Budget starter 3D printer recommendations

[Misterg]

I am an autocad nut.

I think autocad does 3d modelling? (I haven't used it since R14, but it was there, if a little clunky, even back then.)

id prefer to draw stuff in 2d then convert into 3D

Wrong way around, and a concept that I think many seasoned draftsmen struggle with when trying to move to 3D CAD (moreso than raw beginners) - the 3D model comes first, and you generate 2D drawings from it (but that's a whole other can of worms!).

 

[JOEPRO]

I downloaded and had a quick play with the printer's own website slicer software.

VERY easy to use im really impressed with it.

I downloaded a few files from the interwebs just to try this out



I can see how to easily duplicate and move the parts around the print bed and when I hit the limits. Cool to see it automatically can add supports as required and how it makes the solid object hollow and supported in the middle. Fantastic software altogether I don't think ill have any problems with that side of things.

 

[JOEPRO]

So I got the printer today and set it up when I got home from work. The supplied PLA sample printed flawlessly.







I then loaded the Flashforge PETG filament. And not good. Having lots of issues with stringing and failed prints. I tried different settings and still no good.

Unfortunately I ordered several PETG spools. I ordered another PLA spool for Sunday so I can print parts I need in a pinch or to start the DIY enclosure parts printing.

But ill try more tomorrow to see if I can figure out how to get this printer to happily print PETG filament as good as it does the PLA. If I can figure that out then I would prefer to just have all PETG filaments instead of mixing types and always having to swap settings. Seemed like a simple idea - im just puzzled why it doesn't seem to print well with PETG when it's designed to do so!

 

[EBME2]

Apologies if asking the obvious question but when you have the model in your slicer have you told it you are printing in PETG and re-sliced? Different filaments have different temperatures and feed rates so important you change parameters in your slicer.

PETG is a bit more stringy but shouldn’t be that much different than PLA.

 

[daedalusminos]

Even when you select the correct filament profile, don't be surprised if you have to tweak some of the settings to fine tune to your particular filament.

The two main things are bed temperature for correct adhesion and nozzle temp for good extrusion.

 

[My Old Landy]

Have you printed a temperature tower and a retraction test to set the parameters in orca?
They are pre loaded into most slicers.
I had to do this on my Elegoo centauri for petg because of stringing.

 

[ajlelectronics]

I can't really see the images well, but the first one does look quite rough. Perhaps it is the light?

All filaments require different settings and the slicer should offer a simple drop down selection for the type required. PETg will produce prints on its default settings which are excellent normally, so it does appear that something is awry.

Budget printers often need lots of tinkering, which is great for learning as long as you don't get too frustrated. I started with something similar and by the time I had got it just so with tweaks and 'essential' upgrades, I could have bought something which worked out of the box!

You have made the right choice with your PETg, we will get you printing to perfection with it.

 

[ajlelectronics]

when it's designed to do so!

It is a hobby machine, not a production machine, so it will need lots of tweaking.

Can you provide the nozzle and bed temperatures and retraction settings for both filaments please?

 

[JOEPRO]

Thanks all for the very helpful advice. The little boat was in PLA and very good quality. I will keep after this today and report back how I get on with PETG.

To recap to date I have used all - f
Flashforge slicer, filament and correct settings.

So even though it was a brand new sealed genuine spool of PETG I am putting it through my drier now on the recommended 2 hour cycle at 65c. Then ill follow the advice and use Orca slicer and report back later.

 

[JOEPRO]

OK so I had used the basic Flashprint5 software before. This morning I changed to Flashforge download again but of the Orca slicer version and signed into my account there.

I dried my new Flashforge PETG roll and made sure I selected the right load settings on printer and on the Orca slicer.

It gave a default 85c bed temp. Nozzle temp 255c. Success!



So my tip for anyone with a flashforge printer is to NOT use their Flashprint5 slicer, use their Orca-Flashforge slicer instead.

The print above was just using the default PETG settings on the Orca-Flashforge slicer. It was not printing PETG at all using the Flashprint slicer.

Anyway problem solved so ill be able to try and print my first proper test parts on it today all being well.

 

[Prajna]

It's probably still worth going through the orca filament calibration to get the best out of your filament and also worth doing for each new filament, even different colours from the same manufacturer can use slightly different settings.

 

[JOEPRO]

I spent some time figuring this out today including how to use sketchup pro Lots of swear words but I got there and test printed a couple of crankshaft lock tools I designed and am currently fabricating from steel. (I had the steel plates alrwady drawn in cad before. Today was about converting them into 3D models for 3d printing) I see some minor tweaks ill make before final watercut steel plates so a really useful way to prototype small parts





My other several spools of PETG arrived today including some really cool metallic colours. It's started printing its new diy enclosure kit now will take several days really but the first 4 parts will print overnight. I think getting the enclosure around it will help keep things stable temperature wise and give me better results in my inexperienced hands!

So yeah, the technology of these cheap 3D printers is very impressive.

 

[JOEPRO]

Ive started the printing off the diy enclosure parts. It's quite a slow process, it will take several days & nights of printing! But so far really great results. Even with an offbrand galaxy metallic PETG from amazon: (hard to pick up the colour on camera. It's like a metallic aubergine colour)

 

[JOEPRO]

I have a smooth plate coming tomorrow for it I think ill prefer that finish.

I noticed that when starting to print a large part of the diy enclosure it was making scraping sounds. I didn't like that so stopped it.



I believe the Orca slicer has other infill patterns that do not cause the print head to overlap its lines. So ill re-slice it tomorrow night and go again with the new smooth PEI plate.

Edit: Gyroid infill pattern is what ill use going forward. It is strong and avoids the print head overlapping itself like tje default orca crosshatch pattern does.

 

[MattF]

It's like a metallic aubergine colour

You're primarily talking to blokes, remember. What colour is aubergine?

 

[JOEPRO]

You're primarily talking to blokes, remember. What colour is aubergine?

Eggplant

Also is this not mumsnet(?)

 

[Turbo]

What's eggplant?

 

[JOEPRO]

What's eggplant?

Solanum melongena

 

[ajlelectronics]

You're primarily talking to blokes, remember. What colour is aubergine?

Sort of a deep purple. Cortina 1600e were available in that colour.

 

[JOEPRO]

Sort of a deep purple. Cortina 1600e were available in that colour.

My S430's almandine black is a close match



Also these mums net members need to eat more fruit!