3D Printer and CNC kits

I've seen some really creative parts being produced by 3D printers. I invested in a $400 Makerbot clone from China that I still haven't gotten working correctly (my fault not the printer).

What printers are you using and what is their cost?

Also, what software?

What CNC kits are you using?

Thanks,

Bob

i've only had stuff printed for me so far by an online service called shapeways.com, not yet invested in my own printer. upside is you get to choose from more materials than just plastics.

software-wise i had a great learning curve/experience using trimble (formerly google) sketchup. (sketchup.com)
also make sure to spend a few bucks for a 3d-mouse like the 3dconnexion spacenavigator (for notebooks, this one is small, affordable and does the job plenty enough), it will help with productivity immensely (no matter which 3d software you end up using).
also, sketchup, while not bad already "off-the-shelf" can be pimped heavily using free plugins and scripts from various online sources.

good luck with your projects!

MP select mini...think I paid around $170 for it. 4.7"x4.7"x4.7" bed but it works for 99% of the stuff I need. Though next one I will spend a bit more to get the bigger bed, this little printer is absolutely unbeatable for the price and quality. Using solidwords. Using Cura for quick slices or Repetier/Slic3r for more involved prints

I purchased mine as a kit (PRUSA I3 MK2S). It has a heated bed and handles most of the filaments out there. The bed size is 9.84 x 8.3 x 8. The software is a version of Slic3r which creates the Gcode from STL files. I have solidworks student edition from EAA.

You

Just bought an Anycubic i3 Mega, $439 via Amazon. Roughly 8x8x8 print volume. I had it printing within 30 minutes of opening the box. Tech support has been good. I have been using Cura to print stuff downloaded from Thingiverse so far as I figure out how to use it. I have the student/EAA Solidworks version installed, and am learning that. So far so good. I plan to play around with Slic3r at some point.

I also have a benchtop CNC router in the basement. Most of that machine's production has been with g-code files produced by G-Simple and heavily modified by hand. Different machine for different tasks.

Tom Gan said:

I purchased mine as a kit (PRUSA I3 MK2S). It has a heated bed and handles most of the filaments out there. The bed size is 9.84 x 8.3 x 8. The software is a version of Slic3r which creates the Gcode from STL files. I have solidworks student edition from EAA.

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I have a Prusa on order right now, expect it to ship to me near the end of May... They are seriously backlogged as it is the top-rated desktop 3D printer right now. I liked that it also comes in a kit version (which will ship a lot sooner)... Anyone with skills to build and/or maintain an amateur-built aircraft should be able to put one together.

They are developing a multi-material head for it as well, that will let you run up to 4 different filament colours/materials at once. It should be ready later this summer, and can be retro-fitted onto the standard printer.

What i'd really like to get is a CNC router... Then things like this become possible... http://opendesk.cc

..

cnc router - check out the MPCNC https://www.vicious1.com/

Even the Prusa requires tweaking. The only 'plug and play' one I have tried so far is the Mod-T https://newmatter.com/ but it only does PLA and has a small print area.

I'm using the Robo3D R1 Plus+ at work. 3 slice engines, easy to set up, decent build volume, and a bargain at $699.

We chose this one because it's the one Google labs reports as being the least troublesome.

Mostly, i'm printing accessories out of PLA for Virtual Reality controllers and trackers, so nothing I'm putting any stress on. For anything with any type of structural loading, I'd have to switch over to ABS instead of PLA.

My colleagues in Stockholm have a Formlabs resin printer, which needs a little special care and feeding due to the nature of the process. Lots of cleaning of goop. The payoff is that you get more finely detailed parts. Again, not intended for anything structural.

With any of these systems there are learning curves, variables, and black-magic voodoo settings to get to the sweet spot you need, but it's pretty cool being able to make a thing out of bits and bytes.

As far as the software goes our current design path looks lik ethis:

Concept > Solidworks for Non-Commercial Stuff ( thanks EAA), Onshape or Geomagic (not recommended at this point) for commercial > Simpilfy 3D for model slicing and generating the files for the 3D printer.


For the 3D printer we have been pretty hapy with Makerbot based printers that we have used for several years and have mad modifications to as we have learned how to use them.

For large orders or unusual materials we use a couple of different outside suppliers.

Some things to understand:
> Yes the learning curve is steep.
> Failures are usually pretty cheap because of the low material cost.
> Don't skimp on the filament (We prefer esun because they have provided good support, continue to develop new "alloys", and have lot control on their materials)
> Consult the online community, there are a lot of folks out there that are climbing the same learning curve and have probably addressed your issues already. (We like the Flashforge google group for supporting out makerbot based machine, there are many others)
> Keep in mind that most of what is out there are clones of a couple of the early designs and most can be made to be useful and reliable if you take the time to work on the setup, calibration, and learn their limits and eccentricities.
> I cannot speak highly enough of the Simplify #D slicer, I have recommended it to several other users and as far as I know everyone is still using it. I personally went from making a lot of **** to pretty good parts immediately after starting to use it. Over time I have been able to use the flexibility it allows to tweak parameter to the application requirements for individual designs.
> Check around your area for a "Makerspace" type of community or your local high school or community college. More and more of these are starting to use these machines and you can take advantage their knowledge, usually the instructor is always pretty happy to share their knowledge and experience. In addition you may be able to get some time to make your part on a working machine and take out the uncertainty of trying to learn a new skill set on a machine that you do not have confidence in yet.


Not too sure what yo are referring to on the CNC side of your question. I can provide some suggestions of what we have learned on setting up a small Asian CNC mill here but that is another thread. My only comment is to invest in something like Tormach and not waste you money on breaking tools on a lesser system.

- larosta

You can't beat the open source stuff from Openbuilds. I built the OX CNC router using the open source design found on the Openbuilds forum. Of course you can buy it in kit form too.

I have built several 3D printers. The first one I built was a MendelMax 2.1 and I used a Rambo controller board. See Me CNC has some nice kits. I built one of their kits for a cousin and the print quality was great.

xavierm said:

cnc router - check out the MPCNC https://www.vicious1.com/

Even the Prusa requires tweaking. The only 'plug and play' one I have tried so far is the Mod-T https://newmatter.com/ but it only does PLA and has a small print area.

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Mine was about as close as I would ever expect to get. Eight screws to bolt the two major subassemblies together, and three cable plugs. It's got a proximity sensor for assisted bed leveling and I had it printing in less than half an hour, I think. I do need to get a glass bed plate for it though...

Prusa as well

I'm running a Prusa i3 Mk2 from the kit (about $800 w/shipping). I started with a Printrbot Simple Maker Edition (about $400). I started using Autodesk Fusion 360 before EAA did their awesome thing with SolidWorks, so I'll probably stick with that. Fusion 360 is also free for hobbyists. I slice with mostly with Cura and Slic3r, although I've tried some others. 3D printing is totally a fun edition to your skillset after/during an airplane build. It does take some time and learning, but if you're interested in it, it's worth the price of admission for these sub-$1000 printers. FWIW, my 7-yr-old daughter can design and print simple things all on her own without Dad's help (could do it when she was 6), so you can figure it out with a little help and instruction.

if you go the kit build route I highly recommend the PRUSA . I started with no knowledge other than reading websites. I've learned allot about how the components go together both hardware and software as well as calibration. The kit and instructions are very good quality and easy to understand for a newbie.

I also have built the MPCNC and have been experimenting with that as well. You can purchase the plastic online or print them yourself. Similar components used but very different way of thinking v.s. true 3d printing. Have made some routed wood signs thus far and having fun experimenting with just an inexpensive Dewalt cut out tool.

Been considering building a third machine for Plasma cutting since I have all of the welding equipment but the cost goes up allot due to needing a stronger axis and plasma torch control components.

Anyone out there with experience with building a Plasma cutting machine?

DaleB said:

I do need to get a glass bed plate for it though...

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I'd be interested in hearing why... One of the benefits of the PRUSA in my mind was that it didn't use the glass plate. The material it comes with seems (from reports online) to be superior for build adhesion with minimal fuss...