New Member Here with No printer or experience, looking for info

[Jax04]

New member here,

I looked at a few of these boards, seems this is the most active so i chose to register here.

I have NO background in this type of thing, i do use CAD software, and have mechanical (gears etc, along with HVAC) background and have been thinking about investing in a 3d printer for sometime. Business and personal reasons.

Thanks for forum and i look forward to learning about what type of printer would best fit my needs and wants.

Thank you!

[awerby]

Why not use service bureaus for a few different models in various materials, using a range of printing techniques (FDM, SLA, SLS, etc) and see which works best for your parts? Investing in a machine of your own locks you into a particular mode of printing, which may not ultimately be optimal for what you're trying to do.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

[Blacklight1880]

This is gonna be my first post on this board and I thought a reply to your question would be a good first post.

Four months ago, I also had no background in 3d Printing. Now I'm completely hooked. I'm no expert, but I'll share a few recommendations from my experience so far.

First off i'll start with a printer recommendation. I own a Makerfarm Prusa i3v. It comes in a kit, runs about $600, and has a nice size build platform. It will take you a few days to piece together and get going. It will take you the next few months of trial and error to get to know how it works and how you can improve upon it. It's this type of hands-on learning in a kit that I like. I would have liked to get a ready made machine, but they can be expensive and since I didn't put it together I would have a slight disadvantage in repairing it when the times comes. A kit built machine is awesome because as your putting it together you can see how the parts are going to work in concert to create your print. It's pretty awesome.

I too wanted it for designing things I could use for work. In reality, I wanted it more for myself. I've printed so many toys and trinkets that I lost count. But every time I print something that is just going to be given away I learn more about my printer and settings for the next print.

You too will make some really crappy prints. You'll also make some prints that amaze you and that you want to share.

Ive vey also realized that software matters. I used many different free slicers and found that the one slicer I love (simplify3d) was $140 for the download. Does it matter? Others might say otherwise, but investment into good software made a huge difference for me with my particular setup.

Here's a final point. Don't worry about what you'll be printing first before you buy or build a printer. Buy/build it first, print a couple of plain trinkets, and watch as your mind explodes with ideas from there on out. When you see the potential, you'll work around the hurdles and restraints of FFF. Start it out as a hobby and not an investment. My opinion: Build cheap. Buy good filament. Use good software. If you do those things and make great prints, you'll have no problem using your experience to know how you'll want to take it to the next level.

Im excited for you, cause I remember being in the same boat. Literally just a few months ago. Haha

Good luck!

[Jax04]

Thanks you guys.

I appreciate that reply blacklight, it means alot and when it i first read the opening line, i thought you were gonna slay me or then i kept reading and was relieved, lol.

I'd like to not get hung up on the print size, but it it rather important to me to be able to print objects that are around 2' x 2' x2' as there are a couple things i want to try.

I can imagine i'll be blowing it up using it like crazy, same thing happened when i got my first TIG welder, i just went crazy making things.

i will check out the machine and software you mentioned. I'm very interested in getting started sooner rather then later.

Thanks!

[Jax04]

Andrew, my biggest concern is being able to do what im wanting in house at the end of the day.

Then again, im very ignorant to this technology, So ignorant, i dont even know what the modes you just mentioned are lol. Still doing research.

At the moment, my criteria are

Be able to pring objects 24" Cubed
High strength plastics
High heat plastics (<500*F)
and repeatable.

[Tachout]

Jax04 finding a printer that is 1. able to print the size you want to print, and 2. be affordable is going to be a big thing for you. I work in CAD All day and I also have experience with CNC Programing. I am a car guy so yes I do know the TIG end of being able to create. I bought a Makerfarm i3v kit and have decided that with the knowledge I have and some of what I am going to learn, that I will try to build my own 2'X3'X2' printer as well. During the day I am a home designer so I want to be able to print homes to scale. For me to be able to print off a set of valve covers, an intake or just some cool interior parts for my race car, or the daughters Jr. Dragster is only going to be a plus. Good luck to you, and if there is anything I can do to help post up on the boards, or PM me and I will try to help.

[awerby]

Keep researching; before you spend big bucks you want to know what the machine you buy can realistically be expected to do. Your criteria are a bit optimistic, unless you've got a lot of money to throw at this. I still think that as part of your research you should send off some files to be printed, so you can see close up what the results are with printers you're thinking of investing in, and have some parts to test.

The 24" cubic volume requirement rules out nearly all the common and inexpensive printers people around here are familiar with. There are some on the horizon that promise a build volume that large, like the 3DMonstr, but they're not available quite yet, as far as I know.

Even if you print in high-strength materials, with the FDM process that most inexpensive printers use (that's where an extruder lays molten plastic down in multiple layers) the adhesion between the layers is going to be low, so they'll tend to be quite weak in that direction.

Due to the nature of the extrusion process, you won't find any FDM printers that work with materials that melt at temperatures higher than about 325F. If you really want large, strong and heat-resistant parts, you probably should look into CNC routers instead of 3D printers.

Repeatability is not as much of an issue, although these inexpensive printers are quirky and tend to suffer from nozzle clogs, tangled filament, and unexplicable glitches.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com