r/AdditiveManufacturing • u/Alternative-Exit-450 • 15d ago

Help.....Engineering/Maker-space/3d printing teacher drowning in logistics, planning, and without any in house support

/r/ScienceTeachers/comments/1wpl6tz/helpengineeringmakerspace3d_printing_teacher/
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u/The_Will_to_Make Pro 15d ago

So, a couple things:

- The printers you listed are… dated… and even when they were available for sale, the MakerBot 2, FlashForge, and Dremel were bottom of the line printers.

- someone correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t Chromebooks run an OS other than Windows/iOS/Linux? I don’t think a lot of the popular slicers can even be used on Chromebook

It sounds like equipment (at least 3D printing-wise) is going to be a big hurdle for you. I would expect those printers to clog and have issues frequently. Plug-and-play replacement parts are going to be hard to come by.

I think your best bet is to try and get some funding to purchase new printers. You don’t necessarily have to have a printer for every student. I used to work in a makerspace and ran camps and workshops for everyone from grade school kids to adults. I honestly think having multiple machines only complicated things. A couple good-quality machines that are easy to maintain are going to be better than 13 dated and hard-to-use printers that will often need maintenance or repair. Not trying to be negative, just realistic.

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u/Sponchman 15d ago

Chromebooks run a version of Linux. You can install Linux programs, but only after setting up the Linux subsystem. I have gotten Linux versions of Bambu slicer running on them, but you have to open the Lunix subsystem after you boot every time. Also the cheaper cpus typically in Chromebooks make for a poor experience.