17 replies to this topic

[Bracchymyrmex]

In lieu of my recent 3d printing endeavors, I have created this poll. Might not go anywhere, but if you're interested shoot me a PM and I'll send you pricing info based on what type of formicarium you want.

[Kevin]

I think you have to consider design before charging over $50 for a 3D printed formicarium. You simply cannot go to the local library and 3D print the first design you come out with and sell it for $150. I recommend you do extensive testing and research before considering selling formicaria.

[T.C.]

I think you have to consider design before charging over $50 for a 3D printed formicarium. You simply cannot go to the local library and 3D print the first design you come out with and sell it for $150. I recommend you do extensive testing and research before considering selling formicaria.

There's some truth to what he's saying. You have to make a name for yourself before you charge that kind of money. I bought a 3d printed nest from AntzForAll, and only paid ten bucks. Honestly it's the best 3d printed nest I have had yet. It looked good, clean design, and works really well.  Still is my favorite after buying several 3d printed nests prior and after.

 

[starcraftjunkie]

I think you have to consider design before charging over $50 for a 3D printed formicarium. You simply cannot go to the local library and 3D print the first design you come out with and sell it for $150. I recommend you do extensive testing and research before considering selling formicaria.

 

Yeah, I agree.

 

If you really want to sell them, first come up with a good reliable design that can be reprinted many times over. A good place to start is to take the small technical details from someone who already has done a majority of the research, such as measuring the chamber sizes and travel paths from the AC nests using a reference points and measuring tool on a picture to get lengths.

 

Market and sell prototypes as you go along and make sure they know they're prototypes. People will give helpful feedback, well, most of the time. They can test when you don't have the ants to put in them.

 

Lastly, if you really do want to sell them, you'll need to sell them on a website through ads. There is no business on this forum for 3d printed nests. Either people don't like my designs, don't like me, or that it's too early in the season, or there really isn't much business here. I've only sold to two people here and most people I talk to can't keep up with orders from their websites.

 

 

 

Also, it's important to only put your foot in the water at first. Do it as a hobby. Don't take my post too negatively, I'm happy and proud of what I've done with my 3D printer and my original intent was never to sell or mass market things. So I'm not sad or out of a lot of money by not selling nests.

Edited by starcraftjunkie, February 5 2018 - 12:41 PM.

[SpikeyOls]

 

I think you have to consider design before charging over $50 for a 3D printed formicarium. You simply cannot go to the local library and 3D print the first design you come out with and sell it for $150. I recommend you do extensive testing and research before considering selling formicaria.

There's some truth to what he's saying. You have to make a name for yourself before you charge that kind of money. I bought a 3d printed nest from AntzForAll, and only paid ten bucks. Honestly it's the best 3d printed nest I have had yet. It looked good, clean design, and works really well.  Still is my favorite after buying several 3d printed nests prior and after.

 

 

 

Thanks TC - I really appreciate the nice feedback     

[FeedTheAnts]

I could go both ways on this. I like 3d printed nests, but I wouldn't pay 60 or more dollars for it. With that kind of money I'd much rather buy the supplies to make my own formicrium.

Also, design is really important, frankly I really dislike my AntsCanada Hybrid Nest for multiple reasons. the brown color makes it hard to see the ants, the excessive depth makes it hard o see the ants as well and also means that you can't get light all the way down to the floor unless the light comes from directly above. My biggest problem with it though, is that the sockets where the tubing is inserted has no elasticity, so a tube either fits super snug or it doesn't fit at all and constantly almost falls out. The rough edges of the sockets also leave tiny gaps where ants even as big as Crematogasters could get out.

[Derpy]

I agree the price is too much, I would rather build my own or buy something more naturalistic like Dspdrew’s dirt box.

[Bracchymyrmex]

Thank you all for the feedback! I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about the higher priced prints and you've all confirmed my skepticism. In respect to Kevin, Starcraftjunkie and T.C., I plan to test the formicaria extensively before selling any to ensure quality and reliability. And to your point, Starcraftjunkie, I intend on selling the formicaria through my website (antsylvania.com). And like I said, this might not go anywhere but it's still a fun hobby.

[Serafine]

Depends on if you can produce something similar to these:
https://www.simants....en/SimAnts-Pro/
https://www.simants....-Heizmodul.html
 

[YsTheAnt]

Depends on if you can produce something similar to these:
https://www.simants....en/SimAnts-Pro/
https://www.simants....-Heizmodul.html

The printing is something I cannot comment on but I know the sand coat is easy enough.
Take some cement, like grout, hydrostone, or something else, and make a water like mix, just a tad bit thicker. Use a brush to coat the changers, then fill the formicarium with sand. Let it dry and pour out the sand, and there u go!

[dspdrew]

I think before you worry about formicarium names, company names, product prices and all that stuff I see so many people concern themselves with first, you should probably spend some time just coming up designs and testing them out for a while. I have never really even named anything or ever even posted a thread listing my formicariums for sale yet, and I've sold hundreds. My first concern was to just come up with something that works great for me. I never even went into this with the intentions of having a business. As everybody has seen from my threads, I have formicarium designs I've been testing for years, and am still testing.

[nurbs]

I think before you worry about formicarium names, company names, product prices and all that stuff I see so many people concern themselves with first, you should probably spend some time just coming up designs and testing them out for a while. I have never really even named anything or ever even posted a thread listing my formicariums for sale yet, and I've sold hundreds. My first concern was to just come up with something that works great for me. I never even went into this with the intentions of having a business. As everybody has seen from my threads, I have formicarium designs I've been testing for years, and am still testing.

And his threads explain exactly how he makes them.

[Serafine]

The printing is something I cannot comment on but I know the sand coat is easy enough.
Take some cement, like grout, hydrostone, or something else, and make a water like mix, just a tad bit thicker. Use a brush to coat the changers, then fill the formicarium with sand. Let it dry and pour out the sand, and there u go!

I'm not about the coating, they usually come uncoated (it's easy to apply a coating though).

I was referring to the print quality (your nest looks very good in that regard) and the way those nests are designed to be modular. The only thing that's always the same for those nests is the lower hydration basin - there are different nesting chambers available (although that's not really necessary, especially not when you release a new series) and the doors are modular, so you can choose the right size for your tubing. There's also a heating module (which is a holder for a heating cable) that can be put in instead of a door and different plugs (solid plugs and plugs with a mesh) to block off the entrances you don't need. And with a tiny piece of tubing you plug these nests together almost seamlessly to essentially make one big nest.

3D-printed nests are prefect for flexible modular builds to a point where it almost feels wasted effort to not use this option. I think a heating cable holder would be quite easy to do for your nests, not sure about modular doors (printing different door sizes on demand might also be an option).

[Works4TheGood]

I think you have to consider design before charging over $50 for a 3D printed formicarium. You simply cannot go to the local library and 3D print the first design you come out with and sell it for $150. I recommend you do extensive testing and research before considering selling formicaria.

Printed formicaria are very difficult to get right. As the colony grows, the humidity does too, and then chaos follows once it hits 100%. If you're like me, printed formicariums require a whole lot of R & D before they are viable over the long term.

[Mettcollsuss]

I could go both ways on this. I like 3d printed nests, but I wouldn't pay 60 or more dollars for it. With that kind of money I'd much rather buy the supplies to make my own formicrium.

Also, design is really important, frankly I really dislike my AntsCanada Hybrid Nest for multiple reasons. the brown color makes it hard to see the ants, the excessive depth makes it hard o see the ants as well and also means that you can't get light all the way down to the floor unless the light comes from directly above. My biggest problem with it though, is that the sockets where the tubing is inserted has no elasticity, so a tube either fits super snug or it doesn't fit at all and constantly almost falls out. The rough edges of the sockets also leave tiny gaps where ants even as big as Crematogasters could get out.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who dislikes AntsCanada's Hybrid Nests. 

[FeedTheAnts]

 

I could go both ways on this. I like 3d printed nests, but I wouldn't pay 60 or more dollars for it. With that kind of money I'd much rather buy the supplies to make my own formicrium.

Also, design is really important, frankly I really dislike my AntsCanada Hybrid Nest for multiple reasons. the brown color makes it hard to see the ants, the excessive depth makes it hard o see the ants as well and also means that you can't get light all the way down to the floor unless the light comes from directly above. My biggest problem with it though, is that the sockets where the tubing is inserted has no elasticity, so a tube either fits super snug or it doesn't fit at all and constantly almost falls out. The rough edges of the sockets also leave tiny gaps where ants even as big as Crematogasters could get out.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who dislikes AntsCanada's Hybrid Nests. 

 

Well, luckily now they are a different design now. They aren't even 3D printed.

[Kevin]

Well, luckily now they are a different design now. They aren't even 3D printed.

 

Their overall design hasn't changed. It is still plastic, but rather than printed it's injection molded.

Edited by Kevin, February 18 2018 - 12:27 PM.

[Serafine]

The new AC hybrid nest design isn't really bad it's just far less than it could be.

It has a pretty terrible total volume to nest volume ratio and it doesn't take the opportunity offered by the production technology used to make a modular design.

Edited by Serafine, February 18 2018 - 3:30 PM.