I send the mesh to the 3D print shop, this was the result.
7 Likes
I like how you incorporated the ears and the hind legs into the model. Looking at it and coin it is very tiny. Was it expensive to print?
I have not delved into 3D printing and it’s ramifications because I heard it was very expensive, which puts it out of my reach at this point in time. I think I will have to do some research into the subject at some point to understand it better and maybe the cost will come down.
A really good model!
Hi @Morgaine_Christensen , I was very interested in 3D printing. But I also know, that a cheap 3D printer probably has some issues, which you experience when you bought one. So I decided to used a 3D online print shop (http://www.shapeways.com/), just to experiment. I printed the rabbit model, just for fun as part of the 3D blender course. The print price was about 13,- euros. It seams a lot, but the quality is much, much better then a low price 3D home printer.
The ears are very thin. Printing in plastic 0.7 mm is the minimal requirement. You can try less, but then you don’t get the assurance that it will be printed correctly. The plastic is strong.
The print cost are calculated this way;
- How much plastic is used. That why my model is hollow inside (see 3D viewer).
- The size of the object in the 3D print machine.
- And labour (picking up you model parts, clean them (plastic power). Having 10 parts printed separately is more expensive, that the same parts connected with struts.
Then you have to pay package mail costs.
I collect my 3D print project into one print job. Save you mail package costs. I always use struts and reorder the printed object so they take less space in the machine. And try to print with wall of 1 mm. So you spend a lot of time on your model. And them you are busy making it printer ready.
I really like the support at Shape ways;
- I printed something in yellow plastic, which had some color problems (it was really my fault, because to save machine space are situated the object to close together). I complained, they gave me the opportunity for a reprint (with no additional costs). I said “No thanks, it’s ok”, I got a 10% discount for next print. I like that.
- The same for printing on object with a glossy finish. They showed me a photo of my printed object, and asked me if it was ok. If not a reprint was possible.
I really like the customer care!!
When you upload a object, they do several checks on the model. and report to you the costs, and 3D model problems. Some problems (wall thickness), you can fix on the site it self.
My print experience until now.
- Print in plastic is OK (very good),
- Colored plastic is just printed white plastic with a color coating.
- Printing in stone (plaster), for coloredfull objects is good. But the object are very very brittle.
What I printed;
- I like to make 3D puzzles
- making machine parts for broken things at home.
Just try printing one or two of your models. It cost you some money! But much less, then creating it with your own home printer. And come to the conclusion, that printing 3D models is not that easy as it looks.
Good luck, and show us what you’ve created!
1 Like
FedPete,
Thank you for the information! Sounds like 3D printing is a complicated subject but, this gives me a much better idea about it than before.
I have a friend in the UK, who has created a table top RPG which several of us (his friends) have contributed to in varying ways including miniature figures. This might be a perfect way to expand the game by printing out the models to make it more interesting to play.
I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to answer my question and providing me with such interesting information! Thank you!
I play a lot of board games. You can design your own pieces, or 3d pieces of the game board.
Good luck and have fun.
Thanks for the information!
@FedPete That’s awesome! What a great idea to 3D print the bunny! You could even print a bunny on a ground with flowers, or print out other models that you create, and then arrange them on a desk or shelf. 
@Morgaine_Christensen Another option (if 3D Printers are too expensive of an option) is to go to a local school (preferably one that is new). Sometimes, depending on where you live, they have very advanced technology and machinery inside of the local schools. You could check them out and check if they had a 3D Printer you could use. I would bet that the average technology teacher (or 3D Printer owner) would be ecstatic to personally know someone in their community that also had a desire to print out original work. It’s worth a shot!
@Parker_Peterson Thanks for the info. We have a couple of colleges and a university close to where I life. I will have to see if I can get in contact with them to see if they offer this service. I hadn’t even thought of it!
@Morgaine_Christensen It really wasn’t something I would’ve thought of either! That is, until I saw a 3D Printer at a local Middle School/Junior High School! I was surprised to see that type of technology in a Middle School, being used by young teenagers. It’s awesome!
LOL yes, I think they are starting kids very early when it comes to computer related technology, which is good in some ways.
I think that it’s a great thing! The school that I visited was having each student print out a part of a hand. Then, each class would use the parts that they printed and assemble them, creating a mechanical hand that they then sent to children hospitals to be used by kids that, for one reason or another, did not have hands! I thought that that was pretty awesome. 
Wow! That is awesome! Maybe interest some of those children in the hospital in doing something similar. They do great things now with voice enable software and joysticks.
That’s true. Along with the Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality experiments, simulations, and training, I think all this technology is going to make a big impact on the jobs of the future.
And of course, 3D Printing is paired with that. 
I heard that somewhere in Europe, they are 3D Printing custom homes!