Check to see if your local library offers a 3d printing service.
this post was submitted on 10 Dec 2023
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My experience with a small home 3D printer has been that that normally, there is tweaking that needs to happen on a per-printer basis to get good output. My feel -- and maybe I'm just out-of-date here -- is that I can't just expect to take a 3D model, feed it to any old 3D printer, and get output that's just fine. Maybe things have changed in the past couple of years.
Paper printers are to the point where one can expect to get pretty much the output one expects by just feeding a file to a given printer.
I'd like to be in a world where I could just go down to the office supply store and use their expensive 3D printer the way I do their expensive paper printer. But my impression is that we aren't there yet.
My guess is that at the very least, if we were in a world where that happened, there'd need to be printer description files that would list a printer's and filament's capabilities very precisely to the point that their output could be reliably and closely predicted for a given model, and that I would be able to see a "3D print preview" of what the printed output would look like in advance.
But last time I was doing much 3D printing, I was still doing things like tweaking nozzle traverse speed and tip temperature manually. And I don't think that that sort of thing is going to be the user's manual responsibility in the World Where Everything Just Works Automatically. The software would need to have an accurate picture in advance of what impact those settings would have for a given printer's environment, without any actual testing for an actual 3D print.
EDIT: Also, my guess is that part of that would need a print to either be done in a temperature-controlled enclosure to reduce impact of the environment around the printer, or at minimum have a printer able to measure ambient air temperature and maybe airflow and use that as an input to adjust print settings -- that is, even for a given printer and filament and model where the properties of all three are very precisely measured and modeled, there are still variables that are unknown until print time that can impact output on non-enclosed printers.
EDIT2: I guess what would be necessary is for someone to come up with a standard series of calibration models to 3D print, then for people to build a database of "printer description files" based on what those prints look like that model the impact of things like:
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Printer
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Filament
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Tip traverse speed
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Tip temperature
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Slice height
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Tip blower fan and speed
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For printers without a climate-controlled enclosure, ambient temperature at time of print
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For printers without a climate-controlled enclosure, airflow around printer at time of print
In theory, with enough information, I'd imagine that a printer could do things like use different settings for infill (or any non-visible surfaces that don't need to be as pretty, just structurally sound) and externally-visible surfaces, which I'm pretty sure wasn't an option in the software I used when I was last doing prints. Having little threads or rough edges inside infill isn't going to matter, but having them hanging off exterior surfaces may not be.
It'd be enough information for software to provide an estimate of structural strength, using the above inputs, when the printed object is placed under various types of forces (e.g. crushing force from the top, the side, repeated light force, etc). To estimate how rough an external given surface is going to be. To be able to say how much of an overhang is viable.
But I was still trying to figure out good tradeoffs between print speed and quality and leaving little hanging threads and surfaces sagging and all that manually...I was a long ways from that "plug in a printer description file and the software just computes everything". The filament that shipped with my printer worked fine with one set of settings with the sample model that came with the printer. What worked fine with that model didn't work well with 3DBenchy, that famous boat model. New filament that I got required new settings and testing. My first meaningful project had other constraints.
If the library or maker space machine is already dialed in and has automatic bed leveling, I'd think it'd work for most prints. The issues you were pointing out are mostly first time things, rather than issues everyone would need to do. Even if not, you can ask someone else there to help you if you're having trouble.
Some libraries will also retry prints if they don't look right, or will consult with you if it's something really weird or complex. As long as a print doesn't have really specific tolerances it should turn out fine with no additional effort, though.
The printer require a lot of maintenance.
IMO you should just use an online 3D printing service.
When I checked online printing services the last time, they were really expensive. For my very first project (4 custom card organizers) it would have cost me more than a hundred bucks. My printer + the initial accessoires were around than 200 bucks and I've printed so many functional parts since then that it easily amortized itself within the first year.
Usually if you just look for individuals who offer 3D printing, it is much cheaper. Definitely way below 100 bucks for card organizers.
What service would you recommend? I'm only familiar with xometry and pcbway from their ads, so there are probably better services out there.
You could try to find some local dude that got into 3d printing and made it a business.
Yeah, I have a friend who got a used print farm, but I'm looking for large sla printing.
Well that’s definitely a different usecase
I don't recommend any, I never used those, I'm fine with tinkering with my printer for hours in the other hand.
Take a look at the Prusa Mini and Bambu Lab A1 Mini. It sounds like you want something reliable so I'd stay away from the ultra cheap stuff.
I can't think of any printers that would get smaller if you could slightly disassemble them. They would all take a lot of disassembly, and then still take up almost as much space as before.
I like the idea of just using a print service. More expensive per print, but if you don't print often, it's probably cheaper than buying and maintaining your own.
The library idea is really good, too.
I own an Ender 3 V2 that I use around 10 times a year. It is one of the less sophisticated printers and still it does not require that much maintenance. You have to remove the dust, level the bed and sometimes clean or exchange the nozzle. More sophisticated printers can also do some stuff automatically (e.g. the bed leveling part).
However, the initial assembly and fine tuning took some time (approx. 1-2 hours), so I wouldn't recommend to dis- and reassemble it all the time. If you don't have that much space, maybe check for a small printer.
When I did my research 2 years ago the Prusa Mini was quite popular for small printer. But if you want to print big parts a lot, it might be a bit annoying as you always have to cut them into smaller chunks, print separate and finally glue them together.
How "not use it very often" are we talking about? The critical thing for any printer is first and foremost bed leveling. If you get something like an MP select mini The footprint is about 30cm^3. You can absolutely throw it in a box and just pull it out whenever BUT you will need about 30 minutes to relevel the bed just perfect and potentially run a test print. That said, this machine also only prints a 10cm^3 and it will handle PETG IF it's been modded otherwise it's PLA and that's it.
Which segue nicely into my next question: What will you be printing? Models and minis? Functional parts? Random statues you find online of waifus? (Only slightly kidding)
This matters a LOT.
For the first: The mini will sorta work but not be great with details. Fort the second plan on a printer that can handle PETG at least. For the latter, you want to look into a resin printer. They WILL fit into a closet when emptied and cleaned BUT the cleaning process is both lengthy, tedious and potentially noxious and requires quite a bit of space so I didn't even mention them in the first part.
Most of my current printing needs would be small-ish structural parts. Maybe brackets for mounting something into a weird place, cases for microcontrollers,... that kind of stuff.
Sorry about the late response, OK, brackets and cases for microcontrollers are actually great on a select mini. I agree with others that a Bambu would serve you great AND give you MUCH better finish etc... but the footprint of that thing is about twice that of the mini. I know of at least two prototype printers that are smaller BUT they are prototypes with all the faff that involves including troubleshooting them every time you move them.
Good luck.
Look at the bambu a1 or a1 mini. It seems very easy to print woth and a lot of things like bed leveling are automatic on it. Its also starts at $300 and $400
If you're going to move it, whatever you get, makes sure it has auto bed leveling. Fucking around with that kills the spontaneity every time. I move around an Ender3 V2 with the BLTouch leveler all the time, carrying it with me back and forth from the farm to the city. I plunk it down and it sorts itself out easily.
Stick to a cartesian style though, I have a delta I built and even with bed leveling, it gets out of calibration if I move it.
Idunno why you would want a 3d printer for a print here and there. Most of the fun with 3d printing comes with the printer itself. Hot end gets clogged, bed adhesion problems, levelling problems, diagnosing and going overboard on a simple fix, that what the fun is all about.
Well, I don't want to do that. For me a printer is a tool, not something to tinker with.
I get where you're coming from, but I'm tinkering at another front.
From my experience it's definitely not as bad as described there. Yes, there are some issues here and there but still a 3D printer is an awesome tool to have at hand. I often designed / printed spare parts and fixing something on a Sunday afternoon spontaneously. Without much planning and lead times, without a third party printing service. Feels pretty awesome.
I would say in 8 out of 10 times I can just plug the printer and start using it without issues. In 1 out of 10, I have to do some small tweaks (e.g. bed leveling for 5 minutes) and in maybe 1 out of 10 I have to invest a bit more time for leveling or unclogging the nozzle. But even all that is less than 30 minutes.
Fixing the printer is nothing that I enjoy but using it is so handy that it definitely makes up for the small hassle here and there.