The unit in question.
Posted on 03/17/2015 11:56:10 AM PDT by GRRRRR
Is this 3D printer worth it?
Seems like a good entry level, home hobbiest and tinkering tool.
Anyone have one already and can you tell us about your learning curve?
G
The unit in question.
I put one on the Amazon wish list a while back. Looking to get a one or similar at some point.
Factor in ‘print’ costs at about $30 per pound.
As long as you understand that whatever you buy today may be obsolete in a year or two, go for it.
You’re on the bleeding edge of home 3D printing right now, and things are still shaking out.
The important thing to research is will your CAD software of choice support this 3D printer.
Remember the good old days of PCs when you had to have the proper driver for the specific dot matrix printer you wanted to use?
I did not know dremel was into this. I saw a Makerbot at Sam’s for 1299. My wife told me no
/johnny
$999. 4.5 star reviews at HD.
Home Depot for $999 and the rolls of polymer to print with are about $30ea with many colors available.
I’m wanting one, as the KING of the Household, I don’t need any steenkin’ permission!!
Just trying to figure out what I would print that is not dust collecting junk.
My main “hobby” involves quadcopter flying and 2nd Amendment activities.
All home printing extrusion (ABS or PLA) are all just about the same. They all run on open source software and hardware. Some important considerations though. Get the closed frame to prevent air blowing over the part. Get a heated table. Prepare for lots of frustration.
Uses a proprietary file format. May be ok for just playing with it if you generate your own file data, but I would look at others and compare the software engines so you know which 3d files it will work with. Personally I would get something more universal that can use other people’s input data files.
Women! They just don’t understand.
“Remember the good old days of PCs when you had to have the proper driver for the specific dot matrix printer you wanted to use?”
Good old days? The first thing you have to do when you buy a new printer is download the updated driver.
.
“Just trying to figure out what I would print that is not dust collecting junk.
My main “hobby” involves quadcopter flying and 2nd Amendment activities.”
Gun mount for your copter.
The flashforge dreamer is a higher rated version. Slightly higher cost.
Tell her it can make custom jewelry and kitty cat figurines.
I'll go one step further: invest in a gamer- or engineering-level PC that has a decent graphics card/processor, before you invest in the 3D printer. You'll need something that can smoothly run CAD software and the printer drivers, especially when creating/editing more complex objects. A friend of mine grew increasingly frustrated with failed prints during the first 100 operating hours on his 3D printer, only to find out it wasn't his printer or even his programming skills. Instead, the failures were the result of using a crappy bargain laptop which could barely run his printer and editor. He replaced it with a high-end tower system, and can't stop raving about his hobby now.
I made the mistake of telling her that about computers back then and she started buying oozeloads of hardware and software products hooked up to knitting machines and expensive embroidering stuff. Can’t imagine now if I was still married with her.
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