New to 3D Printing and would love some help with purchasing a printer and filament :)

[Awesomeman360]

So, I am pretty new to 3D printing and don't know much about them. I am still a teenager however i was thinking about starting my own business in which i 3D print products and sell them to other companies. I am NOT looking to mass produce my product, however i would like to make some money. I need a 3D printer that can print very nice resolution "images" but doesn't cost me an arm and a leg (I realize almost everyone wants this. lol).

I would need to be able to print 10-12' Long x 7-8' Wide The height doesn't matter too much as long as the lengths and width are decent.

Also the most important thing that going to make this all work for me is how strong the print will be... I need a filament that when printed can be dropped or hit with relatively no damage. The Prints that i will crate will not be very thick but will be "Full" prints.
The thinest me print will be is maybe as thin as 1/8 of an inch possibly a Tiny bit thinner but not by much. I wouldn't like to divulge exactly what i will be printing because i wouldn't like anyone to steal my idea but the print will have to be very strong and must withstand some projectile damage. Im not planning on shooting it or shooting arrows at it but it should withstand at least small objects traveling at 300 feet per second.

Update:

My price range is around $500-600
I would spend more but my father told me that that is all i am allowed to spend seeing as i am going to college soon and should save up some money. I also wondering if the EZ3D Phoenix 3D Printer would work for me.

Can be found here: http://www.uscutter.com/Phoenix-3D-Printer-From-EZ3D
It's a touch smaller but i was thinking it might work.

What is resolutions in general?
My understanding is that a bad resolution makes the build a Little grainy and good resolutions make it smooth. Am i correct in assuming this?

If so; can i just sand the creations down really well seeing as i am not printing in a rubbery substance but a stronger more durable one?



Thanks you guys so much in advance for helping me with thhis. i really appreciate all of the time you took to read this and hope you can provide me with some of the information i seek.
AGAIN!!! ... Thanks a lot

[wackyvorlon]

Off hand, the only machine I know with that kind of print volume is a lulzbot. Mind, something that big will take a long time to print. You will need to use a pretty high infill to get the durability you want.

[jimc]

makergear m2 has an 8x10x8" build volume. you failed to mention what you were looking to spend. your not going to find a better built printer with as high quality components as the m2 for the money. its still not a super cheap printer though. great company, great support, good community and i think it still has a 100% feedback rating on amazon.

[Awesomeman360]

The Makergear m2 seems amazing but is way out of my price range. I could possibly up my price range if i get another one of my friends to do it with me but not to that extent :/

I really appreciate the help though! Maybe sometime in the future ill upgrade to that one

[wackyvorlon]

That EZ3D doesn't look very sturdy. I don't know man. I've found I can only recommend printers I've actually worked with, and I haven't seen that one before.

[Awesomeman360]

Alright. I'm only planning on using it for a few month so I'm just looking for something that can last for a little while.

[nicanor76]

Personally I wouldn't sell any end product with my name attached to any filament-based printer. Quality isn't high enough IMO as an "end product". What is more important initial step is learning how to 3d model. Without the knowledge you are very limited on what you can print based on only what is found on the internet, or if you pay someone to model the products for you.

[awerby]

No plastic printer is going to make the sort of bullet-proof parts you want, and especially not a FFF (hot plastic extrusion) printer, which is all you'll find in your stated price range. The objects you'll get from one of them have decent strength along the horizontal plane they're printed on, but poor strength between the laminations. Your best bet would be to use the printer to make a model, then clean it up, make a mold, and cast it in a material that has a chance of resisting that 300 fps impact, probably a semi-flexible urethane.

As to the EZ3D Phoenix, it doesn't seem large enough to print your product. If all you want to make is this one thing, it seems you'd be better off sending the model out for printing, rather than investing in a printer. Try pricing it at Shapeways or Sculpteo; you'll get a better model, the right size, with less finishing required, and none of the hassles of operating and maintaining a 3D printer, which shouldn't be underestimated.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com