stretch Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 I know a few people on here have got 3D printers and interested to see what setups your running and what are your best prints are and what are you printing at the moment. I have a Creality Ender 3 Pro and currently printing some scale axle stands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex97 Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 I believe there's already one. Anyway... I'm using my Ender 2 pro to print a bullseye cooling duct. Last RC related thing was a basic chassis for mounting body shells too so I don't need to buy a new car for every body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigGinge Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 (edited) I think mine is an ender 3 pro with a few upgraded parts (glass print bed and stronger bed springs); it's due an update to an all metal hot end when the parts arrive from china so I can try and print some materials out at higher temps than I can safely go to at the moment and I've also got a direct extrude head to swap on at some point so I can have a play about with using some flexible filaments. Shame I don't really have any time to any of this just now :(. Currently part way through printing a few different pieces that are supposed to make up a new minimal rear bumper for the prairie wolf body so that there is some protection for dragging it over things when out crawling. Last print was the light mount for my roof rack which I discovered I needed after trying to mount the lights directly to the holes on the rack. Edited February 27, 2022 by BigGinge 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant.p Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 I have absolutely no experience with 3D printing, but it is something that interests me and could also be a big help with lots of things, especially rc related. is there a go to entry level printer that’s capable of basics? I’m not looking to print anything large, or overly complex, but would be great to be able to design and print custom mounts for fans, small detail parts etc etc. Or, maybe I’m naive, and this is better left to those that know what they’re doing? Something I won’t have is much time to invest in this if I was to buy one. Are they fairly user friendly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretch Posted February 27, 2022 Author Share Posted February 27, 2022 20 minutes ago, Ant.p said: I have absolutely no experience with 3D printing, but it is something that interests me and could also be a big help with lots of things, especially rc related. is there a go to entry level printer that’s capable of basics? I’m not looking to print anything large, or overly complex, but would be great to be able to design and print custom mounts for fans, small detail parts etc etc. Or, maybe I’m naive, and this is better left to those that know what they’re doing? Something I won’t have is much time to invest in this if I was to buy one. Are they fairly user friendly? They are very useful things to have from printing readily available things online to ad hoc things like when the L brackets holding the shelves up in my tv cabinet I just printed some more and there is a certain amount of satisfaction had from doing that. The Creality Ender was/is a good entry level machine but this hobby while rewarding can be incredibly frustrating sometimes it seems all your printer will print is spaghetti no matter how many times you level the bed adjust end points etc and then when you hit that sweet spot it will print lovely but one day it will all blow up again😂 That said after getting mine i watched a tonne of youtube videos about how to adjust certain settings and I managed to get it dialed in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigGinge Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 38 minutes ago, Ant.p said: I have absolutely no experience with 3D printing, but it is something that interests me and could also be a big help with lots of things, especially rc related. is there a go to entry level printer that’s capable of basics? I’m not looking to print anything large, or overly complex, but would be great to be able to design and print custom mounts for fans, small detail parts etc etc. Or, maybe I’m naive, and this is better left to those that know what they’re doing? Something I won’t have is much time to invest in this if I was to buy one. Are they fairly user friendly? There is a definite learning curve with getting a 3D printer to do what you want some/most of the time. If you’re expecting to buy one and just start printing you might not get what you’re after and find them more hassle than it’s worth. Having said that though, if you stick with using normal PLA they aren’t too difficult to set up and run so don’t let what I’ve just said put you off. I agree that the ender 3 variants still seem to hold there own in the entry level printer space. They also have the benefit of being very popular models so there is plenty of support out there for getting them working or upgrading them if that takes your fancy. Before you jump in it might be worth thinking about what you would like to do with one. The filament printers, like the ender, are fairly handy for making functional parts but aren’t quite so good when it comes to producing fine detail. So if you’re end goal is producing a set of very detailed small scale items then you might be better off looking at a resin printer (though they have their own limitations). The other thing I would say is that the 3D printers become much more useful when you can design your own parts in 3D CAD. Most of the bits I end up printing are things that I need but can’t buy; so being able to design and make them at home is really helpful. If you want to play around with the design side of things you can get a free personal licence for Fusion 360 which is fairly capable commercial tool that is good for this sort of thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant.p Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 17 minutes ago, stretch said: They are very useful things to have from printing readily available things online to ad hoc things like when the L brackets holding the shelves up in my tv cabinet I just printed some more and there is a certain amount of satisfaction had from doing that. The Creality Ender was/is a good entry level machine but this hobby while rewarding can be incredibly frustrating sometimes it seems all your printer will print is spaghetti no matter how many times you level the bed adjust end points etc and then when you hit that sweet spot it will print lovely but one day it will all blow up again😂 That said after getting mine i watched a tonne of youtube videos about how to adjust certain settings and I managed to get it dialed in. I get that there will be potential for issues, as is the case with most electrical things, but perhaps what I’m looking for is the most user friendly option, without breaking the bank. The cost would ultimately make the ‘should I get one’ decision for me, as this is more of a want than a need. Like you suggested, I can imagine that satisfaction feeling from making your own bespoke piece to be quite high! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex97 Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 56 minutes ago, Ant.p said: I have absolutely no experience with 3D printing, but it is something that interests me and could also be a big help with lots of things, especially rc related. is there a go to entry level printer that’s capable of basics? I’m not looking to print anything large, or overly complex, but would be great to be able to design and print custom mounts for fans, small detail parts etc etc. Or, maybe I’m naive, and this is better left to those that know what they’re doing? Something I won’t have is much time to invest in this if I was to buy one. Are they fairly user friendly? Ender 2 pro would be your best bet IMO. it's £130 and needs about £20 worth if upgrades you'll be up and running with view few issues. It's 8 screws and after leveling the bed you can start printing. It's got pretty good reviews so far. As close to plug and play as you'll get. If you want something bigger then a Ender 3 would be ideal however they are all kits I believe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant.p Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 2 minutes ago, BigGinge said: There is a definite learning curve with getting a 3D printer to do what you want some/most of the time. Most of the time?! 😬😣 I assumed there would be at least some learning to do in both theory and practice, so you haven’t managed to put me off just yet. Software for designing bits would be essential, as this is the main reason I’d like to get one. There have been times I’ve waited weeks for bits to arrive that work but aren’t exactly what I was after so then had to modify. Would be so good to have the option to just make something. detail isn’t so important, so filament sounds like the right path for me, and ‘ender 3’ is currently top of the list… 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant.p Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 6 minutes ago, Alex97 said: Ender 2 pro would be your best bet IMO. it's £130 and needs about £20 worth if upgrades you'll be up and running with view few issues. It's 8 screws and after leveling the bed you can start printing. It's got pretty good reviews so far. As close to plug and play as you'll get. If you want something bigger then a Ender 3 would be ideal however they are all kits I believe. So ‘ender 2’ is now a strong contender too! I’ll only likely be printing rc parts initially whilst I get a feel for things and learn how it all works. If I then wanted to get more involved, I’m sure there are plenty of bigger, more complex bits of kit. not having to build the printer does sound good. I hadn’t even considered the fact I could end up with a bag of bits to put together! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigGinge Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 1 hour ago, Ant.p said: not having to build the printer does sound good. I hadn’t even considered the fact I could end up with a bag of bits to put together! If you’re happy tinkering with RC cars I don’t think the assembly of an ender 3 would trouble you. It’s just a case of putting a few sections together, and plugging some bits in, rather than building it from scratch. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretch Posted February 28, 2022 Author Share Posted February 28, 2022 What BigGringe said, it's pretty straight forward it was my first printer and didn't have any problems, Habe a look on YouTube as there are build videos on there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWINSET Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 (edited) I had a Mars 2 Pro resin printer for a while and the detail is incredible - the downside with the cheaper resin is that the prints are a bit brittle - Warhammer sword blades rarely stayed attached to the hilt. You also need to wash the print in either water or isopropyl alcohol and then cure the print in UV light, both of which add to the cost, plus un-cured resin requires handling with gloves as it's pretty nasty stuff. A respirator would be a good buy too, the fumes get a bit much The beauty of resin printing is it's the height of the tallest part which determines the print time - one warhammer model takes the same time to print as 10 of them - just lay them out on the build plate like the Terracotta Army All the prints below are single-piece prints, not multiple parts glued together Learning design software is handy too, I printed of a few practical bits like this nut driver for a switch retaining nut which was recesssed deep inside a desk Edited February 28, 2022 by TWINSET 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant.p Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Is this a good buy? https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1118452515575365/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3Ac8b23679-6d7a-43e0-a608-31c00ef61414 its only that I’m in Braintree this eve so could pick up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigGinge Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 (edited) You can pick a new one up for less than £200 but it won’t have all the upgrades on that one you’ve linked to. Though with the exception of the glass bed and all metal hot end I couldn’t say if any of the upgrades will actually help with the printing that much. https://www.3djake.uk/creality-3d-printers-spare-parts/ender-3-pro edit: actually the BL touch is probably quite handy too. Edited March 1, 2022 by BigGinge 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigGinge Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 The bits I needed to upgrade my printer turned up today. I got a new heat break, thermistor and a hardened steel nozzle that should make printing with the reel of carbon fibre petg that has been causing me trouble possible. So far I’ve only installed them in the spare direct mount print head I’ve got but will put them onto the one mounted on the actual printer when I get a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant.p Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 10 hours ago, BigGinge said: You can pick a new one up for less than £200 but it won’t have all the upgrades on that one you’ve linked to. Though with the exception of the glass bed and all metal hot end I couldn’t say if any of the upgrades will actually help with the printing that much. https://www.3djake.uk/creality-3d-printers-spare-parts/ender-3-pro edit: actually the BL touch is probably quite handy too. Thank you for this. I didn’t get it in the end. Felt too rushed. I can always go back. Im still unsure based on your response. I was aware you can buy new for less, but wondered if the ‘upgrades’ made it a worthwhile buy regardless. Also, I’m guessing the one for sale isn’t the ‘v2’, and wonder if this is a better option anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex97 Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 11 hours ago, Ant.p said: Is this a good buy? https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1118452515575365/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3Ac8b23679-6d7a-43e0-a608-31c00ef61414 its only that I’m in Braintree this eve so could pick up. I'd buy new, they are low value machines and not every "upgrade" is a true upgrade! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant.p Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 I was pretty much think to buy new. I just didn’t know how necessary/important/valuable those ‘upgrades’ were. I mean if I’m going to end up wanting to do them, it would have maybe been a good idea to get it. thanks for the responses 👍🏻 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigGinge Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 I think with that machine the glass bed, self leveling (BL touch) and all metal hot end are probably safe to consider as useful upgrades, the rest of the bits are potentially not going to add any improvements in capability over a stock printer. Having said that you could add all of those useful upgrades to a new printer for not that much money, especially if you are happy to get some of the bits from china (say £15 for a glass bed, £10 to upgrade to and all metal hot end and £15 to add the BL touch). On the Pro vs V2 question; I think if I was spending my own money now I would stump up the extra £35 or so to get the V2 but that would be mostly for the convenience of the new user interface and "quiet" motor drivers, I don't think it would print any better/quicker than the Pro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hell horn. Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 I have a da vinci duo printer with im currently fighting to get working again. Printed loads of bits off before it went nuts about 18 months ago and haven't had the time to sit down and **** about with it. But last week I got it to print off a nice little test print thing. So fingers crossed I can get it sorted and print my own stuff again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretch Posted March 2, 2022 Author Share Posted March 2, 2022 8 hours ago, Ant.p said: I was pretty much think to buy new. I just didn’t know how necessary/important/valuable those ‘upgrades’ were. I mean if I’m going to end up wanting to do them, it would have maybe been a good idea to get it. thanks for the responses 👍🏻 The upgrades i've done to mine are glass bed, a filament guide which i printed myself and added a raspberry pi and camera for octoprint meaning i can control and monitor prints remotely. I also upgraded the bed springs to yellow ones. I did add a BL Touch but it seems to cause more problems than it solved so removed that and now level the bed using the paper method. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigGinge Posted June 20, 2022 Share Posted June 20, 2022 So I think I’ve just finished upgrading my ender 3 pro (for now) and have it printing nicely again. in addition to the modifications in my original post above I’ve added in an all metal hot end to let me print at higher temperatures, a direct drive extruded to give me the option for printing with flexible filaments, a newer 4.2.7 silent motherboard and a new touch screen interface. I’ve not quite got all my settings dialled back in for use with PETG and my favourite matte PLA but it’s pretty close to where it was before I started messing with it. I’ve also run some TPU flexible filament through it with surprisingly little fuss so quite happy with that. Also very happy with the new silent motherboard as it’s almost complete gotten rid of the noise from the stepper motors when it’s running so you only really get the noise from the various cooling fans now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewalker77 Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 Hi I am looking into getting into 3d printing it's been recommended that I get anything from eleegoo as they are much better than the creality range , but I want print more than just RC parts as thinking of making a business of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treoo Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 (edited) I have an interest in archaeology, and 3D printing is a great thing for learning findings. Recently I saw a video where scientists created the model of a stone tool and that was amazing. I want to create these tools with it and also RC details at home but I have a budget. So guys thank you for sharing your 3D printers, will take a look Edited September 9, 2022 by Treoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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