Medium sized, user friendly 3d printer than will host a variety or filaments?

[BrokenBiker]

Maybe the panel could speak on this a little. From what I understand, 3D printers and their feedstock are quite fussy about their environment. The printer is not something you could leave in the same kind of shed as a lathe, walk up to it one morning, and just expect it to work.

That might influence your buying decision if you have to make a little climate-controlled cupboard in which the machine can reside.

My shed is currently kept warmer than my house and has a dehumidifier running, I see no way in which that environment won't be suitable.

I do find it interesting that the people recommending printers to me haven't mentioned this though...

 

[Beanwood]

My shed is currently kept warmer than my house and has a dehumidifier running, I see no way in which that environment won't be suitable

I do find it interesting that the people recommending printers to me haven't mentioned this though...

Perhaps we assumed a level of education, and that wasn’t the question you asked?

 

[BrokenBiker]

Perhaps we assumed a level of education, and that wasn’t the question you asked?

I do appreciate when people stick to the question that is asked.

So back on topic slightly and I'm finding it hard to find any major difference between any of the new 'beginner' grade printers, they all seem to offer much of the same, just worded differently some times so is it really now just a case of buying 1 and learn to use that specific one? Then upgrade later if needed?

Since mentioning it to my boy he has shown an interest in 1:10 scale RC parts and we are planning on making a scratch built rock crawler off an f150 body, so would be things like radius arms, suspension components, maybe some wheels and what not, still nothing big and all relatively easy to draw but is there anything else to consider when making parts that will have to mate up with other parts? I'm happy with hand finishing parts, I do that most of the time anyway when I need a perfect fit but so certain machines hold a better tolerance than others or are they all much the same when in similar price ranges?

 

[Dr.Al]

If you want really good tolerances, there are various calibration prints you can do (think print, measure, tweak settings, print again, measure again etc). I've never bothered as the Prusa seemed to do a pretty good tight sliding fit on anything I made with it (both a good fit to other printed parts and to things like bearings). I don't think it'd be a show-stopper with any printer though - you just have to do more trial runs with some than others.

 

[Beanwood]

I do appreciate when people stick to the question that is asked.

So back on topic slightly and I'm finding it hard to find any major difference between any of the new 'beginner' grade printers, they all seem to offer much of the same, just worded differently some times so is it really now just a case of buying 1 and learn to use that specific one? Then upgrade later if needed?

Since mentioning it to my boy he has shown an interest in 1:10 scale RC parts and we are planning on making a scratch built rock crawler off an f150 body, so would be things like radius arms, suspension components, maybe some wheels and what not, still nothing big and all relatively easy to draw but is there anything else to consider when making parts that will have to mate up with other parts? I'm happy with hand finishing parts, I do that most of the time anyway when I need a perfect fit but so certain machines hold a better tolerance than others or are they all much the same when in similar price ranges?

I'm too lazy. I didn't do enough investigation before I bought mine (A Bambu P1S) - rather I looked at the print farms we were using, and bought the same as they were using. The farms didn't have the AMS (Four reels of filament) which allow automatic change of colour, or continuation using a different reel if you run out of filament part way through a long print)
But I am very pleased with it. It's simple enough to just turn on and use (I knew I'd struggle with the table calibration if I had to do it manually), with models downloadable and printable even by me. I am learning as I go (200+ hours already..) and I know that I don't NEED the AMS for most stuff, but it's convenient. I'm also learning about multiple colours , and how to use them most economically (Speed and time wise)
It's not terrifically fast - but others seem impressed, and as I have nothing to compare it, I suppose they must be right. You can also walk away and leave it printing for however many hours it takes....
Would I buy the P2S (The next faster incarnation with AI assistance) - probably, but I'm seriously tempted by another of the curent model as they are so cheap right now, and are lauded as a real workhorse.

I would say the documentation is a bit lacking - but there are youtubes out there for everything...

 

[BrokenBiker]

If you want really good tolerances, there are various calibration prints you can do (think print, measure, tweak settings, print again, measure again etc). I've never bothered as the Prusa seemed to do a pretty good tight sliding fit on anything I made with it (both a good fit to other printed parts and to things like bearings). I don't think it'd be a show-stopper with any printer though - you just have to do more trial runs with some than others.

Ok cool. I don't mind running test prints to determine the fit first.

So where I am at the moment is basically for my needs I think any of the new 'beginner' printers like the bambu A1, flash forge a5m or ad5x and other similarly priced units are going to do the job for me.

I have fusion, I can download the recommended slicer and I can make a nice stand for it to sit comfortably in the corner of the shed right next to the heater and dehumidifier.

As for filaments, I've 3 different PLA colours and 2 PETG colours in a by 4 get 1 free deal and to be honest, most of what I want to make will probably be PLA anyway and I can store these in ziplocs if moisture absorbing is an issue.

Just happened to mention it to my father and as always, he has a list of things that he wouldn't mind having made so looks like I'm buying one regardless now.

Now, the realism of it is settling in, how long does a spool of filament last? I see them advertised in 1kg, 5kg and 10kg spools, how much printing could be done per kg for instance?

 

[Beanwood]

Ok cool. I don't mind running test prints to determine the fit first.

So where I am at the moment is basically for my needs I think any of the new 'beginner' printers like the bambu A1, flash forge a5m or ad5x and other similarly priced units are going to do the job for me.

I have fusion, I can download the recommended slicer and I can make a nice stand for it to sit comfortably in the corner of the shed right next to the heater and dehumidifier.

As for filaments, I've 3 different PLA colours and 2 PETG colours in a by 4 get 1 free deal and to be honest, most of what I want to make will probably be PLA anyway and I can store these in ziplocs if moisture absorbing is an issue.

Just happened to mention it to my father and as always, he has a list of things that he wouldn't mind having made so looks like I'm buying one regardless now.

Now, the realism of it is settling in, how long does a spool of filament last? I see them advertised in 1kg, 5kg and 10kg spools, how much printing could be done per kg for instance?

If you find a model on thingiverse or similar they will tell you how many grams of filament you need. Your mate can probably tell you how much you normally use..

1kg rolls seem to be common- get bigger and they may not fit straight into a filament dryer-should you want to use one.

 

[MattF]

Depends on the size of the prints as to how much filament they use.

I went for a Kobra S1 initially, with AMS. Since getting the Centauris though, that gets little use. The Centauri's are my first choice when I need to print something. If I was doing multicolour, then obviously I'd use the S1.

Regarding PLA, I don't bother as such with it now. PETG is around same price & slightly stronger, so I always use PETG now, in general.

 

[BrokenBiker]

If you find a model on thingiverse or similar they will tell you how many grams of filament you need. Your mate can probably tell you how much you normally use..

1kg rolls seem to be common- get bigger and they may not fit straight into a filament dryer-should you want to use one.

It's 1kg that I've got in the basket now purely as I anticipate the first few prints to be scrap and a learning curve so just went for cheaper sizes...

Good shout on asking what the previous prints used.

So far I now have a list of RC parts, an Xbox controller stand, 2 adjustment knobs for my father's bandsaw, a chisel rack, a pull cord light switch handle and a drying rack for small pen blanks...and that's without the stuff I want to make for myself...

 

[m_c]

1kg rolls are the most common.
Bigger rolls generally won't fit in most hobby sized printers.
Some more specialist/expensive filaments will come in smaller rolls, but they should still fit.

 

[MattF]

With regards which printer, I'd personally say just get whichever you like the look & spec of, which is within your budget. Watch a review or two on Youtube, (auroratech is a dependable reviewer), & decide from there.

Pretty much any of the mainstream printers are going to be a doddle to setup & use compared to the choices available just a few years ago.

 

[Kram]

If you buy bigger spools it is quite easy to respool them onto empty small spools. Esun PETG and ABS is about £5/kg on a big spool and about £7 for a small spool. Ofcourse if you start with small spools you will then gain a few to spool onto, where as I printed some instead, not used up a spool yet, other than my part wound PLA spools from the big 3kg.
If you use a cordless drill, it only takes a minute or so and gives a better result than by hand.

 

[bigegg]

I have a p1s, with the original AMS, which I'm _very_ happy with.

It will print PETG, ABS, and TPU(rubber) out of the box.

Stronger filaments, such as nylon or carbon fiber needs a different extruder head (gears+nozzle, actually).

It will also print PLA - but that's probably not going to be your "go-to" for practical prints, anyway.

To print ABS - which is probably the strongest cheap filament - whichever printer you get will need an enclosure to control the temperature.

 

[sako243]

Regarding PLA, I don't bother as such with it now. PETG is around same price & slightly stronger, so I always use PETG now, in general.

Stronger needs context, PETG is more flexible than PLA but PLA is stiffer but also more brittle as a consequence so tends to be not viewed as "strong" I think because of it.

I was printing some brackets for something and was actually disappointed at how much movement there was in the PETG, not something I wanted in this instance. I wasn't going to be subjected to shock loading so I'm reprinting in PLA instead as the stiffness in joining the stuff together is far more important in this application. For other applications then having a certain amount of give will usually be more beneficial rather than damaging the part thus the view that PETG is stronger.

 

[MattF]

Resilient may have been a better choice of word for I to use.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Think I've settled on a flash forge a5m, single spool, nothing fancy but seems to get good reviews, auto level and claims perfect first layer every time, also claims unboxing to printing (pre loaded test files) in 10 mins.

It's £209, couple that with 50 quids worth of filament (3x PLA and 2x PETG) and it still comes in at a reasonable price.

Haven't taken the dive on the purchase button yet, by my own nature I need to think about it unrelentingly for the next few days before coming back to the same outcome and then buying it...plus I need time to make space in the shed for the small stand it will need, and get my father to cut me some wood for the stand top.

So, I had best get after it with fusion and start drawing bits up because the more I think about it, the more there is to make. My boy collects 1:24 scale diecast cars, and in typical fashion, the land rovers are all set up on jack's and stands so I think a little stocking filler for Xmas would be a cool little 4 post lift for the defender he has asked my Mrs for

 

[BrokenBiker]

If you buy bigger spools it is quite easy to respool them onto empty small spools. Esun PETG and ABS is about £5/kg on a big spool and about £7 for a small spool. Ofcourse if you start with small spools you will then gain a few to spool onto, where as I printed some instead, not used up a spool yet, other than my part wound PLA spools from the big 3kg.
If you use a cordless drill, it only takes a minute or so and gives a better result than by hand.

This is not something I had considered, but makes perfect sense...

I will have 5 small spools by the time I have run through the first batch, may buy bigger after that and respool them as needed

 

[iNf]

I started off with an ender 3 pro, which was the top of the range ender at the time. I upgraded to a bambu p1s and it's night and day difference. At the price of a p1s at present it's a bit of a no brainer. If you have a bed slinger printer like the A1 etc, whilst they may be good for most filament if you want to print abs etc you need an enclosure. The problem with an enclosure on a bed slinger is you need room for the bed to move so the enclosure ends up being large. The p1s and similar are very compact for their print volume. I've had mine over 12 months and only just got an AMS. If you're thinking of getting an ams in the future I think @MattF posted earlier that elegoo centauri isn't going to get one?

 

[Dr.Al]

If you're respooling, it's generally recommended to do it twice: spool onto a temporary reel and then spool again onto a final one. There's a certain amount of tension in the coil of filament and the filament nearest the middle of the reel is tighter wound than the stuff on the outside. Spooling it twice means the stuff on the inside of the old reel ends up on the inside of the new one.

You'll probably get away with just doing it once most of the time, but it'll make you swear like a sailor that one time when the filament snaps into lots of pieces near the middle of the reel.

 

[BrokenBiker]

If you're respooling, it's generally recommended to do it twice: spool onto a temporary reel and then spool again onto a final one. There's a certain amount of tension in the coil of filament and the filament nearest the middle of the reel is tighter wound than the stuff on the outside. Spooling it twice means the stuff on the inside of the old reel ends up on the inside of the new one.

You'll probably get away with just doing it once most of the time, but it'll make you swear like a sailor that one time when the filament snaps into lots of pieces near the middle of the reel.

That sounds like a tool that could be printed to aid this