3D Printing For Modelers – Lesson 1
Apr 5, 2020 12:41:38 GMT
Country Joe, Joe Saggese, and 3 more like this
Post by Adam on Apr 5, 2020 12:41:38 GMT
Theme: What exactly is 3D Printing, Filament, 3D Printer Brands
In this first lesson, I will start by giving an overview of 3D Printing an provide some resources to learn more. There are many excellent Youtube videos on this subject, so I will leverage them as much as possible (none this week though). Next lesson (aiming for a weekly installment) I will share the initial lessons on using a printer to maybe help reduce the steepness of the learning curve. I will say this, starting out you will have more failures that successes. There is learning curve. The key is to learn from them, try not to get frustrated and you will slowly improve your skills. Again, more on this next week. A good site to learn some basics is 3dinsider.com/. I reference this a few times below.
Your homework for this week is just to learn and research. I recommend not pulling the trigger on any printers yet (not that they would ship anyway). There are many considerations, which I will expand upon next week.
1. What exactly is 3D Printing?
The simple answer is that 3D Printing is the process of taking a model designed in CAD software and rendering it in a material such as plastic. There are several technologies that have been invented, but most are cost prohibitive and reserved for industrial uses. Hobbyists will normally use Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Technology. This is the process of taking the virtual model that was designed and converting them into slices (or layers). Then the printer will melt a type of plastic (often referred to as filament) and extrude it in those slices until the model is completed. The most common downfall of this method is that often you will see the layers. However, those layers are getting smaller as the technology improves, so the models printed with newer printers are improving tremendously.
Here is a great source for those wanting to learn more about the various 3D Printing technologies: 3dinsider.com/3d-printer-types/
2. What Types of Filament Materials are Available?
Selecting a thermoplastic (the term of a plastic that becomes pliable upon heating) filament to print with can sometimes be overwhelming. The choices are many. For those who want the quick answer, beginners will want to start with PLA (Polylactic Acid). PLA is non-toxic, easiest to print with and tends to have best results when it comes to details of a model. While it is not designed for any load-bearing type of applications, it is plenty strong for modeling. It won't, however, work well outdoors as the sun and summer heat will melt it. The second choice would be ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene). If you are going to print gears, parts for your car, something that will be outdoors, etc., ABS is your best choice.
The long answer is that it depends on the application. There is a wide variety of choices and they each have different properties. Here is a good reference of the more common choices: 3dinsider.com/3d-printing-materials/.
The brand Hatchbox (check them out on Amazon) is what I recommend. Prices for a spool of filament runs from mid $20s to upwards of $60~$80, depending on material. Many printers will include one or two rolls of filament to get you started.
3. Which printer should I consider?
Choosing a printer can be even more bewildering. There are many brands on the market. Here are some of the more well known brands for your research purposes.
Dremel (https://digilab.dremel.com/products): The same company that makes the multi-use power tool also makes 3D Printers. What I like about them is that their support is all in the US.
Start Printer Choice: 3D20 (https://digilab.dremel.com/products/3d20), about $650
Premium Choice: 3D45 (https://digilab.dremel.com/products/3d45 ), about $1,900
Flashforge (https://www.flashforge.com/): I own a Flashforge and love it, but that does not mean everyone will. This company was one of the early one to make solid consumer based printers. They have a good reputation, support is good but based out of China (hasn't been an issue for me, but I rarely need support). Their prices tend to be a bit lower, probably due to lower support costs. The only problem I have with this company is that they have far too many printer choices.
Starter Printer Choice: Adventurer 3 (https://www.flashforgeshop.com/product/10001 ), about $450
Premium Choice: Dreamer (https://www.flashforgeshop.com/product/10004), about $750
XYZPrinting (https://www.xyzprinting.com/en-US/home): Another very well known brand with some good choices on the low end.
Prusia 3D (https://www.prusa3d.com/): These guys specialize in open source (plent of open source SW and tech in this 3D printing hobby). They offer both completed printers as well as kits for the brave tinkerers. Note that some of their printers at not enclosed. More on this next week.
Makerbot (https://www.makerbot.com/): Some of you may have also heard of Makerbot. This is a very good brand, but they have decided to basically ignore the hobby market. They primarily sell printers for professionals and educators. Do feel free to check out their website (it will become obvious that they don't want to sell to hobbiest). However, they do serve us in another way, www.thingiverse.com is their website for sharing 3D models and is free for anyone to use, just create an account.
There are many other choices, including kits where you build your own printer. It all depends on what you want to get into and your tolerance for tinkering an figuring things out. I will expand on this in the future. A search on Amazon for 3D Printers will give you a sense of the offerings.
In this first lesson, I will start by giving an overview of 3D Printing an provide some resources to learn more. There are many excellent Youtube videos on this subject, so I will leverage them as much as possible (none this week though). Next lesson (aiming for a weekly installment) I will share the initial lessons on using a printer to maybe help reduce the steepness of the learning curve. I will say this, starting out you will have more failures that successes. There is learning curve. The key is to learn from them, try not to get frustrated and you will slowly improve your skills. Again, more on this next week. A good site to learn some basics is 3dinsider.com/. I reference this a few times below.
Your homework for this week is just to learn and research. I recommend not pulling the trigger on any printers yet (not that they would ship anyway). There are many considerations, which I will expand upon next week.
1. What exactly is 3D Printing?
The simple answer is that 3D Printing is the process of taking a model designed in CAD software and rendering it in a material such as plastic. There are several technologies that have been invented, but most are cost prohibitive and reserved for industrial uses. Hobbyists will normally use Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Technology. This is the process of taking the virtual model that was designed and converting them into slices (or layers). Then the printer will melt a type of plastic (often referred to as filament) and extrude it in those slices until the model is completed. The most common downfall of this method is that often you will see the layers. However, those layers are getting smaller as the technology improves, so the models printed with newer printers are improving tremendously.
Here is a great source for those wanting to learn more about the various 3D Printing technologies: 3dinsider.com/3d-printer-types/
2. What Types of Filament Materials are Available?
Selecting a thermoplastic (the term of a plastic that becomes pliable upon heating) filament to print with can sometimes be overwhelming. The choices are many. For those who want the quick answer, beginners will want to start with PLA (Polylactic Acid). PLA is non-toxic, easiest to print with and tends to have best results when it comes to details of a model. While it is not designed for any load-bearing type of applications, it is plenty strong for modeling. It won't, however, work well outdoors as the sun and summer heat will melt it. The second choice would be ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene). If you are going to print gears, parts for your car, something that will be outdoors, etc., ABS is your best choice.
The long answer is that it depends on the application. There is a wide variety of choices and they each have different properties. Here is a good reference of the more common choices: 3dinsider.com/3d-printing-materials/.
The brand Hatchbox (check them out on Amazon) is what I recommend. Prices for a spool of filament runs from mid $20s to upwards of $60~$80, depending on material. Many printers will include one or two rolls of filament to get you started.
3. Which printer should I consider?
Choosing a printer can be even more bewildering. There are many brands on the market. Here are some of the more well known brands for your research purposes.
Dremel (https://digilab.dremel.com/products): The same company that makes the multi-use power tool also makes 3D Printers. What I like about them is that their support is all in the US.
Start Printer Choice: 3D20 (https://digilab.dremel.com/products/3d20), about $650
Premium Choice: 3D45 (https://digilab.dremel.com/products/3d45 ), about $1,900
Flashforge (https://www.flashforge.com/): I own a Flashforge and love it, but that does not mean everyone will. This company was one of the early one to make solid consumer based printers. They have a good reputation, support is good but based out of China (hasn't been an issue for me, but I rarely need support). Their prices tend to be a bit lower, probably due to lower support costs. The only problem I have with this company is that they have far too many printer choices.
Starter Printer Choice: Adventurer 3 (https://www.flashforgeshop.com/product/10001 ), about $450
Premium Choice: Dreamer (https://www.flashforgeshop.com/product/10004), about $750
XYZPrinting (https://www.xyzprinting.com/en-US/home): Another very well known brand with some good choices on the low end.
Prusia 3D (https://www.prusa3d.com/): These guys specialize in open source (plent of open source SW and tech in this 3D printing hobby). They offer both completed printers as well as kits for the brave tinkerers. Note that some of their printers at not enclosed. More on this next week.
Makerbot (https://www.makerbot.com/): Some of you may have also heard of Makerbot. This is a very good brand, but they have decided to basically ignore the hobby market. They primarily sell printers for professionals and educators. Do feel free to check out their website (it will become obvious that they don't want to sell to hobbiest). However, they do serve us in another way, www.thingiverse.com is their website for sharing 3D models and is free for anyone to use, just create an account.
There are many other choices, including kits where you build your own printer. It all depends on what you want to get into and your tolerance for tinkering an figuring things out. I will expand on this in the future. A search on Amazon for 3D Printers will give you a sense of the offerings.
