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Occulus

(20,599 posts)
28. Everything in your post is incorrect.
Mon May 6, 2013, 05:31 PM
May 2013


And that's not even the best way to do it. The Zcorp printers are the best, but cost the better part of $100K. That price will drop as time passes.

The tech is already deployed, though, and some of the high end printers (like the Zcorp ones I mentioned) can print in glass, gold, silver, stainless steel, bronze, and other metals. (Did I see your ears perk up in interest?) The printer in the video above runs for $3200. You can order one now if you like, and it'll ship in July. That price will drop as the tech catches hold, which I assure you it will. By the way, Shapeways already uses the Zcorp printers (very, very expensive, to be sure, but that's right now) to print precision Formula-1 and medical parts in titanium and aluminum:



I've been following this tech for several years now. The ability to print a fully-functional firearm in metal, at home, is only a few years off. The tech to do it at all is already here and already in use (fortunately, Shapeways will not produce weapons).

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Only a matter of time. nt rrneck May 2013 #1
Great. They have this advanced technology and decide to be as primitive as possible. MrSlayer May 2013 #2
It's the American way rightsideout May 2013 #27
Might have known one of the first things they'd print would be a fucking gun Warpy May 2013 #3
Swords are useful enough .... oldhippie May 2013 #6
If they do that, they'll starve. Warpy May 2013 #9
Of course every new technology will be used for making weapons...and porn. MindPilot May 2013 #29
Actually, I think we try to eat it first Warpy May 2013 #30
a single shot gun produced on an $8000 printer? NightWatcher May 2013 #4
True - but a few years from now and your looking at something else. TampaAnimusVortex May 2013 #11
Reliable, multi-shot, high power printed firearms are a LONG way off fortunately. Gravitycollapse May 2013 #5
Indeed. Luckily these cant be modified to include a metal barrel... TampaAnimusVortex May 2013 #12
Cutting hardened metal barrels is not exactly easy. Gravitycollapse May 2013 #14
One doesnt need hardened metal... TampaAnimusVortex May 2013 #15
Yeah, I am not just guessing. Gravitycollapse May 2013 #17
Who needs a barrel when a basic pipe will do? NickB79 May 2013 #16
I have doubts about the accuracy of a smooth bore barrel at 30 feet. Gravitycollapse May 2013 #18
And you're right to have those doubts. MineralMan May 2013 #20
That $8000 dollar printer now will be a $300 dollar printer shortly. TampaAnimusVortex May 2013 #21
Actually, no. There will be some sort of 3D MineralMan May 2013 #23
Everything in your post is incorrect. Occulus May 2013 #28
Who said anything about cutting hardened steel? jmowreader May 2013 #19
At this level of mass production, it only has to work once. MindPilot May 2013 #31
There are probably not going to be any further developments in plastics MindPilot May 2013 #22
You were saying about printing in metals? pediatricmedic May 2013 #24
We have these where I work -- aerospace fabrication MindPilot May 2013 #25
What's the real point of this? Blue_Tires May 2013 #7
Blow through any and all gun control legislation nadinbrzezinski May 2013 #8
Pew pew pew! Robb May 2013 #10
I'd still rather have a p227 ileus May 2013 #13
Or, someone evil could just get one from his mother ... eom Kolesar May 2013 #26
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