Hello all! This thread is to vote on purchasing the Gigabot from the company that was so kind to lend it to us free of charge for so long! We’re asking for $2,000 in funding to purchase the Gigabot outright. Usually a machine like this goes for upwards of $4,500. We have already spent around $1,000 in repairs and upgrades to this machine over the course of the last year or so.
The in person vote will be held at next Tuesday’s meeting, February 17th, 2015.
I would like to proxy my vote in for Yes. If i am unable to make it.
Rumors of manditory overtime is abroad at work.
I won't be at the next meeting. Mark me down for a "Yes".
- Dark Ian
If I can't make it, please record a yes.
I won’t make it but please record a yes for me.
-Dave B.
I wont make it to the meeting, but please mark me as NO
I feel that the Hive’s funds could be spent more wisely than continuing to throw money at this printer. I am sure we could use this $2000 to buy all the parts to build 3 - 4 reprap printers (cartesian or delta). There are a lot of opensource printer designs we could use to build these printers. Here is a link to some of these designs http://reprap.org/wiki/RepRap_Options
I am sure that members that presently use the 3d printers get a little frustrated when you want to print something and its being used for a 40 hour print by someone else and you have no access to another available printer .
Marvin
Marvin -
I would strongly agree if these were mutually exclusive options. If the choice at hand was between one large format or several smaller printers, we’d clearly want a few smaller machines.
Happily, this is not the case. We have the components required to construct several (6+) smaller 3D printers already on hand. Some design work towards this goal is already underway, but it is progressing at the Hive’s usual leisurely pace. The primary limiting factor, as with most of our CNC projects, is a lack of available time from capable builders.
Personally, I want to see both capabilities at the Hive. I think we need a large volume printer for structural parts, and several smaller machines for availability and training purposes.
The Gigabot provides incredible build volume for the cost, and a functions as a showpiece tool for the space. We won’t be able to construct a comparable machine for significantly less, and we’d encounter similar constraints in members’ available time if we did undertake such a project.
The recent heated bed modification to the Gigabot also stands poised to unlock our massive stock of ABS filament, which has been sitting idle up to this point. I don’t know about you, but I have some project ideas on the back burner waiting for plastic that won’t melt in my car.
So, I’ll be voting in favor of purchasing the Gigabot. I would very much like to see the Hive’s most impressive printer back in fighting form.
I vote YES! 
Bill
I vote YES also!
I do think that within the next year, if significant progress is not being made on building the smaller 3D printers, we should look at buying something off-the-shelf and relatively high-reliability. Maybe an Afina or Ultimaker.
Mike
I vote yes.
Yes (if I miss meeting)
Hey all,
I'm not seeing any meeting minutes from last night yet... Did the vote pass? What's the status?
Sorry I had another meeting to attend!
-ivan.
ivan -
The vote passed, and Mr. Helmsderfer left with a check (and without a Gigabot. woo.)
Meeting minutes were posted, but main page links are automatically generated and can appear a full day following a change.
For future reference, the minutes are usually available immediately after a meeting by following the “next meeting” link from the previous week’s minutes.
Yesterday’s minutes are available at http://wiki.hive13.org/view/February_17,_2015