Is a 3D printer really something that you can take apart and put back together?

[curious aardvark]

not that easily. But what you actually do is print it with maybe 15-25% infill and a thickish skin. so there is an internal matrix makes it very strong while still not using a lot of filament :-)

Here's a hinged mould I made for use with pretty stiff clay, This is 1.5mm skin over 25% infill.
Short of taking a hammer to it - you won't break this and it's designed to be used by hoary handed sons of odin - or 'slingers' as I call them :-)
The only bit I don't print is the hinge - learnt by experience a printed hinge will break. So Now I use off the shelf steel hinges and these moulds will - probably - outlast the owners :-)

25pcntinfill.jpg

Normally I use 15% infill for most things - but these I wanted to make strong :-)
Oh yeah, my main go to printer is a cheap delta :-)