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  • smonte00
    Veteran Member
    • Aug 19, 2005
    • 482

    3D printing

    Hey all,
    I've been wanting a 3D printer for a long time and I think I'm getting ready to take the plunge on one pretty soon. There's a Da Vinci Mini that I've seen lots of good reviews for and it is pretty cheap at around $300 (especially compared to some of the other popular models). I guess I just wanted to see if anyone here has used one of these and what their thoughts are.

    Thanks,
    Steve
  • emeraldknight47
    Talkative Member
    • Jun 20, 2011
    • 5212

    #2
    3D printing, from what I've seen of it, seems pretty cool and, with a bit of fine-tuning, could definitely be a great way to create custom pieces, especially accessories, for people who have the technical savvy to run the programs and the "printers" themselves. Not sure of the costs of raw materials (the stuff you actually create the sculpts from), but the price on the printer itself doesn't seem too outlandish considering that the technology behind it is still fairly new.

    P.S. Just watched a YouTube video on this printer and, while it does have it's limitations, it seems pretty versatile and user-friendly for it's price point. Seems like the biggest gripe, an unheated bed, could be remedied pretty easily with a dose of rubber cement or spray adhesive.
    Last edited by emeraldknight47; Mar 11, '17, 9:00 AM. Reason: Adding comment
    sigpic Oh then, what's this? Big flashy lighty thing, that's what brought me here! Big flashy lighty things have got me written all over them. Not actually. But give me time. And a crayon.

    Comment

    • smonte00
      Veteran Member
      • Aug 19, 2005
      • 482

      #3
      That's what I've found from reading and videos. The filament comes in a spool and that's what it uses as printing material. This printer also looks like one of the cheapest to use in terms of how much the spool of filament costs. I think it's like $20-$25 per spool vs. $30-$50 for pricier printers. Thanks!

      Comment

      • The Re-Rooter
        Veteran Member
        • Jul 13, 2016
        • 297

        #4
        About 3 years ago I half-jokingly asked my dad for a 3-D printer for my birthday (he know he was a crappy father and tries to buy our love as adults with expensive things. I allow it lol). And he DID!
        I think it cost around $500. The first thing I learned was that this was NOT for those who are not software savvy. I am an artist, but you needed to be skilled in using rendering type programs such as Z Brush. I can't even use Photoshop. So that was pretty disappointing. My husband is a faster learner than me and spent about 5 hours on You Tube watching tutorials. He came back to me with: "You need a degree in 3-D Printing to use this!"
        You can purchase files of rendered items that other people have made. I was stoked when we found a set of 1/6 armor & weapons. The pieces, however, were like a model kit and you had to print like 10 pieces just to make up the arm. So we started printing and left for church because a small piece typically takes about an hour, usually longer. When we came home, the printer had become un calibrated and it was just a shapeless mess. My husband spent DAYS trying to re-calibrate the printer with only short lived success when it got "off track" again like 30 minutes later.
        We live in a small town with mostly retired people so we don't even have someone we can ask to take a look at it to see what we might be doing wrong.

        So it's in the garage now.

        Diana, the Re-rooter

        Comment

        • noelani72
          27inaleon
          • Jun 25, 2002
          • 4608

          #5
          Originally posted by The Re-Rooter
          "You need a degree in 3-D Printing to use this!"
          yup, that's about the truth. Search my name on these boards, and you will see a vast array of 3D work. I have a perfectly dialed in, 50micron capable, no-longer-made Makerbot Replicator 2. It was $3000 new. The first 6 months of ownership, and I had learned far more than I ever wanted about the mechanics of it, then once I got past all the pain, there was the software. Utterly aggravating to me to have someone tell me it's a cheat to create because all I did was push a button and print...yeah....walk a mile in my shoes first.
          Then, once you are past all the pain and you are creating, you have to maintain the machine. I keep a clipboard with my printer. I document every single print job, how long it took, what settings I used, and when I did maintenance. I also document if I had a problem with a print - that level of detailed records allows me to see "what changed" if I have a problem and reduces my troubleshooting. My machine, after much pain, is now bulletproof. I start it, and yes, I walk away....but that level of skill came with a price. But the machine is only half the battle - I still rely heavily on my son to do my 3D designs and it is not fast, nor is it cheap. He's designed belts, weapons, and trinkets for members here and basically just traded his skills for trade fodder. Had he "sold" what he had created, well, figure $160hr design time...three hours to design a belt and trade it for a couple resin heads. He does it for the community here, not the money, which is another reason this place is great.

          3D printing for the average novice home user is not ready yet. Sorry, but until my Mother can unbox one and create, it is not ready.

          My son bought one of the newer $350 mini-printers...the Micro M3D. What a complete joke, complete waste of money. We gave it a good try, but their software is **** and the machine is very very poor quality. Not worth the box it shipped in. It has sat collecting dust for nearly a year...and was only used for about three weeks.

          For anyone getting into 3D printing, and you want an out-of-box experience...you are going to spend $1000 minimum.
          At this point in 3D printing - you cannot go cheap, or you will be completely frustrated and give up.

          Comment

          • smonte00
            Veteran Member
            • Aug 19, 2005
            • 482

            #6
            Great advice. Thanks!

            Comment

            • sprytel
              Talkative Member
              • Jun 26, 2009
              • 6539

              #7
              I use a Flashforge Dual and have had the most luck with printing weapons and accessories. I agree with most everyone here has said, so not much to add except these two points: 1) check if your local library or other community locale offers access to a 3D printer. My library did, and it was a good way to figure out what was in store for me. 2) you will easily spend twice the time troubleshooting than designing and printing. Try to learn all you can from those that have been through it before. If you need help on anything, feel free to PM me and I will be happy to share whatever advice I can.

              Comment

              • Ninersphan1
                Veteran Member
                • Jul 27, 2009
                • 314

                #8
                Wanna see someone who knows about, and sees the potential for 3-d printing in this hobby go here:
                http://www.huxter.org/words/

                His stuff for action figures is 1/6 scale but incredible none the less. He's semi mass manufacturing for Cotswold Collectibles some of his creations, I own a few and they are fantastic.

                Comment

                • The Re-Rooter
                  Veteran Member
                  • Jul 13, 2016
                  • 297

                  #9
                  For people who have had luck printing, do you render your own pieces or have someone do that for you?

                  Comment

                  • Boshek
                    Veteran Member
                    • Jun 26, 2011
                    • 415

                    #10
                    I remember Staples stores were going to have 3D printing service. The closest to me was NYC. I was going to go there with my 13" Maskatron heads and arms and have them print me Mego sized ones!
                    Check out my YouTube page

                    Comment

                    • Spyweb007
                      Persistent Member
                      • Apr 18, 2006
                      • 1449

                      #11
                      3
                      d printing is very interesting and has a lot of potential, but at this point it seems more time consuming than actually sculpting, molding and casting parts. Of course my sculpting skills leave a lot to be desired. I have found some unique ways to produce small accessories and weapons, one example would be using clear plastic "shrinky dinks" material. They sell sheets that can be used with an inkjet printer and I have printed weapons such as stormtrooper blasters then shrunk them. They come out to the perfect thickness to fit a mego hand and are photo realistic, only flat, but you can attach two pieces together to add dimension, like a scope or ammo cartridge on the side.

                      Comment

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