3D Printers
-
Hey guys.
So my wife has started a home cake business instead of returning to work.
So right now my geekyness keeps turning to a 3D printer instead of buying cookie cutters/stencils (some stencils are $200+!) for everything that she would do in bulk.Looking for all suggestions/ideas I know nothing about them.
Obviously not looking to break the bank, my google/amazon/ebay searches are showing me in the $4-700 range for what look like good ones?
Any real world suggestions from those of you that have them would be awesome.
(Oh and I would definitely use this to play around myself)
P.S. I'm Canadian so all your US pricing adds about 30% to me
Thanks
-
3D printers ABS filament is not food safe. Virgin PP is but, the PP filament used for 3d printing generally isn't. Nor is the 3d printer itself. Also 3d printed materials are very rough and not smooth they print in layers of filament. This will make the food rough but also hard to clean. The PP filament will also break down as its corn based and will leak latic acid into foods. In the US for commercial foods this would be breaking health regulations. There is currently no FDA approved method for doing this.
-
Well crap....
Haha there goes that idea I guess.
Now I dont get a 3D printer
-
Here is a better idea. Build your own 3D printer than prints in ICING! That would be the coolest new 3D printer ever!
-
Alright so looking into it more, there is actually already 3D printers that print in icing. they were a kickstarter and run 1k (candian) there is also tons of food safe filaments, additionally you can change the printing protocol to lessen any gaps and create a smoother surface.
So if we even just look past all that and I buy one simply for the purpose of creating stencils for airbrushing. suggestions on printers?
-
Don't for get about licensing fees. You can't just print up your own disney characters to get away from buying the $200 cutters/stencils, etc. Those cost so much because they build in the licensing fee.
-
Its not even those ones we're looking at, my wife saw one that was just flowers for $160
-
Dude, I just looked at your site, your wife has some skills!
I had a thought about a laser cutter to do moulds and potentially airbrush stencils (for doing ~100 cupcakes all the same for example). Not sure where you'd use the 3dprinter.
-
Haha thanks Matt, ya I honestly dont know where she gets it from, just picked up fondant one day and here we are starting a business for her.
As for the 3D printer I was essentially thinking the same thing. I spent 5 minutes on the googlebox the other day and there's 10's of thousands of cookie cutter and airbrush stencils available for free, so mix those with a foodsafe filament and she could have whatever design she wants.
-
@Sparkum Hadn't thought of that, it's a good angle. Also you can score a sweet toy + help the Ms. - win win.
-
Ya for sure she already knows my list of things I want to print haha. But I think it could give her a cool edge over bakers who dont have a geeky husband.
Heck her competition is (mainly) facebook pages, where we arent even 100% up yet (currently developing the basement to add the second kitchen ((required))) and she's got the website, domains, and unlike most of her competition will be legit.
I honestly want to buy all the domain names of all the moms doing it on facebook (checked half a dozen and their all available) and foward them all to my wifes website and then phone health and safety and get them shut down.
-
@Sparkum said:
I honestly want to buy all the domain names of all the moms doing it on facebook (checked half a dozen and their all available) and foward them all to my wifes website and then phone health and safety and get them shut down.
I have thought about this type of thing in the past for other business people that only use FB. I wonder how much it would take to get that domain name up on the Search results.
-
Probably pretty effective. People who can't figure out business basics create whole categories of businesses ripe for the "picking".