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Default 3D Printer Recommendation?

Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer" thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.


Cheers



Dave R


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On 25/04/2018 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer" thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.


It is interesting in that unlike turning which is a subtractive process
3D printing is an additive process so you can make curious intricate
objects limited only by your imagination.

If you want to dip your toe in the water using high end kit on a time
and materials basis find your local hack space (likewise laser cutting).

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Martin Brown
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On 25/04/18 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer" thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.


A friend has one as she is an inveterate 'inventor' and has lots of
uses for rapspberry PI cases, knobs, etc etc.

Has done a few jobs for me too.

400 quid hers cost.



--
"Women actually are capable of being far more than the feminists will
let them."


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On Wednesday, 25 April 2018 14:56:20 UTC+1, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 25/04/18 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer" thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.


A friend has one as she is an inveterate 'inventor' and has lots of
uses for rapspberry PI cases, knobs, etc etc.


rapspberry PI cases can cost as little as £5.


Has done a few jobs for me too.

400 quid hers cost.


They are fun but whether a home users can make a profit out of them I'm not yet convinced. If it's just a hobby fine, who cares if it takes 3 hours to design the box and 2 hours to print it with £10 worth of materials.




--
"Women actually are capable of being far more than the feminists will
let them."


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On 25/04/18 16:30, whisky-dave wrote:
On Wednesday, 25 April 2018 14:56:20 UTC+1, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 25/04/18 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer" thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.


A friend has one as she is an inveterate 'inventor' and has lots of
uses for rapspberry PI cases, knobs, etc etc.


rapspberry PI cases can cost as little as £5.


Has done a few jobs for me too.

400 quid hers cost.


They are fun but whether a home users can make a profit out of them I'm not yet convinced. If it's just a hobby fine, who cares if it takes 3 hours to design the box and 2 hours to print it with £10 worth of materials.


Exactly.






--
"Women actually are capable of being far more than the feminists will
let them."




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On 25 Apr 2018 13:23:04 GMT, David wrote:

Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer" thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.


A mate, liking the idea of one, conscripted his Mrs to do the research
and along the way asked me two things:

1) Could I give them any advice re what to get and:

2) Whatever they got, could I help them build it (they wouldn't get
one if I said no).

As I hadn't even used one and only seen them on the telly or at
Engineering shows *, I did a bit of Googling and found several things
I understood to be important and fitted 'our' prerequisites.

a) It needed to be a kit (none of us had the time or experience to
source all the bits individually).

b) It needed to be rigid.

c) It needed to be RepRap / open source as much as possible.

d) It needed to come from the Uk (for support / spares etc).

e) It needed to have a good rep.

She ended up with a MendelMax 1.5 (kit) and we (he and I) built it up
in our spare time and I'd have to say we were very pleased with it.
The very first real test print, a 20mm cube turned out to be just
that. ;-)

I was then worked hard every day (often 10 - 6) printing all sorts of
stuff for all 3 of us and also bits for others, as the mood / need
took us. It's very much like this:

https://www.ultibots.com/mendelmax-1-5-kit/

It's also printed all the plastic parts for two more printers now. ;-)


A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off parts.


That didn't even come into it for us.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!".


;-)

Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.


I haven't ... as that wasn't (as you say), 'the point'.

More the point though, some of the practical uses we have put it to
have allowed us to do stuff that would have been very expensive or
very difficult to have done without and so we consider it to have paid
for itself (in time and convenience, if not in cost etc).

Cheers, T i m
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On Wednesday, 25 April 2018 14:56:20 UTC+1, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 25/04/18 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer" thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.


A friend has one as she is an inveterate 'inventor' and has lots of
uses for rapspberry PI cases, knobs, etc etc.

Has done a few jobs for me too.

400 quid hers cost.


I thought that said invertebrate inventor at first.


NT
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On 25/04/2018 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer" thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.


Anything I've seen in that price range seems to have quite poor
resolution. I would put them in the because I love gadgets category.


--
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On 26/04/2018 12:34, Nightjar wrote:
On 25/04/2018 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer" thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so
there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off
parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.


Anything I've seen in that price range seems to have quite poor
resolution. I would put them in the because I love gadgets category.


My view too. But if you know what you are doing (as Andrew Mawson's
fluorescent tube thread shows) they are beginning to get useful for some
DIY. (I know someone who's lad has one, but AFAIK he's only done "art"
with it).
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On 26/04/2018 12:34, Nightjar wrote:
On 25/04/2018 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer" thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so
there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off
parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.


Anything I've seen in that price range seems to have quite poor
resolution. I would put them in the because I love gadgets category.



The ~£99 ones ebay have the same resolution as the £1000 ones in general.
You only get a significantly better resolution when you go for a resin
printer using a laser and UV resins.

I would expect a 0.4mm nozzle and 0.2mm layer height even from a £99
printer and you can probably replace the nozzle with a 0.25mm one.

The £99 will probably require more tuning to get the best results.





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On Wed, 25 Apr 2018 17:22:17 +0100, T i m wrote:

I was then worked hard every day (often 10 - 6) printing all sorts of
stuff for all 3 of us and also bits for others, as the mood / need
took us.


What are you finding to print? That keeps the printer so busy?

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Dave.



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On 26/04/2018 16:16, dennis@home wrote:
On 26/04/2018 12:34, Nightjar wrote:
On 25/04/2018 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer"
thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so
there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off
parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.


Anything I've seen in that price range seems to have quite poor
resolution. I would put them in the because I love gadgets category.



The ~£99 ones ebay have the same resolution as the £1000 ones in general.


I was thinking more of something like the Ultimaker 2+, which is nearer
two grand.

You only get a significantly better resolution when you go for a resin
printer using a laser and UV resins.

I would expect a 0.4mm nozzle and 0.2mm layer height even from a £99
printer and you can probably replace the nozzle with a 0.25mm one.


I've not seen any that offer better than 350-400 microns layer height.
The Ultimaker 2+ can get down to 20 microns and includes a 0.8mm nozzle.
It will also work with much more useful materials than PLA, such as ABS,
nylon and polypropylene.



--
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On 26/04/18 16:55, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Wed, 25 Apr 2018 17:22:17 +0100, T i m wrote:

I was then worked hard every day (often 10 - 6) printing all sorts of
stuff for all 3 of us and also bits for others, as the mood / need
took us.


What are you finding to print? That keeps the printer so busy?

since a teeny weeny bust can take 6 hours to print, it doesnt take much
to 'keep a printer busy'



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"newshound" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 26/04/2018 12:34, Nightjar wrote:
On 25/04/2018 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer" thread,
I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so
there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off
parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.


Anything I've seen in that price range seems to have quite poor
resolution. I would put them in the because I love gadgets category.


My view too. But if you know what you are doing (as Andrew Mawson's
fluorescent tube thread shows) they are beginning to get useful for some
DIY. (I know someone who's lad has one, but AFAIK he's only done "art"
with it).


Should be ideal if you have little kids that are obsessed with stuff like
dinosaurs and cars etc, easy to make them more of them cheaply.

Havent worked out if they pay for themselves in that situation tho.

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On Thu, 26 Apr 2018 16:55:46 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

On Wed, 25 Apr 2018 17:22:17 +0100, T i m wrote:

I was then worked hard every day (often 10 - 6) printing all sorts of
stuff for all 3 of us and also bits for others, as the mood / need
took us.


What are you finding to print? That keeps the printer so busy?


The biggest item / longest print time was the PIR lantern corner
bracket because printed on it's side it was nearly size of the bed (in
an 'L' shape) and quite a bit of the maximum print height.

Also, because it needed to be reasonably strong we printed it at a
fairly high density.

We would also often print multiple items at once (like more printer
parts) and the limit would be how long the job would take (to ensure
it fitted into a working day). Nothing worse than having to abandon a
8 hour print job on 99% because mate had to shut shop and we didn't
want to risk leaving it on unattended. ;-(

To be fair we also had the speed settings set to 'conservative' as
that proved both more reliable and gave a better finish.

So, it wasn't really what we were finding to print but what we needed
to print.

I would often design something in the evening that I needed (or would
like) to use the next day (like a drilling template or part for
something), I would Dropbox it to my mate and pick it up printed at
lunchtime, assuming he wasn't printing something for himself or his
Mrs (like a tool, bracket or storage for her vape stuff or the 3D
object scanner he printed for himself).

Cheers, T i m


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On 26/04/2018 17:01, Nightjar wrote:
On 26/04/2018 16:16, dennis@home wrote:
On 26/04/2018 12:34, Nightjar wrote:
On 25/04/2018 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer"
thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so
there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off
parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying
stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.

Anything I've seen in that price range seems to have quite poor
resolution. I would put them in the because I love gadgets category.



The ~£99 ones ebay have the same resolution as the £1000 ones in general.


I was thinking more of something like the Ultimaker 2+, which is nearer
two grand.


Which is similar resolutions to the £99 one.


You only get a significantly better resolution when you go for a resin
printer using a laser and UV resins.

I would expect a 0.4mm nozzle and 0.2mm layer height even from a £99
printer and you can probably replace the nozzle with a 0.25mm one.


I've not seen any that offer better than 350-400 microns layer height.
The Ultimaker 2+ can get down to 20 microns and includes a 0.8mm nozzle.


I would hope you mean something smaller than that.
0.8mm is like the volcano nozzles you can buy for ~£30 that are used to
print thick layers more quickly rather than print fine detail at higher
resolutions.

Both my sub £200 printers go down to 100 micron layers, there isn't much
point in going lower with FFF printers as it would take days to print
anything. Its where resin printers take over and they start at about
£500 these days (unless you want a kit).

It will also work with much more useful materials than PLA, such as ABS,
nylon and polypropylene.


You need a £20 upgrade to make the £99 printer work with those
materials. One of mine will print those and a few others like carbon
fibre filled stuff, the other will only do stuff that doesn't need a
heated bed so PLA, PTG, etc.

All you need is a heated bed and an all metal hotend which cost very
little from china.

I have just bought the equivalent of a microswiss hotend for £4 to fit
my mk9 extruder but I need to drill the heater block out to 6MM and tap
it 7mm which I haven't got around to yet.

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On 26/04/2018 23:19, dennis@home wrote:
On 26/04/2018 17:01, Nightjar wrote:
On 26/04/2018 16:16, dennis@home wrote:
On 26/04/2018 12:34, Nightjar wrote:
On 25/04/2018 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer"
thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range
so there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off
parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just
wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying
stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.

Anything I've seen in that price range seems to have quite poor
resolution. I would put them in the because I love gadgets category.



The ~£99 ones ebay have the same resolution as the £1000 ones in
general.


I was thinking more of something like the Ultimaker 2+, which is
nearer two grand.


Which is similar resolutions to the £99 one.


You only get a significantly better resolution when you go for a
resin printer using a laser and UV resins.

I would expect a 0.4mm nozzle and 0.2mm layer height even from a £99
printer and you can probably replace the nozzle with a 0.25mm one.


I've not seen any that offer better than 350-400 microns layer height.
The Ultimaker 2+ can get down to 20 microns and includes a 0.8mm nozzle.


I would hope you mean something smaller than that.


I missed out a zero. It should have read 0.08mm

0.8mm is like the volcano nozzles you can buy for ~£30 that are used to
print thick layers more quickly rather than print fine detail at higher
resolutions.

Both my sub £200 printers go down to 100 micron layers, there isn't much
point in going lower with FFF printers as it would take days to print
anything.


That is my main reason for not buying one. I would need a high
resolution for any of the applications I have been considering.

Its where resin printers take over and they start at about
£500 these days (unless you want a kit).


Looking online, engineering resins are around £200 a litre and none seem
to be WRAS approved.

It will also work with much more useful materials than PLA, such as
ABS, nylon and polypropylene.


You need a £20 upgrade to make the £99 printer work with those
materials. One of mine will print those and a few others like carbon
fibre filled stuff, the other will only do stuff that doesn't need a
heated bed so PLA, PTG, etc.

All you need is a heated bed and an all metal hotend which cost very
little from china.

I have just bought the equivalent of a microswiss hotend for £4 to fit
my mk9 extruder but I need to drill the heater block out to 6MM and tap
it 7mm which I haven't got around to yet.



--
--

Colin Bignell
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On Thursday, 26 April 2018 17:01:18 UTC+1, Nightjar wrote:
On 26/04/2018 16:16, dennis@home wrote:
On 26/04/2018 12:34, Nightjar wrote:
On 25/04/2018 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer"
thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so
there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off
parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.

Anything I've seen in that price range seems to have quite poor
resolution. I would put them in the because I love gadgets category.



The ~£99 ones ebay have the same resolution as the £1000 ones in general.


I was thinking more of something like the Ultimaker 2+, which is nearer
two grand.

You only get a significantly better resolution when you go for a resin
printer using a laser and UV resins.

I would expect a 0.4mm nozzle and 0.2mm layer height even from a £99
printer and you can probably replace the nozzle with a 0.25mm one.


I've not seen any that offer better than 350-400 microns layer height.
The Ultimaker 2+ can get down to 20 microns and includes a 0.8mm nozzle.
It will also work with much more useful materials than PLA, such as ABS,
nylon and polypropylene.


yes that's more like it, glad someone knows a little more about 3D printers as most don't seem to realise the number of differnt plastics and their properties and then compare the stated 'accuracies' and what is actually achievable.
Wil a £99 printer you'd get reasonble results printing out low quality christmass cracker toys and the like, won't even achieve the quality of £1 shop stuff.
But 3D printers are fun and they will get cheaper it's similar to how colour printers were back in the mid 90s you';d need to spend quite a few £100 to get a decent photo printer now they can be brought for £30 and are better quality.

3D printers are fun if you have the time and patience.
I'd want one with at least 2 heads if not 3 and the ability to print more than just one type of plastic, and presntly I'd expect to pay between £600 & £1,500
but as yet I don't really have a good use for one.


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On 27/04/2018 12:28, whisky-dave wrote:
On Thursday, 26 April 2018 17:01:18 UTC+1, Nightjar wrote:
On 26/04/2018 16:16, dennis@home wrote:
On 26/04/2018 12:34, Nightjar wrote:
On 25/04/2018 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer"
thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so
there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off
parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.

Anything I've seen in that price range seems to have quite poor
resolution. I would put them in the because I love gadgets category.



The ~£99 ones ebay have the same resolution as the £1000 ones in general.


I was thinking more of something like the Ultimaker 2+, which is nearer
two grand.

You only get a significantly better resolution when you go for a resin
printer using a laser and UV resins.

I would expect a 0.4mm nozzle and 0.2mm layer height even from a £99
printer and you can probably replace the nozzle with a 0.25mm one.


I've not seen any that offer better than 350-400 microns layer height.
The Ultimaker 2+ can get down to 20 microns and includes a 0.8mm nozzle.
It will also work with much more useful materials than PLA, such as ABS,
nylon and polypropylene.


yes that's more like it, glad someone knows a little more about 3D printers as most don't seem to realise the number of differnt plastics and their properties and then compare the stated 'accuracies' and what is actually achievable.
Wil a £99 printer you'd get reasonble results printing out low quality christmass cracker toys and the like, won't even achieve the quality of £1 shop stuff.
But 3D printers are fun and they will get cheaper it's similar to how colour printers were back in the mid 90s you';d need to spend quite a few £100 to get a decent photo printer now they can be brought for £30 and are better quality.

3D printers are fun if you have the time and patience.
I'd want one with at least 2 heads if not 3 and the ability to print more than just one type of plastic, and presntly I'd expect to pay between £600 & £1,500
but as yet I don't really have a good use for one.



More rubbish from whiskey I see.
He sure knows a lot about stuff he has never tried.

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On Friday, 27 April 2018 12:46:55 UTC+1, dennis@home wrote:
On 27/04/2018 12:28, whisky-dave wrote:
On Thursday, 26 April 2018 17:01:18 UTC+1, Nightjar wrote:
On 26/04/2018 16:16, dennis@home wrote:
On 26/04/2018 12:34, Nightjar wrote:
On 25/04/2018 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer"
thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so
there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off
parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.

Anything I've seen in that price range seems to have quite poor
resolution. I would put them in the because I love gadgets category.



The ~£99 ones ebay have the same resolution as the £1000 ones in general.

I was thinking more of something like the Ultimaker 2+, which is nearer
two grand.

You only get a significantly better resolution when you go for a resin
printer using a laser and UV resins.

I would expect a 0.4mm nozzle and 0.2mm layer height even from a £99
printer and you can probably replace the nozzle with a 0.25mm one.

I've not seen any that offer better than 350-400 microns layer height.
The Ultimaker 2+ can get down to 20 microns and includes a 0.8mm nozzle.
It will also work with much more useful materials than PLA, such as ABS,
nylon and polypropylene.


yes that's more like it, glad someone knows a little more about 3D printers as most don't seem to realise the number of differnt plastics and their properties and then compare the stated 'accuracies' and what is actually achievable.
Wil a £99 printer you'd get reasonble results printing out low quality christmass cracker toys and the like, won't even achieve the quality of £1 shop stuff.
But 3D printers are fun and they will get cheaper it's similar to how colour printers were back in the mid 90s you';d need to spend quite a few £100 to get a decent photo printer now they can be brought for £30 and are better quality.

3D printers are fun if you have the time and patience.
I'd want one with at least 2 heads if not 3 and the ability to print more than just one type of plastic, and presntly I'd expect to pay between £600 & £1,500
but as yet I don't really have a good use for one.



More rubbish from whiskey I see.
He sure knows a lot about stuff he has never tried.


I've had enough studetns here doing it 24/7 and we have two 3D printers in the lab. if I'd brought them I wouldn't be too happy paying a grand for them athough they have two nozzles and can take two types of plastic.
The printer we have downstairs is about 40K and another in SEMS is about 1/4 million now that is impressive.





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On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 12:46:53 +0100, "dennis@home"
wrote:

snip

More rubbish from whiskey I see.
He sure knows a lot about stuff he has never tried.


;-)

I think this obsession with resolution must be because people are
wanting to print tiny or high resolution items with the wrong tool.

It would be like trying to fix a watch with a hammer.

However, if you are printing 'appropriately sized' things and that
actually suit the *actual* finish needs of the job, many of even the
cheaper printers (these days) will do a perfectly good job.

It's like basics baked beans versus Heinz, yes basics taste
'different', primarily because they often contain less sugar and salt
but they are still just haricot beans in a sauce. ;-)

After actually / regularly using 3D printers (and my point) you
'learn' that that is equally acceptable for the function ... not
everything we use *needs* to have a mirror finish or be 'perfect' to
perform it's goals admirably.

It's like Morrisons now selling 'wonkey vegetables' ... aren't they
just 'vegetables'?

Nothing I've ever printed has failed to be suitable for the job in
hand. No one has ever questioned the finish or the detail (often the
opposite) and most have been fascinated to see something being
designed on a PC and to have that object in their hands a while later.

*That* is more the point of them from my POV and the whole point of
the RepRap / Maker type movement, not the manufacture of perfect works
of engineering art (even though they often can). ;-)

Cheers, T i m


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On Friday, 27 April 2018 15:23:48 UTC+1, T i m wrote:
On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 12:46:53 +0100, "dennis@home"
wrote:

snip

More rubbish from whiskey I see.
He sure knows a lot about stuff he has never tried.


;-)

I think this obsession with resolution must be because people are
wanting to print tiny or high resolution items with the wrong tool.


Exactly and they also think 3D printing is more advanced than it acutauly is.

Most people expexct far more from a 3D printer than it can do.
The cheap 3D printers that you can buy are fine if you don't expect much from them.


It would be like trying to fix a watch with a hammer.


Like using a screwdriver as a chisel which can be done, a coupe of students achieved that here, but that doesn't make it the right tool for the job.


However, if you are printing 'appropriately sized' things and that
actually suit the *actual* finish needs of the job, many of even the
cheaper printers (these days) will do a perfectly good job.


dependign what yuo mean by a perfectly good job.
Here we try to educate studetns to use the right tool for the right job.
This is why when the college wanted to make bones using a 3D printer they spent 1/4 million rather than a £99 one from ebay.

It's like basics baked beans versus Heinz, yes basics taste
'different', primarily because they often contain less sugar and salt
but they are still just haricot beans in a sauce. ;-)


But I can taste the differnce and luckily I actually prefer the home brand cheaper ones because they taste less strong or tomotery.
This is why you have tatsers because some can tell the diffence.

Like cars most 3D printers will be OK for most home users but ther are some people that need a large car such as a 7 seater or a sports car.


After actually / regularly using 3D printers (and my point) you
'learn' that that is equally acceptable for the function ... not
everything we use *needs* to have a mirror finish or be 'perfect' to
perform it's goals admirably.


Of course not but the day when you decide yuo want a mirro finish is that before you buy the printer or a month after using it.

It's like Morrisons now selling 'wonkey vegetables' ... aren't they
just 'vegetables'?


No idea in theory they should be cheaper.


Nothing I've ever printed has failed to be suitable for the job in
hand.


Well it shouldn't be if you know what you are doing.

No one has ever questioned the finish or the detail (often the
opposite) and most have been fascinated to see something being
designed on a PC and to have that object in their hands a while later.


So which 3D printer do you have.


*That* is more the point of them from my POV and the whole point of
the RepRap / Maker type movement, not the manufacture of perfect works
of engineering art (even though they often can). ;-)

Cheers, T i m


We are looking for someone to look after the 3D printers and assocaited stuff.
https://webapps2.is.qmul.ac.uk/jobs/...ion?jobID=3276



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On 27/04/2018 15:23, T i m wrote:
On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 12:46:53 +0100, "dennis@home"
wrote:

snip

More rubbish from whiskey I see.
He sure knows a lot about stuff he has never tried.


;-)

I think this obsession with resolution must be because people are
wanting to print tiny or high resolution items with the wrong tool.

It would be like trying to fix a watch with a hammer.

However, if you are printing 'appropriately sized' things and that
actually suit the *actual* finish needs of the job, many of even the
cheaper printers (these days) will do a perfectly good job....


My application would be making one off sizes of products that I rarely
get asked for and that I don't now sell, because they would not justify
the cost either of tooling or of holding a quantity in stock. Nobody is
going to be happy paying £100 or more for something that looks tatty, so
surface finish is important. One option I have considered is an
Ultimaker 3, which has dual nozzles. I don't yet know if it would work
that way, but I was thinking of using one fine nozzle for the outer
surfaces and a coarser nozzle to bulk fill between the outer layers.



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On 2018-04-25 14:23, David wrote:
Having just read an interesting "What I did with my 3D printer" thread, I
wondered which 3D printers DIYers used, and why.

A quick look online seems to show printers in the £200-£400 range so there
would have to be a significant saving to cost in for making one off parts.

I can understand the "Uh, duh, because 3d printing!". Just wondering if
anyone has cost justified a purchase on the savings over buying stuff or
throwing away something as unrepairable.


Cheers



Dave R




I have an Ultimaker 2+ - a little over your budget, but it's given me
hours of endless fun. Most recently I used it to fix the rocker
mechanism in an angle-poise light. The original simply part was badly
designed and rendered the lamp unusable. There are numerous other
examples of "stuff around the house" that have been fixed by printing
something.

That said, may I suggest that the issue is not printing, but designing
the part.

The real investment (time not money) is knowing how to design 3d parts
and the compromises you make to have them useable after printing.
Getting hold of design software is easy (free), learning how to use it,
then how to print your designs is time-consuming and frustrating but
bloody rewarding when you make progress.

If you want to design your own models, I suggest it may be worth a few
hundred quid just to have something to print with so you can compare
your design with the lump of misshapen plastic that took four hours to
print.

2p.
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On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 16:50:23 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

snip

However, if you are printing 'appropriately sized' things and that
actually suit the *actual* finish needs of the job, many of even the
cheaper printers (these days) will do a perfectly good job....


My application would be making one off sizes of products that I rarely
get asked for and that I don't now sell, because they would not justify
the cost either of tooling or of holding a quantity in stock.


Ok, that's the sort of 'non production' use that may be appropriate.

Nobody is
going to be happy paying £100 or more for something that looks tatty,


Is this an assembly as I'm not sure you would get though even 15 quids
worth of filament in one print job on a 'std' sized printer?

so
surface finish is important.


Is it though? So we aren't talking utility' here then?

One option I have considered is an
Ultimaker 3, which has dual nozzles. I don't yet know if it would work
that way, but I was thinking of using one fine nozzle for the outer
surfaces and a coarser nozzle to bulk fill between the outer layers.


No, I don't think it would because each print layer is one layer and
of a uniform thickness (irrespective of the nozzle diameter).

Plus I think you are more likely to suffer registration and changeover
errors with a dual extruder (possibly sorted with a post cleanup etc).

Like I mentioned, no one has ever commented on the finish of any of my
print jobs ... because they weren't *expecting* any specific finish
and whatever they say must have been considered acceptable? shrug

I can't think of anything I could print to be (realistically) worth
much over the cost of the materials and electricity ... because it's
not that sort of thing (ignoring the design time etc).

Cheers, T i m



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On 27/04/2018 19:11, T i m wrote:
On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 16:50:23 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

snip

However, if you are printing 'appropriately sized' things and that
actually suit the *actual* finish needs of the job, many of even the
cheaper printers (these days) will do a perfectly good job....


My application would be making one off sizes of products that I rarely
get asked for and that I don't now sell, because they would not justify
the cost either of tooling or of holding a quantity in stock.


Ok, that's the sort of 'non production' use that may be appropriate.

Nobody is
going to be happy paying £100 or more for something that looks tatty,


Is this an assembly as I'm not sure you would get though even 15 quids
worth of filament in one print job on a 'std' sized printer?


Materials are rarely a significant part of the cost of any manufactured
item. IME, around 10-15% would be typical.

so
surface finish is important.


Is it though? So we aren't talking utility' here then?


They have to look as good as anything else I am selling, which means
that, ideally, they should look like injection mouldings. In some cases,
they would be used with injection moulded items.

One option I have considered is an
Ultimaker 3, which has dual nozzles. I don't yet know if it would work
that way, but I was thinking of using one fine nozzle for the outer
surfaces and a coarser nozzle to bulk fill between the outer layers.


No, I don't think it would because each print layer is one layer and
of a uniform thickness (irrespective of the nozzle diameter).

Plus I think you are more likely to suffer registration and changeover
errors with a dual extruder (possibly sorted with a post cleanup etc).


Much as I expected, which would mean very long print times to get a good
quality product. Another option I might consider is using the printer to
make a master for lost wax investment casting of the items.

Like I mentioned, no one has ever commented on the finish of any of my
print jobs ... because they weren't *expecting* any specific finish
and whatever they say must have been considered acceptable? shrug

I can't think of anything I could print to be (realistically) worth
much over the cost of the materials and electricity ... because it's
not that sort of thing (ignoring the design time etc).


As I am running a business, I can't ignore design time, the capital cost
and depreciation of the equipment, general business overheads or the like.


--
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On 27/04/2018 19:55, Nightjar wrote:

8

As I am running a business, I can't ignore design time, the capital cost
and depreciation of the equipment, general business overheads or the like.



If you want to do lost wax stuff then you can get photosensitive resins
specifically to make the patterns. It burns off to virtually nothing
when you drop in the metal.

A suitable printer would start at about £600 and go upwards depending on
size, speed and automation requirements.


maybe something like

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EU-Stock-...n/302712065732

but check the reviews.


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On 27/04/2018 21:20, dennis@home wrote:
On 27/04/2018 19:55, Nightjar wrote:

8

As I am running a business, I can't ignore design time, the capital
cost and depreciation of the equipment, general business overheads or
the like.



If you want to do lost wax stuff then you can get photosensitive resins
specifically to make the patterns. It burns off to virtually nothing
when you drop in the metal.

A suitable printer would start at about £600 and go upwards depending on
size, speed and automation requirements.


maybe something like

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EU-Stock-...n/302712065732


but check the reviews.



Thank you for that. It is useful to know. Although, I would be getting a
foundry to make the parts, so if they do it that way, they would
probably only need the data.

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On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 19:55:15 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

On 27/04/2018 19:11, T i m wrote:
On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 16:50:23 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

snip

However, if you are printing 'appropriately sized' things and that
actually suit the *actual* finish needs of the job, many of even the
cheaper printers (these days) will do a perfectly good job....

My application would be making one off sizes of products that I rarely
get asked for and that I don't now sell, because they would not justify
the cost either of tooling or of holding a quantity in stock.


Ok, that's the sort of 'non production' use that may be appropriate.

Nobody is
going to be happy paying £100 or more for something that looks tatty,


Is this an assembly as I'm not sure you would get though even 15 quids
worth of filament in one print job on a 'std' sized printer?


Materials are rarely a significant part of the cost of any manufactured
item. IME, around 10-15% would be typical.


Quite .. and I still think it would be hard to get though even 10
quid's worth of std filament on one print job for a £100 item (on a
std sized printer). ;-)

so
surface finish is important.


Is it though? So we aren't talking utility' here then?


They have to look as good as anything else I am selling, which means
that, ideally, they should look like injection mouldings.


Ok, so comparing apples and oranges then?

In some cases,
they would be used with injection moulded items.


See above.

One option I have considered is an
Ultimaker 3, which has dual nozzles. I don't yet know if it would work
that way, but I was thinking of using one fine nozzle for the outer
surfaces and a coarser nozzle to bulk fill between the outer layers.


No, I don't think it would because each print layer is one layer and
of a uniform thickness (irrespective of the nozzle diameter).

Plus I think you are more likely to suffer registration and changeover
errors with a dual extruder (possibly sorted with a post cleanup etc).


Much as I expected, which would mean very long print times to get a good
quality product.


Quite. However, these printers aren't supposed to be making 'product',
they are there to make prototypes and but *can* be used for the final
solution, if you aren't bothered about a mirror finish (on all faces)
and don't require things to be produced at mass production rates.

Another option I might consider is using the printer to
make a master for lost wax investment casting of the items.


Wouldn't you still have the same detailing issue though?

Like I mentioned, no one has ever commented on the finish of any of my
print jobs ... because they weren't *expecting* any specific finish
and whatever they say must have been considered acceptable? shrug

I can't think of anything I could print to be (realistically) worth
much over the cost of the materials and electricity ... because it's
not that sort of thing (ignoring the design time etc).


As I am running a business, I can't ignore design time, the capital cost
and depreciation of the equipment, general business overheads or the like.


No one suggested you should (and all those would be amortized over the
number of items you produce / capital expenditure tax offsets etc) ...
so it just looks like a std 3D printer would be the wrong tool for
your job. shrug

As an aside ... I considered the capital cost of the printer to have
been covered 100% on the first solution I was able to print that would
have cost that to have made commercially. Everything else has been a
bonus. ;-)

Cheers, T i m
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On Friday, April 27, 2018 at 7:55:22 PM UTC+1, Nightjar wrote:
On 27/04/2018 19:11, T i m wrote:
On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 16:50:23 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

snip

However, if you are printing 'appropriately sized' things and that
actually suit the *actual* finish needs of the job, many of even the
cheaper printers (these days) will do a perfectly good job....

My application would be making one off sizes of products that I rarely
get asked for and that I don't now sell, because they would not justify
the cost either of tooling or of holding a quantity in stock.


Ok, that's the sort of 'non production' use that may be appropriate.

Nobody is
going to be happy paying £100 or more for something that looks tatty,


Is this an assembly as I'm not sure you would get though even 15 quids
worth of filament in one print job on a 'std' sized printer?


Materials are rarely a significant part of the cost of any manufactured
item. IME, around 10-15% would be typical.

so
surface finish is important.


Is it though? So we aren't talking utility' here then?


They have to look as good as anything else I am selling, which means
that, ideally, they should look like injection mouldings. In some cases,
they would be used with injection moulded items.

One option I have considered is an
Ultimaker 3, which has dual nozzles. I don't yet know if it would work
that way, but I was thinking of using one fine nozzle for the outer
surfaces and a coarser nozzle to bulk fill between the outer layers.


No, I don't think it would because each print layer is one layer and
of a uniform thickness (irrespective of the nozzle diameter).

Plus I think you are more likely to suffer registration and changeover
errors with a dual extruder (possibly sorted with a post cleanup etc).


Much as I expected, which would mean very long print times to get a good
quality product. Another option I might consider is using the printer to
make a master for lost wax investment casting of the items.

Like I mentioned, no one has ever commented on the finish of any of my
print jobs ... because they weren't *expecting* any specific finish
and whatever they say must have been considered acceptable? shrug

I can't think of anything I could print to be (realistically) worth
much over the cost of the materials and electricity ... because it's
not that sort of thing (ignoring the design time etc).


As I am running a business, I can't ignore design time, the capital cost
and depreciation of the equipment, general business overheads or the like..


--
--

Colin Bignell


iMaterialise , Shapeways, new shiny professional 3D hubs for final run parts in exotic material, 99 quid ebay special running PLA for prototyping, physical proto in hand beats highest res cad image for sure.

Voodoo, 3D print farm, reckon can be cost competitive up to 10,000 parts Vs injection moulding

https://voodoomfg.com/

Print farms are a thing

https://www.ft.com/content/f28948e8-...a-7e7563b0b0f4

it`s not just cracker novelties and D&D dice nowadays,3d printed crane hook:

https://www.huismanequipment.com/en/...ore-crane-hook



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On 28/04/2018 11:04, T i m wrote:
....
They have to look as good as anything else I am selling, which means
that, ideally, they should look like injection mouldings.


Ok, so comparing apples and oranges then?...


They are all the same range of products to the customer.
Much as I expected, which would mean very long print times to get a good
quality product.


Quite. However, these printers aren't supposed to be making 'product',
they are there to make prototypes and but *can* be used for the final
solution, if you aren't bothered about a mirror finish (on all faces)
and don't require things to be produced at mass production rates.

Another option I might consider is using the printer to
make a master for lost wax investment casting of the items.


Wouldn't you still have the same detailing issue though?..


One of the Ultimaker videos shows a Oscar statuette they have printed.
The finish is good, but it took them 20 hours to print. Not a problem
for a one off master, but not desirable if somebody wants to buy several
of them.


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On Sun, 29 Apr 2018 17:03:26 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

On 28/04/2018 11:04, T i m wrote:
...
They have to look as good as anything else I am selling, which means
that, ideally, they should look like injection mouldings.


Ok, so comparing apples and oranges then?...


They are all the same range of products to the customer.


An uninformed customer possibly. Would you also have to explain the
difference between an original and a reprint of a picture?

Much as I expected, which would mean very long print times to get a good
quality product.


Quite. However, these printers aren't supposed to be making 'product',
they are there to make prototypes and but *can* be used for the final
solution, if you aren't bothered about a mirror finish (on all faces)
and don't require things to be produced at mass production rates.

Another option I might consider is using the printer to
make a master for lost wax investment casting of the items.


Wouldn't you still have the same detailing issue though?..


One of the Ultimaker videos shows a Oscar statuette they have printed.


Ok.

The finish is good, but it took them 20 hours to print.


Ok.

Not a problem
for a one off master, but not desirable if somebody wants to buy several
of them.


Indeed, and hence why such 3D printers aren't used for mass production
and why they are probably not the right tool for your considered use.
;-)

Cheers, T i m
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On 29/04/2018 18:04, T i m wrote:
On Sun, 29 Apr 2018 17:03:26 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

....
They are all the same range of products to the customer.


An uninformed customer possibly. Would you also have to explain the
difference between an original and a reprint of a picture?


Well-informed customers are a joy to deal with. Unfortunately, not all
of them are. Last week I had to explain the difference between a 6" pipe
and a 3" pipe, to discover eventually that the customer wanted a product
for a 4" pipe.

....
Not a problem
for a one off master, but not desirable if somebody wants to buy several
of them.


Indeed, and hence why such 3D printers aren't used for mass production
and why they are probably not the right tool for your considered use.


They are certainly not the best tool, but, as I no longer have an
engineering workshop to call upon, I need to look at what I can fit in a
corner of my office.


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On 29/04/2018 17:03, Nightjar wrote:
On 28/04/2018 11:04, T i m wrote:
...
They have to look as good as anything else I am selling, which means
that, ideally, they should look like injection mouldings.


Ok, so comparing apples and oranges then?...


They are all the same range of products to the customer.
Much as I expected, which would mean very long print times to get a good
quality product.


Quite. However, these printers aren't supposed to be making 'product',
they are there to make prototypes and but *can* be used for the final
solution, if you aren't bothered about a mirror finish (on all faces)
and don't require things to be produced at mass production rates.

Another option I might consider is using the printer to
make a master for lost wax investment casting of the items.


Wouldn't you still have the same detailing issue though?..


One of the Ultimaker videos shows a Oscar statuette they have printed.
The finish is good, but it took them 20 hours to print. Not a problem
for a one off master, but not desirable if somebody wants to buy several
of them.



More printers.
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On 29/04/2018 19:19, dennis@home wrote:
On 29/04/2018 17:03, Nightjar wrote:

....
One of the Ultimaker videos shows a Oscar statuette they have printed.
The finish is good, but it took them 20 hours to print. Not a problem
for a one off master, but not desirable if somebody wants to buy
several of them.



More printers.


They cost £2k each. I would need to go into business doing 3D printing
to justify buying more than one and I am looking to cut down on my work,
not increase it.


--
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Colin Bignell


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On 29/04/2018 19:36, Nightjar wrote:
On 29/04/2018 19:19, dennis@home wrote:
On 29/04/2018 17:03, Nightjar wrote:

...
One of the Ultimaker videos shows a Oscar statuette they have
printed. The finish is good, but it took them 20 hours to print. Not
a problem for a one off master, but not desirable if somebody wants
to buy several of them.



More printers.


They cost £2k each. I would need to go into business doing 3D printing
to justify buying more than one and I am looking to cut down on my work,
not increase it.



You can have 10 for £2k and have a lot of change.
The £2k ones don't actually print better, but they may be easier to use.

You could get a prusa multi-material machine for about £1k

https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/3d-print...3-mk3-kit.html

https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/printer-...grade-kit.html

Or maybe you want colour..

https://www.xyzprinting.com/en-GB/pr...da-vinci-color

or a resin printer..

https://www.xyzprinting.com/en-GB/pr...obel-superfine

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On Sun, 29 Apr 2018 19:06:44 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

On 29/04/2018 18:04, T i m wrote:
On Sun, 29 Apr 2018 17:03:26 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

...
They are all the same range of products to the customer.


An uninformed customer possibly. Would you also have to explain the
difference between an original and a reprint of a picture?


Well-informed customers are a joy to deal with.


Agreed.

Unfortunately, not all
of them are. Last week I had to explain the difference between a 6" pipe
and a 3" pipe, to discover eventually that the customer wanted a product
for a 4" pipe.


Hehe. Or the people who turn up to look at the 'Red car' you
advertised to only turn it down because they really wanted blue? ;-(

...
Not a problem
for a one off master, but not desirable if somebody wants to buy several
of them.


Indeed, and hence why such 3D printers aren't used for mass production
and why they are probably not the right tool for your considered use.


They are certainly not the best tool, but, as I no longer have an
engineering workshop to call upon, I need to look at what I can fit in a
corner of my office.


But it doesn't matter if a 3D printer will fit does it if it doesn't
cut the mustard?

Cheers, T i m

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On 29/04/2018 21:11, dennis@home wrote:
On 29/04/2018 19:36, Nightjar wrote:
On 29/04/2018 19:19, dennis@home wrote:
On 29/04/2018 17:03, Nightjar wrote:

...
One of the Ultimaker videos shows a Oscar statuette they have
printed. The finish is good, but it took them 20 hours to print. Not
a problem for a one off master, but not desirable if somebody wants
to buy several of them.



More printers.


They cost £2k each. I would need to go into business doing 3D printing
to justify buying more than one and I am looking to cut down on my
work, not increase it.



You can have 10 for £2k and have a lot of change.
The £2k ones don't actually print better, but they may be easier to use.


Which printers in that price range can achieve a 20 micron layer height
using a 0.08mm nozzle, which is what the Ultimaker 2+ can do?

You could get a prusa multi-material machine for about £1k

https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/3d-print...3-mk3-kit.html


Which says it has a 50 micron layer height.

Or maybe you want colour..

https://www.xyzprinting.com/en-GB/pr...da-vinci-color


Which uses PLA filament, while I would want ABS, PVC and Nylon.

or a resin printer..

https://www.xyzprinting.com/en-GB/pr...obel-superfine


Again, wrong materials.


--
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Default 3D Printer Recommendation?

On 30/04/2018 09:30, Nightjar wrote:
On 29/04/2018 21:11, dennis@home wrote:
On 29/04/2018 19:36, Nightjar wrote:
On 29/04/2018 19:19, dennis@home wrote:
On 29/04/2018 17:03, Nightjar wrote:
...
One of the Ultimaker videos shows a Oscar statuette they have
printed. The finish is good, but it took them 20 hours to print.
Not a problem for a one off master, but not desirable if somebody
wants to buy several of them.



More printers.

They cost £2k each. I would need to go into business doing 3D
printing to justify buying more than one and I am looking to cut down
on my work, not increase it.



You can have 10 for £2k and have a lot of change.
The £2k ones don't actually print better, but they may be easier to use.


Which printers in that price range can achieve a 20 micron layer height
using a 0.08mm nozzle, which is what the Ultimaker 2+ can do?


You have read the product spec for the two+?
https://ultimaker.com/en/products/ul...specifications

It doesn't list 0.08mm for a nozzle or 20 micron layer height.

Ultimaker don't sell nozzles smaller than 0.25 on their site either.

Anyway the cheap ones are mechanically similar and use similar software
(one of mine is a chineese copy of an ultimaker) so you could put a
0.08mm nozzle on one but the chances of it working reliably using FDM is
about nil even on the two+. Even a bit of dust getting in would block it.

I think you have been reading what individuals have been experimenting
with. People are doing similar with all sorts of cheap printers but I
don't think that you want to do that, it takes too much time.

Notes..

The 20 micron layer height is just going to be what you get when you
turn a standard 4 mm lead screw by 1.6 degrees which is the normal step
size on these printers. You could even claim 10 micron if you fit a more
expensive 0.9 degree stepper or a 2mm pitch lead screw. They generally
don't because the gains in quality aren't worth the increase in print times.

Layer height is linked to nozzle size.
The nozzle head has to press the plastic down onto the preceding layer
so the layer height has to be about 80% of the nozzle size or less. My
printers will easily print 0.1 mm layer height even using a 0.4 mm
nozzle but the print speed is so slow I never do it.


You could get a prusa multi-material machine for about £1k

https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/3d-print...3-mk3-kit.html


Which says it has a 50 micron layer height.


So more realistic then?


Or maybe you want colour..

https://www.xyzprinting.com/en-GB/pr...da-vinci-color


Which uses PLA filament, while I would want ABS, PVC and Nylon.


I believe it will print those but not in colour.
The colour is done by painting the filament as it goes in and you can't
paint some of them.


or a resin printer..

https://www.xyzprinting.com/en-GB/pr...obel-superfine


Again, wrong materials.



Better materials in most cases.
You can get hard, flexible, casting, etc. resins.
Printing in ABS and such like is not necessarily the best, I use ABS for
one of my printers but when it runs out I ma going to switch to PETG I
think.
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On 30/04/2018 10:35, dennis@home wrote:
On 30/04/2018 09:30, Nightjar wrote:
On 29/04/2018 21:11, dennis@home wrote:

....
or a resin printer..

https://www.xyzprinting.com/en-GB/pr...obel-superfine


Again, wrong materials.



Better materials in most cases...


I would have to pay to get them WRAS approved, which is not cheap.


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--

Colin Bignell
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