So I searched and didnt see a thread for this anywhere so figured I would start one since its a decent sized hobby these days and had a few questions for those deep into this. Feel free to discuss projects and any ideas on 3d printing in general.
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Wanted to start this thread to discuss what printers people are using and looking for reviews on the entry level to medium level home printers. I have been looking into getting a decent printer to start out with and am torn between a few different ones by Bambu, or Creality. If anyone has experience with a good printer thats entry level friendly I would appreciate the recommendations.
I have a small local 3d printing business (along with coffee), mostly as a hobby than anything. Been printing off and on for about a decade now. Currently using a Prusa i3 MK3S+ for most of my prints.
What price range are you looking to get in at?
So price range is flexible if it's the right setup but not trying to go over 500 or 600 on the machine knowing I'll need money to cover materials and stuff. I have a friend who owns a creality 3 pro that he has upgraded but is gonna sell it to upgrade to the Bambu p2p new one. I like that one but the price is a bit steep and was thinking starting with the. Ender 3 pro with a few upgrades is a good entry spot.
Mainly want to make movie props like prop star wars guns/helmets etc. If it works well my main goal is to make custom PC cases I love making them but find it hard to do with wood/metal.
Currently trying to create a custom R2D2 PC build but not wanting to try and fab a metal one with a welder so thinking I can print parts to assemble with some design modification.
If you're near a MicroCenter they have the Ender V2 on sale for $199 and the Ender S1 on sale for $279. I believe the sales run until the beginning of April.
I've got the Ender V2. For the price, it's great. Easy to assemble, and the learning curve wasn't too bad.
Ended up trading some electrical work for a Ender V2 pro with a few upgrades on it thats already been setup and run a bunch. Came with a tent as well which is a big plus to avoid issues with the cat in the house. Pretty nice being able to trade some work for nice entry level printer to start out.
No lie the first TKP thread i ever made back in 2017 was on 3D printing and little traction lol. Did a quick search and didn't find it, but this is great discussion
(Edit: found it here - link -- i locked that and let's use this one)
I would pay money for someone to 3D print me a small (maybe 3" long or so? Some of you might call that average idk) horse on a treadmill
I've had HOAT on my shortlist to design for a while. If I ever get around to it I will let you know.
Here's my only tech design that's close to complete. I have a lunch pail design I'm still ironing out.
https://www.tinkercad.com/things/lPRkg7rrps4?sharecode=y5aEUZJc0b5fVz2kw...
Edit: I forgot I made that logo to remix this koozie rack from an OSU fan. I haven't printed it yet, so idk how it'll turn out.
https://www.tinkercad.com/things/eOhLbC2Hmdn?sharecode=47cfNOTowe0kkML9F...
In a word
pls
Working on it.
Edit: getting closer, need to slow the print down to get the horse's tail to not look like he's taking a number 2.
Thanks for giving me reason to bring this to life.
Be still my heart 😍
I would print the lo and the rack in separate pieces and glue it on. I think that logo would print a lot better laying on its back.
Good call. I'm still very much a n00b.
I feel like now the tech has evolved so much, when I entered into the workforce 10 years ago in automation it was in its infancy. Now every company I work at has a industrial one and it's becoming commonplace for engineering departments to use them now. We just got a carbon fiber one to print out end effector tooling that is so much better than using cnc aluminum tooling. I wish I could use the one at work for fun stuff.
I have a Monoprint MP Voxel. It has a 150mm x 150 mm x 150 mm print space. There are things I really like about it and things I don't.
Things I like:
Things I don't like:
I've never done any 3d printing, but I've been fascinated by these designs that will allow you to combine Legos, lincoln logs, tinkertoys, and all sorts of building toys.
I really doubt the Lego adapters are going to work with any regularity. Lego's have an INSANE tight tolerance for the blocks that are hard to recreate on a consumer 3d printer.
Yes, Lego has invested lots of money in trying to find a sustainable alternative to the ABS plastic they've used forever. Part of it is trying to replicate the signature snap, part of it is ensuring the piece wont deform or change at all over any time frame/environmental condition, part of it is ensuring scalable and versatile mfg (colorant compatibility, etc)
When i was funemployed for a bit after finishing grad school at vt, i looked into applying there but not sure a relocation to Denmark would have been good for me as a person in the end
Well, they are building a Lego factory in Chesterfield....
I certainly get the pieces needing to fit. When I was a kid, my grandma had a random basic Lego set that was old, probably from the 60s. I got it when she died, and merged it in with my own Legos. I ended up sorting those pieces out because they never fit right with any of the stuff I had ever gotten. Not to mention that whenever my kids get any sort of Lego knock off, I make sure that we keep those pieces separate from the real Lego collection, because they never fit right.
I use a Lulzbot TAZ 6 at work for a few things in our lab. It's a pretty standard extrusion 3d printer, if a bit old at this point.
It works really well for PLA, ABS, and plastic composites (like a copper-PLA hybrid). It has a heated bed, but the bed isn't shielded/surrounded so it loses heat very easily. Which isn't a big deal for plastic, but attempting any metal prints means it's basically impossible. I've had a lot of problems trying to print with a steel material that you end up sending to a shop that does debinding and sintering.
It does require a USB connection or SD card and the user interface can be a bit clunky from time to time, but it does give you the ability to pretty easily adjust temperatures, wall thickness, infill, extruder temperature, etc.
I don't have a great idea of what's considered a standard home 3d print setup, but a cursory search suggests this is somewhere in the vicinity.
Have a SOVOL SV01. Currently out of commission due to under extrusion. I suspect the PTFE tube is bad but have had the time or motivation to fix it.
I tend to print stuff for board and miniature games, like organizers and upgraded tokens, etc.
One of my favorite things to print for people are lithophane boxes. They make really good gifts and look amazing. They take FOREVER to print on my printer because they look best when you print really slowly. The fewer vibrations the better. And your printer better be sitting on something solid (i.e. not a folding table).
Box I made for my sister's MIL
Yeah, I really like the lithophane boxes you have made... I am also partial to the Joanie on the Stony that you made for me.
However the Rocktopus that you made for Mini LancerHokie is weird as Hell.... It gives me Sid from Toy Story vibes.
Have a Bambu Lab XC1 on its way. Been watching for a while and almost pulled the trigger on a Prusa a number of times. Also woodwork, so for me it's a compliment to that for organizing and tools.
Maybe try this one? The finished products are structurally sound and delicious.
https://gizmodo.com/3d-printer-chocolate-cocoa-press-candy-desert-make-h...
I have a Creality CR10 we got my son. I cannot get it to work correctly. Anyone have an instructional or YouTube series they recommend for the basics?
Let's assume I'm a complete idiot who has no idea what he's doing.
What are you struggling with?
Pretty much everything. I got it constructed. But doesn't seem to be leveled as first attempted print was a fail.
Wonder if there is a tutorial or video series that can show the basics and how to perform functions.
Check out Jason Bardwell's videos. I think he primarily does Sovol and Ender printers but bed leveling is the same regardless of printer.
I've got an Ender at home that is fun to tinker with. If you are just getting into this hobby, know that there is probably going to be a lot of tinkering, trial and error and frustration to get what you want out of it. I think it can be worthwhile anyway, but I don't think we're quite to the "buy it and just print what you want with the click of a button"-stage yet.
That said, I've printed some cool stuff. Some cosplay stuff, some miniatures, some tools and other stuff. That opens up the finishing and painting end of things which is another rabbit hole to go down.
If someone finds a good model of Lane Stadium, the Commonwealth Cup or better yet Lane, Cassel and the Beamer Barn together that would be awesome.
Not exactly what you asked for, but here's a pretty cool find I've had saved.
Ooo, thats pretty nifty. Any idea where you found it? Might be able to put a few of these together of significant places and make a nifty anniversary-type gift for Mrs MattBoard
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5825534
For starters into the realm of printing what tools or things can be handy or a thing that make it easier per se? Had one friend recommend a good set of dykes for trimming the material but any other things would be welcome. Also if anyone has recommendations for where to buy material I'm all ears.
Snips for clearing off supports and zits and such. - amazon
Some small files - amazon
For painting minis I bought a pair of lighted magnifying glasses - Michaels (with the jewelers tools)
Gorilla/crazy glue - walmart
A set of hex button head screw kits (for assembling more complex builds) various sizes - amazon
Some small rare earth magnets - amazon
I get my filament from MatterHackers
I buy my filament off Amazon. eSun PLA+ is my go to. You should get a good spatula for removing prints from the bed, a micrometer and a set of calipers if you are going to do any "precision" stuff. A laser thermometer is good for verifying bed temp.
Heresy! You must print the spatula, as is tradition! :D
In addition to what others have posted I would say a brass brush to clean your nozzle when it's gunked up, a hobby knife for post processing, and a small set of needle nose pliers are some pretty commonly used tools for me.
For your snips look at getting "flush cutters" or "diagonal shears". They make for cleaner cuts and are a bit easier for tight spaces in a lot of prints.
Thanks everyone for all the answers, got a nozzle cleaning kit some brushes and files, and some snips as well. Going to build an enclosure for the printer to run inside due to a psycho cat in the house.
Thought of one last question for now do people recommend glue on the print bed to keep the print from moving during the print? I saw some folks recommending it but opinion online seems split on using it or not.
If you have a good surface, your bed is level and your nozzle height is set properly, you don't need glue (or hair spray or painters tape.) People use those to make up for improper set up (but you can't tell them that).