TX. If you have a university nearby, there is a good chance they have an art, engineering, and/or design school with this stuff. We have some rules about surplus equipment but if it’s a good cause they might be able to make something work. Alternatively, they might just let the org use their nice working stuff
@kitoconnell as a broke b with a single humble ender 3 I can't donate it, but Ill def boost this since that sounds like a hella rad project I hope we'll hear about it the coming months and years!
@BillySmith@kitoconnell Ah yes... I was a member of Milwaukee Makerspace and people would often give us old printers because they didn't know what to do with them when they upgraded.
Add comment