3D printing

[Code54]

Does anyone have a 3D printer? I been looking at them for a while and trying to figure out which is best for home/hobby use. Nothing super high speed, just something to print odds and ends and maybe do some small prototypes for storage boxes (small size).
Any thoughts? Any good 3D forums for info?

 

[scootr]

I got into it early on so my A1 Davinci printer is pretty outdated now... but it was fun designing and printing a few things.

 

[MTGreen]

I would determine the largest part you could see yourself building and find one with a corresponding build area. The Prusa i3 is rated pretty well, has a reasonable build area, and there are a number of cheap clones available. The Prusa website also has lots of info and a community forum
You will need a 3D modeling program to design your parts such as Fusion 360 (free version available) or Blender (free). There are several websites such as Thingiverse that allow you to download free 3D models of all kinds of things.
You will also need a "slicer" program to translate your 3D model into G-code that the printer can interpret. There are several -Slic3r works fine and is also free.
PETG filament works well for most functional parts and PLA works for decorative or low-load bearing stuff. There are a number of other filaments as well.

 

[Code54]

Thank you!!
I was looking at the Bambu Lab P1S 3D printer and AnyCubic Kobra 2 Max as they are sort of close in price and seem more than big enough for anything I can currently think of. It is hard to find unbiased reviews (or not supported by someone who may or may not work for the company). I am also a Mac OS guy but that does not appear to be a problem. Does anyone know of a good forum or unbiased place for info on 3D printing/machines?

 

[MTGreen]

Thank you!!
I was looking at the Bambu Lab P1S 3D printer and AnyCubic Kobra 2 Max as they are sort of close in price and seem more than big enough for anything I can currently think of. It is hard to find unbiased reviews (or not supported by someone who may or may not work for the company). I am also a Mac OS guy but that does not appear to be a problem. Does anyone know of a good forum or unbiased place for info on 3D printing/machines?

Not sure about entirely unbiased but there's a guy on youtube named Thomas Sanladerer that has quite a few videos on 3D printing that I've learned a considerable amount from -basics up to advanced stuff and some reviews. I get the impression that he gets stuff from manufacturers to review so don't think it's unbiased. However, the guy is fairly intelligent and is able to communicate effectively and there's definitely some good info there

 

[BravoXray]

A good basic CAD program for a newbie to 3D printing is Tinkercad. It's a free, web based program, so all you need is you web browser.

Tinkercad | From mind to design in minutes

 

[Code54]

Thanks, I will check everything out that you all have mentioned.

After reading what seems like 200 reviews I am sort of leaning towards the Bambu Lab P1S 3D printer due to size, being enclosed and a decent price. Now to learn how to use the programs and do the design work....