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And RepRap comes off the Top Rope for 2011!!!!

2008 Was a Year of self Made RepRap Kits.  Ponoko Darwins, and various RepStraps/Junstraps

2009 Was the Start of the Commerical RepStrap Revolution, with the BfB Rapman, and the Makerbot CupCake.

2010 Has been the Year of Transition, with the explosion of Makerbot Marketing, and maturing of the RepRap Design, with Mendel, and the supply chain filling out with Makergear, MendelParts, Botmill, Techzone, Reprapstores, the German RepRap Foundation, and Ultimachine.  2010 saw the 1st year where RepRap had multiple venders offering interchangeable parts, based off a common design.  It started with the extruders, and by the end of this year expanded to include the kits themselves.

2011 is the year that RepRap will come to the forefront, I know this because like all good declarations, it happened a month or so before it was declared. :)


2011 will be the 1st year where the price and quality points are more on the RepRap side than the RepStrap side.  I think 2011 will be the end of the Lasercut kit being the better choice than the RP kit.  Let me give you a few examples why:

MakerGear Prusa Mendel Kit: $825!!!!

With Makerbot having decided to end the Cupcake standard kit, they have officially seeded the low ground in the RepRap/RepStrap community to Makergear.  MakerGear is officially the cheapest off the shelf RepStrap kit that I can recommend, and boy is it not a compromise.

Prusa 20x20cm PCB Heated Build Platform
Ramps Electronics
High Quality printed Parts
All hardware and Bearings
Makergear's Planetary gear extruder (The only extruder avaiblae with a metal planetary gear)

MendelParts.com Sells Mendel Kit: $916!!!

MendelParts is something Special, they are taking the RepRap concept to it's local conclusion that all of us have surely thought of.  Build a Mendel, Print the Parts for a second and sell them, use the funds to build more.  Well Camiel now have 6 folk running full blast running over 8 machines 24/7 printing Mendels for the world.  Poor fella isn't sleeping or seeing his friends any more, but his loss is your gain at this price point. :)  Again No compromises here either.


Gen6 all in 1 board electronics (developed by Mendelparts, and shared on the RepRap Wiki)
Aluminium build plate
PLA printed parts printed on a Mendel, they way all RepRap's really want to be
Adrian Extruder, with Mendel parts v4 hot end
Stainless or Zinc rods


BotMill's New  Sells Mendel Kit: $1165!!

The issue always had with Botmill was that they used the Gen3 Remix electronics by Techzone, which are none for having issues (read the RepRap forums).  Botmill has remedied this by going to the Gen6 electronics (I do not know if these are sourced though MendelParts, or if they are a copy, if sourced from MendelParts, they have a proven track record of reliablity).  This is an awesome kit also.

Professionally printed RP parts produced off a Stratasys 3d printer (The gold standard of FMD printing)
Looks like only 1 color is now available (yellow?)
Prusa Heated Build Plate
Gen6 Electronics
Adrian Extruder

They Call him RepRap

All of these kits have something no lasercut kit can offer:

You can replicate each one for 1/2 what you pay for your 1st kit.

RP based printers using 1/2 stepping are ghost quite (even a lasercut kit using 1/2 stepping can't say that)

All parts for these printers can easily be upgraded in the same material, in the same color as your base printer, so upgrades don't make your printer look like a Frankenprinter

X-axis prototype, motorized

X-axis prototype, motorized, originally uploaded by prusajr.

Prusa Mendel

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Location change for this week only

The 1st Class has moved to Kernersville, the Central Library was full at 6pm Tonight, so I had to move it a few days ago, and forgot to update the blog. Hope to see all of you there! It's still going to be free print at 4 class at 6-7pm, and more free print afterwards if anyone needs the time.

1st official Proxy Hacklab Class

After a lot of Emails, I have decided to start holding classes. I now have four different possible locations for our Hackerspace, but I want to wait until I have at least 1 more person who is willing to be a patron (willing to go in on the lease), before I get our space. All 4 spaces are Commercial/Industrial, less that $500, and in the central Winston Area.

If all works well the class will be at the Central Library from 6pm-7pm, and I will be there from 4pm-9pm to help people set up their own printers.

I am so excited, Winston Salem and the Triad now has a Hackerspace. I hope you guys come and visit!

It's about time

Proxy Hacklab is a hackerspace in Winston-Salem NC. If you're interested in making things, learning about every possible subject and applying them in different ways, playing with cutting edge technology, bending your brain to think in different ways... you're in the right place.

If you don't know what a hackerspace is a great place to start is hackerspace.org.

First thing we are looking to do is a Makerbot CNC demonstration / 1st meeting some time before the end of January 2010. If you are interested in showing up please shot me an Email, or join our Facebook Group.