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  1. #1

    Need help choosing a 3D printer

    I am wanting to find a sub $1,000 3D printer that will allow me to:

    1. print custom project containers for various electronic projects. I would like to get away from the usual rectangular project boxes for some items that will be visible in my home.

    2. print small lighting grip devices for use with photographic lighting

    3. print small props that will be used with my photography

    One of the cases I will need to print is a disc type shape that is 6.5 inches at the largest part of its diameter.
    One of the prop items I am currently considering would fit within a 7 inch by 4 inch rectangle.
    The various pieces of the lighting grips will all fit within a 4 inch square form factor.

    I have been looking at printers for a couple of weeks and when I started it looked like there were many solutions, but the more I have read the more it seems that most of those printers don't really work.

    Are there any printers in this price range that are at all dependable and semi-ready to use "out of the box?"

    Thanks for any assistance.

  2. #2
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    http://deezmaker.com/store/#!/~/prod...=0&id=23715420

    A little over your budget but the designer was a videographer in Hollywood for years before creating the Bukobot. His machine looks like quality stuff and I'm jealous of them.

  3. #3
    Super Moderator RobH2's Avatar
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    Asking for advice on a printer is dangerous as you'll get as many answers as there are printers...lol...

    I am biased because I love mine, but look at Makerfarm.com. The printers are under $1000 and print beautifully. And, Colin (owner) gives some of the best support you'll ever find. He'll answer questions at midnight. Has done that many times for me. The build area is about 8"x8"x8" (approximately...see the site for exact numbers). The Makerfarm printers are "self-build" but I tell you, you learn so much by building a printer. I have a friend who bought one pre-assembled and the first time he had a problem he was lost. He couldn't figure out where to start to get bad parts off. I think by building the machine you get a printer that is worth twice as much and learn a lot.
    Last edited by RobH2; 07-22-2014 at 02:49 PM.
    Bambu P1S/AMS
    NVision4D http://nvision4d.com

  4. #4
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    Bad thing with a kit is all the time you're going to have to put into it working out all of bugs.

  5. #5
    Super Moderator RobH2's Avatar
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    I'm not sure I'd call that bugs. It's really working out calibration and you need to know how to do that anyway. I didn't have any bugs that I know of but I did learn how to flash my RAMPS, adjust my Z-steps, fine tune my E-steps, etc. I know there are two camps, Buy Built VS Build. Both are valid. I just think that if you are at all "handy" you'll enjoy the build process and will learn everything about your printer. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate spending $2000 on a nice, fancy, shiny printer and getting prints off of it from day one.

    Either way, the important thing is to just "get one" and get rolling. It's a fantastic experience and one that's not a fad. It's going to be around awhile. It's exciting to be part of something that's still in its infancy. I can't wait to see where we are in 5-years.
    Bambu P1S/AMS
    NVision4D http://nvision4d.com

  6. #6
    Staff Engineer printbus's Avatar
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    Another vote for the Makerfarm kits. I got a usable print the first time I used my 8-inch i3v. Note that they ship the RAMPS board preflashed with firmware, and Makerfarm provides default configuration files to use with Slic3r for the combinations of filament and hot ends that they offer. Both of those were key to my getting the printer running without having to work through countless settings I wouldn't have understood at the time.

  7. #7
    Super Moderator RobH2's Avatar
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    I have to mirror what Kevin said. I have the same printer and I too got a decent print the first time I fired it up. When it came to tweaking and calibrating, I was already ahead of the curve because having built it, I knew what every part was.

    Kevin, how do you like that Hexagon on your printer? I'm thinking about a new head. I have the Magma .4 and JHead .5, both Wade's Extruder and I find it very reliable but hard to work with when changing hot ends.
    Bambu P1S/AMS
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  8. #8
    Staff Engineer printbus's Avatar
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    I'm liking the hex hot end, but I don't have experience with anything else to compare it to. I picked the hex since it seemed like it was getting the most positive feedback from what I was reading.

  9. #9
    Super Moderator RobH2's Avatar
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    Cool. I'll put it on my radar. Thanks.
    Bambu P1S/AMS
    NVision4D http://nvision4d.com

  10. #10
    I will take a look at the Maker Farm models. Most of the sub $1000 kits I have seen seem to use MDF, acrylic, or just the support rods for structure. I have constructed a CNC router before from a wooden structure and I was not impressed with its ability to maintain calibration.

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