3D printer recommendations

Mr Meowz

New Member
Hi friends,

I'm not sure if this is really the right place to post this, but I wasn't sure where else to ask.

My professor/boss has asked me to do research for purchasing a new 3d printer for the Theatre department and I'm not really sure what to look for.

We currently have a Lulzbot mini that I use for producing props for the stage, but I was looking for something that could handle finer detail.

This new printer would be mostly used for our scenic design, drafting, and model building classes so we don't need a giant print bed, just a high level of detail.

I was thinking that an SLA printer would be a good choice for this, but I don't know what brands or models would be best.

If you have any recommendations or advice that would be incredibly helpful.

Thanks!

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I've heard lots of great things about the Creality CR-10, I'm looking to get one of those soon as well. It's and FDM printer, but it prints very accurately. They run about $400 for the normal version and $600 for an upgraded version (the CR-10 S)

SLA printers are definitely higher detail, but tend to cost more to operate than an FDM printer. I don't have experience with SLA yet, so someone else can probably give a better representation of the actual cost/performance differences.
 
I would recommend either a SLA printer or a High Quality FFM printer. I use the Ultimaker 2+ extended, and it works very will with 50 micron settings, with incredible detail. These pictures are of 10mm diameter process piping needed for extreme detail of one of my models. The holes in the flanges are 1.1mm dia.

IMG_1452.JPG

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If you're printing small objects that need high detail then SLA is the best option--that would be the Form2 printer, but it's more expensive than the typical type of printer but if you're doing miniatures/models then it's great. If you need some larger objects and need to be more durable then I'd recommend the Ultimaker, it's very reliable and high quality.
 
Another great option for small and high quality is the Wanhao D7. I just got one in this week and for ~$500 I'm blown away by the quality.
 
Proven SLA printers start at about $3.5K and quickly rise on larger bed sizes, but you really can't get much better detail. It's down to 25 microns on layer thickness. However, with "theater", do you really need that level of detail for a prop? Doesn't a prop get handled roughly, by either the actors or stage hands and viewed from several of tens of feet away? The more finer and intricate the detail, the more delicate may be (not all cases).

TazMan2000
 
Proven SLA printers start at about $3.5K and quickly rise on larger bed sizes, but you really can't get much better detail. It's down to 25 microns on layer thickness. However, with "theater", do you really need that level of detail for a prop? Doesn't a prop get handled roughly, by either the actors or stage hands and viewed from several of tens of feet away? The more finer and intricate the detail, the more delicate may be (not all cases).

TazMan2000
Thanks for your response!

For stage props, we usually make things by hand or occasionally print on our Lulzbot mini.

The new printer will be used for models of scenic designs and for design and model building classes at the university.

In theatre, our scenic models tend to get very large because of the size of the sets and the performance spaces. It would be nice to be able to print smaller renderings that can still show the same level of detail as a larger model.

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Thanks for your response!

For stage props, we usually make things by hand or occasionally print on our Lulzbot mini.

The new printer will be used for models of scenic designs and for design and model building classes at the university.

In theatre, our scenic models tend to get very large because of the size of the sets and the performance spaces. It would be nice to be able to print smaller renderings that can still show the same level of detail as a larger model.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

I'm a little confused. When you say , "models of scenic design", are you printing out a smaller rendition of a large set, in order to plan out actor positioning and flow?
For model building classes, almost any SLA printer will do...of course it's always nicer to have a larger bed.

TazMan2000
 
I'm a little confused. When you say , "models of scenic design", are you printing out a smaller rendition of a large set, in order to plan out actor positioning and flow?
For model building classes, almost any SLA printer will do...of course it's always nicer to have a larger bed.

TazMan2000

Yes, we create multiple models of a larger set throughout the design process. Each version gets passed around and input is recieved from other parts of the production process.

For example, a director will ask for certain elements to be included or changed (like walls, trapdoors, furniture, etc.) or the construction crew will give input on what can realistically be built within a specific time or budget restraint.

It's less about actor positioning (although we do use them for that sometimes) and it's more for making sure directors are 100% happy with how a set will look before we actually construct it.

Thanks!

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For your application (props, scenery, etc.) there is one really good choice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOqq6jhcRVY


In contrast, "affordable" SLA printers make small, highly detailed parts (5 X 5 X 5 inches or less) and still cost a lot of money. More importantly, you need to use a resin printer *regularly* -- i.e. you don't want to let it sit for any period of time in between prints.
 
As far as SLA printer go I have a B-9 Creator which is working out well.
They only problem I have with SlA is the smaller bed sizes. Great for small fine detailed models.
Not so much for making a larger presentation model.

For an FDM printers I just got a CR-10S a couple of weeks ago. So far it's been a really good printer.
It's easy to set up and there are a lot of videos on youtube about how to use it.
The good thing is the bed comes in 3 sizes, The CR-10S @12x12x16 inches tall.(300x300x400mm)
The CR-10S4 @16x16x16 inches (400x400x400mm)
and the CR-10S5 with a bed of 20X20X20 inches (500x500x500mm).

The good thing about these printers are they can double for making props or costume pieces.
They have a heated bed but if you want to do materials like ABS you may need an enclosure or an upgraded bed.
But as they come they are great for PLA.

The difference between a Cr-10 and a Cr-10S is the S model comes with dual Z Axis screws which make it a bit more stable on tall prints.
You may want to get a copy of Simplify 3d for slicing the models up and generating the G code.
You can use Cura also which is free.
The one problem with larger printers is of course longer print times.
But from what I've seen they can do long prints without failing.

Do a search on YouTube for Cr-10S and cosplay that will lead you to some good reviews.
Also research about who to buy it from.
I have no experience with them but I've heard good reviews about Tiny Machines in Huston.

Hope that helps some.
 
If you want to go for details, then SLA is definitely the best choice. Of course, the production cost is higher than FDM because of the resin itself, but you can now find cheaper alternatives than official ones (even if I prefer using "official" resins to have improved results).

I own a Form2 from FormLabs since quite a while and I'm very pleased with it. So far, I had no failed prints and no issues at all. I need to specify that it's been years that I'm in the 3D printing fields, then I know how to prepare my models to ensure a high success rate.

I just posted a new thread about a Kylo Ren helmet printed with it: https://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=282935&p=4336820#post4336820
And I'm close to being ready to post a review of the printer on my website (I still need to translate some graphics): https://polysculpt.com/articles/hands-on-formlabs-3d-printer-form-2-test-with-zbrush/
 
yes, like caramel said, while I'd still highly recommand the Form 1+ or Form 2, what many people forget to say is that the resin is pretty expensive, around $100 a liter. But the step up in quality, if you want to print small detailed parts, is night and day. I bought an ultimaker a long time ago, the Form1 was still on pre-order back then and I really regreted I did not wait a bit, even if it was much more expensive. Not only because of the print quality but also reliability. Every Form owner I know say they don't have any problem with it, while the ultimaker faimled so many times for bull**** reason: clogging, untightened pulley, breaking fillament, failling stepper motor, tube unplugging itself, or the print just popping off the print bed... and of course, all these always happen after 12 hours of prints, when it's 90% complete.

So yeah, if you can afford it, go with SLA. if you cannot, just keep saving money until you can
 
Just to add a comment to OlivierC. I also owned a Form1 which has been upgraded to the Form1+ before reselling it. My Form1 has been replaced once and this second model has been upgraded to a Form1+ through the support because it failed as well. The Form1 had a lot of issues and 99% of them have been fixed in the Form1+. The FormLabs team seems to have learned from all these errors and the Form2 is so much reliable and the quality of the print even improved.

About the Ultimaker, mine, a 2+ Extended is working perfectly, I really love it and it can produce very high details models with the benefit of supporting a large array of materials (like Bronze, etc). I did prints with the 0.25 nozzle at 40 microns layers which are "close" to the Form1 prints. But it's limited to small models, ABS and it's ultra slow if you really want quality.

Then yes, if you can afford a Form2 and its resins (which are more 160 USD per liter) or use a compatible resin which is cheaper (but by losing the printer wiper and heating functionality), it's a good choice.

I'll test very soon the Slash+ printer which is a DLP printer (then using a projector+screen with resin) and seems nice on the paper, but it's still a "new" company behind, no real user base, then even if I'm expecting some good results, I don't know yet if this printer is the best choice compared to the Form2 (price is similar)
 
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I'd also recommend the Form 2.
As others have said the resin is expensive but costs can be massively reduced by hollowing out your models in something like Meshmixer.
Here's the Sulaco from Aliens printed on it for an example of fine detail.9dfa9492b55e673b3d69624fd772d224.jpg
 
I'd also recommend the Form 2.
As others have said the resin is expensive but costs can be massively reduced by hollowing out your models in something like Meshmixer.
Here's the Sulaco from Aliens printed on it for an example of fine detail.View attachment 768638

That's not a Sulaco...

Now that's a Sulaco.

382fe0d16b2fdcff43fe2d2e5be69d95.jpg

Just kidding itsgreg. Pretty incredible detail on the Form 2, and that isn't even the best example. Check out the Form 2 Labs webpage and see the capabilities of this machine.

TazMan2000
 
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