# MAJOR NERD-BONER ALERT!!! We got a Makerbot Replicator 2 3D printer at my workplace! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 16, 2013, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409 "2013-01-16T18:40:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/1 "2013-01-16T18:40:23Z")
I had no idea we were getting one, and when I saw the box I probably looked like a 10 year old kid at Christmas. I’m a software guy, so I won’t be using it in an official sense, but I’m really just thrilled that I’ll be able to see it in action making stuff. I’ll bet they’ll let me use it once a while though! [https://store.makerbot.com/replicator2.html](https://store.makerbot.com/replicator2.html) ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/2 "2013-01-16T19:16:08Z")
I’ll be in my bunk. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/3 "2013-01-16T19:26:19Z")
Want. (And it’s only $2200! I’ll get two of them!) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/4 "2013-01-16T19:52:14Z")
Is it true it can’t make gold-pressed latinum? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/5 "2013-01-16T21:43:36Z")
Get some details for us. In particular, costs. I saw a price tag on the machine, which is much cheaper than I expected it to be, but what about the, er… “toner”? Suppose you just wanted to make something simple like a brick, how much would it cost to build a block, say, 2"x4"x8"? Some other stuff of interest: How strong is the material? Are there any choices of raw materials? Can you vary the density? of an object? ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/6 "2013-01-16T21:52:58Z")
What’s it like posting from The Future? Are the flying cars awesome? ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/7 "2013-01-16T23:00:28Z")
What does your company need it for? And if the answer is different, what will your company be using it for? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/8 "2013-01-16T23:15:51Z")
a fresh toothpick everyday. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/9 "2013-01-16T23:18:34Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Get some details for us. In particular, costs. I saw a price tag on the machine, which is much cheaper than I expected it to be, but what about the, er… “toner”? Suppose you just wanted to make something simple like a brick, how much would it cost to build a block, say, 2"x4"x8"? I’d like to know this as well. I see that the spools of filament are $48 for a 1 kg spool, but that doesn’t mean anything without knowing how much of it is needed. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/10 "2013-01-16T23:19:55Z")
Our own **AndrewL** made his own 3D printer. I have a nautilus design he printed as a demonstration. 3D printing is the future. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/11 "2013-01-16T23:27:23Z")
I found [this](http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/23/3d-printing-for-the-masses-markerbots-new-replicator/) article, for the previous version of the MakerBot. It claims a chess piece (doesn’t say how large) cost about 25 cents in material to print, and took about 30 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/12 "2013-01-16T23:39:39Z")
This past weekend, I was explaining to senior (she’s an acquaintance, but I don’t know her age) about 3 D printing. She stopped me and pointed out that she had been a dentist until recently and was very familiar with 3 D printing. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/13 "2013-01-16T23:56:32Z")
[Topical recent strip](http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2851#comic) ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/14 "2013-01-17T00:56:35Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Is it true it can’t make gold-pressed latinum? Or tea, Earl Grey, hot? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/15 "2013-01-17T01:07:35Z")
From **Chimera** ’s link, it seems to me that those pranks could be performed much more easily without the printer. Certainly, 1 and 3 (just hide the dildos yourself), and probably 2 if you have some other way of making the robots. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/16 "2013-01-17T02:02:03Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Get some details for us. In particular, costs. I saw a price tag on the machine, which is much cheaper than I expected it to be, but what about the, er… “toner”? Suppose you just wanted to make something simple like a brick, how much would it cost to build a block, say, 2"x4"x8"? > > Some other stuff of interest: > How strong is the material? Are there any choices of raw materials? Can you vary the density? of an object? Sorry, I have no more info than what is on the website. > [@iftheresaway](#): > > What’s it like posting from The Future? Are the flying cars awesome? They’re OK. The alien overlords restrict their speed to 350mph though. Friggin’ space Nazis. > [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > What does your company need it for? And if the answer is different, what will your company be using it for? The company makes sensors to monitor stationary batteries. I think primarily it will be used to make prototype casings for new sensors. I learned today they used to send out for them from some company that would charge $200, so not only will they get them much, much quicker, the machine will pay for itself after 11 or 12 prototypes. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/17 "2013-01-17T02:21:36Z")
Oh, I wanted to create a thread on this but I forgot: my 3D printed goodness from Shapeways arrived! Bracelet: [![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-UDFJPjMd6ig/UOOeWnVCXrI/AAAAAAABHe4/NJOiv_zRyJs/s800/IMG_0534.JPG) ](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-UDFJPjMd6ig/UOOeWnVCXrI/AAAAAAABHe4/NJOiv_zRyJs/s800/IMG_0534.JPG) iPhone case: [![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xMgJ6rvsMpE/UNxYOsqTi7I/AAAAAAABGWA/6m4w1WuXl3Y/s800/CIMG2147.JPG) ](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xMgJ6rvsMpE/UNxYOsqTi7I/AAAAAAABGWA/6m4w1WuXl3Y/s800/CIMG2147.JPG) No, sadly my CAD skills aren’t good enough to design things like these yet. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/18 "2013-01-17T18:48:51Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Get some details for us. In particular, costs. I saw a price tag on the machine, which is much cheaper than I expected it to be, but what about the, er… “toner”? Suppose you just wanted to make something simple like a brick, how much would it cost to build a block, say, 2"x4"x8"? Well, if my math is right, that’s just about exactly 1000 cc. If the material is about as dense as water (most plastic is probably a little less, metal moderately more), then that’s one kg, so $48. That’s assuming a solid block of course, which is a silly thing to 3-D print, but gives you an idea, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/19 "2013-01-17T22:29:19Z")
Can you make me one of [these](http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/313/6/d/tuning_fork_by_xxx515xxx-d32j6hf.jpg)? I’ve always wanted to see one up close. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-nerd-boner-alert-we-got-a-makerbot-replicator-2-3d-printer-at-my-workplace/647409/20 "2013-01-18T03:34:23Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Can you make me one of [these](http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/313/6/d/tuning_fork_by_xxx515xxx-d32j6hf.jpg)? I’ve always wanted to see one up close. Model it in CAD software and send me the file, and I’ll see if I can sneak it in!