3d printers.

[MadGamerAK]

Any recommendations for a 3d printer good for printing little things like arms etc. Biggest thing I would end up printing would probably be cheap. If you know any that are cheap, affordable (Around 450$ and under) and get the job done fairly quickly, let me know please. Thanks!

Edited 13 hours ago by MadGamerAK
Wanted to add a word.

[NovemberIX]

I've used AnyCubic Photons for a few years now, my current is a Photon Mono X 6Ks,  you can get a Mono 2 for $147.00, though anycubic is running a sale so there's a few options under 450.

 

I think a small printer for a few things can be pretty handy, though I am partial to a larger build plate if only to reduce the number of prints I need to do and maximize sub assemblies.

[MadGamerAK]

Thanks!
 

[phandaal]

My Saturn 2 works great! Has not given me any trouble despite running frequently for over a year now. Looks like that model is out of stock now though and they switched to the Saturn 3, and looks that still clocks in around $300.

[N1SB]

Brothers, ask you 2 honest questions:

 

• What's the electricity cost like and are newer printers more energy efficient?  My friend Timperial Guard leaves projects like overnight
• What's the smell or sound like?  I think the smell is ok from where I've seen ppl place their printers, not that bad, but is it noisy please?

 

These are like the hidden, non-obvious costs.  Because my friend Timperial Guard would tell me how cheap 3D printing is, then I'd ask him to hook me up with a mini (for like BattleTech, like I wanted a specific Mecha) and instantly he'd go like "pfft, no, just buy it online (for US$5 + shipping)" and I started realising there might be other costs.

[phandaal]

10 minutes ago, N1SB said:

Brothers, ask you 2 honest questions:

 

• What's the electricity cost like and are newer printers more energy efficient?  My friend Timperial Guard leaves projects like overnight
• What's the smell or sound like?  I think the smell is ok from where I've seen ppl place their printers, not that bad, but is it noisy please?

 

Electricity is negligible. Realistically a printer is just a small motor for moving the plate up and down plus a UV lamp that comes on for a few seconds at a time. You will not notice any difference in your electric bill.

 

The sound is a light buzzing noise when the plate is moving, pretty much fades into the background.

 

The smell is what will get you. Printers definitely have to be kept in a garage or well-venilated area. The models themselves do not smell once the resin is cured, but uncured resin gives off a lot of vapors that should not be allowed to spread around the house.

[Moonstalker]

When budgeting for your printer, make sure you account for all the extras you will need, too.  Biggest ticket item would be a wash/cure station (essentially an alcohol bath and UV light setup that will remove any uncured resin and bring the print up to its final hardness).  But you will also need PPE (resin is toxic, keep it off your skin and don't breath the vapors.  A respirator mask and gloves are a must, and a shallow pan to keep the printer on to contain spills is a good idea) and a good, steady work surface to set it up on.  You probably don't want to set it up on your desk next to your computer.

[Evil Eye]

The good thing about 3D printing is that the actual quality of the machines has reached a point where even cheaper yesterday's-model printers are going to be absolutely great quality, they'll just lack some of the fancier bells and whistles that come bundled with the newer stuff. My printer (Elegoo Mars 3 Pro) goes for like, £130 and still prints amazing quality minis. 

 

Re: smell, it is worth mentioning that you can get enclosures for printers (they look similar to grow tents, incidentally) which from what I understand are absolutely fantastic for keeping fumes dealt with.

[Borbarad]

8 hours ago, NovemberIX said:

I've used AnyCubic Photons for a few years now, my current is a Photon Mono X 6Ks,  you can get a Mono 2 for $147.00, though anycubic is running a sale so there's a few options under 450.

I also have a Photon Mono X 6Ks and it works very well for small, detailed parts.

 

Be aware that your choice of resin will also strongly influence the quality of prints. I had good experience with Creality LCD 8K resin.