Everyone has brought up good points, so I'll try to address some of the major ones.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian Curtis
What is the problem with using school equipment for your own projects? I would think most schools would be ecstatic to have students doing cool stuff with their machinery.
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I'm actually not sure what the policy is at my school (OSU). I will look into it, but I would feel guilty if a personal project got in the way of senior design or class projects.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi
What kind of projects do you expect to be working on while you finish up school?
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For the projects I currently have in mind, I think a 3D printer may actually be more useful. The few I have been considering would not experience heavy loads that require aluminum plate or anything of that nature. It would certainly be cool, but not necessary.
As I mentioned, I had some exposure to 3D printed parts in FRC, was pleased with the results, and was intrigued by the possibilities. It isn't based on hearing some online hype. Again, using it for FRC is not the primary purpose, merely an added benefit. I came here to draw upon the community's general treasure trove of knowledge.
I should have made it clearer, but I was in part asking whether the parts produced from a low to mid-range consumer printer would be at all comparable to the high end consumer printer (uPrint SE) that I have experience with.
For those suggesting to get a router, did you look at the system I spec'd out in the excel document attached to the OP? Assuming I was able to solve the issue of where to keep it, would you suggest any other parts or improvements? Or even a different system entirely?