3D Printed vs styrene: Post best tips and techniques

[thud83]

I am on the verge of pulling the trigger and getting a 3d Printer. I understand that they are quite a bit different than building a styrene plastic model out of the box. Can you experts post your secrets here? I'd like to learn from your experience.

 

[Astyanax]

First question: You mentioned plastic models. What kinds of models and parts (especially how small) do you envision printing? This helps us point you in the right direction. The tips and tricks for FDM vs. the tips and tricks for SLA will be fairly different.

Second question: How savvy do you consider yourself with computers and hardware?

Third question: Are you interested in getting into the "zen" of the process for fine detail and calibration, or are you more interested in "plug and play" for "good enough" precision?

Fourth question: Do you have a garage or shed space to set up and keep fumes away from living spaces?

 

[TazMan2000]

I agree with Astyanax. You should have a plan on what you want to print, because that would dictate which direction you should go. But with prices being lower nowadays, you can go both ways FDM and SLA. Read over articles in the General modeling section regarding 3D printing and you'll see that there are many pros and cons.

Almost everyone here that has one has probably pulled their hair out trying to find out why their model failed to print properly and worked through the strife to figure out the problems and has created some pretty amazing stuff. Some have painstakingly sanded every section of their 3D print and filled holes or crevasses and came out with a work of art, but there some who have taken less care and just slapped some paint on and were satisfied with that. So you have to figure out what type of builder you are.

While most new printers have technology that reduces the amount of failed prints, you're still going to get some and you have to accept it and be willing to adjust your printer when needed. Accept that you will be frustrated. There are thousands of videos on YouTube to help you figure out your problems as well as a lot of other information online to help you diagnose issues.

But if you can get past that, you no longer have to buy models in boxes that have a manufactured scale. You can print what you want. Learn how to subdivide models and you can print out a full sized car if you really want. You can also buy stuff that you could never find as a kit. Design repair parts for stuff around the home, etc.

You don't necessarily need to have an outdoor space for printing, like a garage or shed, but if you're using an SLA printer, you might want to devise some sort of venting for the fumes, as long term exposure is not good. FDM printers are usually louder, so don't expect to have one that won't bug someone else in the house or apartment. Some prints in either SLA or FDM can take several hours, or in the case of FDM can take days if you're printing something very large.

TazMan2000

 

[3Dsf]

Then there's the obvious thing that styrene kits require solvent cement, whereas 3D prints require epoxy or superglue or the like.

 

[thud83]

Thank you for your replies! I have well ventilated area that I'm setting up for the printer, and I have been reading a lot about how to get the best print. Initially, I plan on building other people's designs. I will move on to designing my own stuff eventually.

How building the printed parts? 3Dsf mentioned epoxy or superglue, which I was counting on. How about fitting, finishing, painting, etc?

 

[Astyanax]

The answers to those questions depend on what kind of printer you get and what material you're working with. Happy to point you in the right direction, but please see my questions above!

 

[chubsANDdoggers]

First question: You mentioned plastic models. What kinds of models and parts (especially how small) do you envision printing? This helps us point you in the right direction. The tips and tricks for FDM vs. the tips and tricks for SLA will be fairly different.

Second question: How savvy do you consider yourself with computers and hardware?

Third question: Are you interested in getting into the "zen" of the process for fine detail and calibration, or are you more interested in "plug and play" for "good enough" precision?

Fourth question: Do you have a garage or shed space to set up and keep fumes away from living spaces?

Reread this above a couple times.

SLA if ur planing on statues and/or miniatures that you want to paint or finish. FDM if ur more of a print and play type of guy. Only u know the answers but my guess is you have minimal experience with 3d printing? Look into Bambu labs. FDM printers but they are almost fail proof.

 

[TazMan2000]

You haven't really said what kind of modeler you are, and what kind of things you're thinking of printing out. I've seen people on RPF print something out on a FDM printer and paint it without sanding or filling and they're happy with that. Others would meticulously sand and fill and put out something that would rival the quality of a nice plastic model. SLA printers can replicate high detail, but this usually comes at the cost of the parts being more fragile. I know there are those who will say that there are other materials out there that aren't so fragile, but there is usually a tradeoff for high detail.

I recommend getting both types of printers (the largest you can afford) if you want to do just about everything, but if budget is a concern and you need to pick one type of printer, the type of work you want to do will point the way to making a good decision.

TazMan2000

 

[JiminSTLouis]

A printer is a good way of building the things that aren’t available in kit form, like a 4 foot Jupiter 2 on the launch platform.

 

[publiusr]

Then there's the obvious thing that styrene kits require solvent cement, whereas 3D prints require epoxy or superglue or the like.

Has anyone tried to put styrene coating on 3D prints?

 

[3Dsf]

Has anyone tried to put styrene coating on 3D prints?

I haven’t. How would that work? What form is styrene available in that could serve as a coating?

I know there are styrene ingredients in some other materials such as polyester resin, but I don’t think that would allow you to use ordinary model cement in the finished item.

 

[skiffy]

If you're planning to create your own parts or even edit those you find / buy, you'll need at least a rudimentary knowledge of a 3d modelling package like Blender, Fusion. Tinkercad et al.

There's also the option of buying a 3d scanner to digitise real world objects if that's part of your workflow. These will still need editing in a package mentioned above.

This is by no means a small endevour and may influence what you buy and how you use it. Just something to be aware of.

 

[Mr. E Man]

If you 3D print in a compatible filament material like ABS, then yes, you can directly cement styrene to it. I do it using Tamiya extra thin and Plastruct liquid cements, which will effectively bond both. Otherwise, if you are using PLA or other material, epoxy, cyanoacrylate and contact cement are your go-to bonding agents for applying styrene.


E