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3D Printing & Custom 3D Printing Services

PhantomOp

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A little bit of market research and investigation here ...

Throughout the vaping community, I'm seeing more and more "things" being designed and printed in 3D.
MODs, stands, tools, just about anything you can think of can now be 3D printed.

My wife and I are thinking of investing in a 3D Printer, and I was curious if this would be something that people in the VU community (and all vaping community) would be interested in using as a service / have available as a service --- Custom 3D Printing.

Want your wife's name on a MOD? Print it...
Want a custom designed MOD? Print it...
Have an idea for a coil building tool? Print it...
Want some fancy looking atty / MOD holder? Print it ...

The ideas are limitless.

I'm still very much in the investigative stages of this thought, and with any good business idea, market research is a must have ... so this is my first "step" in to the market research.


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PhantomOp

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I am sure a lot of squonkers would like to have reasonably priced printed mods
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What is "reasonably priced" ?

I'm still documenting the costs associated with 3D printing and trying to come up with cost calculations for filament types, etc.
 

JuicyLucy

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What is "reasonably priced" ?

I'm still documenting the costs associated with 3D printing and trying to come up with cost calculations for filament types, etc.

I kinda-sorta looked into that myself and decided the cost for a decent 3D printer - and the quality filaments I would want - would require more investment than I'd be willing to gamble on without a flagship type product
 

gakudzu

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I'd get in line for a dual-26650 parallel box that would fit the Slice FSK chip. Or a quad-18650 series-parallel for the G2 chip.
 

PhantomOp

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I'd get in line for a dual-26650 parallel box that would fit the Slice FSK chip. Or a quad-18650 series-parallel for the G2 chip.
Funny that you say that. @Mike H. started my brain thinking a few weeks ago when he got my orange G2 from me and said the only reason he wanted the MOD was to rip the chip out of it and put it in a custom box. My mind starting spinning on the wheels then ...
 

JuicyLucy

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What is "reasonably priced" ?

That is what I'd like to know

I can think of a handful of things I'd like to have printed, but not sure how much I would want to pay

Especially because some of the items would require taking gear apart to get the specs, etc

Also, custom colors come into play here also
 

PhantomOp

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That is what I'd like to know

I can think of a handful of things I'd like to have printed, but not sure how much I would want to pay

Especially because some of the items would require taking gear apart to get the specs, etc

Also, custom colors come into play here also
That is why i'm going to go through the costing factors and try to work up some basic "costs" on stuff to then throw out some pricing models to see if it is worth it or not.

I want to find the "reasonably priced" and what others think that is.
 

gakudzu

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Funny that you say that. @Mike H. started my brain thinking a few weeks ago when he got my orange G2 from me and said the only reason he wanted the MOD was to rip the chip out of it and put it in a custom box. My mind starting spinning on the wheels then ...
Yep. Several peeps on the G2 and Slice threads have expressed interest in a better looking box for the chip. Personally, I love my lil blue brick, lol. But if I could get printed boxes for the chips, I'd buy another Slice for $30 just because.
 

gakudzu

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That is why i'm going to go through the costing factors and try to work up some basic "costs" on stuff to then throw out some pricing models to see if it is worth it or not.

I want to find the "reasonably priced" and what others think that is.
I have no idea what 3D stuff costs. I'd pay $50 easy, possibly $75, maybe more if I'm impressed enough. I consider myself a bit of a tightwad, so I'm probably being stingy. I really don't know.
 

Rickajho

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Welp, you are going to have to cost it out yourself. Nothing is going to move that bottom line figure.

Personally, I have never seen "reasonable" (or to some people way of thinking "cheap") come into play at 3D printing sites. People are paying for a service to get what they want, be it in form or color. Or both. That alone has a value associated with it. Whether they want to pay a fee for that customization is another matter. Even the novelty of having a 3D printed item has a value associated with it. I pay for a 3D printed item because 1.) I can't get it any other way. 2.) It's custom or has a custom color. 3.) It's inexpensive.

Then the matter of who is going to do the plans - the one that actually works. It's easy enough for people to say "print me a thing" but a lot of folks don't comprehend what it takes to get from vague idea to end result in 3D printing. It's a time consuming and potentially wasteful process. Are you considering a 3D scanner?

Depending on the "thing" finishing takes time beyond the printing. Who does that? You or the customer? Another cost to consider, dependent on what it being printed.
 

JuicyLucy

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Then the matter of who is going to do the plans - the one that actually works. It's easy enough for people to say "print me a thing" but a lot of folks don't comprehend what it takes to get from vague idea to end result in 3D printing. It's a time consuming and potentially wasteful process. Are you considering a 3D scanner?

That's where I started getting the head-spins and out of control costs

What I would like to print are the tube and stopper (don't know what it's really called) like they use for the bottles on the Inbox or even the cheesey Pico Squeeze to fit in an REO

If it could be done economically, it would eliminate the need for finicky soft Italian bottles and add a cheaper and less hard to find source for the actual bottles.
 

inspects

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What is "reasonably priced" ?

I'm still documenting the costs associated with 3D printing and trying to come up with cost calculations for filament types, etc.
I have 8 GDEAL squonker left gave a couple away to good people....I love these light shit pocket mods....they vape really nice with the DNA 40 chips.

Think I paid 300(+0)(-) bucks a piece for them custom painted....worth the money for my needs.
 

inspects

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That's where I started getting the head-spins and out of control costs

What I would like to print are the tube and stopper (don't know what it's really called) like they use for the bottles on the Inbox or even the cheesey Pico Squeeze to fit in an REO

If it could be done economically, it would eliminate the need for finicky soft Italian bottles and add a cheaper and less hard to find source for the actual bottles.
Indeed Juice...if someone made a good squonker at a reasonable price, they'd sell like hotcakes....just look at all the junk out there.
 

Iliketurtles

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You would need specific products. 3d custom printing services already exist, the reason everyone isn't using them is that they don't have the skills/knowledge to produce the design that is required for the 3d printer. Having an idea of what you want is not the same as having a CAD digital model or a file that the printer can print. Someone has to produce that and that someone is not going to be 95% of end users.
 

skt239

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Keep it under $100 and make them accessible. I'd love to get a flora or anchor squonk but I'm not on FB so I can't get into the secret societies that sell them. I think squonking will blow up in 2017 and every company will have one in their line up.
 

Mike H.

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Funny that you say that. @Mike H. started my brain thinking a few weeks ago when he got my orange G2 from me and said the only reason he wanted the MOD was to rip the chip out of it and put it in a custom box. My mind starting spinning on the wheels then ...
And indeed the chip shall find a much nicer box to call home...Im not much of a fan with 3d printed items..maybe a battery sled but a full box just isn't appealing to me at all..I don't see how plastic with a bunch of lines in it feels of any quality..Aluminum boxes for me all the way...maybe a custom 3d printed chip sled would be nice like they do for the DNA chips already.
 

PhantomOp

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plastic with a bunch of lines in it feels of any quality
This is all dependent of the quality of the print / printer. Some of the printers can output 100 micron. I'm also researching smoothing / sanding and painting them. In my simple mind, I should be able to print out an item, and then make the final product as smooth as painted butter.
 

JuicyLucy

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There are also some printers that print with stainless steel.

Yeah, out of curiosity, I did a quick google on custom 3-d printing. One of the top hits offered ultem 3d printing...
 

skt239

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That's where I started getting the head-spins and out of control costs

What I would like to print are the tube and stopper (don't know what it's really called) like they use for the bottles on the Inbox or even the cheesey Pico Squeeze to fit in an REO

If it could be done economically, it would eliminate the need for finicky soft Italian bottles and add a cheaper and less hard to find source for the actual bottles.
I was looking at some Italian bottles last night and holy shit, almost $30 for one? I guess if you do a lot of squonking it's worth it. I was looking at those bottles to use in Dripbox but there is no way I'm buying a plastic bottle that cost more than the mod it's going in.
 

JuicyLucy

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Rob is selling the soft Italians agains on the REO site for $6 each, plus postage
 

Mike H.

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This is all dependent of the quality of the print / printer. Some of the printers can output 100 micron. I'm also researching smoothing / sanding and painting them. In my simple mind, I should be able to print out an item, and then make the final product as smooth as painted butter.
For me personally ive just never considered plastic a quality material..You can put high quality inside of the plastic box but plastic to me just feels cheap even if its painted...You can get Hammond plastic boxes for cheap if you wanted to test a design..Im gonna do that with a squonker then transfer everything to an aluminum box of some sorts.
 

PhantomOp

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For me personally ive just never considered plastic a quality material..You can put high quality inside of the plastic box but plastic to me just feels cheap even if its painted...You can get Hammond plastic boxes for cheap if you wanted to test a design..Im gonna do that with a squonker then transfer everything to an aluminum box of some sorts.
I understand your point on this. Some plastics do feel very cheap and aluminum really gives of the "feel" of substance to your purchase.
 

Ryedan

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That is why i'm going to go through the costing factors and try to work up some basic "costs" on stuff to then throw out some pricing models to see if it is worth it or not.

I want to find the "reasonably priced" and what others think that is.

Great idea PhantomOp! I've had a couple of things printed the past couple of years. I looked around and found Shapeways was the best deal for me for low volume stuff so I used them. If you haven't already, it's easy to get prices from them online and that would give you an idea of how much the competition is charging.

If you don't have design software already and want a couple of part files to get quotes with, PM me. I've got 3D CAD software I'm quite familiar with.

Best of luck with it
JC_doubleup.gif
 
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PhantomOp

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Great idea PhantomOp! I've had a couple of things printed the past couple of years. I looked around and found Shapeways was the best deal for me for low volume stuff so I used them. If you haven't already, it's easy to get prices from them online and that would give you an idea of how much the competition is charging.

If you don't have design software already and want a couple of part files to get quotes with, PM me. I've got 3D CAD software I'm quite familiar with.

Best of luck with it
JC_doubleup.gif
Can I ask what kind a material / filament you had them use?

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Ryedan

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Can I ask what kind a material / filament you had them use?

Sure, and I'll also give you a bit more info on the vape part I had done.

This is a sx350j sled I designed for a mod I'm planning to build:

110kx1j.jpg

I had it done using their laser sintering process in 'metalic plastic' and 'white strong and flexible'. Prices were around $7 each. I don't remember what the plastics are but you can find that out on the website.

Hope that helps a bit :)
 

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I've researched 3d printers for months now, out of the sub $300 range I've found that the Tevo Tarantula is the best choice. I've found a few sites but seem to have bookmarked this one for my self to buy eventually.

The biggest thing is setup, if you can handle the printer and get a good setup and settings your filament is about the only other thing you need to worry about. Please remember that a lot of ABS filaments can cause some pretty nasty fumes and be toxic so don't run these things in a small office room or something!
 

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