Who else here is into 3D Printing?

[L0r3m_Ip5um]

I've gotten into the hobby and it's become something of an obsession.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. I love to geek out about this stuff!

If anyone has printed something they're really proud of, share a picture! This is great stuff.

I have 3 machines right now:

• Monoprice Maker Select v2.1
• Creality Ender 3 v2
• Elegoo Mars

and I'm shopping around for a delta-style printer.

Also, since this is a warez forum, there are a lot of paid STL files for printing can be shared. I have a few I'd like to share if I can find the appropriate forum. (I'm still new here and exploring.. shh!)

 

[Weaserlorian]

I have been doing some reading into this and I find it very interesting. What is the average cost to rake up this venture?

 

[Kzed]

Hey,

I have an Anycubic Photon Mono X, resin SLA printer. Has quite the accuracy too at 10 microns. Although prints are more expensive and require significantly more work to prep them after they come out of the printer. Thinking of getting a Ender myself or something to print some bigger, cheaper stuff that doesn't need that kind of attention to detail. Still new at the hobby though and don't know that much. Mostly struggling with finding cool STL's I'd like to actually print.. especially that already come with supports since I absolutely hate having to put the supports myself.

I have been doing some reading into this and I find it very interesting. What is the average cost to rake up this venture?

There is no single answer to this. You can start the hobby for as little as 200 bucks and make some prints.. to spending thousands really. Personally I spend about 800 bucks on my starting equipment. The learning curve can be a bit steep and its not just print whatever you want since some knowledge is required.. and a passion for learning and accepting failures. But I think it is quite the cool feeling to be able to literally produce something solid, that you can teach and play around with and design.. out of your own home. Make sure to understand about fumes etc and to have a nice place to print though that is well ventilated.

 

[L0r3m_Ip5um]

I have been doing some reading into this and I find it very interesting. What is the average cost to rake up this venture?

To get started? The Voxelab Aquila is a great $150 Ender 3 v2 clone, CHEP on YouTube has a great review of it. A roll of filament will run you $20 on average and last you 3-4 XL prints or about two dozen small prints. You can literally get started for less than $200, but like with any hobby, you'll find yourself voluntarily spending quite a bit more on it as you go deeper down the rabbit hole.

Mostly struggling with finding cool STL's I'd like to actually print.. especially that already come with supports since I absolutely hate having to put the supports myself

One resource I've found is over on 4chan, actually. /diy/ and /tg/ have recurring threads called /3DPG/ and sometimes they share premium STLs there, including pre-suported ones. Lately they've started base64 encoding their links to keep trolls from flagging them immediately. I've found some really good stuff that I swear I mean to print one day. Heh...

 

[Weaserlorian]

Sounds interesting and a fun hobby to get into.

Thanks!

 

[Kzed]

One resource I've found is over on 4chan, actually. /diy/ and /tg/ have recurring threads called /3DPG/ and sometimes they share premium STLs there, including pre-suported ones. Lately they've started base64 encoding their links to keep trolls from flagging them immediately. I've found some really good stuff that I swear I mean to print one day. Heh...

Dont know how to navigate 4chan at all or how I would go about finding what you said

 

[G13]

I'm a little interested but not until I can afford a sintered particle type printer using metals instead of plastics. The laser build up with aluminium and other metals interests me, so does winning a huge lottery to purchase a machine that does it. I'm also somewhat keen on the ceramics printers but I'd have minimal use for one of those.
With the plastic type printer my son and I have often discussed their uses for us and the only thing we can think of is printing a scale model of what I want an engineer to machine till we get a new lathe and milling machine and I may as well just provide drawings for that stuff.

I do a lot of photography (sadly, not as much as I'd like) and astronomy and anything I require as in camera adapters and varying adapters for telescopes have to be made out of alloys. I Currently have a Canon 5D MK4 on loan from a friend and hang it off the back of my telescope, I'd hate to see some plastic 3D printed adapter break and drop this $6K camera body which doesn't belong to me on the ground.

 

[L0r3m_Ip5um]

I'd hate to see some plastic 3D printed adapter break and drop this $6K camera body which doesn't belong to me on the ground.

I fully understand this concern. It's been voiced countless times around the community, and there have been thousand of proposed solutions. The YouTube channel CNC Kitchen has an entire series on the strengths, load capacities, and failure points for different 3D printing materials.

I'm really only here to print knickknacks, cosplay props, and the occasional wall mount or outlet cover, so PLA material is just about the only thing I use. It's cheap, colorful, and easy to print with, but like you said, it warps and breaks easily. Up the ladder in strengths a little bit you have ABS (The same thing Legos are made out of!) and PETG, and then you have the high end materials like carbon fiber infused filaments, nylon, and PEEK which are actually super tough and durable. They're a more difficult to print with, and the required temperatures (PEEK requires a nozzle temperature of 400°c!) need higher-end equipment which there are very fortunately consumer variants of. Granted you're probably not gonna get to PEEK temperatures on your Ender 3, but it's good to know there are options out there, at least.

That's one thing I really love about this hobby. You can get as much out of it as you're willing to put into it.

 

[G13]

That's one thing I really love about this hobby. You can get as much out of it as you're willing to put into it.

DO you mean in effort or money?

I've been receiving emails from a 3D printing joint for several years but it's all industrial type stuff, bigger and more expensive than anything I'd ever be able to afford or fit anywhere.
I have watched the advancement of printing with differing materials over the years and as mentioned, I like some of the laser sinter machines, they just aren't really in my price range (neither is a standard plastics unit).

My son doesn't want a 3D printer but he does want to make a plastics injection moulding device. One day, we still need that lathe and milling machine to make that happen, hopefully soon.

With the standard units, regardless of whether the softer type plastics or the ABS, they still wouldn't have the strength for anything we'd want or need.
I guess in saying that I have arc, MIG and TIG (AC) welding equipment, along with a plasma cutter so I work mainly with metals. I can work with most anything but damn, welding stuff makes it quick and easy.