3D printer for a beginner

[xorex]

Hi all,

I want to take my hobby to the next level, so I want to start printing.

I was wondering, many have recommended the creality CR-10S pro and the Sidewinder X1. Both look very descent.

I am stuck. I want to be able to print props and full armor (mostly armor), what would you guys recommend?

What I consider important is quality of the print, size is as well (unless I am wrong, bigger the print area the less gluing I need to do afterward), speed is not a big factor. I would rather take my time and get a good quality piece.

thanks for your help.

 

[HMSwolfe]

Hi all,

I want to take my hobby to the next level, so I want to start printing.

I was wondering, many have recommended the creality CR-10S pro and the Sidewinder X1. Both look very descent.

I am stuck. I want to be able to print props and full armor (mostly armor), what would you guys recommend?

What I consider important is quality of the print, size is as well (unless I am wrong, bigger the print area the less gluing I need to do afterward), speed is not a big factor. I would rather take my time and get a good quality piece.

thanks for your help.

I don’t personally own a printer, but I’ve done some research, and if the price range you’re looking for is around $200, from what I’ve heard, the Ender 3 is a solid choice. Good size print bed, good print quality for the price. I’m considering getting one myself.

 

[Magnavis]

What printer you chose depends on a lot of things, some of which you've touched upon already. Price is a big one for most people. Another thing to consider is how involved you want to be, and whether you want to tinker. The cheaper printers aren't really what you'd call 'plug and play'. Whilst it's true that a lot of them work out of the box, you'll need to tinker with them a little, and perform some basic to more extreme upgrades to maximise quality and reliability. There's also basic things you might take for granted like bed levelling. Some printers have auto bed levelling, but most don't and it's a manual process.

You should also consider what materials you want to print in. PLA is what most people will start off with, but then you have PETG and ABS which have higher working temps, and are better for sanding - which is a must for prop making. PETG is pretty easy to work with, but ABS can be a pain and has fumes which can affect some people, so you might want a printer with an enclosure.

You also mention build plate, and bigger plate means less gluing. That's the general idea, yes, but printing something like a full helmet is a long print, and you're going to want a printer that A: is big enough, and B: is going to be happy printing for 40+ continuous hours. This point goes hand in hand with price - as the more reliable printers will generally cost more.

Creality printers always get good reviews, and seem very very solid. I have a Wanhao i3 Plus myself, which serves me well. The Ender 3 also seems like a solid printer (maybe look at the upgraded version - the X I think?) Then you have something a little further up the scale like a Prusa (a real Prusa - not the clones). They're more money, but they are probably at the boundary of hobbiest, and pro. They are very well built, great QC and support, lots of features, and it'll work more or less out the box to a high standard.

So yeah, lots to consider. I'd work out the absolutes you want from a printer, and then find one that fits within your budget. Watch reviews and builds etc...on YouTube, and see if it's for you.

 

[TazMan2000]

To add on to Magnavis 's post, you will save a bit of time gluing and filling if you have a larger print bed, but there is also a risk of a print failing on the last hour of a 60 hour print. That definitely is frustrating but it does happen. A well maintained printer will lessen the chances of that happening along with a good bond to the printed of the filament you are using. I have a Creality 10S myself and have printed out quite a few helmets.

You can print out a full helmet of less than 12" length and width, but you will use a lot of extra filament printing out support, which also increases the print time considerably. The crowns of the helmet is where most of the support is needed, so if you cut your prints up in meshmixer, you can save yourself a bit of time and material, but will have the problem if lining up the cut parts and gluing them together afterwards.

But the Creality is a solid printer. I would recommend purchasing one from a place that services them as well, as there are a few stories about them not quite workingbout of the box. Very rare but every manufacturer ocassionally makes a glitchy one. With the amount of Crealities out there, thera is a lot of online advice. Check out some reviews, good and bad, on YouTube to see if this fits your needs and budget.

TazMan2000

 

[skiffy]

I can add a good word for Creality. I have the Ender 5 and it's the most reliable printer I've ever used. Once it's zeroed in it just does the job and the magnetic 'buildtac' style print bed means no glue - at least with PLA. I don't do overnight prints or leave it running unattended but its never failed after a year now.

 

[propmaster2000]

xorex,
I use the Ender 3 (not the pro version) printer.
I have 4 of them, all assembled exactly the same way so they can print from the same gcode
and produce identical prints.
Most important advice: Once you get the printer dialed in properly, it is a very reliable printer to own and use.
Even though new and larger versions of this specific printer are available, it doesn't matter because my printers will always
print as they always have and the same way they do now, no matter what new version comes along......
I print on (mirror) glass with tape. This technique works great for my style of printing.

 

[SaiyanCookie]

I was in the same boat as you and wanted to take my skills to the next level. Did a bit of research and decided on an Ender 3 Pro ("Pro" just because there was an offer with an extra glass bed).

One of the main reasons for me, apart from the price point, was its a great entry level printer to get your head around troubleshooting any issues. Great community on Facebook groups that can help with any problem that might arise.

Touch wood, I havent had any issues at all so far. Ive had it for about 3 weeks and have printed about 15 things of various sizes and quality. As long as you level it properly and construct it properly, its pretty straight forward.

Cant say Ive had any issues and would recommend it.

 

[TazMan2000]

The Ender 3 and 5 are very nice printers, but if you're making armor or anything large, the bigger the build volume, the better. IMHO.
You will still have to post-process, but at least you won't have as many glue joints and filler to use.

TazMan2000

 

[xl97]

I havent kept on the resin printers as off late...

Just the latest trend of those Elegoo (variant) ones.... Which IMHO (coming from a non-3D printer guy) look and work great!

Great results... little to no set-up time..


However.... the print volume/envelope is so tiny.. it almost makes them not worth while (unless you are doing tiny figures or small detailed stuff)..

What are the latest RESIN printers out there with bigger work envelopes??

 

[JPH]

resin printers are a lot smaller print volume for your money, and stinky. Environmentally friendly resin is costly.

PLA and PetG are pretty inexpensive, you can get a decent 1 kg spool for under $20.

I have an Ender 3, very fun, reliable, but does require tweaking.

I got a Chiron and it prints BIG but is super slow.

The longer a print takes the higher risk of a failure.

I started with a FlashForger, it was very user friendly, but prints very small.

Printing BIG, one piece prints is satisfying when it is done, but when you print with the suface not having supports, there is a lot of support material and wasted filament inside. Print efficiently and you have a lot more clean up.

 

[Bluewinters21]

I thought that I would add a few things here. You really need to know what you want out of a 3D printer before buying one. You will need to know what accuracy is required for your prints, what filament materials that you plain to use, what the temperature that your bed should reach for your filament choice, If you need an enclosure for materials like ABS, if you need dual or quad extrusion heads, what price you can afford, assembled or not, customer service and support with the printer, etc…

When I stated with 3D printing, I did not understand the nature of it. I did not know about supports. I did not know about slicers. I had no clue about resolution of the machine vs. what the filament was capable of. I just chose the most accurate machine with the biggest work envelope in my price range. If you can get some experience with printing before you choose on a printer; that would be ideal.

I wouldn’t buy another printer without at least dual print heads. Having water soluble supports and printing multiple materials in a single print is a real game changer. Nothings free though. Multi print heads cut down on the work envelope size and has additional cost.

You also need to figure out what slicer are you planning to use and if it is compatible with your OS. You may also need to budget for the slicer if you plan to use something like Simplify3D.

In short… really do your research! ^.^

 

[Bluewinters21]

...Oh, and print head temperature. That's important too!

 

[propmaster2000]

So xorex, have you decided what printer to get?
.

 

[xl97]

^bump... (I'm pretty sure we dont need another 3D printer choice thread started!)

Anything changed? Any 'new' trends? or must have for new/beginner printers?

I just started Fusion360.. and made my first model. (custom 2-liter cap for a project)..

and came here to see if anyone could printed a few and send them over. (US based).. still interested by the way.. (let me know)

but then got to thinking should I just (finally) get a 3D printer?? (which I have been talking about off and on for a while.... but figured if I couldnt model anything myself, it wasnt worth it to depend on others for help/models.. or free models..etc)

I have never been a fan of FDM printers de design (layer height/lines).. but the Ender 3 does 'decent' enough for under $200... Currently $179.99 I believe.

Any other 'competitors' for this yet?

TazMan2000

propmaster2000

Any new info? thoughts?

I -really- wanted to go the RESIN printer route.. (Elegoo Mars).. but I just cant get over the 4.5x.25 inch work envelope!!

Thanks guys!

 

[TazMan2000]

xl97

My creality CR-10S is still my go to printer. I never regretted purchasing it and its still a workhorse. Well, one regret. Since I do larger stuff, I should have purchased a CR-10S5 with a bed that can handle 500x500x500mm. But I've hear a lot of good with the Ender, its just that I can't recommend it because you will have to segment larger objects. Mind you if you just do smaller stuff, the Ender would be perfect.
I'm also still very happy with my Elegoo Mars. The Saturn has just been released, but hard to get now because everyone wants one. The $400 dollar price tag is outstanding. Eventually the price will drop when every manufacturer will be making similar machines. The Saturn's print volume is 192x120x200mm which is a game changer in the market.

For my needs, I use both printers regularly. Intricate and small stuff prints on the Mars, and larger more rugged pieces are on the Creality. Its an expensive hobby, isn't it?

TazMan2000

 

[xl97]

Arrrgghh!! LOL

I didnt know about the Saturn.. (pretty tempting) ..its creeping up the Ender 3 work envelope/size (but for resin!)

Good point... work size IS important... (I feel the same way about mills. getting the biggest size you have space for and can afford!)

I'm just feeling 'itchy' since I modeled something (for another project).. and want to 'keep going' on it..


$179.99 and free shipping is pretty tempting right now!.. (I think had you not replied.. I would have made the purchase!)

off to ponder/review more. Thanks!

 

[PakRatJR]

The Saturn was on a pre order at $400 + shipping. Sold out fast. The current info for actual release on places like Amazon is November. No mention on what the final retail price will be.

I have 7 FDM printers and picked up the Mars Pro a couple weeks ago. I don't have any experience with Creality or Ender printers but everything I have been seeing on them have been generally darn good.

As far as layer lines on the FDM printers, they really are not all that bad to deal with. Some light sanding to knock down any high spots followed by a couple coats of filler primer and some sanding. No where near as much work as you would think it would be, but that does depend on the actual part.

For the resin side, I have only had mine for a couple weeks but so far I do not regret the purchase. In fact I was one of the lucky ones that caught the Saturn on pre order. I bought the Pro first just in case as I wasn't sure if I would get the Saturn. I already have a few jobs lined up for when it gets here

 

[xl97]

I might still 'bite the bullet' (its sorta cheaper enough to -just do it-, so to speak)..lol..

I'm more on the digital and a electrical side of things...

If I dont find someone to print me a test piece of my model.. it might speed things up! haha

 

[gearandresistor]

I tried a no-name printer and it drove me crazy. I bit the bullet about a year ago and got a Prusa Mk3. They have since released a Mini. For me, I don't want to be constantly fiddling with my printer. I want to have an idea, design it (I am a Fusion 360 advocate but want to try FreeCAD), and print it. The integration of the hardware and software; and the polish of both are awesome. So that would be my recommendation.

 

[xl97]

Anyone got a printer not currently in use? I'll pay for a couple prints and shipped out soon!

They are smaller under 2x2 bottle caps..