I purchased a 3d printer back in May at Maker Faire. ( Check out that story here ). Overall i'm still pretty happy with my purchase, though looking back I might have gone with a less expensive printer such as the ultimaker or another one of the 3d printers out there, or even perhaps waited for the botobjects printer, due out in October if you preorder now that boasts 25 micron layers, dual extruders, and a 10x10x11 build area.
While the 2x is a great printer it does have its shortcomings and for the price, $2799, these simply shouldn't occur. Makerbot industries sells two printers one is called the Replicator 2 and the other is the Replicator 2x "experimental", like the x planes of the 50's and 60s. One would think that everything the replicator 2 can do, the replicator 2x can do just as well but can do a few more things if you wish to experiment and tweak, but you'd be slightly incorrect. The Replicator 2x has an actual smaller print area, by about 2 inches on two axis, which is pretty significant. In addition while the Replicator 2 is geared for PLA plastic, a more rigid and environmentally friendly plastic that smells like pancakes when printing. The replicator 2x is geared for ABS plastic, which is a bit more flexible and when printing smells like you're melting your action figures in the oven. Which brings me to the point that the replicator 2x really can't print PLA well. You CAN print PLA, but typically you'll get one or two prints then the nozzles will clog or the plastic won't stick to the base, or a bunch of other issues which will result in "air prints", where the printer goes through the motion but you'll end up with nothing printed or half printed.
To "fix" these issues you will likely have to print out "upgrades" in ABS for things such as a better feed mechanism, belt tension clips, or pay additional monies for 3rd party upgrades such as aluminum arms so the build platform has more stability and less likelihood that you'll need to re-level the base platform after every build, in addition to a heated glass platform to replace the supposed "level" aluminum heated print bed. (end of mini-review/rant)
Which this all brings me to the test prints I decided to do to test out the printer boundaries. I found and wanted to print out an awesome ant farm by 3Dizingof from thingiverse but the download had been removed in response to the "closed nature" that makerbot industries regarding their 3d printers as well as verbiage that put into question who actually owns the items on thingiverse as well as what makerbot industries could do with those items. (which, isn't unfounded be it now that makerbbot industries was bought by http://www.stratasys.com/ ) Which angered many of the designers and they removed those files themselves, and now on thingiverse the files and their listing have been completely removed. So...
