In Chicago, 3-D Printers Are Available To Anyone With A Library Card

PopSci ^ | Schaunacy Ferro

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

3-D printing may be the way of the future, but for the average Joe, actually getting ahold of a 3-D printer to use on the cheap remains somewhat challenging.

Starting this week, though, 3-D printing will be as easy as swiping a library card for Chicago residents. The city's main downtown library, the Harold Washington Library Center, has opened up a free maker lab that anyone can access, with three MakerBot 3-D printers, laser cutters and a milling machine. It's the first maker space to open in a major urban library.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

This will be a good way to try out 3D printing before you spend a bunch of money on it. I hope this catches on.

[null and void]

3-D Printer Ping!

Political power grows out of the nozzle of a 3-D Printer.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

I was just gonna ping you.

[Boogieman]

For some reason, I don’t think that the librarian will be happy to assist me in printing out AR-15 receivers and 30 round magazines.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

No they won’t. It says they review everything and weapons are a no no.

[Dr. Sivana]

This will be a good way to try out 3D printing before you spend a bunch of money on it. I hope this catches on.

When I was a kid, the only copying machine available to the general public was the one in the library, with the coated, smelly, paper. Each copy was 15 cents, or enough to buy a candy bar and a Hershey's Twin Pop with the change. Usually they were only used for legal documents and REALLY important stuff. The cycle seems to be repeating.

[LibertarianLiz]

My husband has been “building” a 3-D printer for months now. He got one from a friend at work and they work on it together. The friend now has available a better 3-D printer that he could build and he is really thinking about it. I don’t quite understand it; but, I figure it is now his “hobby” and he seems to like the challenge of building one.

[null and void]

Ya gotta be quicker than that...

[fulltlt]

Is he using a 3D printer to make the parts for his 3D printer? I’ve heard they are very slow.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

I remember those Xerox machines. Now practically every home has a printer/ copier in it. I doubt 3d printers will be as ubiquitous but who knows?

[LibertarianLiz]

I don’t think so. It is such a basic looking object, and there are metal parts; what he has “printed” so far is plastic. But, I really don’t know anything about it except that he has built one and is thinking of getting another set to build.