Thinking of a 3D printer

[Bri62]

Having just sold all my fishing gear, which will free up a lot of spare time I am thinking of getting into the 3D printing especially now there is some plug and play printers and a lot faster too, but something in the back of my mind is holding me back ( will I really use it or is it the novelty which will soon wear off) How do you guys find it? are files easy to find? how much will it all cost?

 

[Dave Ward]

Having just sold all my fishing gear, which will free up a lot of spare time I am thinking of getting into the 3D printing especially now there is some plug and play printers and a lot faster too, but something in the back of my mind is holding me back ( will I really use it or is it the novelty which will soon wear off) How do you guys find it? are files easy to find? how much will it all cost?

Brian,
I'm just a year into 3D printing - it's a fairly steep learning curve - ' plug & play' isn't always that simple. Of the two types of printer, the SLA, or resin has the best detail potential, but has a downside in toxic resin, fumes & a need for post processing & curing - you really need access to a non domestic workspace!
FDM, or filament printing, the type I use, doesn't need any special area - my printer(s) sit in my living room on computer desks. No fumes, and the little noise still allows me to watch TV! It's not as detailed as SLA, and slower, but the prints dont need curing.
Cost wise - it depends on how deep your pockets are! I initially bought a self assembly FDM printer & got started for about the £100 mark - useful, as it taught me how the printer worked. 300m reels of filament cost about £15
Resin printers run about the same price, but you'll also need a wash & curing station. Resin can be expensive, from £20-30 a litre.
You'll need a reasonably up to date computer to run the software anything under 2 years old should cope. You do have to have a bit of technical savvy, and patience is essential, failed prints are part of the learning curve.
Models on the internet?
Free models https://www.thingiverse.com/
another useful site is https://cults3d.com/en - which is a mix of free & paid for models. There are loads of other sites, specialising in a particular genre ( ie dungeons & dragons ). There are any number of 'how to' videos on YouTube, they can be confusing to a beginner!
- fast printing is relative - a complicated print can take many hours - one of my last prints took 24 hours - a fast printer would only take around 8 hours!
Commercial 3d printing has been around for many years, it's only in the last few years that home printers have become viable, and are still developing
Dave

 

[Bri62]

Thanks Dave that's answered all my questions one more if I may would you get the best you can afford or just something to get you started .....later planning to buy something better.
My computer is new top end gaming PC which I built myself

 

[Scratchbuilder]

Like you I have been going to enter the 3D printing scene, but am put off by how much it will be used, I am not into downloading files and printing just anything like Goths etc as I reall have no interest in that type of modelling.
I read Dave's comments all the time and his experiences are a mine of information.
What type??? I personally would go for the resin as opposed to the rod fed system, basically because of space.
And I agree with you will it be a fad or a usefull tool.

 

[Dave Ward]

Thanks Dave that's answered all my questions one more if I may would you get the best you can afford or just something to get you started .....later planning to buy something better.
My computer is new top end gaming PC which I built myself

It depends on what you are going to print! Size, quality all factor in. My first printer ( self assembly ) was an Anet A6 - which took a lot of tinkering to get it to print adequately - but it has an acrylic frame ( 8mm sheet ), that isn't that rigid. I bought an Ender 3 clone - a Sunlu T3 which has an aluminium extruded framed chassis and is very stable. I don't need speed - I can print overnight, and I don't need Wi-Fi connectivity or a colour touch screen - they're nice to have, but not essential.
Personally I'd try & get a used model from Ebay, so If you decide 3D printing isn't for you, there's no capital loss!
If money was no object, I'd look at Bambu, Flashforge & Creality in FDM printers - I've no experience of resin printing & living in a mid-floor means realistically, I couldn't use one.............
Dave
You might like to follow my first steps.................
https://www.scale-models.co.uk/threads/a-different-direction.40748/

 

[Bri62]

Was Looking @ the Bambu X1C that's what I sold my fishing pole for
Mike can't go for resin not enough space (printer, cleaning station, curing station)
Dave will have a look at your first steps thanks

 

[Tim Marlow]

Two of Mikes questions are the same ones that were asked about paper printing, and then about digital cameras……will it be a fad, or will it be a useful tool. Well, they’ve been answered, and it will be the same for 3D printing. It's not quite entered the mass market yet, but it’s coming, and coming fast.
Personally I’m holding back until resin printing eliminates most of the toxic aspects because the results are so much better than filament for the applications I envisage using it for. I’m sure better, less toxic, resins are in development, and once they become available resin printing will dominate the market in the same way inkjets took over from ribbon and dot matrix printers.

 

[Bri62]

Tim It's not just the toxicity of the resin It's the mess and the washing after printing in isopropanol alc then the uv station to cure it too much faff

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[Tim Marlow]

Tim It's not just the toxicity of the resin It's the mess and the washing after printing in isopropanol alc then the uv station to cure it too much faff

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Yep, I get that Brian, but it won’t always be that way so that’s why I’m waiting.

 

[Andy T]

I've already seen water washable resin, so like you Tim I expect the whole process to get much more domestic-user friendly, hence I'm also waiting.

 

[Bri62]

Never been good at waiting who knows what's around the corner.

 

[Scratchbuilder]

Two of Mikes questions are the same ones that were asked about paper printing, and then about digital cameras……will it be a fad, or will it be a useful tool. Well, they’ve been answered, and it will be the same for 3D printing. It's not quite entered the mass market yet, but it’s coming, and coming fast.
Personally I’m holding back until resin printing eliminates most of the toxic aspects because the results are so much better than filament for the applications I envisage using it for. I’m sure better, less toxic, resins are in development, and once they become available resin printing will dominate the market in the same way inkjets took over from ribbon and dot matrix printers.

Very true Tim, I still have Photoshop on my pc and use it occasionally, at Uni/College it was a new item to play with during my Graphics course, now it sits there just like media player etc.

 

[Jim R]

Just my thoughts. If you are interested only in 3D printed parts for your models, rather like PE and 3D decals, then maybe just buy what you need from one of the growing number of commercial 3D printers. If however you would enjoy the process and want to learn 3D printing then buying a printer would be a good way to spend your modelling pennies.
Also just out of interest. If someone on the forum invested in a 3D printer would they be OK to print parts for other forum members? Would they be allowed to charge for the parts?
Just thinking out loud

 

[Gary MacKenzie]

Bambu has had a few problems, not least that it is a closed system, think Apple, and so not being improved by the users, whereas some others can be.
Have a look at some of the YouTube reviews , and then see if the people did an update later to explain problems that materialised.

 

[Bri62]

looking at the resin printers again and you can buy wash and cure units .....saves space need to do more research, leaning more towards resin

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Bri
Speaking as someone who uses both types of printer - it's a big subject. There are many abandoned 3D printers gathering dust in the garages and sheds of the world!
I have answered many queries already on this site, and my opinion has changed over the years too.
There I a place for the FDM printer in our hobby but you will NOT be getting anything like the surface quality you are used to from injection moulded plastic and polyurethane resin, so Resin is unquestionably your most useful method. I use my FDM printer for bases and jigs and storage compartments etc but not model components. It's good for scenic and architectural components as well -especially if you need lots of the same thing, for instance window frames or brick walls-which is true for both types, to be fair.
The main question though, as @Jim R says, is what do you want to do with it?
If it's because you want after-market parts that you can't get anywhere else, do you have the CAD skills to create it for yourself? If so then the opportunities are endless.
If not you will be just as reliant on other people to offer the digital files to market as you are on manufacturers to produce them. And unless you are into fantasy models the ground is pretty thin out there in interwebland. That said if you do find a model that you want, whether for free or purchase, you can print it as many times as you like and in whatever scale you fancy. So if, for instance you are into wargaming you could print as many Shermans as you want to spend on the resin.
And as @Dave Ward says, do you like tinkering? Because all printers require some degree of it. As for the faff of resin printers- it's not so bad once you develop a routine.
you should read @Gary MacKenzie 's thread.
Or many of mine have 3D printed bits in-for instance I made hobnail boot soles for my Napoleonic French Fusiliers(which I used on many lying down figures) , and a Flame Thrower and boot soles for US Marines for my Iwo Jima diorama.
Anyway enough of my waffle. Good luck and keep us posted
Neil

 

[Bri62]

Cheers Neil more food for thought I come from an engineering background both marine and aerospace but have had no cad training or experience, are cad programs user friendly? as for the tinkering yes i'm always taking stuff apart

 

[Gary MacKenzie]

looking at the resin printers again and you can buy wash and cure units .....saves space need to do more research, leaning more towards resin

1. look at the printing volume and the ''pixel size'' , not at 2k 4k 6k 9k etc

2. when you know the print bed size check that the ''suggested'' wash n cure can actually take the print platform and not just prints in the tank ( experience here )

3. you need the printer location area temp to be approx 25 degrees celsius, and the resin to be at that temp too for optimum printing with less problems.

Its a learning curve, a lot of fun , and hair pulling , but when you get a print out you like , its amazing.

 

[Peter Gillson]

Hi guys

i have also been tempted by 3D printing and been following the blogs here and elsewhere with interest And spoke to a local #D printer, and i have come to the following conclusions:

1 - to get near the level of detail of injected plastic or resin parts, a resin printer is needed.
2 - although printer are available at around the £100 mark, much more needs to be spent to get the quality we are used to from kits.
3 - there will be a fair amount of learning etc to really get to grips with 3D printing
4 - unless there are print files available for the subject you need, then skills are needed to create my own.
5 - '4' will take a significant amount of time to master - I have bought Nomad Sculpt and it is straight forward to use, but will take a lot of learning to master!
6 - the learning curves will be a distraction from actual modelling.

my conclusion is that, given the significant learning curves 3D printing will take a lot of time, reducing my time for actual modeling so should be considered almost like new hobby in itself, rather than a source of models. So a more practical solution is to buy the files and get them printed by other service providers.

As I mentioned I have a copy of Nomad sculpt and am learning how to use it. I have bought the files for a couple of heads (copyright free) and as part of the learning process I have modified them and currently having them printed by a 3D printer I found online. The files cost £8 for the and the heads £20 to print, including delivery.

interestingly, when I went to a local printer and showed him the file his reaction was that their resin printer which cost 'over £100"would not "get anywhere near the quality" I need.

Peter

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Probably the same for most people, Peter. I only have a head start for my age because I used the technology at work for 29 odd years