Debating on getting a 3D printer

I've been thinking about getting a 3D printer for making sculptures that would end up being molded for plaster and resin casts. I wouldn't be doing prints too often, only when I design a new sculpture - only one or two would be printed. Some articles I read suggested using an online service for art sculptures (instead of buying a 3D printer), but I found it too expensive to go this route. The model I uploaded at Shapeways was priced around $260 and it represents a below average size of what I'd print.

I'm looking for something that can at least do 6x6x6", though height could go a little lower I suppose. My budget is at $1000 at the moment. Would I be able to get a decent one at that price? I noticed that most of the 3D printers out there have a lot of problems with them, especially the cheaper ones. I'd need to get one from a company that has good support. Any suggestions?

Also let's say I get a decent one, how often should I expect it to break or have to do maintenance?

You have a budget that is way over what you need for the size requirement.

I would recommend Printrbot, they have good support and you could upgrade it later if you feel like it. I would also recommend Simplify3D to make things simpler for you.

But lulzbot and flashforge are also popular and seem to be of correct quality.

As far as:

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how often should I expect it to break or have to do maintenance?

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The only regular maintenace I do on mine is a little lubrication of the rods and running a glue stick over the build plate.
Had it nearly 2 years - nothing has yet broken. Any issues I've had have been at my end: bad calibration, crap filament etc.

However to get to that point, I have learnt how the machine works and how to use it.
No matter what machine you buy you WILL have to learn stuff.
Machine maintenance is the least of it.
The hardware is currently pretty reliable - it's the 'bomi' interface that causes most of the problems.
BOMI: Bifurcate Organic Mobile Interface

So many people come here and expect to plug the machine in and print. And then get upset when it doesn't work and we tell them to read stuff and learn what they are actually doing.

You need to learn about the filaments - what speed, temperature etc to print at.
How to slice a model for a particular print and purpose.
How to design specifically for a 3d print.
How to get the print to stick to the print bed.
How to get it off the printbed once it's finished, without breaking the print - can be harder than getting it to stick.

The technology is currently at the stage where users are expected to understand what they are doing :-)
9 time out of ten when you blame the machine for a print issue - it's not the machine's fault.

Other than that, it's a doddle :-)

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Originally Posted by LambdaFF

You have a budget that is way over what you need for the size requirement.

I would recommend Printrbot, they have good support and you could upgrade it later if you feel like it. I would also recommend Simplify3D to make things simpler for you.

But lulzbot and flashforge are also popular and seem to be of correct quality.

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Yeah, I was looking the the Printrbot with the heatbed earlier and I came across the Robo 3D R1 Plus today. I'm kinda leaning toward the latter since it has larger print dimensions. I'll look into that Simplify 3D software. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by curious aardvark

As far as:

The only regular maintenace I do on mine is a little lubrication of the rods and running a glue stick over the build plate.
Had it nearly 2 years - nothing has yet broken. Any issues I've had have been at my end: bad calibration, crap filament etc.

However to get to that point, I have learnt how the machine works and how to use it.
No matter what machine you buy you WILL have to learn stuff.
Machine maintenance is the least of it.
The hardware is currently pretty reliable - it's the 'bomi' interface that causes most of the problems.
BOMI: Bifurcate Organic Mobile Interface

So many people come here and expect to plug the machine in and print. And then get upset when it doesn't work and we tell them to read stuff and learn what they are actually doing.

You need to learn about the filaments - what speed, temperature etc to print at.
How to slice a model for a particular print and purpose.
How to design specifically for a 3d print.
How to get the print to stick to the print bed.
How to get it off the printbed once it's finished, without breaking the print - can be harder than getting it to stick.

The technology is currently at the stage where users are expected to understand what they are doing :-)
9 time out of ten when you blame the machine for a print issue - it's not the machine's fault.

Other than that, it's a doddle :-)

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Good to know! I was getting worried reading reviews on amazon of people's nightmare stories claiming the printer they purchased was a piece of junk. I'll just have to be diligent and make sure I read up on everything.

Are you sure that an FDM printer will give you the quality you want. Most people who print artwork like sculptures want the resolution and smoothness that only an SLA print can provide.

Isnt that what sandpaper is for? :P

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Originally Posted by djprinter

Are you sure that an FDM printer will give you the quality you want. Most people who print artwork like sculptures want the resolution and smoothness that only an SLA print can provide.

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Well, my plan is to rub a thin layer of wet plaster over the surfaces to smooth them out and then make a mold from there.

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Originally Posted by Ramses

Well, my plan is to rub a thin layer of wet plaster over the surfaces to smooth them out and then make a mold from there.

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Sounds like you know what to expect then.

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Good to know! I was getting worried reading reviews on amazon of people's nightmare stories claiming the printer they purchased was a piece of junk. I'll just have to be diligent and make sure I read up on everything.

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And that's the right attitude :-)

If you're prepared to listen - we're prepared to help :-)

As long as you buy something fairly well built there's very little to go wrong.
According to guru Geoff, stepper motors are pretty much going to outlast you - let alone the machine. The electronics are well established and if you get simplify3d then the software is top notch :-)

Any issues, someone round here should be able to help.

It doesn't sound like you've got much experience with plaster. The plan of applying a thin layer to plastic models isn't going to work too well. But there are materials which are more compatible that will give you a similar effect, at the cost of some detail. Check out this product from Smooth-on, for example: http://www.smooth-on.com/Epoxy-Coati...429/index.html

If it was me, I'd try this with a model I'd had printed for me by a service bureau before investing in a machine of my own, just to see if the results I got were really what I wanted.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

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Originally Posted by awerby

If it was me, I'd try this with a model I'd had printed for me by a service bureau before investing in a machine of my own, just to see if the results I got were really what I wanted.

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That's good advice.

better yet find a3d hubs witht eh machine you're thinking about getting and see if it'll do the job :-)