3D Printers

[Jonj1611]

I wrote a really long thing then tried to quote someone and it disappeared :/

Anyway what I was trying to say was yes I agree. However this model is 98% assembled from the factory and its only like 10 mins work apparently to put the rest of it together.

All the good 3d printer sites seem to stock lots of spare parts and can get a auto levelling bed sensor for £20 which I think would solve a few headaches. That must be the upgrading like cars you mentioned

Its quite daunting but its nice going into something new and having to learn

[Jonj1611]

Make sure the bed is heated.

Yes apparently goes up to 110 degrees

[Jonj1611]

One more thought. I have heard reports of people having problems with the supplier, even on brand new machines, when there are problems if you have bought direct from China.

They refer to both Moscow and London addresses. I'd suggest checking their contract T&Cs to see where the legal jurisdiction is. i.e. the laws of which country apply. Do you get the benefit of UK consumer law? If not, better hope you don't have problems with what arrives in the box. Fancy suing in Russia right now? No, nor me. Check that that London address they mention isn't just a postal/messaging front.

A lot depends on the customer service of the seller. This, supposedly, is a lot better with Prusa, and is part of what you pay for. But, a lot more expensive, obviously.

The one I am looking at is a UK supplier so hopefully be ok there

[Jonj1611]

Most printers can do PETG, it needs a print bed around 60C and a nozzle around 210

I think PLA is still popular as you can get away without a heated print bed. There are a lot of PETG choices out there now though.

If you want to send me a design or stl file I can see how printable your part is if you want.

Edit: Oh and a spool of filament will last you ages, but at about £20 a pop the initial cost is a bit high when starting out. I needed a spool of black, then silver, then white, then green

Had been loads of fun as a hobby though.

I don't have an STL file for it but I will take a picture of the cog

Yes I was looking at different colours, there was a good video I saw on you tube about all the different types, informative

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSwumoSlZTo

[Saracen999]

....

All the good 3d printer sites seem to stock lots of spare parts and can get a auto levelling bed sensor for £20 which I think would solve a few headaches. That must be the upgrading like cars you mentioned

....

Among the upgrading options, yeah, but there's a pretty long list. Apparently, even just bed-levelling varies, and some sensors are better than others.

[DanceswithUnix]

I agree completely, have been very all over the place with this one. Want something cheap as don't know really what use I would get out of it then worrying that if it is cheap is it going to go wrong, be no good, have issues because its used etc.

That being said I have been offered this brand new for well a good price, just wondered what anyone thought : https://artillery3d.com/products/art...t-touch-screen

That's an odd beast.

Kind of looks like the Ender 3, but runs a dual screw thread for the Z axis like a Prusa. But, the Prusa runs a stepper motor for each Z axis and that one seems to have a belt drive across the top which seems like a really nasty cost reduction. It looks like a Bowden tube filament system, yet they don't actually show a tube in any of the photos.

Part of getting a printer is the community built around it. The Ender 3 has a ton of users in the UK and lots of mods and parts available, so and whilst it is easy to put them in the "cheap Chinese printers" bracket they are actually fairly sorted.
That Geetech printer has the advantage of being a generic design, albeit an old one that uses cheap parts including an acrylic frame where the original Prusa used laser cut aluminium.


Edit:

In case you hadn't looked it up, this is the basic printer I was talking about: https://www.crealityofficial.co.uk/p...r-3-3d-printer

So if it costs close to or more than £145 shipped, it has to come up to the standard of something that has a decent community including things like an active Facebook group

Next up from that is the Prusa Mini at over double the cost. But you get basically all the addons you can buy for a cheaper printer as standard, including the magnetic build plate which is just utterly wonderful and I couldn't go back to life without one now.

[Jonj1611]

I think the one I mentioned said direct drive filament head whatever that is.

It's a complete minefield if I'm honest. Will take a closer look at the Creality

[DanceswithUnix]

I think the one I mentioned said direct drive filament head whatever that is.

It's a complete minefield if I'm honest. Will take a closer look at the Creality

There are two different ways to push filament into the hot end.

Direct drive puts a stepper motor on the extruder, which makes it heavier and so harder to move about.

Or you can put the filament stepper on the frame, and use a ptfe Bowden tube to guide the driven filament to the melting zone in the nozzle. That gives a lighter extruder, but some flexible filaments won't go down the tube.

So a horses for courses thing really. A cheap Ender 3 can give better looking prints than my expensive Prusa because the springiness of the filament in the tube gives a more consistent push and hence flow from the nozzle. But then my Prusa can print Ninjaflex, which I have occasionally used.

[Jonj1611]

Kind of looks like the Ender 3, but runs a dual screw thread for the Z axis like a Prusa. But, the Prusa runs a stepper motor for each Z axis and that one seems to have a belt drive across the top which seems like a really nasty cost reduction. It looks like a Bowden tube filament system, yet they don't actually show a tube in any of the photos.

I looked into this as I agree seems odd but what I found was the Artillery unit has a motor either side at the bottom for the z axis.

As for pricing, I can get it for £85 which is open box but unused. Still deciding what model is going to be best at this stage

[DanceswithUnix]

I looked into this as I agree seems odd but what I found was the Artillery unit has a motor either side at the bottom for the z axis.

As for pricing, I can get it for £85 which is open box but unused. Still deciding what model is going to be best at this stage

That is indeed odd, but at £85 that actually seems a decent deal.

Edit: Found a youtube video review, it certainly looks worth that much money.

Another edit: I'm in the middle of cooking dinner so this is a bit fragmented Actually looks a very interesting machine for £85

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gtF0uzcjI0

[Jonj1611]

Well to throw something else into the ring and something mentioned earlier a second hand resin printer has come available, comes with a wash and cure station as well. Is the Creality Halot.

I see you can get something called tough resin but the print area is quite small

[Jonj1611]

I am just wondering what the cost difference might be between PLA and resin per usage(like for like model)

[Jonj1611]

Well have bit the bullet and going to pick it up tomorrow. Was too good to miss, its the Creality Halot, the one with wifi, a Anycubic wash and cure 2.0, 2 lots of resin and other bits and pieces.

[DanceswithUnix]

Well have bit the bullet and going to pick it up tomorrow. Was too good to miss, its the Creality Halot, the one with wifi, a Anycubic wash and cure 2.0, 2 lots of resin and other bits and pieces.

Wow, sounds like a very nice bit of kit there!

[Jonj1611]

Will report back how I get on

Aside from the stuff I wanted to do was looking at printing off kids World of Warcraft figure(s) and painting them. Hmmm feel a hobby coming on......

[DanceswithUnix]

Will report back how I get on

Aside from the stuff I wanted to do was looking at printing off kids World of Warcraft figure(s) and painting them. Hmmm feel a hobby coming on......

Perfect tool for that, the detail should be amazing on a nice small figurine sized print!