3d printer curious

Grarea

Grarea

Forum Plod
I see a few here have 3d printers.
I think i am considering thinking about pondering whether to consider getting one in the future.
Are they quite a complicated thing to create something?
I see people download files and print. Is it as straight forward as printing a word doc once the file is downloaded Or WAY more to it?
What sort of ball park figure are we looking at to buy one that actually works?
Any other questions I should be asking that I have no idea about?
Is the whole thing rocket science?
 
Northam Saint

Northam Saint

Forum GOD!
I have had three and I’m currently using an Anycubic,

www.anycubic.com

ANYCUBIC Official Website | Innovative Desktop 3D Printer Manufacturer

ANYCUBIC is committed to developing and producing high-quality and budget SLA/FDM consumer 3D printers, safe & durable 3D printing filaments and resins, and accessories for makers and creators worldwide. | ANYCUBIC 3D printing
www.anycubic.com www.anycubic.com

They really aren’t difficult to use at all. Only real thing is levelling the bed which again is easy enough. Sometimes you have to change a few settings like, heated bed and nozzle. Always get one with a heated bed, I had one once without and it was a nightmare. The heated bed helps the print stay in place. A squirt of hairspray on the bed helps adhesion too. Software wise I use Cura, free and easy enough to use. Loads of different filaments but starting out I’d stick to PLA.

I have this one. Comes in two parts, base and overhead bit, dead easy.


Didn’t pay that much, prices have shot up a bit. Word of warning, there are a load of cheap i3 copies out there. Pain in the neck, they come in parts and are difficult, despite what they say, particularly to get set up.

Any questions fire away.
 
Northam Saint

Northam Saint

Forum GOD!
Should add it’s not rocket science. You do need a good draft free place to put it too. Is that easy, download, put the file in to Cura and away you go.
 
sɐǝɹpu∀

sɐǝɹpu∀

riverrun
My 2p:
I'm quite interested in 3D printing, I even have designed a couple of shaving related items myself.
I have, however, no interest whatsoever in buying a 3D printer.
Several reasons:
I would want to print in different materials (ABS/PLA or resin). I would, therefore, need more than one printer (resin needs a different one).
I have nowhere to put one or more 3D printers. Or the materials and chemicals to use them.
Some printers produce noxious fumes. I have no way of dealing with those.
If I buy a printer now, there will be a better one out next week. The one with the higher resolution I need for printing better razors.
I leave all those headaches to somebody else. I send them my design files and some money and everyone is happy.
 
Northam Saint

Northam Saint

Forum GOD!
sɐǝɹpu∀ said:
My 2p:
I'm quite interested in 3D printing, I even have designed a couple of shaving related items myself.
I have, however, no interest whatsoever in buying a 3D printer.
Several reasons:
I would want to print in different materials (ABS/PLA or resin). I would, therefore, need more than one printer (resin needs a different one).
I have nowhere to put one or more 3D printers. Or the materials and chemicals to use them.
Some printers produce noxious fumes. I have no way of dealing with those.
If I buy a printer now, there will be a better one out next week. The one with the higher resolution I need for printing better razors.
I leave all those headaches to somebody else. I send them my design files and some money and everyone is happy.
Click to expand...
Understand where your coming from. Most filament printers print from a whole range of filament types, you’ll see that on the specs. Never been near a resin one, I expect they would have a hi fume output, but I’d say mine on PLA isn’t Anything I find unacceptable. Filaments comes in 1 kilo reels so yeah storage can be a pain. You also need to store it away from damp as it can be effected by moisture. My garage is dry but I wouldn’t even store it in there. Chemical wise I use neat alcohol to clean the bed and the mentioned hair spray. Resolution wise that largely depends on settings in the software, which is where I find it gets complicated sometimes.
 
Rowlers

Rowlers

Massive Member
Staff member
sɐǝɹpu∀ said:
My 2p:
I'm quite interested in 3D printing, I even have designed a couple of shaving related items myself.
I have, however, no interest whatsoever in buying a 3D printer.
Several reasons:
I would want to print in different materials (ABS/PLA or resin). I would, therefore, need more than one printer (resin needs a different one).
I have nowhere to put one or more 3D printers. Or the materials and chemicals to use them.
Some printers produce noxious fumes. I have no way of dealing with those.
If I buy a printer now, there will be a better one out next week. The one with the higher resolution I need for printing better razors.
I leave all those headaches to somebody else. I send them my design files and some money and everyone is happy.
Click to expand...
Out of interest how much does something cost to get printed? I was looking for a bicycle seatpost shim recently and considered getting one printed but I have no idea what the cost would be. I ended up order to 1.2mm aluminium sheet for £3.
 
Northam Saint

Northam Saint

Forum GOD!
Rowlers said:
Out of interest how much does something cost to get printed? I was looking for a bicycle seatpost shim recently and considered getting one printed but I have no idea what the cost would be. I ended up order to 1.2mm aluminium sheet for £3.
Click to expand...
That’s a question. Filament varies in price but I’d say £25 for a kilo, if you want decent stuff. Can also be much cheaper. A shim would be pence rather that pounds I’d say.
 
Rowlers

Rowlers

Massive Member
Staff member
Northam Saint said:
That’s a question. Filament varies in price but I’d say £25 for a kilo, if you want decent stuff. Can also be much cheaper. A shim would be pence rather that pounds I’d say.
Click to expand...
Really!? Even from a "3d Printing Shop"? I'm shocked actually, I sorta of expected a minimum price, like £20 or something...
 
Northam Saint

Northam Saint

Forum GOD!
Rowlers said:
Really!? Even from a "3d Printing Shop"? I'm shocked actually, I sorta of expected a minimum price, like £20 or something...
Click to expand...
Sorry, no 3D print shops charge the earth. Think they feel they can charge what they want because everyone thinks its complicated. PM me for the link to that shim and I’ll take a look for you.
 
Rowlers

Rowlers

Massive Member
Staff member
Northam Saint said:
Sorry, no 3D print shops charge the earth. Think they feel they can charge what they want because everyone thinks its complicated. PM me for the link to that shim and I’ll take a look for you.
Click to expand...
Ah, yeah that's what I thought! I don't have a link to the shim, couldn't find the right size. Thanks though...

EDIT:
For interest, here is a seat post shim:
www.thingiverse.com

Parametric Bicycle seatpost spacer by FrancisBeckers

Update 23-06-2013: After using this for a few months now (with more than a 1000 km) it is holding up extremely well. Now sign of failing whatsoever. After I bought a new bicycle and wanted to use my "old" carbon seatpost, I found out they didn't match. So I designed this spacer in Openscad.
www.thingiverse.com www.thingiverse.com

It is no use to me as it is the wrong size, only linked it for Sean's (and my) curiosity!
 
Last edited:
Northam Saint

Northam Saint

Forum GOD!
Rowlers said:
And I have just read the page and you edit the sizes in the file easily...
Click to expand...
That looks fairly tall so it would go into £’s, wouldn’t imagine in to the 10’s though. The bowls I made would of been around £4 in filament using the weight required.

My only concern would be the durability of that, would have to be 100% infill and then there’s the effects of heat and cold. 100% infilled would make it solid, normally a print, like the bowls I have made have a honeycomb centre.
 
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