Is 3D Printing Being Overused Now?

Kerr Avon

Master Member
I mean really, it seems like every prop people are offering right now is 3D printed. I don't mean the master, I mean the actual prop you are buying. Is the art of making a mold and casting a master dying at this point? Financially it seems silly to me to charge $600 for a prop for a 3D printing that could instead have a master printed, and have a mold run and have copies made that are much more financially affordable.

It just seems to me that 3D printing everything is just getting .. lazy.
 
I think I know a (little) more about 3D printing than the average person, and I can tell you that for the money - when it comes to larger items - Silicone and resin are MUCH cheaper...... The high end 3D printers - The ones that print with virtually NO print lines, etc.. are VERY pricey to print with, and have very limited print tables (Ie: small print areas)

Even the large printers are too pricey to reasonably use as production pieces.

Small pieces like coins, rings, etc.. even small key type things, etc.... I think its possible - But anything larger like a small gun type item, etc.. still way cheaper to mold and cast.
 
Even small molds, you're talking like $20 for the silicon at most, and less than a dollar in resin. I've seen fairly large molds done, and yeah, you may be putting out $600 for a mold, but a well done one that can be rotocast or even an open face mold, you can generally spend less than $100 on resin, and then sell it at 2x-3x your resin cost to recoup the mold/labor cost very quickly. It seems to me that people aren't being very economical about projects now 3D printing is more wide spread.
 
Yes it is. I also wonder if the people selling the 3d printed props (no one in particular as I haven't seen anyone do it) and charge $600 are actually printing them or in fact just casting the master and pocketing the money.

I could see that happening on eBay and no one being the wiser. Even here maybe.
 
I think the big thing to keep in mind here is that 3D printing is basically a fad at the moment. I don't mean that in the sense that it will be a flash in the pan then gone, I just mean that it is popular for the novelty of it. I realize it's not a brand new tech but it's reached the point where the common consumer can afford it (not easily maybe but it is in reach). Give it another year or two and we'll see what it's like then.

Another reason it's popular now is that it appeals to an entirely different skill set than traditional molding/casting does. For this you just need to be decent with 3D modeling (and to be honest not even than, someone out there likely has whatever model you could want). It really doesn't require the "artists touch" like a traditional sculpt and mold does.

Personally I'd rather have a casting of a handcrafted item than to get some printing of a model that the seller may not have even created in the first place.

Basically it comes down to roles. In a few years when the fad wears down a bit 3D printing will settle down into whatever role it's best suited for, we will see I guess.

Just my 2 cents.
 
i have to agree with DisposablHero, its only in the last few years that 3D printing has become as readily available to the public as it currently is and i think there is definitely still a novelty sense about it that appeals to people but i wouldn't worry that it would replace more traditional molding techniques, its just a new tool that is having its limits explored at the moment. i think 3D printing is an amazing thing, able to create some awesome stuff, but i wouldn't ever switch to only using 3D printing in my work because i create props for the love of building things by hand like many people and because of that i really don't think that everyone will ever leave hands-on work behind. :thumbsup
 
Just feel like I'm getting left behind, where's the skill in clicking save and send?

Oh but you have to model it in a computer, big deal.

If every tom dick and harry is doing it it can't be that hard.

I did DL blender and had a play about with it. To be honest you really need to be shown how to use it properly to get the most out of it. I know there are online tutorials out there.

It is a lazy way to make a prop.

Don't get me wrong there are amazing pieces out there and I will probably have to get one eventually just to keep up. I'll wait until they iron out the creases of which there seems to be many, at least in the home machines.
 
i think it's quite a stretch to say it's a lazy way to make a prop. just as you said, you really need to be shown how to use 3D modeling programs in order to use them properly. it takes a while just to learn how to use the programs let alone the hours it takes to create the 3D item itself.

not everyone has the skill (or even the room) to build things with their own hands. i see 3D printing as just another way of creating the same end product.

paying to have your oil changed is being lazy. lol
 
Keep in mind that when the camera was invented people thought portrait paiting would go away. It didn't, it's still a unique form people are willing to pay for. Keep in mind it may be cheaper IN MATERIAL to make a mold and castings, but those castings need a log of labor that 3d printing doesn't need. Things like filling air bubble, sanding, priming, more putty, sanding, priming, etc.

I rapid prototyped a Doctor Who prop and made silicone molds and casted 5 of them. Cleaning them up for painting is a lot of tedious labor.

I think 3d printing is a great tool, the real enemy is all that crappy CGI!!!
 
i think it's quite a stretch to say it's a lazy way to make a prop. just as you said, you really need to be shown how to use 3D modeling programs in order to use them properly. it takes a while just to learn how to use the programs let alone the hours it takes to create the 3D item itself.

not everyone has the skill (or even the room) to build things with their own hands. i see 3D printing as just another way of creating the same end product.

paying to have your oil changed is being lazy. lol

Very good point on the space issue Aurzorann. For people with limited workshop space ( apartment dwellers as example) 3D printing provides an option that might not otherwise be available.

Have to disagree with you on the oil change though. Just like some people don't have the skills to make props...some people should just never be allowed to open their own hoods. That being said, in both examples common sense and a modicum of teaching is all that's required to change.
 
Guessing I'll be that guy who goes against the feel of the thread, but 3d printing is pretty awesome for some stuff.

Not trying to toot my own horn, but when I did the Supernatural Horsemen rings, the ability to have those in metal for what would be a LOT cheaper than involving a jeweler, 3d printing kicks ass.

Same goes with the skyrim skeleton key I did, and the Namira ring. If I didn't have access to a kick ass modeler, and a place like shapeways or ponoko, that would not happen.

The Jor El crystal mask from the first Superman movie is only going to happen because of the 3d modeling "craze".

Now, with that being said, not EVERYTHING needs to be 3d printed. I can understand some stuff, I forget the guys name, but he had articulated iron man armor made, which is just... astounding, needs to be 3d printed like the examples i gave. Some stuff though, really doesn't. You can clean up the masters and offer castings.

All 3d printing does is give more access to more stuff in more ways. It's a tool, just like clay is. I'd imagine the stone cutters back in the day were complaining about people mixing up clay and sculpting things instead of hammering em out of rock like they always had done before.

I don't agree with the idea that EVERYTHING needs to be 3d printed, but having the ability TO 3d print is pretty awesome for when you want to make something that normally would be cost prohibitive.

Chris
 
I think 3D printing absolutely has it's place. It can be used to make finer details than can be made by hand AND keep perfect symmetry where otherwise things might be lopsided (see original SW helmets) when done by hand. So I'm absolutely all for using it to make a master, I just think it's lazy to be using a 3D printer SOLELY as means of final production instead of also using traditional techniques to mold and cast the master.
 
I think 3D printing adds a lot of opportunity to the hobby. It definitely shouldn't be seen as a replacement to craftsmanship, but as an addition to the toolset. You can really create some amazingly detailed (and small!) pieces that I could see barely anyone make by hand. It's a pretty powerful tool in the hands of an accomplished modeler.

Like others are saying, and also what I've seen people do, I think it's perfect for making parts for a prop. I don't think it makes for a great final project. It's quite fun to toy with though!
 
My only complaint is the amount of people who have a prop, or parts, 3D printed and just slap it together with some paint. They don't bother to do any work, like sand resolution lines, or fill seams, cracks, etc.

I think the planning and construction are the most fun. That's why it takes me a long time to finish things!
 
3D printing is just like CGI: it has its uses alongside other traditional methods, and can be really helpful to make a better final project, but it shouldn't be used for everything.
 
My main gripe about 3D printing is mostly in the way people are using it. They're printing something, and then selling it without cleaning up the print lines. To me, that's not even a kit-ready product. Also, a lot of people are forgetting that laser cutting is a better choice than 3D printing in many cases. Justinian does some breath-taking laser cutting work.
 
"lazy" ?

It depends on the quality your aiming for. Anyone can draw a stick figure in paint on windows but if you want a quality product it takes much longer to learn. 3D programs such as autocad and even sketchup require a great deal of effort to learn in order to produce a quality model. Some programs are easier than others but professionals go to school for years and spend tens of thousands of dollars to get where they are capable of building a high quality model.

I wouldn't really call that "lazy". Some renders even use an algorithm that requires a great deal of C++ programming knowledge to make each model unique in it's own right, even though someone else ordered the same print.

There's a lot more to it than clicking "save and send" if you want to professionally produce your own models and print them out at high quality. Even the printers themselves require a skill set to know how to print properly.

Just like any method, there are varying degree's of quality and with each one you can take the lazy or short way of doing things or the long right way.
 
I see 3D printing as just another tool to use when making props and as it's a new tool it's always going to come in for debate with the more traditional prop makers who use traditional methods. The same could be said of graphic designers who use computers to create art rather than using a pencil, it's not cheating, it's just a different skill set.

I'm not very good using a pencil and paper but I love using Photoshop and I get better results, does this mean I'm somehow cheating? No, I'm just using the strengths I have to get the result I want.

Traditional skills however should not be forgotten in a rush to embrace new technology and new methods and seeing a sculpture come to life through physical modeling always looks more impressive than seeing a model on a computer monitor. But that should not be confused with the amount of work it takes to create either model, they both have strengths and weaknesses.
 
I mean really, it seems like every prop people are offering right now is 3D printed. I don't mean the master, I mean the actual prop you are buying. Is the art of making a mold and casting a master dying at this point? Financially it seems silly to me to charge $600 for a prop for a 3D printing that could instead have a master printed, and have a mold run and have copies made that are much more financially affordable.

It just seems to me that 3D printing everything is just getting .. lazy.

Yes. Its a sign of the times, sadly.
 
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