3D printing (weaponry)

[Dusty Gozongas]

Some of you may recall my mentioning a while back of Defense Distributed and their intention of developing a printable firearm using (future) regular 3D printers and then distributing the CAD files far and wide online.

That plan seems to be some way away right now but recent developments will have a few people twitching:

Bypassing magazine bans.  (youtube link)

Okay, it's Alex Jones hosting but I'm sure the mainstream media weren't to keen to be the first to let the world in on this. I'm not sure whether the bans are in place or only proposed at the moment, however there's some interesting info/opinions[nb]I'm thinking they can be interesting even if you disagree[/nb] in there - and you'll see that it's not strictly limited to magazines either.

Defense Distributed website.

[Zetetic]

The 'magazine ban' refers to this proposed bill banning (sale etc., not ownership I believe) of anything holding more than 10 rounds.

[Dusty Gozongas]

Thanks for that.  I'm incredibly lazy sometimes.

[JesusAndYourBush]

Doesn't 3D printing use some sort of plastic? A plastic gun would blow up and injure/kill the person firing it, surely?

[Replies From View]

Super Soakers.

[Dusty Gozongas]

Doesn't 3D printing use some sort of plastic? A plastic gun would blow up and injure/kill the person firing it, surely?

Currently this is true, which is why they haven't been able to make one so far with currently available materials. It's definitely only a matter of time until the technology exists however. Compare this to how far regular printers have progressed since dot matrix systems.

DefDist are at least being honest about the issues that are arising during development.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Wouldn't the people with the money and resources to make a gun just...buy a gun?

[Uncle TechTip]

Outside the US it's rather difficult to buy a gun.

[Zetetic]

Wouldn't the people with the money and resources to make a gun just...buy a gun?

Have you ever been to Europe, S?S!? Europe?

I think they're being quite upfront about it being a matter of preparation. In the case of the greater-than-10-round magazine, they've leapt on that as an example of a plausible near-future ban on weaponry that could be easily circumvented by self-manufacture.

DefDist are at least being honest about the issues that are arising during development.

I do find the actual process quite interesting.

[Replies From View]

What kind of plastic do these printers jet out?  Some kind of UHU glue?

[mook]

sod guns, i just want to print dozens of these out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adm72GaaCJ8&feature=player_detailpage#t=67s

[Replies From View]

Very disappointed that so far none of the printers look like this:

[mook]

Very disappointed that so far none of the printers look like this:

but, you could used one of the printers to make a printer that looks just like that. and fires bullets.

[Replies From View]

Kids these days wouldn't go for Bertha unless it had guns.  They are obsessed with them.

[biggytitbo]

You can make a gun out of soap.

[All Surrogate]

Currently this is true, which is why they haven't been able to make one so far with currently available materials. It's definitely only a matter of time until the technology exists however. Compare this to how far regular printers have progressed since dot matrix systems.

Well, there is selective laser sintering, which works pretty much along the same lines.

[Santa's Boyfriend]

Outside the US it's rather difficult to buy a gun.

Meh, it's all about who you know.

[Johnny Townmouse]

Can someone please help me. These aren't printers are they?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21293258

I mean, we are calling them printers, but they appear to be large machines that mould objects when you feed information into them. Moulding machines have been doing that for decades.

Why are they called printers?

[Dusty Gozongas]

Moulding requires a mould, whereas 3D printing builds an object in a series of printed layers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-d_printing#Modeling

[Replies From View]

You can make a gun out of soap.

Maybe you can.  I can't even make a "rude parts" out of soap, and that's one of the easy shape options.

[Johnny Townmouse]

Moulding requires a mould, whereas 3D printing builds an object in a series of printed layers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-d_printing#Modeling

OK, that makes sense. But how are the layers printed? Many things are made up of layers but they are not 'printed'. It sounds like they want to preform material made from moon dust, and then use that in layers to make an object. But I still don't understand how this is printing. My understanding of printing is that you add a substance (often, but not always, ink) to another object (often, but not always, paper).

This seems to be the creation of an object by preforming material and then shaping it into something else. Am I being literal or do I misunderstand what printing is?

[mook]

you're just not thinking about it in a 3d enough way is all.

[Johnny Townmouse]

you're just not thinking about it in a 3d enough way is all.

That's possible, but I understand printing on 3D surfaces, I just don't understand why forming preformed material into an object is printing.

Well this is wikipedia, but nonetheless:

Printing is a process for reproducing text and images, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing.

3D printing is a form of manufacturing technology where objects are created using three-dimensional files and 3D printers. Objects are created by laying down successive layers of material. As of 2012, some companies such as Sculpteo or Shapeways are proposing online solutions for 3D printing.

So the "layering down of material" in this case is regolith that forms a 3D object used as a building material. If I built the same object with the same material using the same specifications that wouldn't be printing. So somehow the action of the 3D printer is making this "printing". At least I'm getting an insight into how my Mum feels most of the time when I try to explain digital files.

[Zetetic]

So the "layering down of material" in this case is regolith that forms a 3D object used as a building material. If I built the same object with the same material using the same specifications that wouldn't be printing. So somehow the action of the 3D printer is making this "printing".

Yes. Similarly you could create copies of a book that appeared identical by many methods - typewriting, laser printer, movable type with a screw press (printing again), inkjet printer, handwriting (of a sort).

[Zetetic]

Also from Wikipedia:

3D printing is achieved using an additive process, where successive layers of material are laid down in different shapes. 3D printing is considered distinct from traditional machining techniques which mostly rely on the removal of material by methods such as cutting or drilling (subtractive processes).

Sets out a current distinction of '3D printing' as an additive process. In that way it's analogous to the 'printing'[nb]Noting that thermal printing isn't an additive process. Edit: Or embossing.[/nb] of 2D designs onto paper by adding ink of some sort.

I suspect that actually it'll end up denoting any largely self-contained machines for largely automatically producing 3D designs and that we'll have to put up with tedious cunts arguing the toss about it only referring to things with an additive process.

[Blumf]

OK, that makes sense. But how are the layers printed?

A sample of one system that might scale up to full 3D printing building:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyOgDlUWfFE

[Johnny Townmouse]

Yeah, like a lot of people the first time I came across this was the video of someone 'printing' a fully-functioning monkey wrench. It was incredible, but did not look like printing.

The assumption that techniques for making objects is subtractive rather than additive isn't true though is it? They use the term 'mostly' but from my experience moulding is not subtractive.

I think the technology is incredible, but I am mentally struggling with it being printing rather than incredibly intelligent and awe-inspiring machine reproduction of objects.

[Zetetic]

I suppose that molding isn't really additive or subtractive.

I'm still not clear what you thinking 'printing' denotes.

Edit: The etymology of it starting with 'making physical impressions' and then 'marks by physical impression' is interesting. Increasingly I think it's used simply about mass-production from a design or something.

[Johnny Townmouse]

I'm still not clear what you thinking 'printing' denotes.

Edit: The etymology of it starting with 'making physical impressions' and then 'marks by physical impression' is interesting. Increasingly I think it's used simply about mass-production from a design or something.

In that case my definition is clearly limited, if it is being used in those terms then that make sense. I didn't realise that the term 'printing' could be used so broadly.

[MojoJojo]

Also from the wiki page

The term "3D printing" was coined at MIT in 1995 when then graduate students Jim Bredt and Tim Anderson modified an inkjet printer to extrude a binding solution onto a bed of powder, rather than ink onto paper.

http://makibox.com/products - $300 (in fact $200 for the low temperature version) - I'm tempted by that. Unfortunately despite the 8-10 week lead time a sales page, reading the blog it doesn't sound like they've actually shipped any yet - although they are close.