Looking to start to create models… any help. Appreciated

[Astyanax]

Just to get an idea of the detail, here's a part I just printed last week on my Saturn 2 8K:



It's not a spaceship detail, but it's quite small. That's with no sanding, no filling. Just printed, cleaned and cured.

And for bigger, take a look at this Loki Mask:



Again, no sanding or filling, just printed, cleaned and cured!

 

[TazMan2000]

On the 8K resin printer, I agree with Astyanax . There is going to be a learning curve anyway, and it's best to go that direction. However, not all resins are smelly. Some are quite tolerable, but there are some people who can't tolerate even the slightest amount of chemical smell. There are printers out there that have filters that reduce the odour.

The location of the printer very important. Resin cures with UV light. You do not want to place a resin printer near a window. Sure, there is a see-through plastic box that covers the printer, but that is only there when printing. There are going to be times that you are taking the cover off, to add more resin or to remove the print. The print surface and the printed object is going to be covered in gooey resin that is going to drip for a while. So don't locate this next to a window, or else you're going to have issues. UV rays bounce off walls, metal and whatever, and penetrates fabric and glass, so location is important. You don't have to make the room dark, but you certainly don't want to expose the uncured resin to UV light for any appreciable amount of time. BTW, almost every kind of light produces a tiny amount of UV...most likely not specifically in the frequency of 420 nanometres.

Another thing about resin...it's messy. As mentioned previously, the print is and print surface are going to be covered in dripping resin. You're going to need to transfer that to a tub that you're going to wipe off the excess. Then you're going to pry the print off the print surface. Anything pried off is going to fly off in an unpredictable direction, so don't decorate your office with an expensive Persian rug. Also. accidents and failures happen, so you may want to get some sort of tub for the printer, in case there is a catastrophic failure of your FEP sheet. Larger printers mean larger resin tubs that hold a lot of resin.

In the long run, resin printing is higher cost because the resin costs more and inevitably you're going to break something expensive if you didn't follow a procedure of checking to make sure all of the objects you printed are stuck to the print surface. Factor in nitrile gloves and alcohol for cleaning the prints as well. If a part is stuck to the FEP and you make another print, chances are you will crack your LCD. But the benefit of resin printers is the 'almost ready' nature of the prints. In some cases, you can pop it off the print surface, clean it, cut off and file down the supports (if there were any), cure it and it will be ready for painting.

Still another location problem...temperature. Resin flows easier and cures faster when its warm, so don't think that if you put a resin printer in your garage at -40 degrees that you're not going to have problems.

TazMan2000

 

[Astyanax]

Totally agree with TazMan2000 , although it might sound a lot more daunting than it really is. Once you get a workflow down to habit (checking this, bringing that over, turning that on, etc.), it can flow pretty quickly and easily.

But yes, I have dripped resin on the floor, and so a workroom is more suitable than a family room.

As for temperature, yes, I bought a cheap space heater and a power strip with a thermostat; it keeps the printer warm enough (75 degrees Fahrenheit) in the cold months.

FDM is better for learning, but resin is really best for the best props.

 

[TazMan2000]

I agree with Astyanax . I just mentioned the difficulties because no 3D printing technology is "easy" but FDM most likely is the easiest to learn. If you get a basic printer, you're going to learn how to diagnose and fix issues with that printer, most likely with help from YouTube. Get one with all the bells and whistles and you're going to have to figure out why the firmware is doing something that it shouldn't and trying to find out if a part is intermittently failing.

But don't follow my advice on if you should buy a 3D printer...

TazMan2000

 

[Jedi Bailinkski]

I’m amazed at the resin printers. I agree this is closer to what I need to use to get the models I have in mind. I can easily vent the area and keep it at a good temp without much issue.

 

[publiusr]

I have seen some 3D print projects where the support latticework is more visually interesting to me than what it is supporting…happy accidents, found shapes…etc.

 

[Jedi Bailinkski]

I think I’m going to pull the trigger on the GK2 bundle with wash and cure stations. Anyone have the GK2?

 

[rjenkinsgb]

Do consider the maximum size of any object you may want to print - and if it will be a structural part or purely cosmetic.

FDM printing with either PLA or PETG filament can produce reasonable finish and very accurate dimensions, in materials that have good strength and can be drilled and threaded or have heat-set threaded inserts fitted etc.

With PLA, the surface finish can be made much better quite easily by chemical polishing with solvent vapour.


SLA Resin prints can have much finer resolution and detail, but the downside is the material tends to shrink slightly as it cures and it's also generally quite brittle, so less suitable for parts that will be under any significant type of stress, or need mechanical fittings or attachments.


FDM also allows just about any print size you want, without affecting the quality - just a larger machine frame.
Plus, FDM printers that can use two or more filaments are getting quite common, for such as multi-colour or soluble supports.


For small figures and display items, SLA without a doubt.

For large or structural parts, like rolling or powered vehicles, larger weapon replicas or things that will need bearings or threaded inserts etc., go for FDM.

Anything in between - think carefully!


Or go with a low cost FDM printer to start with, to experiment and get used to what they are capable of, without blowing your budget.

[I have three different FDM printers, the oldest being from 2015, and an 6K SLA, Anycubic Photon Mono X 6K - the FDMs get vastly more use than the SLA, although the detail on that is mindblowing!].

Edit - wow, that GK2 is expensive! Have a look at the Anycubic and compare them??

 

[Jedi Bailinkski]

Do consider the maximum size of any object you may want to print - and if it will be a structural part or purely cosmetic.

FDM printing with either PLA or PETG filament can produce reasonable finish and very accurate dimensions, in materials that have good strength and can be drilled and threaded or have heat-set threaded inserts fitted etc.

With PLA, the surface finish can be made much better quite easily by chemical polishing with solvent vapour.


SLA Resin prints can have much finer resolution and detail, but the downside is the material tends to shrink slightly as it cures and it's also generally quite brittle, so less suitable for parts that will be under any significant type of stress, or need mechanical fittings or attachments.


FDM also allows just about any print size you want, without affecting the quality - just a larger machine frame.
Plus, FDM printers that can use two or more filaments are getting quite common, for such as multi-colour or soluble supports.


For small figures and display items, SLA without a doubt.

For large or structural parts, like rolling or powered vehicles, larger weapon replicas or things that will need bearings or threaded inserts etc., go for FDM.

Anything in between - think carefully!


Or go with a low cost FDM printer to start with, to experiment and get used to what they are capable of, without blowing your budget.

[I have three different FDM printers, the oldest being from 2015, and an 6K SLA, Anycubic Photon Mono X 6K - the FDMs get vastly more use than the SLA, although the detail on that is mindblowing!].

Edit - wow, that GK2 is expensive! Have a look at the Anycubic and compare them??

I was looking at the GK2 for the built in heater. My set up at first will be housed in a three season room till I can build something better next summer.

As for what type to get… I hovering on the purchase to see what Black Friday deals pop up. I still have some learning to do on the software side so I don’t have to purchase today.

Anyone got some good tips on Black Friday deals? I’d love to pick up both and have either one to play with. Then I can print the same on both and experiment what works best.

 

[Millenniumf]

A word about resin printing. You can't smell the really toxic parts of the resin. You can filter out the odor of some of the components using an air purifier, but the nasty stuff is still in the air and will get in your lungs. You need to use a proper ventilation system if you print in resin. I recommend a length of dryer hose and a computer fan attached to a piece of plywood in a window. It should pull enough of a negative pressure to force out the resin gasses.

 

[Jedi Bailinkski]

A word about resin printing. You can't smell the really toxic parts of the resin. You can filter out the odor of some of the components using an air purifier, but the nasty stuff is still in the air and will get in your lungs. You need to use a proper ventilation system if you print in resin. I recommend a length of dryer hose and a computer fan attached to a piece of plywood in a window. It should pull enough of a negative pressure to force out the resin gasses.

I have been tackling the idea of ventilation. I’m putting off purchasing till I can set up a proper work area. I have an area set aside, but I need to plan out so I can have a safe set up.

 

[pengbuzz]

I have been tackling the idea of ventilation. I’m putting off purchasing till I can set up a proper work area. I have an area set aside, but I need to plan out so I can have a safe set up.

Good idea: that will allow you to research what you need to get before you commit money to a purchase.

The best purchases are the ones that protect your health and make the most of your modeling!