3D Printing

I have seen a 3D printer for the first time in the flesh as it were. And I was very impressed. Naturally on seeing something new my thoughts turn to its possible wargaming applications; and after the triumph of the non transitive dice who is to say that I am wrong. I don't think that the technology that I saw could produce figures to match the best plastic available from say Zvezda, but I would say that they could be easily as good as the lower end of the 20mm plastics market and most metal figures that I have seen. And I was only watching a demonstration of a portable set-up from a small local company that has extended into 3D printing from its core business or repairing photocopiers, inkjet and laser printers etc. Presumably there are more sophisticated machines elsewhere.

Who wants one?

 The big adavantage over moulding would appear to be the fact that one doesn't need to have a, mould. Obvious, but true. All of the sculptor's constraints regarding undercuts etc just disappear.  How the economics might stack up, I don't know. The business to whom I spoke mainly use it to reproduce parts for obsolete printers and copiers that are no longer available and so the cost of the produced part is not that relevant. My accountant's intuition (not as oxymoronic a concept as it sounds) tells me the issue will be running cost rather than the capital cost of the printers. Perhaps the use of recycled material in the feedstock will drive those down in due course.

On a different subject, Miniature Wargames have now sorted out my subscription problems. As I said all along Henry Hyde is clearly a saint like figure who has presided over the smooth succesful integration of two seemingly unreconcilable systems.

Henry Hyde