Home Depot Begins Retail Store Pilot Program To Sell MakerBot 3-D Printers

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Home Depot Begins Retail Store Pilot Program To Sell MakerBot 3-D Printers

Posted by samzenpus on Monday July 14, 2014 @06:01AM from the maker-for-the-people dept.

ClockEndGooner writes Looking for a 3-D printer to help you out with a home project or two? If you're in one of the 12 pilot program areas in the U.S., stop into Home Depot to take a look at and purchase a MakerBot 3-D Replicator printer. "...The pilot program will offer the microwave-sized MakerBot Replicator printers, priced at $2,899, for sale, as well as the smaller Replicator Minis, which list for $1,375. 'This will open up the whole world of 3-D printing to people who wouldn't otherwise know about it—like moms and dads, electricians, contractors and DIY-home-improvement folks,' said MakerBot chief executive Bre Pettis. 'It's a good match.'"

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and what would i do with it? by alen · 2014-07-14 06:05 · Score: 2

the website makes it seem like i'm buying a $3000 machine to buy plans to print some orange toys for the kids
1. Re:and what would i do with it? by Mr+D+from+63 · 2014-07-14 06:11 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  3D printer sales will be flat.
2. Re:and what would i do with it? by afidel · 2014-07-14 06:20 · Score: 1
  
  Custom cases for phones/electronics projects (Raspberry Pi comes to mind), prototypes of all sorts of things (custom rings is one I saw in their twitter feed, heck I read a story about a surgeon in the UK who used 3D printing to make models of bones and organs to practice surgery procedures on saving several thousand pounds and several weeks vs traditional hand made models.
  
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3. Re:and what would i do with it? by ShanghaiBill · 2014-07-14 06:25 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Home Depot has a tool rental program. It would be really slick if they offered 3D printers for rental, either in-store (it could print your part while you shop), or take home for a weekend project.
  This past school year I helped out with an after-school programming class at my son's elementary school. One of the projects was to design a 3D part using Python and FreeCAD. We tried to have the parts printed at TechShop, but they wouldn't let kids under 18 into their facility. So we had them printed by an online service and mailed to us. It would have been really cool to have a 3D printer at the school, so the kids could see their parts being made, and maybe fine-tune the design and print again. One of the boys designed a working toilet for his sister's Barbie dollhouse.
4. Re:and what would i do with it? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 06:32 · Score: 0
  
  Your imagination is the limit! Print out anything you can dream of--as long as it's small, simple, and made of cheap plastic!
5. Re:and what would i do with it? by afidel · 2014-07-14 06:41 · Score: 1
  
  The per piece rental would make more sense, HD charges your card at rental time the full cost of the tools replacement as a deposit and I'm not sure how many people would have $2,800 open on their card. Of course then they'll run into copyright issues, so probably best just to sell the units.
  
  --
  There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
6. Re:and what would i do with it? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 06:46 · Score: 0
  
  the website makes it seem like i'm buying a $3000 machine to buy plans to print some orange toys for the kids
  Yes, but you missed the part they want you to focus on. I'm certain they'll offer 0% interest on that $3000 machine. On their credit card.
  Nothing but win-win-win-win-win for everyone tracking and profiting from that purchase. And no, they don't give a shit what you think.
7. Re:and what would i do with it? by Registered+Coward+v2 · 2014-07-14 06:47 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Custom cases for phones/electronics projects (Raspberry Pi comes to mind), prototypes of all sorts of things (custom rings is one I saw in their twitter feed, heck I read a story about a surgeon in the UK who used 3D printing to make models of bones and organs to practice surgery procedures on saving several thousand pounds and several weeks vs traditional hand made models.
  The question is "How much overlap is there between the MakerBot market and the Home Depot shopper market?" My anecdotal experience says there is not a lot of overlap. The pros are buying in bulk at a discount and for them time is money. Waiting hours to make a widget isn't what they are looking for. The average homeowner wants to fix a problem or do some upgrades and needs help and advice. Tinkering with a MB machine isn't really what they want either. Sure, some MB hobbyist also shop at HD but do enough do this to but what is essentially a bleeding edge toy vs a really useful tool for regular work. Toys are nice but the market is limited.
  
  --
  I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
8. Re:and what would i do with it? by Noah+Haders · 2014-07-14 06:54 · Score: 2
  
  i think if you're practicing your surgery on hard plasticky 3-d printed organs, your skills aren't going to transfer over very well to real-world applications.
9. Re:and what would i do with it? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 06:55 · Score: 0
  
  To borrow your surgeon for a moment, if you could rent a set of surgical tools from Homedepot what would you do with them?
  3D printers are not turnkey solutions to making whatever you can imagine. It doesn't matter what the hardware can do, it's what the users skills, patience and needs are. If you want to make a raspberry Pi case it really does not matter whether you have a 3d printer or not if you have no design expertise, no modeling software and no idea how to keep the model stuck to the bed of the printer.
10. Re:and what would i do with it? by Noah+Haders · 2014-07-14 07:00 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  a samsung phone?
11. Re:and what would i do with it? by cdrudge · 2014-07-14 07:05 · Score: 1
  
  Of course then they'll run into copyright issues, so probably best just to sell the units.
  What copyright issues? I don't even think you can copyright a specific shape or model. Patent or trademark possibly, but not copyright.
12. Re:and what would i do with it? by Kenja · 2014-07-14 07:14 · Score: 1
  
  I'm going to go with "print a sex toy". Target market is those who want a dildo but are too embarrassed to buy one.
  
  --
  
  "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
13. Re:and what would i do with it? by ShanghaiBill · 2014-07-14 07:14 · Score: 1
  
  Of course then they'll run into copyright issues
  I have yet to hear of a single lawsuit based on 3D parts. Even if there was, all legal precedence says that it is person ordering the part, and not the service provider, that is responsible. Otherwise Kinkos would have never existed.
  
  so probably best just to sell the units.
  Then they will likely lose to other companies that are willing to offer parts-as-a-service. Staples already has 3D-print-on-demand at a few of their stores.
14. Re:and what would i do with it? by afidel · 2014-07-14 07:18 · Score: 1
  
  Copyright most certainly applies to design files, just like you can run into issues printing photographs proving ownership of the image you would need to prove ownership of the design file you are submitting before they'll use it to make something for you.
  
  --
  There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
15. Re:and what would i do with it? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 07:20 · Score: 0
  
  We tried to have the parts printed at TechShop, but they wouldn't let kids under 18 into their facility.
  That's interesting given kids and young adults (12 to 17 years of age) are allowed in the facilities to work on projects when under the direct supervision of a parent or legal guardian in the Bay Area and is stated as such on the website. I've taken my kids to TechShop when it was located in Menlo Park. Though, there are some restrictions on which tools / machines minors are allowed to used.
16. Re:and what would i do with it? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 07:22 · Score: 0
  
  Maybe it's a modified printer to print some kind of gel that will be the right consistency.
17. Re:and what would i do with it? by jythie · 2014-07-14 07:32 · Score: 1
  
  What would you do with a tablesaw?
  
  Home Depot is one of the places selling these devices makes a lot of sense, though hobby stores that cater to people who need to fabricate miniatures would probably work better.
18. Re:and what would i do with it? by jythie · 2014-07-14 07:35 · Score: 1
  
  Given how many times I have gone into a Home Depot and been told XYZ part is no longer available, having some in-store fabrication like that would be really nice. When one is working on older homes it is pretty common to encounter parts that fit together but are no longer made and you REALLY just want to replace the broken piece rather then rip out the whole assembly.
19. Re:and what would i do with it? by Opportunist · 2014-07-14 07:50 · Score: 1
  
  Oh, just wait 'til printing cheap car parts becomes as widespread as music copying is. If you think the media industry caused a riot when people avoided paying their extortion fees, just wait what strings the car industry is going to pull once people start to avoid their plastic spare parts sold at prices that would make you think they're made of platinum.
  
  --
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20. Re:and what would i do with it? by Opportunist · 2014-07-14 07:55 · Score: 2
  
  Actually plastic is pretty much the ONLY limit the average tinkerer had 'til recently. If it was made of wood, just turn it. If it was made of metal, put power to your lathe. If it was made of plastic, though, you were out of luck 'til now. Small numbers or even single items were pretty much anathema to plastic which is the king of mass production, but producing one piece was nearly as expensive as making a few thousands, since the tool was the expensive part, not the material.
  3D printing closes this gap.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
21. Re:and what would i do with it? by Opportunist · 2014-07-14 07:56 · Score: 1
  
  I'm not an expert on dildos, but judging from the stuff I have printed I can tell you one thing: To want a printed dildo, you'd really have to be some fucked up hardcore masochist!
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
22. Re:and what would i do with it? by NatasRevol · 2014-07-14 07:58 · Score: 1
  
  The ladies have learned about silicone rubber for their fun.
  They're not buying anything until it can print in soft plastic.
  
  --
  There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
23. Re:and what would i do with it? by internerdj · 2014-07-14 08:00 · Score: 1
  
  Anything plastic on a car is already competing with free, zip tie, or bondo for repairs.
24. Re:and what would i do with it? by LordLimecat · 2014-07-14 08:02 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  "I heard about a guy in another country who used one" doesnt really bode well for sales.
25. Re:and what would i do with it? by LordLimecat · 2014-07-14 08:04 · Score: 1
  
  You realize you can already buy third party parts for cars, right? Something something Magnusson-Moss Act....
26. Re:and what would i do with it? by bws111 · 2014-07-14 08:10 · Score: 1
  
  What legal precidence are you talking about? That is completely incorrect. Take something that looks like it might be copyrighted to Kinko's and ask them to copy it. They won't.
27. Re:and what would i do with it? by bws111 · 2014-07-14 08:20 · Score: 1
  
  Just out of curiousity, what kind of parts are you talking about, where a 3D printed piece of plastic would be an acceptable replacement? In my work on my own older home, the things that are in the can't find/hard to find category are all either structural (2x4s that are actually 2 inches by 4 inches), functional (doorknobs, etc), or decorative (plaster rosettes, etc). None of those are suitably replaced with a piece of plastic, regardless of whether or not it actually 'fits'.
28. Re:and what would i do with it? by ArcadeMan · 2014-07-14 08:31 · Score: 1
  
  You should fix your Z-axis problems.
  
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29. Re:and what would i do with it? by ArcadeMan · 2014-07-14 08:33 · Score: 1
  
  If it's a printer that's been modified to print some kind of gel with the right consistency, it's probably to print another kind of organs.
  
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30. Re:and what would i do with it? by ArcadeMan · 2014-07-14 08:36 · Score: 1
  
  Sounds like something Henry Ford would say to sell 3D printers.
  
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31. Re:and what would i do with it? by RabidReindeer · 2014-07-14 08:48 · Score: 1
  
  Just out of curiousity, what kind of parts are you talking about, where a 3D printed piece of plastic would be an acceptable replacement? In my work on my own older home, the things that are in the can't find/hard to find category are all either structural (2x4s that are actually 2 inches by 4 inches), functional (doorknobs, etc), or decorative (plaster rosettes, etc). None of those are suitably replaced with a piece of plastic, regardless of whether or not it actually 'fits'.
  Plastic doorknobs, probably. Plaster rosettes, no, although you could print custom plaster moulds and get far more variety than a store would normally have in stock. Your 2x4s that actually 2x4 are a planing job and I've no doubt that HD would be happy to sell you the appropriate hardware.
  One of the things that 3D printing can do for you when you need something more durable than straight plastic (for example, a door latch), is print the "public facing" component of a part that, given a suitable metal underbody would supply strength where it's needed while allowing more choices for the outside component.
  Where Home Depot could probably make their own mark is in non-plastic printers for custom metal and artifical stone printing.
32. Re:and what would i do with it? by ShanghaiBill · 2014-07-14 09:20 · Score: 1
  
  Take something that looks like it might be copyrighted to Kinko's and ask them to copy it. They won't.
  I have been to Kinko's dozens of times. I have copied pages out of book, manuals, and magazines. I have also brought in many downloaded PDFs, including complete technical manuals. All of this stuff was obviously copyrighted. Never, not even once, did they even hesitate to let me copy it.
33. Re:and what would i do with it? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 09:22 · Score: 0
  
  If only they created this before you could buy toys on the Internet.
34. Re: and what would i do with it? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 09:26 · Score: 1
  
  Ohhhh!!! MBA types will love 3D power point! Just pass this pie chart around the table. Unnggg, so heavy!!!
35. Re:and what would i do with it? by sumdumass · 2014-07-14 09:46 · Score: 1
  
  for the 2x4, find an Amish person and they will likely know where you can get one. Also, small lumber mills operators will run them happily for you. Of course, my favorite is to glue a piece of plywood to one side and face. Just rip it down on the table saw, glue, and keep a few spares for whenever you need them. Glue the face first cut at 2 inch and cut the side 3.5 wide with .5 inch plywood. Or got with 1/4 inch and go all the way around but frankly, I think you are wasting glue.
  I was thinking maybe something like profile molding would be a good use for the 3d printer but there are enough shops that will custom make a knife and plane some out to order. Perhaps nobs and handles for drawers and stuff. A lot of the older homes had cabinetry built into the walls.
36. Re:and what would i do with it? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 11:32 · Score: 0
  
  the RDF is strong with this one!
37. Re:and what would i do with it? by Warshadow · 2014-07-14 12:18 · Score: 1
  
  Something something...Magnuson–Moss Act has nothing to do with being able to buy aftermarket parts. It's about warranties.
38. Re:and what would i do with it? by i.r.id10t · 2014-07-14 13:01 · Score: 1
  
  On the other hand, when I went looking for stuff to run some CAT-5 in my house HD had everything needed, including 2 models of switches (4 and 8 port both 10/100). This was in late 2000.
  
  --
  Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
39. Re:and what would i do with it? by Registered+Coward+v2 · 2014-07-14 13:24 · Score: 1
  
  On the other hand, when I went looking for stuff to run some CAT-5 in my house HD had everything needed, including 2 models of switches (4 and 8 port both 10/100). This was in late 2000.
  Not surprising. Lots of folks run wire and cable. Doesn't mean they also wold buy a MB.
  
  --
  I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
40. Re:and what would i do with it? by Applehu+Akbar · 2014-07-14 14:11 · Score: 1
  
  Although Home Depot started as a pure DIY operation, it already has a lot invested in virtual home design software as a service (visualize what your new kitchen remodel will look like, then contract to have the work done). Offering 3D print as a service is a natural fit for the same part of the store. For customers, it will be a risk-free way of trying out an expensive and temperamental new technology.
41. Re:and what would i do with it? by Ultracrepidarian · 2014-07-14 14:11 · Score: 1
  
  Radio Shack missed the boat on this one.
42. Re:and what would i do with it? by Ultracrepidarian · 2014-07-14 14:20 · Score: 1
  
  It doesn't seem so long ago that people were asking me why anyone would want a home computer.
43. Re:and what would i do with it? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 14:26 · Score: 0
  
  To borrow your surgeon for a moment, if you could rent a set of surgical tools from Homedepot what would you do with them?
  Clearly, I would have to practice my (non-existent) surgery skills... Any volunteers? You there, you look petrified. Perhaps we can fix that.
44. Re:and what would i do with it? by beelsebob · 2014-07-14 15:00 · Score: 1
  
  Hmm, My immediate thought actually is that there's a fucking huge overlap. Print your own cornicing for your house... Print your own bath plugs... Print your own custom pipes for the awkward places that are unique to your house... Print your own parts to customise fixtures and fittings. The list is basically endless in the DIY landscape. The only worry home depot might have is that there might be too much overlap, and their sales of other things might drop!
45. Re:and what would i do with it? by goose-incarnated · 2014-07-14 18:12 · Score: 1
  
  Hmm, My immediate thought actually is that there's a fucking huge overlap. Print your own cornicing for your house
  In 30cm pieces? Taking 12 hours for enough to do a single room?
  
  ... Print your own bath plugs...
  Yes, you can save $0.5 USD just by waiting an hour.
  
  Print your own custom pipes for the awkward places that are unique to your house...
  No such thing - a variety of elbows, t-pieces and such are available to fit any sort of plumbing the average house has, which leaves us to the only legitimate use ...
  
  Print your own parts to customise fixtures and fittings.
  And this is the option that requires the owner to be proficient enough to design his own stuff in the first place, which may take (from my experience) anything from 2 hours to twenty hours. If he is downloading a design off of the net, then it's not unique, is it?
  
  The list is basically endless in the DIY landscape.
  I do lots of DIY. Really lots. I've refloored my house with three different types of flooring (wood, carpets and tiles), rebuilt walls, built a pond, welded up 30m of palisade fencing. I've built tiny once-off tools for specialised purposes (especially when repairing newer models of cars). I've reroofed my garage, installed ceilings, rewired entire buildings. I've done the plumbing and cabling for much of my house. I've built cupboards, and constructed various sheet metal projects. I'm okay with electronics as well, having had a career in the embedded world.
  And with all that experience of rolling my own, I can tell you one thing for certain - there is no decent ROI in any of the current consumer 3d printers (I've got unlimited access to one at work). You cannot print anything other than cosmetic items due to the lack of strength or rigidity. The pipes you think you will print? Maybe it will work as a straight length - a single bend is going to cause unpredictable rigidity. It will also still have to be milled/finished to fit into the other fittings. Or perhaps you want to print out enclosures for your rasberry pi/arduino projects? Rather than get an ugly plastic case with lines all over it, you can construct one from aluminium sheets in about ten minutes with a jigsaw and a $20 home-made brake.
  
  The only worry home depot might have is that there might be too much overlap, and their sales of other things might drop!
  I doubt it - you can't even print a spanner that will work more than once. Or anything that is supposed to look good.
  
  --
  I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
46. Re:and what would i do with it? by drkim · 2014-07-14 18:13 · Score: 1
  
  Hmm, My immediate thought actually is that there's a fucking huge overlap. Print your own cornicing for your house... Print your own bath plugs...
  True...
  I actually wandered into the demo at the HD near me.
  The rest of my shopping as I wandered through the store, every time I saw some plastic part, I was thinking, "I could print THAT, and THAT, and part of THAT..."
47. Re:and what would i do with it? by davester666 · 2014-07-14 18:15 · Score: 1
  
  Fixed in v2 hardware. Sorry, only upgrade path from v1 hardware is buying v2 hardware at full price.
  
  --
  Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
48. Re:and what would i do with it? by LordLimecat · 2014-07-15 02:01 · Score: 1
  
  I had understood that it had been used to justify the existence of third party parts in spite of lawsuits to the contrary from auto makers.
49. Re: and what would i do with it? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-16 18:33 · Score: 0
  
  I would.... I would... hmm.... I would print a better 3D printer? Hmm not sure!
50. Re:and what would i do with it? by BitZtream · 2014-07-27 15:03 · Score: 1
  
  Except you'd spend more on electricity than you'd have spent to just buy it.
  Thats not including source material.
  Thats not including the fact that the part you printed is going to be so weak, relative to the mass produced part that it doesn't stand a chance of being useful.
  You only think its a good idea because you have absolutely no real world experience with 3d printing.
  3D printing at home is a joke for anything other than AT BEST making lost-PLA (i.e. lost wax but with PLA) style molds that you can fill with a metal, and even thats HIGHLY specialized.
  Note: I have both a 3d printer and a CNC machine, and 9 times out of 10, I CNC it rather than print it and do a pour. Nothing printed at home has enough strength to be useful. If you think even a 3d printed phone case would be useful, you really don't have any idea. One won't even last you through the work day before its coming apart.
  
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A lot of them will be returned by Animats · 2014-07-14 06:05 · Score: 4, Insightful

MakerBot has never before sold through a retail outlet that takes returns. A lot of those machines will come back.
1. Re:A lot of them will be returned by spire3661 · 2014-07-14 06:16 · Score: 1
  
  WHAT? I see them RETAIL at MicrosoftStore, Microcenter and other places. They take returns.
  
  --
  Good-bye
2. Re:A lot of them will be returned by alexander_686 · 2014-07-14 06:26 · Score: 2
  
  It is not retailers that take returns per se.
  What the OP is saying is that many novice people will wander by the display, think it is cool, and buy it on an impulse. They will then take it home, struggle with it, figure out it is not as cool as they though, and return it.
  Think of all those IBM PC jr and Colecovision collecting dust that people bought in the 80s thinking this would be the thing to solve all of their issue. Now, I know a good subset that put these things to good use or used them as a springboard but many where purchased with only vague ideas on how they would be used.
3. Re:A lot of them will be returned by CaptainLard · 2014-07-14 08:15 · Score: 1
  
  What the OP is saying is that many novice people will wander by the display, think it is cool, and buy it on an impulse.
  How many people are going to spend $3000 (or even $1300) on something they know almost nothing about after "wandering by"? If its more than zero, Makerbot should partner with local divorce attorneys.
4. Re:A lot of them will be returned by sumdumass · 2014-07-14 10:00 · Score: 1
  
  You would be surprised. Especially around tax time when a lot of lower income people have fat (EIC) refunds that is probably already spent but they never had that much at one time. Big screen TVs, four wheelers, all kinds of stuff get purchased on impulse this way. And usually, it is the junkier stuff that most people would stay away from if they knew about it.
5. Re:A lot of them will be returned by Bill_the_Engineer · 2014-07-14 10:33 · Score: 1
  
  How many people are going to spend $3000 (or even $1300) on something they know almost nothing about after "wandering by"?
  I guess you never been bored one weekend and shopped at Home Depot. It is never cheap especially if your spouse is with you.
  
  --
  These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
6. Re:A lot of them will be returned by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 16:05 · Score: 0
  
  Your classism is so hipsterish! If you paid those people a decent wage, then they wouldn't need nor qualify for EIC.
7. Re:A lot of them will be returned by sumdumass · 2014-07-15 10:55 · Score: 1
  
  Who cares about the EIC? Stupid people will do stupid things, poor people are not known for being smart with finances. Tax refunds simply give an enormous extra amount of money at one time to poor people.
I wonder by dale.furno · 2014-07-14 06:06 · Score: 0

I wonder how many people will purchase one, put a rock in the box and return it for a refund?
1. Re:I wonder by HornWumpus · 2014-07-14 06:09 · Score: 2
  
  Stores have been onto that trick for 20 years.
  Scammers still do it, but to people who think they are buying stolen goods.
  There _will_ be a metric buttload of returns.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
2. Re:I wonder by dale.furno · 2014-07-14 06:11 · Score: 0
  
  Does the Home Depot force Makerbot to eat the returns?
3. Re:I wonder by HornWumpus · 2014-07-14 06:18 · Score: 1
  
  Do you think HD will eat them? Of course, Makerbot will get the returns back. So look for referbs to be available soon.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
4. Re:I wonder by Lumpy · 2014-07-14 06:20 · Score: 1
  
  I am hoping for clearance aisle at 80% off in about 16 months.
  
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  Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
5. Re:I wonder by dale.furno · 2014-07-14 06:24 · Score: 0
  
  I'll take one that is *missing* a few parts for a fraction of the price.
6. Re:I wonder by Registered+Coward+v2 · 2014-07-14 06:49 · Score: 1
  
  Does the Home Depot force Makerbot to eat the returns?
  Probably. Given their size they can, and do, pretty much dictate terms.
  
  --
  I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
7. Re:I wonder by Noah+Haders · 2014-07-14 07:04 · Score: 1
  
  HD should just buy a mega makerbot that can print makerbots. and mcdonalds should buy a McMakerbot to print hamburgers.
8. Re:I wonder by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 07:56 · Score: 0
  
  Now it's store employees and delivery people who put the rocks in the boxes. Always open something expensive on site.
9. Re:I wonder by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 08:38 · Score: 0
  
  I wonder how many people will purchase one, put a rock in the box and return it for a refund?
  Rock? I'm going to print another MakerBot and return that.
10. Re:I wonder by LynnwoodRooster · 2014-07-14 09:05 · Score: 1
  
  I'll take one that is *missing* a few parts for a fraction of the price.
  You bet! Buy a 'bot, find the parts that are missing, print new ones, and...
  Oh wait...
  
  --
  Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
Prepare for the general public to be disappointed by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 06:08 · Score: 0

Prepare for the general public to be disappointed
I have a cunning plan... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 06:10 · Score: 0

Buy 3D Printer from Home Depot
Print a copy
Return duplicate for refund.
SciFri / Staples by bill_mcgonigle · 2014-07-14 06:10 · Score: 3, Interesting

This was mentioned briefly on Science Friday last week. Also that some Staples are going to have them for "service bureau" printing.
It's a neat idea and a potential reniassance for service bureaus - I haven't needed to go to one since 44-meg Syquest carts were in vogue.
Eventually we'll all have high-strength 3D printers at home, but that's got to be at least a decade off.

--
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
1. Re:SciFri / Staples by dale.furno · 2014-07-14 06:14 · Score: 0
  
  First, products that are worth servicing would need to be produced.
2. Re:SciFri / Staples by CastrTroy · 2014-07-14 06:32 · Score: 1
  
  We're not even at the point where most people have photo quality printers at home. And for many of those who do have one, it's currently out of ink, and hasn't been turned on in years. Why do you think the average Joe would own a 3D printer? For the two or three times a year you need something printed up, it's much easier to go to a shop that owns one and have them print out the part. I know people who print out lots of pictures, but almost nobody I know owns a photo printer. It's much easier and cheaper to bring your SD card into Walmart or Costco and have them print them while you're shopping. Even if you're going to print stuff off once a month, which I think would be quite high for most people, it would still be way more convenient to just go to a shop and have it done.
  
  --
  
  Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
3. Re:SciFri / Staples by Anne+Thwacks · 2014-07-14 06:37 · Score: 1
  
  We're not even at the point where most people have photo quality printers at home and know that its cheaper and easier to go to Staples if they actually want printout.
  FTFY
  
  --
  Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
4. Re:SciFri / Staples by fermion · 2014-07-14 07:31 · Score: 1
  
  I don't see home depot as servicing the target market for these products. On a story I heard this morning, it seems like people think they can go home and print gaskets or a screw. Maybe, if you can find the file online or have a caliper a a disign progam you can, but why would you spend the money? I suppose you could print a custom handle for a door or a faucet, if you wanted a plastic handle, but people pay good money for metal parts. I suppose you could coat it in metal, and it would be as good as the low end products.
  I think that 3D printers have a market and will get to the point where they will be Sold in Stores My concern with Home Depot is their ability to market them positively. Sure, $4K is low enough that many people will but it and take it home and try to use it. But if Home Depot is trying to push 3D printers to just anyone, many of them are going to get returned because they can't print washers. And the reviews are going to be bad, and 3D printing technology is going to be pushed back 5 years.
  
  --
  "She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
5. Re:SciFri / Staples by drkim · 2014-07-14 18:29 · Score: 1
  
  I don't see home depot as servicing the target market for these products. On a story I heard this morning, it seems like people think they can go home and print gaskets or a screw...
  Actually, at the Home Depot 3D printer demo they are handing out a sample nut and bolt (with finger nubs to tighten them, not hex heads.)
  I'm not sure I'd use them to bolt my house together, but them seem fairly sturdy.
...and oversell them on what they can do with it. by PhantomHarlock · 2014-07-14 06:16 · Score: 2

I don't think the price point vs. quality is worth it for that crowd.
For me I just send things out to shapeways because I need small, fine parts, not fused piles of spaghetti.
Plus, how many people in the general population can do any solid modelling?
I'd rather have it as a service by zAPPzAPP · 2014-07-14 06:18 · Score: 1

I only need a 3D printer in rare occasions, which does not justify buying one.
So I would like to get easy access to one.
Take a better, faster, more expensive printer.
Put it in a vending machine like case and sell the printing service by time/volume maybe?
Couple it with a 3d scanner, so I can scan in some part I need copied / remade right there. But also make it possible to remotely queue jobs and then pick them up at the store later when they're finished.
I am imagining somthing like a postal package station, only the stuff you can pick up is being made right inside the machine.
1. Re:I'd rather have it as a service by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 07:38 · Score: 0
  
  You might be on to something with that business model.
2. Re:I'd rather have it as a service by Obfuscant · 2014-07-14 10:51 · Score: 1
  
  But also make it possible to remotely queue jobs and then pick them up at the store later when they're finished.
  Minion: Sir, the 3D printer kiosk has been spitting out plastic dildos all day ...
  Manager: Just mark them $2.99 and put them in the bin with all the rest.
3. Re:I'd rather have it as a service by drkim · 2014-07-14 18:36 · Score: 1
  
  Put it in a vending machine like case and sell the printing service by time/volume maybe?
  Couple it with a 3d scanner, so I can scan in some part I need copied / remade right there. But also make it possible to remotely queue jobs and then pick them up at the store later when they're finished.
  That's a great idea. People could pre-order, pre-pay online with a credit card. The machine would give them an estimated pick-up time.
  When it's done printing the part, it could push it onto one of those locked shelves like they have on sandwich machines.
  When you stick your credit card in the machine, it would unlock your window.
4. Re:I'd rather have it as a service by Obfuscant · 2014-07-15 04:47 · Score: 1
  
  That's a great idea. People could pre-order, pre-pay online with a credit card. The machine would give them an estimated pick-up time.
  Accountant: Home Depot called, your order of 39 pink dildos has been waiting for pickup for a week. And why are you buying this using the company credit card?
  Exec: Oh, crap. The company card must have been hacked again. That's it.
Why the overpriced Makerbot? by Lumpy · 2014-07-14 06:19 · Score: 2

Why not one of the many much more affordable ones out there? Home Depot is not about buying the most expensive tools, it's about buying tools that will work and enable you.

--
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
1. Re:Why the overpriced Makerbot? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 06:44 · Score: 0
  
  Because MakerBot closed everything up, was early to market, and, well, has the funds and board members to pull off the deals. I was at one of their first demos and its amazing how much the company has changed after getting funded. Sadly, not for the good in my opinion. The "open" ideals went right out the window and now consist of bastardized promises and "thank you"s to everyone who contributed early on.
  MakerBot is a case study for an open project gone wrong.
What's the target audience? by timrod · 2014-07-14 06:20 · Score: 4, Insightful

What I don't get here is what target audience MakerBot hopes is going to buy these at a Home Depot. 3D printers are really only viable for purchase by businesses in most cases, because individual buyers generally don't have enough use for them to justify a four-digit purchase price. Most individuals who want to use a 3D printer are going to use one of the numerous places online where you can send them a design and have them print and ship it at a fraction of the cost of buying a printer, and most businesses are going to use something more reliable (injection molding and the like) rather than buy one of these.
It seems like it would be more profitable to set up a "makerspace" kind of thing at the stores - charge people for materials and to use the printer to print out designs, rather than trying to sell them the printers themselves.
1. Re:What's the target audience? by dale.furno · 2014-07-14 06:26 · Score: 1
  
  the same audience that purchases a $2500 Generator when the lights go out for more than 5 minutes.
2. Re:What's the target audience? by itzly · 2014-07-14 06:40 · Score: 2
  
  Quite a few people (myself included) bought first generation home computers for 4 digit purchase prices.
3. Re:What's the target audience? by HornWumpus · 2014-07-14 06:46 · Score: 1
  
  I scrubbed pots to pay for my first computer. It wasn't the $2000 for the computer that bothered me as much as the $600 floppy drive.
  It was not an impulse buy.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
4. Re:What's the target audience? by geekmux · 2014-07-14 06:51 · Score: 1
  
  Quite a few people (myself included) bought first generation home computers for 4 digit purchase prices.
  "Shut up and take my money!"
  Damn, have I really been saying that shit for 30+ years now? Guess some things never really go out of style...
5. Re:What's the target audience? by Registered+Coward+v2 · 2014-07-14 06:52 · Score: 1
  
  the same audience that purchases a $2500 Generator when the lights go out for more than 5 minutes.
  Except that sale is based on calming a fear; i.e. they will be out of power for a while. What fear or need does a MB fulfill that can be articulated in a way that the person who drops 2.5k$ for a generator will see the value of a MB? Just because someone can drop several K$'s on something doesn't mean they will drop it on any item.
  
  --
  I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
6. Re:What's the target audience? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 06:59 · Score: 0
  
  I think you nailed it. I'm looking at a 3D printer that has the ability to make at least 12x12x18 inches in volume (mainly for molds for some masks I'm working on as well as magician props.) MakerBot has it, but for 6.5 grand, it isn't cheap.
  Now, if HD or Lowe's could set up both plastic and metal 3D printing, it would make life easier. There are always specialty items such as mounting brackets that one may just need a one-off for. Or for metal fab work, being able to 3D print a metal cage that fits a desktop machine almost exactly so the office file server doesn't walk off when unattended.
7. Re:What's the target audience? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 07:23 · Score: 0
  
  Never underestimate the stupid.
8. Re:What's the target audience? by rickb928 · 2014-07-14 07:31 · Score: 1
  
  GMax. I'm thinking of building a clone.
  
  --
  deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
9. Re:What's the target audience? by rickb928 · 2014-07-14 07:36 · Score: 1
  
  I raised $1800 for my first Turbo XT clone with a yard sale. Dual 5 1/4 floppies, 20MB HD, 8MHz CPU, 640K RAM, CGA baby!
  It got updated to 3.5 HD floppies, 40MB drive, then out the door in 2 years and on to 286s, 386SX, blah blah blah. I paid a lot to be bleeding edge right up to Pentium 90s. After that I slowed down, and still run a Core 2 Duo at home that does Windows 8.1 very, very well.
  My 3D Printer experiment will be a home made something, probably a GMax clone or similar beam frame kit. I need not pay all that retail, and I may buy a used Printrbot Simple which I see pretty regular. I can always resell it or scavenge parts.
  
  --
  deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
10. Re:What's the target audience? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 07:43 · Score: 0
  
  One-off at HD and Lowes would be great. Also, you can take pre-existing BOMs online, order the parts in one go from Grainger, then follow the existing guides to assemble it. Make it as big as you want. Estimated cost: $600-1000 depending on size + your time. If you're the sort of person who has time to design and 3D print stuff, you can probably figure out how to assemble it in a night or two.
11. Re:What's the target audience? by RabidReindeer · 2014-07-14 08:52 · Score: 1
  
  the same audience that purchases a $2500 Generator when the lights go out for more than 5 minutes.
  Except that sale is based on calming a fear; i.e. they will be out of power for a while. What fear or need does a MB fulfill that can be articulated in a way that the person who drops 2.5k$ for a generator will see the value of a MB? Just because someone can drop several K$'s on something doesn't mean they will drop it on any item.
  What can I say? What about all of us who dropped thousands on PCs back before they were practically sold in blister packs?
12. Re:What's the target audience? by HornWumpus · 2014-07-14 08:57 · Score: 1
  
  If I had sold $1800 worth of my brothers and sisters stuff, there would have been hell to pay.
  Scrubbing pots for minimum wage was a good experience, much as it sucked at the time. Got me focused on not scrubbing pots for life.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
13. Re:What's the target audience? by Registered+Coward+v2 · 2014-07-14 09:13 · Score: 1
  
  the same audience that purchases a $2500 Generator when the lights go out for more than 5 minutes.
  Except that sale is based on calming a fear; i.e. they will be out of power for a while. What fear or need does a MB fulfill that can be articulated in a way that the person who drops 2.5k$ for a generator will see the value of a MB? Just because someone can drop several K$'s on something doesn't mean they will drop it on any item.
  What can I say? What about all of us who dropped thousands on PCs back before they were practically sold in blister packs?
  Most of those sales however were through either specialty retailers who had a customer base that self selected rather than being sold along side a bunch of none related items. It wasn't until the PC moved past the early adopter stage did they start appearing in more conventional retail outlets. MBs are still a hobbyist early adopter product targeted at people who are willing to put up with many restrictions and tinker to make it work. That demographic probably has little overlap with Home Depots. More to the point, MBs don't yet answer the "what useful things can it do that make my job quicker or easier" question in a way to appeal to the non-hobbyist.
  
  --
  I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
14. Re:What's the target audience? by HornWumpus · 2014-07-14 12:13 · Score: 1
  
  I've got a i7 4770k and have an Oculus rift on order. G27 wheel. Throttle/stick/rudder pedals. For Gaming goddamit!
  Generally go fast enough that I can go a couple of years between machines now.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
15. Re:What's the target audience? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 12:45 · Score: 0
  
  Not all 3D printers are four come with a four digit price point, Makerbots are imho overpriced.
16. Re:What's the target audience? by mattwarden · 2014-07-14 14:35 · Score: 1
  
  > 3D printers are really only viable for purchase by businesses in most cases
  Yes, of course it will be businesses, just like it's businesses that buy most of Home Depot's lumber, bricks, cement, etc. But I could see plenty of construction companies, mechanics, plumbers, miners, etc. who are tired of shutting down work because they need to drive to HD to get a part. Even if it costs them 20x as much to print a 2.5 inch bolt vs. buy it, it's a no brainer because time is money.
17. Re:What's the target audience? by RabidReindeer · 2014-07-14 23:25 · Score: 1
  
  1. Radio Shack.
  2. A lot of people bought personal computers even though their utility was even less obvious at the time. Advertising helped.
  I haven't enjoyed doing my own 3D prints yet, but I've a whole host of plastic parts that I'd either like to make replacements for (lost battery compartment covers, a broken hinge on a PC door, etc.) or would like a custom solution for, such as a case for a bedside automation control and display that's shaped for where it will be installed.
  As in the case of PCs and lasers, we'll eventually know when and where to use/not use 3D printing. Making it accessible is the first step.
18. Re:What's the target audience? by Registered+Coward+v2 · 2014-07-15 01:48 · Score: 1
  
  1. Radio Shack.
  Great example. A specialty retailer that focused on electronic hobbyists for whom a PC is a natural extension of their interest.
  
  2. A lot of people bought personal computers even though their utility was even less obvious at the time. Advertising helped.
  True. Cows sold a lot of PCs. However,at that point PCs were not that much of a novelty. People used them at work. They were no longer something brand new, and, more importantly they actually worked reasonably well.
  
  I haven't enjoyed doing my own 3D prints yet, but I've a whole host of plastic parts that I'd either like to make replacements for (lost battery compartment covers, a broken hinge on a PC door, etc.) or would like a custom solution for, such as a case for a bedside automation control and display that's shaped for where it will be installed.
  You really hit in the crux of the problem; expectations vs reality. Currently technology won't let you simply buy a MB, take it home, and start making parts. You have to be able to design the part, put into language the machine understands, fabricate it, wait for it to be made and the ned result is a part but not the nice smooth injection molded one you are replacing. Contrast that with the rest of the tools HD sells; where the customer can take it home and use it out of the box. Sure, I may not be as proficient wit it as a pro who uses one every day but I can use it at a level that meets my expectations.There isn't a steep learning curve with a lot of things I simply have to create for myself for the tool to be usable.
  
  As in the case of PCs and lasers, we'll eventually know when and where to use/not use 3D printing. Making it accessible is the first step.
  I agree; it's just I think the MB industry is still in the hobbyist phase, sort of like where the PC industry was in the Altair / IMSI / pre standard OS era. Hobbyist found them fun because they could tinker with them. Simply getting them to do anything was the goal, wether or not the result was useful. Programming in machine code, flipping toggles or even basic wasn't a chore but something new to learn. Contrast that with the subsequent waves of purchasers who simply wanted to use the tool and had expectations there would be programs that made it useful; not that they would need to create them all by themselves.
  Accessibility is great and a first step; but that gets back to my original comment. Is HD opening up MB to the right audience? Are their customers the type of people who will pay 2K+$ for a tool that is really just a hobbyist item at the is point. I think HD customers will expect a level of quality and speed a MB machine won't meet; and thus disappoint those customers. Right now, MBs are a lot like the early computers in that selling them in locations where hobbyists gather and help each other, much like the original small computer stores, is really where success lies. I think they will eventually become mainstream, much like PCs, but they aren't ready for prime time, yet.
  OTOH, getting into HD gives them a marketing splash, for sure.
  
  --
  I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
19. Re:What's the target audience? by opiektidung · 2014-07-20 04:38 · Score: 1
  
  Thanks for taking the time to talk about this, I feel fervently about this and I take pleasure in learning about this topic. Please, as you gain information, please update this blog with more information. I have found it very useful. There have to be charging stations everywhere.
  
  --
  Pulau Tidung
20. Re:What's the target audience? by jumpinjackalope · 2014-07-20 06:55 · Score: 1
  
  Those who would buy the generator are also likely to imagine themselves being all entrepreneurial and running a home based business printing others' widgets. They're very much the bootstrappy, self-reliant type and will assume to be able to print useful stuff, like guns, when the Armageddon comes. They'll call it an investment in future security, play with it a little, then keep it in storage just in case - like their weapons cache and generator. I can see preppers snapping these up along with the inks.
Don't buy by bhlowe · 2014-07-14 06:56 · Score: 1

Home 3D printing has two problems for consumers... 1. Most consumers don't need to print widgets more than once in a while.
2. The software to create and modify 3D objects has a learning curve (requires time and effort to learn.)
Sure its fun to create little plastic toys, chains, balls, and cases.. Interesting, but not particularly money-making. A nice skill to have, perhaps. But owning the printer isn't required to learn the skill or take part in the revolution. Save your cash and send your designs to a 3D print shop. Disclosure: I have a very cool but underutilized Makerbot I rented for the summer.
1. Re:Don't buy by jythie · 2014-07-14 07:41 · Score: 1
  
  Problem #2 is probably why they partnered up with MakerBot. They have that whole online service/community filled with templates and designs that one can download and print.
Of course... by Virtucon · 2014-07-14 07:11 · Score: 1

You'll have to use Home Depot's self service lines to check out. I can't see how this is going to work for HD or MakerBot unless it starts churning out 2x4s.

--
Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
FedEx/Kinkos - Online 3D Print service by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 07:12 · Score: 0

So when can we install the 3D print driver for our Panorama Pics?
12 Pilot Areas? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 07:18 · Score: 1

The actual list of locations can be found here: http://www.makerbot.com/blog/2014/07/14/home-depot-diy-meets-miy-make/
Re:/. shouldn't help the racists at Home Depot by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 07:34 · Score: 0

Can you back that statement up?
I'm not actually doubting you but I googled and found 20 pages of results about a single tweet that went out and someone got fired over. Whats the rest of your statement about? Some links?
Don't need 3D printer - Print me unstocked stuff by Kevoco · 2014-07-14 08:14 · Score: 1

I was excited to see the news of a 3D printer in Home Depot - I was hoping they would be able to print stuff for me, but instead they want to sell me the damned printer :-(
Caviats by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 08:30 · Score: 0

What are the caviats that go along with purchassing their 3D printer?
Is there a restriction or software control that prevents them from being used to make weapons?
I have no intention of making any, but I will not be restricted by it either.
Anybody who buys... by Bartles · 2014-07-14 08:37 · Score: 1

...a MakerBot, is going to research the thing first. Why would they pay for the privilege of getting ripped off at home depot when there are other places it can be ordered for less?
the ability by MossStan · 2014-07-14 09:22 · Score: 1

to create a perfectly sized plastic screw or nail or wall hanger or whatever on demand in home would be super handy for many a handy person.

--
It is what it is.
Disaster by Skynyrd · 2014-07-14 11:28 · Score: 1

People who are savvy will buy online, or from a trusted source. Only people who have no clue will but from Home Depot. If you're reading this, would you buy a MakerBot from HD? Of course not.
Most of the people who work there don't know a 2x4 from a hammer; this will just be a fucking disaster.
1. Re:Disaster by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-14 15:02 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, you don't buy the good stuff from HD. But if you already know what you're doing, it's nice to go be able to pick up a $2 tool that will break an hour after you're done using it. Then again, Harbor Freight is king in that market..
2. Re:Disaster by drkim · 2014-07-14 21:31 · Score: 1
  
  People who are savvy will buy online, or from a trusted source. Only people who have no clue will but from Home Depot. If you're reading this, would you buy a MakerBot from HD? Of course not.
  Most of the people who work there don't know a 2x4 from a hammer; this will just be a fucking disaster.
  The lady at the MakerBot display was a 'MakerBot' person, not a HD employee.
  Of course, I don't know if this will always be the case...
3. Re:Disaster by captjc · 2014-07-14 23:02 · Score: 1
  
  I don't know, I like the idea of only having a 30 minute drive to Home Depot, pick it up and be playing with it that day vs ordering it online (even if it is slightly cheaper) and waiting a week or two for it to get here.
  I always try to buy local for big-ticket items, especially when it comes to having to return it. Plus, I've seen enough videos of UPS / Fedex people drop-kicking and otherwise abusing packages to not want to rely on them for the real fragile and expensive stuff.
  
  --
  Slow Down Cowboy! It's been 1 hour, 47 minutes since you last successfully posted a comment
4. Re:Disaster by Skynyrd · 2014-07-15 03:49 · Score: 1
  
  They won't sell enough MakerBots to keep an MB employee in the store all the time. They will probably be there for the introduction and special events, but not on a daily basis.
And if it's like most of what can be bought in HD by Another+Mouse+Coward · 2014-07-15 22:35 · Score: 1

it will break after it's used 5 times. No thanks!
I can see no good in this, except... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-07-16 01:17 · Score: 0

It would be nice to have a local place to purchase filament from should one be unable or unwilling to wait to get it from an online source.
Now admittedly, it would probably only be Stratasys' overpriced filament, on their proprietary sized spools.
But if it worked out, then we could possibly see a lot more of this. Maybe Lowes would start carrying a competing brand.
Re:And if it's like most of what can be bought in by King_TJ · 2014-07-18 15:18 · Score: 1

Umm.... Are you confusing the store with Harbor Freight, perhaps?
Seriously, I've had no problem with Home Depot's product line, all in all. Like most stores, they do sell at least a few different grades of tools or items -- and buying the cheapest version is likely to lead to long-term disappointment. But other than the fact they seem to be catering a bit more towards residential customers (while Lowe's leans the other direction, offering more products the contractors want to buy), they're ok.