this post was submitted on 21 Jan 2024
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.

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Specifically the type of printer that prints using spools of plastic filament, but that seems like the most common type anyway

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[–] [email protected] 68 points 7 months ago (3 children)

Btw our heads are very slowly 3-D printing our hairs...

[–] [email protected] 26 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Just wait until you find out what your ass does.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 7 months ago (3 children)

Soft serve ice cream machine?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 7 months ago
[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago

I hate you..../s

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

s/ice/hot/g

[–] [email protected] 23 points 7 months ago

Also, our fingers are printing fingernails.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Maybe 2D is more accurate description.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Hair is three dimensional.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

But the hair printer is not. It can’t make changes in third dimension.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

1D would actually be the most accurate, if we were going by movement.

[–] sus 1 points 7 months ago

So is printer paper and printer ink

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

I think hair is a 1d printer process.

[–] [email protected] 58 points 7 months ago (5 children)

You're going to love/hate 3D printer pens

[–] [email protected] 18 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I didn't know this was a thing and I want one.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 7 months ago

Really fun thing to play around with, although it requires some practice to do cool stuff with it.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I know this is impossible but I suddenly have a memory of seeing this at 2am while watching adult swim as a kid

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago

I seem to remember something like this describes. Where instead of the ink being smooth, it was raised up, like a speed bump on the paper.

https://www.markersupply.com/sagl3dgelpe.html

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago

There are some amazing creators on YouTube using these things. They’re so fun to watch.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

Thought it was a pregnancy test at first glance.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Those are plotters, not printers.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I think you got mixed up a bit.

A plotter is a specialized printer used for drafting and generally uses big (usu. 3-4ft length) rolls of paper. Some types do use pens, though they're usually short and specially shaped making them difficult to use manually

The OC was referring to the pens that work like an auto-feeding hot glue gun using colorized glue, or PLA if the heating element gets hot enough.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

I think the main difference between printer and plotter is rasterization vs vector graphics.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Not all printers are, but FDM printers are. SLA printers, the one uses projector and resin to makr high detailed figurines or parts with precision are basically fancy nail polish and curing light combimed.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago

It's a mime act with a comb.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 7 months ago

Yup, this is how I explain FDM printing to friends. It's like a giant hot glue gun, layer one layer at a time. Except instead of a giant hole for glue, it's a 0.4mm hole, really tiny.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 7 months ago (1 children)

It's exactly how I described it to my friends

They said "omg u have a 3d printer" I replied "nah it's just a glue gun on rails"

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago

Wait until you learn about resin printers

[–] [email protected] 15 points 7 months ago (1 children)

A personal computer is basically just a really fancy calculator.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

A calculator is just a very basic computer.?

[–] xoggy 1 points 7 months ago

Calculators calculate while computers can be programmed with new instructions. Fancy calculators that can be programmed though, as you say, are basic computers. Meanwhile calculators that run BASIC are BASIC computers.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 7 months ago

I run a 3D printer shop and that's what I tell customers all the time -- "It's a really tiny hot glue gun attached to a really cheap robot"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

Nothing worse than a pile of hot snot to make that Instagram video project a reality.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

Not really, different stuff altogether. 3D pens would be probably closer.