Looking for Resin style printer

Hi guys, I'm new! I am also new to 3d printing. Im a 3d artist by day and want to print more of my stuff, but I'm tired of paying shapeways and then waiting... so I'd like to get one for home. I have almost decided on the Form2, the only thing putting me off is the price - not so much the unit itself but Fom labs seem to be very smart at keeping customers locked into their eco system, the resin cartridges being chipped, the trays being no good after ~2 litres ect

At these prices I would be wanting perfect prints everytime - and I know that won't be the case.

I also saw uniz3d's Slash on kickstarter - looks good, similar build volume, similarly tidy desktop unit, but cheaper and on paper higher res. + no moving lazer.

besides these two thees moonray and a few others.

Can anyone help me decide? I know the Slash isnt available yet but perhaps one of you well infomed guys can help point me right!

- I would be printing mostly sculpted characters, zbrush/ mudbox style stuff, something akin to garage kits :)

Thx guys
Chris

I wouldn't consider sending money to Kickstarter to be the equivalent of buying a machine; it's more like buying a lottery ticket. Just look at printers that are already on the market, with their track records and people's reviews posted.

To decide which one to get, figure out the part volume you need for the things you want to make, and the resolution you want on the surfaces. There are several resin-based printers on the market besides the Form2; like the Muve3d, B9 Creator, and Kudo3D.

It is possible to send the Form2 trays in for retrofitting with a glass bottom; that extends their life significantly: https://www.zvatindustries.com/ You can use 3rd party resins in Open Mode.

Thanks for the response, I didn't back the kickstarter, but they are due out into the wild any day now so It was more a question of seeing how people found them (in case perhaps anyone here is already using one?)

The fact that it has less moving parts and looks cheaper to run than the form 2. They both look ideal to me since they both are properly enclosed desktop units, I've had to discount the others, especially DLP as they simply take too much space.

Looks like the form labs model has me won over mostly, unless I'm dissuaded I expect I'll be placing my order at the end of the year!

Chris

Consider the Morpheus Delta: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...token=94c06576

Or the ONO printer: www.ono3D.net

I know people have had very good experiences with Morpheus. Ono is the most affordable, a tablet version coming out next March, but they are slow with deliveries.

Has ONO actually been released?

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Originally Posted by RGPFX

Has ONO actually been released?

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I just checked them out,says they will be on sale after the last of the kickstarter units are shipped.

But to be honest I dont think a regular screen is going to be good enough, The other LCD based units use the LCD panel as a mask for a blue/uv wavelength light which is what cures the resin, not a regular screen backlight.

So far I can't find the wealth of information on the other printers that I can for the form2 and thats the good and the bad!

either I wait and see how the others pan out or suck it up and go with the Form2!\_(ツ)_/¯

just because a kickstarter says it's ready to release - doesn't mean you won't have to wait another 18 months.
The ono is a fun toy for smartphone users who haven't yet realised how long a 3d print takes :-)
But it's far from being a serious 3d printer.

The form2 is quite good. And I think you can actually buy better trays for the form 2 - certainly seen posts from people who have upgraded them.
And as has been said, it can use non-formlabs resins.

The b9 creator gets good reviews and is definitely modifiable.
Has higher resolution than the form 2, prints faster than the form 2 (this is not hard, 99% of the form two layer print is mechanical lifts and wipes, just looks sooo slow when you watch one in action).
the b9 does cost more than the form2 - but looks like you'll save money on resin in the long term and get better prints into the bargain.
scroll down to the comparison table: https://www.b9c.com/

Yes, The ONO doesn't look even real at this point . The b9 - I will check out some reviews then, but I think il take what's written on the manufacturers website with a grain of salt!

Tbh I haven't had any form2 owners discourage me, I think that's what I was fishing for the most. Will probably end up with that one!

well just bear in mind they are very very slow :-)
And a lot of mechanical parts to go wrong. I was amazed when i saw one working just how complicated it was to print a single layer.

thanks! the speed doesnt really bother me, but yes the moving parts does, perhaps if they ever release a 2+ or 3 it will have a second lazer, that and a better solution than the silicone vat surface (70$ per tray/ 1 tray per 2-3L of resin!!) but again the second lazer is another moving part to breakdown...

I've got a B9 and it's been pretty reliable. But the build volume is quite small, and it gets smaller as you turn up the resolution. If you're making jewelry, it's a great machine, but for character sculptures it would only be good for very small ones unless you wanted to build them in separate parts.

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Originally Posted by awerby

I've got a B9 and it's been pretty reliable. But the build volume is quite small, and it gets smaller as you turn up the resolution. If you're making jewelry, it's a great machine, but for character sculptures it would only be good for very small ones unless you wanted to build them in separate parts.

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Is the stated x/y -z resolution as stated for the b9 set by the max build volume? or is it the max resolution possible when sacrificing volume?

It's based on a projector, so as you increase the resolution, the part gets smaller. Maximum resolution would be at minimum volume, and vice-versa.

ok, did'nt realise, I presumed the resolution stated was based on the build volume - which is already a touch too narrow for my needs, Thanks for the heads up!

IF anybody wants discouragement from buying a Form 2 here it is!

Poor company to deal with, know that if you purchase a printer from them (even in the phase of purchasing it) you're not going to get much assistance from them or interest in your concerns. My printer "was in stock" when I purchased it and they took 3 weeks to send it out.

Now that I have it, I wish I hadn't bought it. I have lots of issues with it all the time (sensor issues) and they cause failed prints, massive loss of time and effort, loss of money (wasted resin) etc etc.

I actually want to send the printer back, but I'm afraid they'll take it and not refund.. yes, guess I'm a bit paranoid but if you'd experienced the chain of events I did, you'd feel the same I'm sure.

Now don't get me wrong, I buy lots of things and companies often have issues here and there, but they tell you when a problem happens, they keep you informed mostly and so one can work with that. The Formlabs people always choose to keep you in the dark and there's a sense of high and mightiness that comes from them.

So be warned!

ALSO, how come there's absolutely no Google results from 3DPrintboard when searching for the Form 2 printer? - also, I think this might be related to the fact that when you're not signed that searching on the search bar here typing Form 2 or Formlabs or even Form returns nothing! - its not until an account is created (like I did) that results are returned. I actually signed up because I wanted to start a thread only to find that actually many threads exist - this should be looked at as many users probably leave the site thinking that nothing is spoken about the printer and go elsewhere.

Formlabs have their own forum buy I'm sure its moderated in such a way that anything they don't like they delete.

I am looking at the Kudo3D Bean printer that will be launched on Kickstarter this month.
It looks like a nice little printer. If anyone knows anything about the company and their products let me know.
Only a few companies can keep their promise as far as delivery times go..

That Bean does look interesting. There is also the Moai currently on KS, and the G3D T-1000 on Indiegogo. They both look good and very likely to deliver as well. It seems the market for lower cost DLP & SLA printers is finally shifting.

just bear in mind that from launch to delivery (if it happens) is usually a minimum of 18 months for any 3d printer on crowd funding sites.

Given how many you can currently buy - I'd be looking at existing machines, just depends how long you want to wait I guess :-)

The bean does look interesting, very small build volume - but does come from proven printer company, so possible faster production process..
I guess it all boils down to how cheap they think affordable is :-)

The ONO site seems to be up and running now, $99 for a SLA printer with a 124x72x54 volume.
I wonder if anyone has experience with this one.

I saw it at Maker Faire Rome. And the prints looked ok. But still... Sometimes, you need the phone for speaking, not 3D printing :)

yeah but you can buy a decent cheap smart phone for around £70
Second hand ones even cheaper.

Even with an added phone it's still the cheapest resin printer around.

Has ONO actually been released?

Still on pre-orders and scrounging more money from crowd funding.

Might end up being a big old scam - hope not, it really is a great idea and fantastic use for old phones.