G+_Andy Say Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 3D Printer thoughts... I am sure there have many discussions about 3D printers here. But I am tossing between two printers and looking to get some input from the group. The first printer is the LulzBot Mini 3D Printer. My local Microcenter has them in stock at $1,199. The second printer is the Monoprice Maker Ultimate 3D printer for $699 (of course kicking myself as I missed when it was on sale about a month ago for $549, and none of their codes work for 3D printers!). Anyway, for the price difference, is there really a much of a difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Travis Hershberger Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 The local maker space insists on a fully enclosed printer if working with ABS. If your only planning to use PLA, it won't matter so much. With ABS, even someone walking by an open printer can ruin a print. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Shooter_FPV (Shooter_FP Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 I can vouch for the Maker Select Plus. In the 4+ months that I’ve had it, it’s printed circles around the 2 MakerBot printers each in two schools I work in. I built an enclosure for it and it prints crazy good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jeff Gros Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 I recommend you search youtube for 3d printing and lose yourself for a couple hundred hours. There are plenty of people who have printer reviews. A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is worth a million. Travis is right about ABS. You'll want an enclosure for ABS or any of the more difficult materials. According to the 3D Print General, you'll need to maintain around 60 C ambient air around the part to avoid warping ABS. Just be careful, the motors will demagnetize around 70 C. At least that's the theory. I'm still in the process of building my chamber! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Shooter_FPV (Shooter_FP Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 Jeff Gros When your enclosure is complete please post pictures here so we can see. Mine are floating around here somewhere. And I totally agree on videos, they are a tremendous resource. And when you narrow your search down, check out discussion forums to see what kind of issues people are having, but don't forget... you'll only really hear from people with issues... you rarely see someone say "Hey, my printer rocks!"... lol... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Andy Say Posted September 27, 2017 Author Share Posted September 27, 2017 Thanks guys... I have started watching some videos.. I guess I was trying to figure out any big advantages for the $500 price jump? I have no plans on using this as a "professional" printer, but at the same time I am willing to throw some money at a decent printer if there is benefit. It seems the Monoprice has the better "specs", but that can be deceiving also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Dan Baldwin Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 Love my Malyan m180 ! Take a look at it while doing your research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jeff Gros Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 I don't know much about the LulzBot or Monoprice printers you listed. I looked at them briefly and they both look to have a tiny print area, which is surprising for the cost you listed. Basically for 2017 my recommendation is get something with a heated bed (for flexibility in materials) and get something with auto bed leveling (for your sanity). A built in enclosure is great if you can get it as it will help prevent warping. Other than that, its a very personal decision. If this is your first printer, get a high end kit. You'll learn a lot by building and maintaining it. And the high end kits will have support for when you fail. When I say "high end", I mean like the Prusa i3 MK2 (~$700). You can get i3 clones for much cheaper, but you won't get the support. Or if you're made of money, just get an Ultimaker 3. It's only $4400 dollars! . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jeff Gros Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 Perhaps instead of recommending printers we should recommend youtube channels. For good technical content: Thomas Sanlanderer Maker's Muse Joe Mike Terranella Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Shooter_FPV (Shooter_FP Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 No reason not to suggest both printers and YouTube channels. 3DPrinting Nerd is pretty good... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Andy Say Posted September 27, 2017 Author Share Posted September 27, 2017 Well for better or worse, a $150 off code was available today for the MK11.. Printer has been ordered. Guess now I should start learning about this stuff! (Is something backwards here?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Dan Baldwin Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 +1 on Thomas Sanlanderer he has some really good content Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jeff Gros Posted September 29, 2017 Share Posted September 29, 2017 Congrats Andy! Welcome to the world of 3D printing! Here are some tips that I've discovered (the hard way) since I've started. You need a filament filter to keep dust out of your hot end. If you have a piece of sponge or foam that you can run the filament through it will keep dust from clogging your hot end. The link below is what I use, but there are many others. thingiverse.com - Universal Filament Filter and Lubricator by CreativeTools You also want to make sure that the cut end of your filament on the spool never sits loose. Otherwise, the filament will find a way to slip under the lower layers, causing a jam in the middle of your overnight print. Most spools have holes in the edges for you to stuff the filament through so it doesn't get loose. Pick up some nylon filament, or cleaning filament (eSun sells it on amazon) to help clean the hot end. You'll need it when you get a jam and need to do a cold pull. Or when switching from something hot (ABS) to something cold (PLA). You'll also want acupuncture needles to clear nozzle jams. Check your hot end diameter to get the right size needle. Amazon doesn't sell needles for some reason, so this will be an Ebay purchase. As padre mentioned on today's show, many filament are moisture sensitive. You should store the filament with desiccant. A home depot bucket, gamma seal lid and some desiccant is a good start. You can rejuvenate the dessicant (and filament) with a food dehydrator when necessary. Or just throw it away. Desiccant is cheap. The first layers are the most important. Make sure that the filament is sticking (good bed adhesion) before you walk away. Once you do, you can setup a raspberry pi with OctoPrint to control/monitor the print while you're doing something else. The "3D Printing General" has a book, which I highly recommend. His youtube channel is so-so for technical content, but the book is an excellent troubleshooting guide. Very thorough. https://www.amazon.com/3D-Printing-Failures-Diagnose-Repair/dp/1547202386/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506666167&sr=1-1&keywords=3d+printing+failures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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