Omega-TI Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Hey guys, by now you know << jonecool >> here on AtariAge has a YouTube site called << Wagners's Tech Talk >> where he makes some GREAT videos. Not only does jonecool dabble in the TI-99/4A and in videos, he also plays with 3D printing. Some of you know I've been dying to get my hands on a TI coaster for a couple of years now. Well, I now have a whole set thanks to jonecool... AND YOU CAN TOO! He sent me the .STL file (see attacment below) to share with the community, which I'm posting here, and will be linking to from << my blog>> for ease of re-discovery in the future. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE PRINTED IN BLACK ti_coaster.zip 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonecool Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 Glad you like 'em Omega! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonecool Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 (edited) Just curious, has anyone else 3D printed these TI coasters besides me ? I actually use one on my main computer desk and another on my work bench. Fun to be reminded where my fascination with computers really started, every time I take a sip! Edited June 13, 2018 by jonecool 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 I plan to, but I haven't had time to get the printer yet. . . 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 it's on my list once i reassemble my printer, it committed blobacide... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+9640News Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 I have a few questions regarding the 3D printers. For something like the coaster, what kind of cost is it to make something like that? I have debated the idea of a 3D printer for the past year, and I am trying to get a handle on the economics for the materials. Secondly, do the 3D printers include software for designing objects? Or, is it limited to an application that prints the file and you need other software to design objects? Thanks for any feedback. Beery 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonecool Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 (edited) Hi Beery, A spool of PLA (the plastic) can cost anywhere from ~$13-35 and is usually around 2.2lbs of plastic material. I typically buy from Amazon and usually pay around $20 per spool. The print time for 1 coaster is likely around 3 hours, so it may cost about $0.25-0.50 (guesstimate) to print. Not including the electricity used to run the printer (motors and heating element). I purchased a Flash Forge Creator Pro from Amazon 2 years ago. I think it's about $800 for the printer itself. It does include software called FlashPrint which is great for loading the model, sizing it to the printer, rotating, duplicating the models, cutting, etc. However, it's not used for designing new models, just layout out models that have already been designed. Check out www.thingiverse.com for a slew of models that have already been created and ready to print. For designing new models, there are a large number of applications available and some are free yet others can cost more than what I paid for my printer. I think Flash Forge also has some free software called Happy 3D for creating some simple models but I only used it once and it was too simplistic for me but it may have improved since last I looked. You can download it here and play around with it if you want to give it a try even without having the printer. I've also used AutoDesk Inventor and SketchUp, both have a bit of a learning curve (and I'm still not efficient with either) but lately use SketchUp. There is a powerful (and free) package called Blender that can be used for creating new 3D models (+3D animation and more) and exporting them to a .stl (common import file format). I hope this answer helps. It's pretty amazing to watch these machines take a spool of plastic and turn it into something useful. Not that the coaster is super-useful, but it's only limited by your imagination! I have a few questions regarding the 3D printers. For something like the coaster, what kind of cost is it to make something like that? I have debated the idea of a 3D printer for the past year, and I am trying to get a handle on the economics for the materials. Secondly, do the 3D printers include software for designing objects? Or, is it limited to an application that prints the file and you need other software to design objects? Thanks for any feedback. Beery Edited June 13, 2018 by jonecool 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+9640News Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 Thanks for the feedback. Looks like a bit more involved than I thought............. Beery 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted December 16, 2018 Author Share Posted December 16, 2018 It's been awhile since I've seen any more TI related files for 3D printers. Does anyone have, or know of anything new to update the list? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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