UPDATE - SIGNALS BRANCH and Shapeways New Pricing

Shapeways adjusted its printing costs on 22 October and anything new that I upload will be at the increased price and any existing items on my shop will remain at the old price until January 2019 when those prices will increase.

So if anyone wants to order something they had best do it before January.

It is hard to determine the new pricing as Shapeways no longer publishes their pricing algorithms (the way they calculate the price) for each material. The only way I can do so is to upload all 295 or so models on my shop as pricing ‘dummy’ checks.

I have done some ‘dummy’ uploads of existing items to see what the new prices will be.

The Smooth Detail Plastic (previously Frosted Ultra Detail) has gone up the most at about 34% of the print cost.

Versatile Plastic (previously White Strong and Flexible) has gone up a small amount, maybe 5% of print cost but a small item went up much more as a percentage so I think Shapeways has increased the base production cost and this is reflected in the large percentage increase. That is, most of the original price was base production cost.

On the few items I have uploaded the Brass seems to have gone up by 10 – 17% of the print cost.

There doesn't appear to be a simple pricing algorithm that I can work out.

Previously, the pricing went something like this:

• A base amount to cover the production handling
• A material used cost
• A machine build volume component
• The Smooth Detail Plastic (previously Frosted Ultra Detail) also had a wax support material used component.

Don't get too concerned over the percentages as there seems to be some other factors at play and the percentage may be on something that isn't too expensive, although 3D printing is expensive.

Not much fun for the modeller or the shop keeper and I have little control over the prices other than reducing what little I make.

Totally confused, I will have to wait until Shapeways gives the shop owners/designers a shop price list or some easy way to determine the new prices on mass.

Regarding the shipping, Shapeways has stated that normal production will take longer perhaps a couple of weeks longer but that there is a priority option that costs US$4.37 so about AU$6.00.

Incidentally. there has been no discounts or free shipping since about the start of the year and Black Friday (23 November - normally a Sale time) is 8 days away so it will be interesting to see if Shapeways does their usual sale. Somehow I doubt it will happen.