Okay. To kick off this new category what would be a good introductory 3d printer for a newbie? Pros? Cons? Help! :o Software? YouTube videos? ;)
To answer a question with another question: What 3D design software are you considering, Bob? I think in general there's good interoperability between 3d software and 3d printers, but if you've invested the time to learn a design application, you'll want to make sure your printer choices support it.
I spent an hour or two looking at a couple highly recommended package, spent about 10 minutes trying two of them, and said, "Ugh, learning one of these will be a -serious- investment of time. But I don't want a repeat of my SketchUp frustration, where I spent 3/4 of my time fighting the app, to get my project done."
dave
A new category 3D printing, I love it! First, 3D printing can be a hobby all to itself. I got into it to help improve my structure modeling such as unique windows and such, so I have learned as much as needed to accomplish this. However it can do far more if you invest the time and money. Second, there are two main methods of 3D printing, filament, where the resin comes on a roll, is fed into a nozzle, heated and placed on a platform. It can produce fairly large, complex items fairly quickly. The other is using a liquid resin in a vat having a clear bottom. A diode screen under the plate produces UV light in a pattern which hardens the layer formed between it and a vertical moving platen. It produces very fine detailed parts but is slower. That is what I use so my recommendations will be for that type of printing.
I started with the Anycubic 4K entry machine. Cost is about $150 from Amazon. It is a great machine to start with. Another similar quality machine is made by Elegoo, actually the Elegoo is a little better quality. There are rapid advancements happening with all 3D printers. I currently have on order my next machine that will be 14.4K. Higher K, higher resolution.
For resin I have settled on the Anycubic tough resin, cost is $27 a litre from Amazon but I wait for sales and stock up, usually at $20 a bottle.
You also need a UV dryer, they go for about a $100. The parts are only about 75 percent cured from printer and the dryer completely hardens the parts. Finally wear nitrile gloves so you don't get an allergy from the liquid resin.
As for programs I use Chitubox to make the design file useable to the printer. I use Tinkercad, which is free, for designing my parts. Took me about two weeks to understood the basics of it but it gets easy as time goes by. Also, and most importantly you don't need to design parts to print parts. There are many sites like Thngverse and Cults that have free or inexpensive files you can down load and go straight to the printer.
There are a ton of YouTube videos available, check the 'how to start' ones and you will quickly see what it can do for you. Hope that helps.
Jim
ANYCUBIC Resin 3D Printer, Photon Mono 2 3D Printer with 6.6" Monochrome LCD Screen Fast Printing, Upgraded LighTurbo Matrix, 6.49'' x 5.62'' x 3.5'' (HWD) 3D Printing Size https://a.co/d/1aJ9mLb
Thanks for the comments and suggestions, Dave and Jim.
Before I purchase a printer, supplies, etc. I just want to make sure that the software side of things isn't going to discourage me. I'll look for some of the videos on YouTube and play around with the free software a bit. This is one of the things I want to look into once I retire so it won't happen until May at the earliest. :)
Some great replies here already.
I own both filament (PLA) and resin (SLA) printers. They both serve specific tasks.
Filament is perfect for printing accessories I may need around my shop. Be it a sorter box, vacuum adapter, painting handle... you name it. It's the perfect tool for the job.
For all my detail parts that I include in my dioramas and kits, that's where resin comes in. SLA cannot be beaten for resolution here.
Elegoo is an excellent brand. The Mars lineup are true workhorses.
As Jim mentioned, there are many sites to source files from. Sometimes they are fit for purpose, other times not. You may find it frustrating sourcing what you really need. With that in mind, first learning CAD software is the first real step. Teach a man to fish and all that. Tinkercad is an excellent, free and easy to learn tool to get started.
This looks like it will develop into an interesting topic that some of are completely unfamiliar with.....looking forward to all the posts. 8)
Bob, you might want to try out TinkerCad. It is free, runs in the browser, not as a stand alone application. Chrome is recommended for this. I have messed around just a little with this. My results have been mixed, but that is to be expected when just starting out.
When I had a finished file project, I sent it to my local library system, which has some tech labs in some locations. For just the cost of the filament, I got back printed objects. While I might consider buying a machine in the future, this is a great way to try out the process.
A quick look online shows that the Seminole County library has this service. Other folks check your locale. There are also 'Maker Spaces' that cater to hobbyists in their communities.
I'm eager to see what this topic will grow into.
I got my first resin 3d Printer back in 2014. $5000 dental printer that does less than today's Elegoo Mars 3Pro. It had 25micron resolution and a print area of 1.3" by 2". After a number of different printers along the way, we have settled on a farm of Elegoo Mars3Pro's and 4Pro's. Great little workhorses and never skips a beat. Same resolution, but a fraction of the price.
Here is a PDF of a powerpoint I did a couple of years back on Laser cutting and 3D printing. A bit dated because of the speed at which resin printer resolution is changing, but all still relevant for getting into 3D printing. Hope it helps.
That's a nice overview, Darryl, thanks!
dave
I made a post on my website some time ago that may provide interesting reading for some of you:
https://keepitrusty.com/3d-printing-for-scale-modeling/
This topic seems to have died on the vine...too bad, it's a very intriquing topic.
Summer '24 I purchased an Elegoo Mars3 Pro, set it all up and made one test print. I used their water washable resin and did the Rook chess piece, printed it, post processed it. It turned out well. But, later when the Doll (wife), came home she seemed to think her coughing was due to the resin odor, mild, to me. I've not used it since. Also not allowed to paint indoors with spray cans, either. :-\
I've investigated but not acted on multiple air removal options but sort of lost the inspiration, I have it in a big wooden door fully enclosed one time entertainment center. The printer has a carbon filter that plugs into it and maybe when it's warmer weather I may try a extraction fan like the hydroponic growers, Dope Growers, use. Big "hobby" in Michigan. :o
Enuf for now, anyone have 3d adventures to share? ;)
KarlS in mid Michigan
Quote from: Keep It Rusty on February 01, 2024, 07:12:38 AMI made a post on my website some time ago that may provide interesting reading for some of you:
https://keepitrusty.com/3d-printing-for-scale-modeling/
Any new information on your experience(s)? :o
With the sub- 25 micron printers now as the standard, no detail is too small to capture it would seem. Here are some recent prints done for our kits (HO shown).
I have been impressed with what will print and be robust enough to paint/handle.
Regarding the odor's from resin printing. No way around it other than carbon filters and ventilation. Most of the smell comes from cleaning process after printing so you get the smells of resin mixed with rubbing alcohol or Methyl Hydrate! It is a messy game, but the results can be staggering if you work at it.
Amazing details there, Darryl!
I didn't pull the trigger on a 3D printer because I wanted to see if I could learn the software side of things first. Unfortunately, I'm rather enjoying retirement and haven't felt like playing with computers all that much since I retired. Maybe that will change. ;)
Quote from: ReadingBob on January 25, 2025, 01:07:08 PMAmazing details there, Darryl!
I didn't pull the trigger on a 3D printer because I wanted to see if I could learn the software side of things first. Unfortunately, I'm rather enjoying retirement and haven't felt like playing with computers all that much since I retired. Maybe that will change. ;)
Yup. The printing part is actually the easy part. The difficult and time consuming part is doing the 3D model in CAD. It is a whole hobby in itself. You can make anything for almost free, but what is your time worth?
Nice little stuff, Darryl. :o
Quote from: Rail and Tie on January 25, 2025, 09:53:26 PMYup. The printing part is actually the easy part. The difficult and time consuming part is doing the 3D model in CAD. It is a whole hobby in itself. You can make anything for almost free, but what is your time worth?
Darryl, what are you using for 3D CAD?
dave
"There's this guy who's 3D-printed an HO-scale dentist's chair. Complete with drills and instruments on the tray."
"Huh. Ask him how many times he's watched 'Marathon Man.'"
"Oh, he won't remember. He has it on endless loop on VHS."
"And you know this how, exactly? Does he hate Dustin Hoffman?"
"Sorry I brought it up. We should just shut up and bowl."
Quote from: deemery on January 26, 2025, 07:09:26 PMDarryl, what are you using for 3D CAD?
dave
Hi Dave, I am using Rhino. Much easier to use then Fusion or Solidworks. A little pricy for the hobbyist, but a proper NURBS modeler.
Quote from: Mr. Critter on January 27, 2025, 01:03:21 AM"There's this guy who's 3D-printed an HO-scale dentist's chair. Complete with drills and instruments on the tray."
"Huh. Ask him how many times he's watched 'Marathon Man.'"
"Oh, he won't remember. He has it on endless loop on VHS."
"And you know this how, exactly? Does he hate Dustin Hoffman?"
"Sorry I brought it up. We should just shut up and bowl."
Yup! LOLOLOL!!
Quote from: Rail and Tie on January 27, 2025, 02:13:24 PMQuote from: deemery on January 26, 2025, 07:09:26 PMDarryl, what are you using for 3D CAD?
dave
Hi Dave, I am using Rhino. Much easier to use then Fusion or Solidworks. A little pricy for the hobbyist, but a proper NURBS modeler.
Well, after my experience a couple years ago with SketchUp and its
bleeping bugs, I'd definitely pay for a quality implementation that didn't have the same amount of frustration.
dave
I thought I would throw my two cents in on where I am at in 3D printing. I have two liquid resin printers, the first is a Elegoo Mars 2 and the newer one is an Anycubic Mono 5s Pro. Here they are:
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/785-251124200014-53132443.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/785-200125210120-53519693.jpeg)
I paid about the same price for each of them, $349.00, just about three years apart. I imagine I could get something as good or better for a little less today or pay the same for a larger printing plate machine. For less then $200 you can get a machine that will do a lot, the printing plate would be the size of the Mars 2 machine about 2.65x4.75 inches. The Anycubic machine has a large printing plate of 6.5 x 8.5 and can print vertically up to 9 inches. The Anycubic printer is the better printer by far but the Elegoo is still very useful for printing such items as windows, doors, chairs and other basic parts. The advantages of the Anycubic machine besides size are it has a heater to keep the area within the hood at 40c. Resin prints better in a warm environment and the heater eliminates a possible issue since I keep the printers in the garage. It also prints significantly more detail being a 14.4K resolution while the Mars is a 6K resolution machine. Finally, it is connected on the wifi network so I simply send the files from my computer to the machine. The Mars needs a USB stick which is not a big issue most times but sometimes the stick loses connection and I get a misprint.
I started printing with the Mars machine way before I knew how to design parts. I routinely check out the following sites where I can download free files or files that cost a couple of dollars. I've downloaded chairs, windows, doors, roof material, street lamps and other such stuff. You really don't need to know how to design to get your money worth out of a liquid resin printer.
https://www.thingiverse.com
https://cults3d.com
I was put onto using Tinkercad, an on-line beginner CAD program by a friend up north. It is amazing how far you can go with this simple to learn program and like most things the more you use it the more you can do with it. Except for the man on the catwalk and the brick design on the wall everything you see in the following photo was designed using tinkercad;
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/785-200125204403-535082460.jpeg)
The interior shown above slides into the bottom of the building and latched in place.
Like I said I keep the printers in the garage and I have them being vented to the outside through duct fans and duct hose. Still I get some smell in the garage, mostly from the alcohol used to clean the parts and the work area. I also have a part cleaner that I can put most parts into and it cleans like a washing machine. It then can be used to cure the parts using a UV light and a turntable so the parts are exposed to the light 360 degrees. A lot of guys don't use it but I find it very handy helping to keep the area clean and the parts finished easier. It cost around $130 made by Anycubic:
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/785-251124200415-531501105.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/785-211123215347-522351226.jpeg)
Finally, I have settled on using the resin from Anycubic. I get their standard gray and clear at a cost of about $17.00 per 1000 ml bottle when buying 5 from Amazon. You need to use gloves while working with it when it is in liquid form and it does have a mild odor but I find it works well with both printers and produces strong, clean, detailed parts. When I need super tough parts I get a bottle of their ABS (like) resin, very strong.
That about covers where I am at with 3D printing today. I like what it allows me to do in my modeling but I still enjoy simply working with wood and making items from kits as well. The printers might sit a month or two between being used these days but they certainly add to the enjoyment of the hobby.
Jim D
Howdy Darryl,
Thanks for the nice overview of 3D printing. I agree that 3D CAD is the most time-consuming. If something isn't available commercially, I design and print it. Otherwise, my time is worth more than the commercial cost. The darn shipping is rough sometimes.
Have fun,
mike