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Thread: Thinking of getting a 3D Printer

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    Default Thinking of getting a 3D Printer

    I have a budget of about $1K.

    I think this should get a good quality 3D printer??

    Looking for suggestions of makes/models?

    Thanks
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    I use this 3D printer.. It's user friendly and works well for small jobs



    This is where I grab my supplies.. Also they sell 3D printers on their website. Have a browse.


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    I've had a Creality CR-10 for years with no complaints, can't remember how much I paid but pretty sure it was under $1k. Some complained about the supplied glass plate not being flat but I never had any problems with that. I did do a few mods (fans etc.), but if I recall correctly, it worked well-enough out of the box anyway.

    I always said if I need to replace it that I'll build myself a custom printer, which would be much larger, but the need hasn't arisen (yet). Although I'd never recommend that for a greenhorn, you'd be better off buying something that works out-of-the-box to get some experience first.

    I've found the quality of the filaments varies quite a bit between brands too, I won't mention names but not sure if some are stored poorly after manufacture or whatever but filament will absorb moisture from the air over time, then you'll never get a good result from it.

    Then you have slicer programs... Cura3D is (or was) free but I found Simplify3D to work better for me and well worth the money.

    I mostly do prototyping straight out of CAD so it's mainly stuff I design myself, but there's some good websites with heaps of models ready-to-print, like except that site seems to be gone? (I obviously haven't looked at it for a while.)

    Andrew

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    i started with the small toy from aldi then upto the anet A8

    All i can say is think about what you want to do with it and then look in the mirror
    and ask how competent is the person im looking at technically to be able
    to do mods and fault find.

    The 3d printers are a device that requires a little bit of skill to use and maintain
    and as bigfella mentioned the various filaments vary from brand to brand
    and also variety.

    I am actually looking at updating mine to a tronxy 3d due to the bed size - height and
    new motherboard it has in it.

    is great and i use cura software.You also want to keep and eye
    on the unit to see if it can be updated with the marlin software and the most important thing is it MUST have
    is a reliable heated bed.

    Also you can have a play on and they have heaps of projects that have already been
    done and uploaded for people to play with, though some are locked so you can not modify them
    simply.
    Last edited by fandtm666; 12-09-20 at 10:00 AM.

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    Do you need 3D glasses to read stuff you print on a 3D printer?

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    Thread moved, as it is just a discussion, not an actual BST request.

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    Thanks all. I’ll look at your suggestions. Much appreciated.
    __________________________________________________ __
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    Quote Originally Posted by fandtm666 View Post
    i started with the small toy from aldi then upto the anet A8

    All i can say is think about what you want to do with it and then look in the mirror
    and ask how competent is the person im looking at technically to be able
    to do mods and fault find.

    The 3d printers are a device that requires a little bit of skill to use and maintain
    and as bigfella mentioned the various filaments vary from brand to brand
    and also variety.

    I am actually looking at updating mine to a tronxy 3d due to the bed size - height and
    new motherboard it has in it.

    is great and i use cura software.You also want to keep and eye
    on the unit to see if it can be updated with the marlin software and the most important thing is it MUST have
    is a reliable heated bed.

    Also you can have a play on and they have heaps of projects that have already been
    done and uploaded for people to play with, though some are locked so you can not modify them
    simply.
    I think they were talking about getting a quality printer that means reliable and won't burn your house down - those A8 printers are natorias for being the worst printers you can buy for safety and quality - if you want to upgrade you A8 go for a creality not much more expensive with a metal frame compared to the plastic one you have now and lots of models/sizes to choose from - i started with an a8 to learn how everything went together and worked and soon relised how shoty it was
    Last edited by sergei; 28-02-21 at 12:43 PM.

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    I've been seriously considering buying a 3D resin printer lately, mainly because I'm sick of sanding and smoothing filament prints, but I'm hearing good things about strength as well as finish with resin, although it seems a little more expensive.


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    Default SLA/DLP 3D printers

    From my point of view, the SLA/DLP printer is an option for experienced people who care about the level of resolution a resin 3d printer can bring (printing highly detailed miniatures and models).

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    Quote Originally Posted by porkop View Post
    Thanks all. I’ll look at your suggestions. Much appreciated.

    Did u end up buying anything, Im looking to get something myself if anyone has any suggestions

    thanks Thomo

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    Has anyone had anything to do with these

    thanks

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    Quote Originally Posted by RedXT View Post
    Has anyone had anything to do with these

    thanks
    I've never used dual or triple extruder 3d printers, but reviews give it a high score, 9\10. My workplace is a workbench in the corner of the garage with Ender 3 Max, v2 as a cheap 3d scanner and old laptop running for 3d modeling, for Kinect and Simplify3D for Ender 3. Nothing special, just a starter kit for hobbyists

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