this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2026
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Despite the tech-cool factor of the project, Tom's Hardware does not condone making your own weapons system at home.

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[–] DaGeek247@fedia.io 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You've missed my point. Obviously governments fund manufacturing stuff, including 3d printing. Obviously governments also fund research into better war technology, like with boing and everyone else. You've proved the point of that several times over.

What I'm asking for is evidence that 3d printing was funded specifically with war in mind, especially from 20 years ago (as compared to five years ago with the advent of the ukraine/russia war).

When I first asked about this, I didn't think it would be such a hassle, and I had actually hoped to see a neat article about the history of 3d printing and how it's been specifically developed as a way to make better weapons for over twenty years. What I got was scorn, mocking, and questioning of my basic mental capacity because I ... Couldn't do the research myself?

Correlation is not causation. The government funds boatloads of shit that doesn't work out, in the hopes that it becomes eventually useful. The covid19 vaccine was under development since the early 2000s because of swine flu. Is it right for me to say that government expected the swine flu to be used for war purposes because they funded research into it, or would you ask for more details about how the swine flu vaccine was specifically war-related research before beleiving my wild claims?

[–] NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

What I’m asking for is evidence that 3d printing was funded specifically with war in mind, especially from 20 years ago (as compared to five years ago with the advent of the ukraine/russia war).

Why would I provide evidence for something I never claimed?

Additive manufacturing (of which FDM is one of the most accessible techniques) has been a MASSIVE funding source amongst world governments over the past 20+ years. And much of the research that made Reprap (et al) came out of scientists who specialized in those technologies for those grants.

I deeply apologize for not being able to argue the point that you made up in your own head due to a lack of reading comprehension. I suggest talking to chatgpt in the future. It will make everyone happier.

[–] DaGeek247@fedia.io -1 points 1 day ago

From the top since you seem to have forgot;

This is a really cool project and really speaks to the changing nature of warfare. And, once again, highlights the real reason so much money has gone into FDM processes.

If warfare is not "the real reason so much money has gone into fdm" why did you say it was?