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Poolshark314

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MD
Having had mine for close to a year now, it's hard to imagine a shop without a 3D printer. I use it for all kinds of things. The ones more relevant to this forum tend to be storage and organization ones. For example, I made a full set of trays for my 1/2" drive sockets because I couldn't find any on the market that worked for my sizes and preferences.
IMG_5452.jpg
And more uniquely, I designed and made this soldering iron station for my Omnifixo M4 and Pinecil 2.0. It's fantastic, fitting into my pocket for use in the field, yet being a fully featured station when in use.
IMG_4994.jpg
IMG_4993.jpg

EDIT: To be clear, I don't have a Bambu like some others in this thread. I have a heavily customized Voron 2.4 R2.
I just got a Pinecil and that looks amazing!
 

gtae07

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Mar 6, 2015
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Fayetteville, GA
Yeah, you really need to have the thing top of mind or it won't get used. I think I use mine the most for organizational projects... Here's some drawers I did for the print station:

img_0700-jpeg.2057541



img_0701-jpeg.2057543
If I were a person that knew how to organize and was inclined to do so, that would be awesome.

Honestly the last thing I printed was six months ago; made a lock for my J1772 adapter. I think I'm coming due to print a new razor blade disposal box though...
 

CallumRD1

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339
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Colorado
Dude. I want that soldering station!!!

I just got a Pinecil and that looks amazing!

-----------
I don't want to run afoul of any rules here so I'm more than happy to remove this if asked.
My intent behind posting my case was to share something I was passionate about, not self promotion.
-----------​


These cases began as something I designed for myself as I wasn't happy with the system I had been using before. Once my friends saw it in use they convinced me that I should sell them because there's nothing quite like it on the market. So I did and I've been making and selling these soldering iron cases for about six months now. Here's a link to the Pinecil one I shared photos of above:
 

Cruzan80

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Jul 22, 2015
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Location
Denver, CO
We now have two X1C in our HS lab, and their print times are literally HALF of the Raise 3d's they are replacing. Small issues with the AMS, easily fixed (broken filament in tubes).

The amount of sensors on this thing is amazing. Spaghetti detection, first row sensing, etc.

Regarding data collection, there is tons of people speculating, but few hard facts vs tinfoil hat fears. My two points of reference after working with our IT dept (and having worked IT in the past)...A) Bambu runs their cloud thru Amazon's AWS for their US clients and a Chinese server for their China clients. So I less they are manually backing up AWS, there is a break. Our school district has a 100% ban on Chinese servers, and they didn't find a redirect link from aWS onwards. B) If you are worried, put it in LAN mode or use a MicroSD, as LAN mode doesn't connect outside the local network and MicroSDs don't require any internet.

The biggest gripe for me? The lack of an Ethernet port without paying $2500 instead of $1500, when the other "upgrades" aren't things I need. The inability to directly assign an IP address, etc. If they are positioning these as "workforce appliances" (which they are approaching more now than ever), these should be features available. Preferably something priced between the X1C/X1E, with more networking but losing the "exotics" of the current X1E.
 

Cruzan80

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Yes, it has an Ethernet port, and upgraded case fan for fumes, a hot end that goes even hotter to handle just about any filament out there. Not sure what else.
 

IndyGarage

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If you want a printer that will just print great out of the box go with Bambu or Prusa. If you are up for tinkering or need a larger format then Creality has some nice options. Creality is about to release their K2 with multi material that could be a nice challenger for the Bambu. I am currently running a heavily modified ender 5 (now a mercury one.1).
I bought a Creality off Amazon almost 2 years ago. I put it together - made a couple adjustments that weren't in the manual - but were needed - and started printing with it. I've run many spools of plastic through it - mostly making model buildings and stuff for an N-scale train layout. Also some garage organization stuff and a couple custom parts for vehicles. I haven't touched the machine once in that time. I normally set mine up to start and run overnight to deal with long print times.

I would say that's pretty reliable and it is certainly one of the cheapest. I don't know about best, but I do know my son bought a 3d printer a couple years prior and mine makes much better prints, so I think the technology is still advancing.

I can imagine getting one that can do larger stuff, but then the print times would get pretty long. I would definitely look at a multicolor machine when they work the bugs out.
 

loganb

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What is dmls and sls.
Direct metal laser sintering and selective laser sintering

The Prusa and Bambu printers extrude a layer of plastic materials and build up the part being made by stacking these layers. This is called FDM printing or fused deposition modeling

The *LS methods use a laser to transform a powder to a solid, creating the part being made. The benefits are incredible accuracy, wider range of high strength materials and not being limited to plastics. Downside is the cost... These are generally large machines with 6 figure price tags and not currently suitable for the small business or hobbyist.
 

HogDude

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Dec 25, 2020
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Nebraska
You find uses for it once you get used to it. Break a shelf peg in your kitchen cabinet? Print it. Ran out of potato chip bag clips? Print it. Want to mock up a design for a car part in the shop without going through several iterations in metal, print it.

It's basically a hobby to support your other hobbies.
Thanks. It's a process and at the price point I'm in a holding pattern. Do you use programs for each of these items? If so, are they inexpensive or free? Maybe as I slowly build my library of knowledge I'll get the bug to make the leap. And I do like hobbies! Thanks again.
 

Jim_No_Garage

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Jan 15, 2011
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Millington NJ
I've been waiting for the Toyota of 3-D printers to appear. I have an Ender 3 V2 and in my mind it requires TOO MUCH fiddling and messing with it.

I get "heat creep" in the hot end that melts filament in the feed tube, jamming the printer.
The glass bed isn't flat. I print "raft" bases to get around that issue.

That said I have printed some useful things:

Several replacement tape spools for vintage 3-M desktop tape dispensers
Pivot bushings for knock off "stressless" chairs
Bushings for replacement wheels on my Craftsman flip top garbage can
Countless little boxes and trays for storing specific items
Several phone/table holders
Blocks with a curved surface to clamp a power bar to a lally column in the basement

My son designed and printed a multi-part fume extractor for use while soldering/desoldering.

Using Fusion 360 to design the project should be the difficult part, not the actual printing.

Cheers

Jim
 

Poolshark314

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Jul 5, 2021
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MD
Thanks. It's a process and at the price point I'm in a holding pattern. Do you use programs for each of these items? If so, are they inexpensive or free? Maybe as I slowly build my library of knowledge I'll get the bug to make the leap. And I do like hobbies! Thanks again.
In order to design your own files, you need to use a CAD tool. There are several free applications (TinkerCAD, FreeCAD, Blender, Fusion360) as well as paid for more advanced users. I would absolutely try messing around in some free ones to get used to it.

If you want to print files created by others, sites like Thingiverse, Cults3D, and Makerworld are a few examples. Thangs.com usually searches all of the known sites for files.

In order to print the files, you will need a slicer. The slicer converts your CAD design into gcode, the language that the printers understand to make the proper movements for your object. It is also where you would account for your model density, support for overhangs, and overall customization of the manufacturing process. Most slicers are free (Cura, BambuStudio, etc).
 
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niget2002

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Oct 2, 2012
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Josephine, TX
I was a fairly early adopter of 3d printing. I bought my first machine shortly after the prusa i3 came out.

My first printer was a prusa clone that took 6 months of modifying to get it reliable

Here lately I've been 3d printing parts that I plan on milling out of metal. It let's me test out parts before wasting time and materials.

I've also been playing with ASA to print parts for inside my vehicle and travel trailer.

I find I'll go a while without printing anything. Then I'll print a bunch of stuff.
.
 

DC73

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Dec 27, 2014
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Lubbock TX
Been thinking about joining the 3D printing club but haven't found the time to do any proper research.

What software are you guys using for design? Do the printers come with software?

Would Sketchup work? I'm very familiar with, and frequently use, the older version known as Sketchup Make 2017.

Are there any good websites devoted to sharing 3D models?

Thanks,

DC
 

Citation

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Jan 20, 2016
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Indy
I've been using 3D printed parts through my various jobs for 20+ years. I only got into personal 3D printing last summer. I had been reluctant to get into it because I was never that happy with the FMD parts I had made in the past (I think it was a Stratus machine from perhaps 2008?) and I had seen some of the stuff coming out of the early open source FDM machines and was not impressed. I was perfectly happy to send files to Shapeways and the like to get high quality parts.

However, when the little Monoprice Cadet was on clearance for $75 I decided to jump in. I will note that I already had CAD so I wasn't worried about getting up to speed in that area. The Cadet was a very limited printer but actually quite nice because, within it's limited abilities, it was very reliable. For example, I never had bed adhesion issues (that is when your part comes unstuck from the bed before the print is done. The Cadet dealt with this by using a bed of basically masking tape + slicer's default setting was to use a raft. In this context a raft is kind of a pallet of printed material between the bed and your part. It does a great job for sticking things in place but it uses more plastic and the contacting surface finish is rough. But it was valuable because it showed me that even a very dumb printer can be reliable if you are aware of the printer's limitations.

For those who are curious/hesitant, I'm not sure I have a great "get this printer" suggestion. For $100-200 you can get a new printer that will do quite a bit but might have a learning curve. At the same time, for ~$100 you can a Creality Ender 3 V2 from Microcenter (with online coupon). It's definitely a low end printer but it can make good parts and at least will let you experiment with harder to print materials (ABS). After that you can learn about printing and decide if you want to leap into more expensive printers or just work with what you have. Even with my Cadet, I made functional parts such as replacement feet for a pop up tent, some small tabs that locked an otherwise shaky headboard into it's bed, parts to turn a 12V fan into a boot dryer etc. If you really like what you can do get a new, better printer. Or many you will find even an entry level if sufficient for your needs. Or you will dump all of it on Craigslist and get most of your money back.
 
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Ryan

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Been thinking about joining the 3D printing club but haven't found the time to do any proper research.

What software are you guys using for design? Do the printers come with software?

Would Sketchup work? I'm very familiar with, and frequently use, the older version known as Sketchup Make 2017.

Are there any good websites devoted to sharing 3D models?

Thanks,

DC

For modeling, I prefer Shapr3D on an iPad Pro.... But when that gets too limiting, I use Fusion 360 on my Mac. Both are free.

Skethup isn't good for modeling I'm afraid.

Lots of websites for pre-existing models. I prefer printables.com, but thangs.com does a great job of searching multiple libraries.
 

Citation

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Solidworks has an online version for under $100/year. I think it was down to $50 recently. I should try to find an alternative but I'm just really familiar with the program. Also as general advice, if you are designing something that you may want to revisit years later, save a copy as a .step file. That's a universal file format. So if 5 years from now Autodesk decides that it now cost $900/year to use 360, you have copies that are in a universal format. This is especially true for services that want to keep your files online vs locally. If they shut down the server your files are gone.
 

DC73

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For modeling, I prefer Shapr3D on an iPad Pro.... But when that gets too limiting, I use Fusion 360 on my Mac. Both are free.

Skethup isn't good for modeling I'm afraid.

Lots of websites for pre-existing models. I prefer printables.com, but thangs.com does a great job of searching multiple libraries.

Thanks much Ryan,

I'm a PC guy so I'll need to find something to use with Windows 10. Too bad Sketchup isn't viable as I'm pretty good with it already. I hope to get into 3D printing later this year after I tackle a couple of major projects. I'll be following this thread.

DC
 

manwithtools

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Thanks much Ryan,

I'm a PC guy so I'll need to find something to use with Windows 10. Too bad Sketchup isn't viable as I'm pretty good with it already. I hope to get into 3D printing later this year after I tackle a couple of major projects. I'll be following this thread.

DC
Fusion 360 works absolutely fine on a Windows machine. It's well supported and there are tons of "how to" videos available. I highly recommend it as a home user 3d modeling platform. There is a hobbyist version available for free. Fusion 360 Personal Use
 
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F-22

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Jan 23, 2022
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Onshape is also free and kind of okay.
I much prefer the fully featured engineering CAD programs like Solidworks or Creo because I'm used to those.

I have a Prusa MK3 at home and an X1 Carbon at work. X1 is really cool but can't say it'd be worth it to buy if for home use since I already have the mk3. Never had any issue with the Prusa and I know exactly how it works and is assembled.
 

CallumRD1

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Fusion 360 is a slightly quirky CAD/CAM program that's annoyingly buggy if you're doing large, complicated projects, but it works fairly well in general, is free, and is easy to learn. I recommend it in general.

For slicers, you can't really go wrong with any of the mainstream options (Cura, Prusa Slicer, Super Slicer, Orca Slicer) which are all free and mostly open source. My preference is Prusa Slicer (works with any printer, not just Prusa printers).
 

sh944

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Jan 1, 2014
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291
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Linwood, KS
For folks just getting into 3D modeling (and some of you corksniffers might laugh at this suggestion and I understand it but honestly, this works *waaay* better than you might think and is a good gateway into the whole thing), try Microsoft 3D Builder. Its all visual modeling and is pretty much all additive/subtractive stuff but its quick, easy, free and it works for probably 90% of the stuff I do, and I produce stuff that gets used commercially and just *one* product that I built using it saved my company about $120k last year alone.

It ain't how you build it, its what you do with what you built that counts. A lot of folks forget that in the course of diving into technology. Keep it as simple as possible and you will likely get better results.

For what its worth, I have several Bambu X1C's and just added another, they have been very solid for production work and we've been able to do all the service work that they have needed without any support from Bambu itself. We do *not* connect to the cloud, we run all through LAN connectivity and they work fine. Our first machine has almost 8,000 hours on it (got it when it was first released) and is still going with just basic maintenance. They run about 18 hours a day.
 

GirchyGirchy

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Central Indiana
I've been using 3D printed parts through my various jobs for 20+ years. I only got into personal 3D printing last summer. I had been reluctant to get into it because I was never that happy with the FMD parts I had made in the past (I think it was a Stratus machine from perhaps 2008?) and I had seen some of the stuff coming out of the early open source FDM machines and was not impressed. I was perfectly happy to send files to Shapeways and the like to get high quality parts.
You probably mean Stratasys. We bought a 400mc around then and used the piss out of it. It was a total game changer for us...we could print prototype engine parts for fit checking/training, prototype assembly tools prior to having them made in something more durable, or just creating assembly tools/guides/nests straight for use on the line.

We bought a second machine later, a Fortus 450mc, and ran them together until we bought an F900 - now we use it and the 450. The ability to product full-scale prototype parts on the big F900 has really helped...previously we'd have to cut things in half and glue/bolt them together. We can now build two engine blocks at the same time. Bonus - the side panel accepts the RockAuto magnets which used to live on the 400.

The big boy also allows us to use Ultem for dimensional stability or carbon fiber-nylon for strength/wear. Previously, we'd used Stratasys to make us items out of those materials, they have a printing service as well. Plus there are also a couple of local shops we use when we need something printed in metal, and can usually get them next day.

Between these two monsters, it doesn't make sense for me to buy one for home. I've toyed with purchasing a SLA (resin) printer but just don't have the time to devote to yet another hobby.

BTW, there was still a market for our original 400mc, so it was sold back to Stratasys. Don't think we'll need to upgrade for a while...

Stratasyses.jpg

RockAutos.jpg
 

Citation

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Yeah, Stratasys, sorry. Looking at pictures it was probably a Dimension machine. The machine was good for what it did and because it used support material you don't have to mess with overhangs and the like. However, relative to our budgets their it was expensive and often the level of details it could produce were poor compared to what I needed. When possible I would design parts to work with our laser cutter vs the printer. We had a nice Kern that could do plastic and, with oxygen, steal. When I needed details I would typically either use a Polyjet machine or Shapeways. In one of the labs we had some of the early MakerBot type printers and I wasn't impressed (again, spoiled by pro level hardware and results). Things have improved in the last 10-15 years. It also helps that, with prices being so low, you can justify playing with settings and leaving the machines just for fun. With the price of Stratasys supplies we didn't experiment much with the machine.
 

LeonardY

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I have three 3D printers. One QIDI X-MAX, two Elegoo, Mars and Saturn.

There are sort of two lines of thought when it comes to FDM printers. One is the 3D printer is the hobby. The other is 3D printer is a tool and the printing is a hobby.

For those who the 3D printer is the hobby. They enjoy modifying the printer. I get that is sometimes related to economics.

I fall into the other camp. I want the printer I get to just work. I am more than capable of doing mods. I just don’t want to.

I have experience with 3D printing since the early 90’s. We had Z-corp, Objet, and Stratasys machines at work. I was part of the team that selected the machines. I have seen all the hype and misinformation that goes with 3D printing. Don’t get me wrong, I have seen some really cool things done.

Back to consumer grade printers. While my X-MAX is a “industrial” printer, it isn’t. It just came with most of the bells and whistles at the time I bought it. I did install a filament sensor later. It was definitely a larger financial hit to start. But it has just worked. Any problems I’ve had were my fault or crappy filament. I have great support from QIDI when I ran into a problem. Without asking, they sent me additional cables after I fried my motherboard to insure that they weren’t a problem.

If I were in the market for a new printer, I’d consider the Bamboo. Or the QIDI X1 pro. If I wanted something less expensive I would get an Elegoo Neptune.
 

WWheeler

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I have a Bambu Lab A1 Mini and an A!. Picked up the Mini when it first appeared about 6 or so months ago, and then the A1 when it came out, but was recalled for a possible cable issue, and then just got another one of the post-recalled units. Both are bedslingers that just worked right out of the box with PLA and PETG at default settings. I've been through at least a dozen 2kg spools of filament between them and have yet to see any sort of failed print. No tinkering at all (yet). Just printing.

The A1 Mini is going to be gifted soon. It sort of already has been as my nephew who I'm going to give it to has been keeping it printing non-stop. He just doesn't know yet that I'm going to just let him take it home with him soon. I've been eyeballing their X1 Carbon as my next printer as I want to dabble with other filaments like carbon fiber. I'd have ordered it already but have been holding off because they have hinted that a new "flagship" model is coming soon and I want to see what that looks like.
 

fizassist

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Oct 16, 2012
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Thanks much Ryan,

I'm a PC guy so I'll need to find something to use with Windows 10. Too bad Sketchup isn't viable as I'm pretty good with it already. I hope to get into 3D printing later this year after I tackle a couple of major projects. I'll be following this thread.

DC
I will say that I have made several successful models in sketchup for 3D printing. It does have its pitfalls, though, as it's more oriented for visual models. In other words, it makes things that look nice, but aren't necessarily built in a way that gives good input for 3D printing slicers. If you are careful about making groups/components and using other good housekeeping methods, it can be fine. See, for example: https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/3d-printing-model and https://i.materialise.com/blog/en/3d-printing-with-sketchup/ .

Personally, I have settled on openSCAD for most models that I will 3D-print. It's a "programming" style CAD program. The sky's the limit, but one needs a little practice unless already proficient in writing software. I'm in the middle of learning FreeCAD (true parametric CAD) because I see too much of a history of features being sucked out of the free version of Fusion360 over time. I don't want to waste time learning Fusion360 only to have it become effectively useless at the unpaid level.
 

DC73

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Dec 27, 2014
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Lubbock TX
I will say that I have made several successful models in sketchup for 3D printing.

Thanks for all your comments. I fully understand about features being removed from free software. I don't like the cloud based version of Sketchup and I use the last version I can install locally on my PC (Sketchup Make 2017). Just recently I discovered this version still "phones home" every time I use it and they have removed a couple of features including my access to the Model Warehouse.

I travel quite a bit to a couple of different places where I don't have internet access or a quality data connection on my phone. But those two places are where I do a lot of my CAD work. I need CAD software that works locally on my PC and doesn't need to phone home for me to use it.
 

stioc

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May 2, 2005
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SoCal
Messed around with 3D printing a few years ago when I got an Ender pro. At times it was a frustrating experience with the PLA getting brittle and cracking, or getting stuck in the nozzle, not sticking to the base plate and coming undone after the part was almost done printing etc etc. However, when the parts printed to completion it was a joyous moment. I found out that PLA doesn't like heat when I printed a phone mount for my car...after parking at work for a day when I came back it had deformed into a melted snickers bar. I read ABS is what one should use for automotive type applications but it's hard to get the settings right. Given my hit/miss experience with just PLA I didn't bother trying ABS. I might blow the dust off the Ender soon and give it another whirl.
 

F-22

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Jan 23, 2022
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Messed around with 3D printing a few years ago when I got an Ender pro. At times it was a frustrating experience with the PLA getting brittle and cracking, or getting stuck in the nozzle, not sticking to the base plate and coming undone after the part was almost done printing etc etc. However, when the parts printed to completion it was a joyous moment. I found out that PLA doesn't like heat when I printed a phone mount for my car...after parking at work for a day when I came back it had deformed into a melted snickers bar. I read ABS is what one should use for automotive type applications but it's hard to get the settings right. Given my hit/miss experience with just PLA I didn't bother trying ABS. I might blow the dust off the Ender soon and give it another whirl.
There's alternatives like ASA and PETG that are thermally resistant but not as finnicky as ABS to dial down. Although in some cases ABS is quite easy to use too. Also certain PLA blends are much stronger and thermally resistant, there's a ton of stuff on the market nowadays...
 

MongoTA

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Mar 10, 2018
Messages
993
Location
CT
And more uniquely, I designed and made this soldering iron station for my Omnifixo M4 and Pinecil 2.0. It's fantastic, fitting into my pocket for use in the field, yet being a fully featured station when in use.
IMG_4994.jpg
IMG_4993.jpg
Brilliant!
 

redragoon

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Jun 12, 2018
Messages
296
Location
Greenville SC
I started 3D printing after picking up a Creality Ender 3 for $100 from MicroCenter. I figured that was cheap enough to not be distressed if I could not find more permanent uses. That led to getting a Sovol SV06 (Prusa i3 copy) and an Elegoo Mars SLA (resin fast and high resolution printing).

A lot of items are trinkets or desktop items, but I've had several items that saved me buying parts. Grates for an outdoor dryer vent, cable mounting solutions, organizers, etc. PLA is sufficient for most things, even outside. PETG/ASA/ABS for items in oil contact or higher temp like car interior.

For anyone reading this with a Microcenter nearby, they run periodic sales of Creality Ender 3 models for $100 when you sign up as a new customer and get the texted code. In store pickup only. Currently it is a Creality Ender 3 V2. Not state of the art, but decent for learning if you cannot justify $$$ for the full featured models.
https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/specialoffer3dprinter2t.aspx
 
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