Getting worried 

No, it isn't.  If someone even so much as thinks about making their own firearms receivers with 3d printing, the BATF is going to be kicking their doors down SWAT-style and throwing the book at them afterwards.  And the book of firearms laws is extremely large and heavy.

Yes, it is. It's damn near impossible, not to mention a bad idea, to police what people do in their own homes. Once good 3d printers become viable for consumers, a whole new world is going to open up. And with the internet around it's not like you censor designs either. Not that i see a problem with people wanting to print guns, even in a onetime use design some parts will still have to be metal, and if you have bad intentions you can get a weapon by other means. And we're still a ways off from printable ammunition.

But for the near future i can imagine 3d print shops maybe becoming a thing, especially once someone makes a tool to make designs the average joe can use. I don't see a printer good/big enough to print everyday household objects being available for individuals anytime soon. 

You can obtain files for 3D printing of anything(almost anything). You can obtain the files to create your own gun, it would not be difficult if you know where to look. Thing is, is it illegal to own a 3D printed gun? Are there laws in place for that?

This is the future. The industries should be taking note of all the things I could now print myself. If I wanted to, because the cost of a spool is cheap($26-PLA spool on Monoprice). Guns, Ammo, Cups, Screws, Frames, Phone Cases, Computer Mice, etc. If I can model it, I can create it. If someone else can model it and share their file, I can create it.

It's great for the do it yourselfer, and even better for consumers. I can't wait to get myself a 3D printer.

I think there's a cost vs size ratio that will happen at some point EleventhStar, where the DIYer can't produce a chair for how much Target can produce it. Cost of a spool is around $26+/- for PLA(Costs vary between ABS, PLA and then proprietary spools). Chairs cost about $20-$30 and you would spend more on spools than you'd get out of them.

But in the DIY market, fairs and conventions, a $26 spool becomes worth a lot more once you've printed it into something. What you print with it is up to you and if you can model, you stand to make some quick cash online. Just have to be careful of copyrights and trademarks. Just because you can make something with a 3D printer, doesn't mean you're free from the law. But you'll see "parody" pieces that are almost the exact same whatever.

I just enjoy knowing if I broke a piece of my camera, or keyboard, or mouse, I could model it, print it, replace it. And what makes this easier is 3D scanning tools...But that's a whole other topic.

Im excited!

What annoys, and scares me about new technology are the people who will use it for undesirable reasons... eg, using 3D printers to make guns and/or other weapons to inflict harm or death on others.

If it were up to me, I'd have some software mechanism in ALL 3D printers that prevented users making guns, knives and other offensive weapons that kill and maim.

The fact that gun creation was even mentioned is a worry... cos if one sane and sensible person can think of it, there'll be a whole raft of effwits who'll put the thought into practice to wreak havoc on society.

There's NO such thing as a God given right.... and the 1000's upon 1000's of senseless tragedies where innocents are maimed or killed by firearms should serve as a more than logical reason to crush ALL guns in civilian hands.  I mean, let's face it, firearms in the US are used more frequently to recklessly and senselessly kill or maim others than they are for self defense.  It makes absolutely no sense to fight for a system that allows such things to happen almost hourly every day of every year.  For mine it is madness and uncivilised... because senseless killing is uncivilised.

Anyway, getting back to the topic at hand, I hope that 3D printing will bring about a new and innovative field of medical research and application... to be able to repair body parts where it was simply not possible before.  I'd also like to see consumers armed with the ability to manufacture parts to repair devices which have in-built obsolescence through components [criminally] that have 'sooner than should be' use by dates. 

For example, I have a 32" LCD TV that is perfectly okay but for the starter component board, which died about 3 weeks after the warranty expired.  To have that [$25 wholesale] board replaced, I was quoted beteween $250 - $300 for parts and labour.  Like heck, I replaced it with a brand new 40" LCD/LED TV with more features for just $329. 

However, had I been in possession of a 3D printer capable of printing that circuit board [among other things] I'd have saved myself 300 bucks.  Similarly, my niece recently had her phone die just a few days out of warranty, and the cost to repair it is ridiculously more than the cost of purchasing a new phone... again with more and better features than her previous one.

                                                                  ..........................................................................................

Oh, and about my previous comment regarding "sane and sensible people", I hope you didn't think I was directing it at you.  My apologies if you did... cos anyone who posts a thread with a test for psychpathic tendencies, and scores relatively well, obviously doesn't belong in that category.  Honestly, I don't know what came over me, but something must have because I normally strive so as not to insult or offend people... attribute characteristics to them that they obviously do not possess.  Worse still, I've offended The Collective, so again, please accept my apology and do not tell 2of3 of my errant ways.

Yes I know. That's why I put a "rolling eyes" smiley after the comment. It was meant as a "tongue in check" remark.

Saying a right is god-given is another way of saying it is a natural right. As if god created the universe then any rules inherent in the universe are obviously intended to exist by him. In the case of firearms they are referring to a natural right to freedom and self defense. Now you know.

This ^ coming from a person who started a psychpathic following on forums where the lunatic fringe frequently frequent.  Keep going like that and you're going to confuse yourself, let alone others, and that would likely mean your expulsion from The Collective.  You can't be Psychopathic AND tongue-in-cheek at the same time, so really, you need to decide which you are before they boot you for infecting the Collective Consciousness with indecisiveness.  And no time to procrastinate... they don't like that, either.

Seriously, though, I had figured that.  However, I just wanted to say my piece about 3D printers being used for nefarious purposes and how they need to be regulated so the less than lawful - idiots, too - cannot use them to manufacture weapons and the like.  Society has too many reasons to exact vengeance, and giving the aggrieved even easier access to guns would result in even more school yard shootings... not to mention street and gang violence escalating because they're emboldened behind a firearm. 

Given the spate of recent school yard shooting, the escalation of gang wars and armed robberies over the years, for anyone to say US society is a safer place with civilians owning/having easy access guns is sheer lunacy... to put it as politely as I can.

Anyway, enough of that, we're supposed to be discussing 3D printers.

I dunno, Philly, wot is we gonna do with you?  I mean, c'mon, man, fire up yer imagination and come up with something you'd really, really like but could never afford, etc. 

I will have to admit thay my wish for medical 3D printing has an ulterior motive behind it. Sure, let's have 3D printing to assist the medical fraternity with manufactured body parts, thus saving lives with shortened transplant waiting lists, but me, I just wanna print all the body parts required so's I can sew them together to make me a couple of hookers. Yes, it sounds a bit Frankensteinish, I know, but they could then bring home the bacon and make me a very happy bloke in 'so many' more ways. 

Never thought of myself as being a pimp before, but hey, times is hard and ends aren't meeting as well as they used to.  S'pose the other thing I'd have to print is Viagra, otherwise the happiness would be purely monetary, and I do seek much more to life than a few bucks to tide me over.

I'd have a go at printing Meccano components.....

....and bits of plastic kit models...

I could even make 'spares' for the 1/7th scale Fuel engined RC Red Bull F1 I'm building....might mean a $2000 car will last longer...

and here I am throwing another fuel can on the fire,

there is another kickstarter for another LARGER build volume fused fillament fabrication printer (the build volumes that are on offer are 15 INCH by 15 INCH by 15 INCH (the smaller size) or 20 INCH by 20 INCH by 20 INCH (the larger size)

and here is the ks link

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cobblebot/cobblebot-3d-printer

 btw islanddog, both the printers you linked were cancelled in the threads

harpo

No thanks, not interested. I don't need plastic toy heads lying around the house.  

As far as this "making a gun" issue, it would be illegal because you need a background check done to even purchase a gun in this country, let alone make a stupid "plastic" one that would probably blow up in your hand if you fired it. If you made one without advanced permission you would be in violation of the law and you'd also have to incorporate a serial number of some sort on the gun and register it if you're doing things legally.

But the again, there are a lot of stupid people in the world....