Need 3D printer help

T

thequintessentialman

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Finally I'm getting the wife in tune with us getting a 3D printer, at least I don't get the "you don't need that" but rather "cool, but where can we put it" when I mention it. Taking this as a good sign.

Have stopped short of pulling the trigger on the Creality Enders 5 Plus a couple of times. I'm looking for a large printer (print a 12" cube, have some things in mind once the learning curve flattens) but a little hesitant due to its lack of expansion capability. Most of the upgrades I've seen for it on the forums seem to be for fixing or improving OEM problems. A previous thread on the Prusa MK35 got my interest up but it seems a little too small (although I've yet to find dimensions on it.)

I'm still learning about the print media, there are some exotic metal materials I've read about that are designed for sintering as well as wax for casting. Then there are multiple print heads. Ideally would like something that is expandable as we figure out how to use it. Budget would be under $1k USD.
 
I am by no means an expert but I have a Lulz Bot TAZ 5 for a few years now and think it is an excellent 3D printer. Very expandable as it's all open source. A New one ( TAZ 6, now) might be a bit out of your budget but you might be able to find a deal on used one.

Where to put it is a real concern, especially if you're looking at a large format printer. The Lutz Bot didn't come with an enclosure, as a cost saver. And no enclosure is fine if you could set it up in a closet or small room so that it would be undisturbed while printing. While a 3D printer will print out in the open, they are susceptible to temperature fluctuations, air currents, etc. I eventuality built an enclosure for my printer and it made a noticeable improvement in print quality and consistency.
 
Building an enclosure is not an issue once I do figure out where to put the printer.

Well, I was also looking at the CR-10 MAX but keep coming back to the E5+. The CR-10 seems a little larger and a little more versatile but the E5+ appears to have a larger users group and knowledge base.
 
I don't know about the OP's situation, but anyone getting a 3D printer (or CNC-anything for that matter) needs to learn CAD first if you expect to make anything other than copied parts off the Web. Since I'm still a couple years away from retirement, I bought CAD (Alibre, no subscription) now, and am learning its abilities. Only then will I consider getting a 3D printer and be able to make stuff other than just copying other people's work.

I remember seeing the first 3D printer appear at Costco, of all places, and as I looked at the people watching it work... I felt like saying, "You do realize that you have to be creative to actually do something useful with this." I think 95% of 3D printers are stuffed away in shelves after the novelty wore off and people discovered they'd have to be both creative and learn CAD, but rather watch TV instead of learning what it takes to make actual useful parts... Boy, did I veer off into a mini-rant...
 
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I’ve run a few different printers from hobby up to Fortus printers at work, and among printers that cost less than a car, the Prusa i3 is hands down my preference. The printer is reliable, and the software is good which makes a world of difference.

Materials wise, I run PETG for pretty much everything.

What applications do you have in mind?
 
KyleG said:
What applications do you have in mind?
Click to expand...

Way too many... the wife is always asking me "can you make this" and generally I probably could if I had the equipment. My concern is this may be a gateway drug to a backyard foundry and garage mill. An associate has had success printing firearms accessories which I find interesting. (I've already milled some stuff by hand using a wood router and a machine tool mill bit.) As silly as it sounds for a guy approaching retirement, I've always liked the Phantom comic and at some point I'll probably try to print/cast a phantom ring. I fully expect that as we become adept at this more projects will present themselves. On a side note, the wife has a creative eye and has been successful at finding markets for her artistic creations (I would have lost good money betting on that). Lately I've spent a bit of time watching YouTube on 3D printing, backyard foundries and kilns, and a few other related subjects. Frankly I foresee more of a time shortage than I do 3D projects.
 
OK, I did it. Just placed an order for a Creality CR-10 MAX... hope I did this right. Any recommendations for the new guy with the new toy? Should be in by next weekend. Had way too many Amazon credits burning a hole in my electronic wallet.

What kind of horse power PC are you guys using for the 3D rendering CAD and slicing software? From what I think I know, the CAD would need a better graphics card but the slicing leverages the PC core processor?

Now I just got to figure out where to put it.
 
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