[fireman15]

Do you do 3D printing? If so, what slicer and firmware do you typically run?

We have owned a 3D Printer since 2016. The printer is from a design that was originally open source. Mine is called a “Monoprice-113860 Maker Select 3D” V2. It was marketed under a number of names. The slicer software is based on Cura. I forget which firmware version that I am on.

I have done a lot of mods to the printer over the years including modifications and additions to the motherboard in the controller. The original was prone to overheating and quit working, but was both reparable and there were worthwhile mods that made it much more dependable. There has been a lot of support for this printer in the forums so I didn't have to reinvent the wheel to get it going again. It has worked very well. Unlike a standard printer for paper this little guy is easy to repair and modify with generic parts that are cheap and available.

I have also put together much larger 3D printers for friends. But I have not found the need to replace my original printer especially after making quite a few mods to it.

My favorite design software is called Autodesk 123D Design. It is no longer available through the manufacturer. They were giving it away on Amazon for years after they stopped supporting it. You can still find it on archive.org. It is simple to use but can be very precise. I also like Autodesk's full feature Fusion 360 software. If you register as a hobbyist or student I believe you can still get it for free as well. But it is more than I need for most projects and more complicated to use.

I have designed many original projects like the venturi adapter that I made to use Natural Gas with our backup generator. I also like to download and print things that I find on Thingiverse.com. etc... I often end up modifying the designs that I find to better suit my needs.

[laxcoach]

I had 2 Robo R1+ printers for years. My son (18 now) sells VR sports training subscriptions and prints 3d parts to attach the VR controller to a lacrosse stick.

I thought I loved those printers. One died this spring, and I bought an Anycubic photon mono x resin printer.

I have to say, it puts filament printers to shame. The level of detail is amazing. If laid out properly the speed is amazing.

The only downside is the resin needs to be treated like a hazardous substance. If you get it on your hands, no matter how many times you wash, you can smell and taste it. I go through so many nitrile gloves now.

But, I could never go back to filament. I haven’t turned on my remaining robo printer since I got this new one running.

[Ellendra]

Thank you for that recommendation.

I will freely admit, I am NOT a software person! I prefer tools I can touch. But I recently bought a small 3D printer, thinking it might help with some of my prototyping. I’m still figuring it out, hopefully that program will help.