3D Printing help

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Hey guys, I am in the market for a decent printer. I’ve never had one before, so I need a little bit of assistance! Here’s a few questions if anyone can answer.

1. What’s a decent one for the price that can do around 5-7”?
2. What’s a good filament?
3. any tips?

Also, are these any good?

https://www.amazon.com/LONGER-Printe...6&sr=8-17&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/Anet-Printers...529177&sr=8-19

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QJ3Z12P...pd_rd_wg=4qbA7


https://www.amazon.com/Winice-Printe...7PG6GG0PBR44HC


TIA, Jacob.

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[Voodoobrew]

The first and last ones in that list are best of the list IMO, or get an ender 3.
24v power on them which helps the bed to heat up faster.
Just like an rc car the whole thing is upgradeable so buy the one with the best frame.
There are lots of good filament, the best one will vary from print to print depending on your needs. all3dp.com has excellent lists that break down differences.

Expect it to be a project in itself. It comes with its own burdens if you don't already know how to 3d design or how to program, both of these skill sets are practically necessary for 3d printing IMO.
There is a massive amount of learning ahead, they really aren't plug and play, you need to calibrate stuff and know why and why settings need to change.
you can save lots of time buy getting YouTube Red now because you going to be watching a lot of that and the commercials....

But Thats all part of the fun!

[Greatscott]

Originally Posted by Voodoobrew

The first and last ones in that list are best of the list IMO, or get an ender 3.
24v power on them which helps the bed to heat up faster.
Just like an rc car the whole thing is upgradeable so buy the one with the best frame.
There are lots of good filament, the best one will vary from print to print depending on your needs. all3dp.com has excellent lists that break down differences.

Expect it to be a project in itself. It comes with its own burdens if you don't already know how to 3d design or how to program, both of these skill sets are practically necessary for 3d printing IMO.
There is a massive amount of learning ahead, they really aren't plug and play, you need to calibrate stuff and know why and why settings need to change.
you can save lots of time buy getting YouTube Red now because you going to be watching a lot of that and the commercials....

But Thats all part of the fun!

Excellent advise!!!

I too would go with an Ender 3, if you want to go a bit bigger, a CR10, Creality really has 3D printing down. All of those you listed look like knock-offs of Creality or Prusa machines.

Filament brand does matter, cheap filament can cause all kinds of headaches. Typically I use Hatchbox PLA filament, I have burned through several spools of it, and have no issues.

[josh9mile]

Can't go wrong with a Ender 3. I picked up a Ender 3 V2 and really like it, ive printed a lot of rc parts since I got it

[M J]

I concur with the Ender models mentioned above. Go with one that has a self-levelling bed, though. And... be mindful of each type of filament's limitations.

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by Voodoobrew

The first and last ones in that list are best of the list IMO, or get an ender 3.
24v power on them which helps the bed to heat up faster.
Just like an rc car the whole thing is upgradeable so buy the one with the best frame.
There are lots of good filament, the best one will vary from print to print depending on your needs. all3dp.com has excellent lists that break down differences.

Expect it to be a project in itself. It comes with its own burdens if you don't already know how to 3d design or how to program, both of these skill sets are practically necessary for 3d printing IMO.
There is a massive amount of learning ahead, they really aren't plug and play, you need to calibrate stuff and know why and why settings need to change.
you can save lots of time buy getting YouTube Red now because you going to be watching a lot of that and the commercials....

But Thats all part of the fun!

Thank you for all the great tips! I definitely don’t expect it to be plug n play, I’m looking forward to learn more about it. I have done a little bit of 3D Modeling in the past, just never printed them out. I’ve heard that I need to get a printer that comes with its own design software(CAD I think?) is that true?


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[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Thank you everyone for the tips! It seems I will get a Ender 3, or possibly the last one I linked. I searched Ender 3 and quite a bit came up, just want to make sure this is the right one, not a fake!


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...RMNIRLH8&psc=1

Also, how long does one spool last on average? I know it’s going to be different for everyone, but I want to make sure I order enough!

Anybody ever print hardbodies?


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[Greatscott]

You get quite a bit out of a single spool of filament, but there are various factors that go into it as well. One of the biggest is how much in-fill your models have.

One thing to think about, most filaments are sensitive to moisture/humidity, and filament that has soaked up enough of it will cause you issues. Living in Hawaii, you'll want an air-tight box to store your filament in, and you'll want a good amount of descant with it to keep the air relatively dry.

As different projects go, hard-bodies and such, the filament you use is really dependent upon what you are making. PLA is absolutely the easiest to print with, and new-guy friendly; but, it can be brittle, difficult to sand and finish, and decomposes in UV light (i.e.: sunlight). For application such as parts that take stress, or exposed to sunlight there is PETG, ABS, and a number of niche filaments; but some are particularly difficult to work with and to get good results out of.

As for as software and such....
CAD. Recommend Fusion 360, its very powerful, fairly easy to use, and free for us hobbyist.

Slicers: A lot of people use Cura, its free, and relatively does a good job. But, I have found Cura to produce inconsistent results. I went whole-hog about bought Simplify 3D, it is $150, but it solved a lot of the issues I was having early on.

I have a thread in the Chit-Chat forum that you might find useful:
3D Printers and Printing

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by Greatscott

You get quite a bit out of a single spool of filament, but there are various factors that go into it as well. One of the biggest is how much in-fill your models have.

One thing to think about, most filaments are sensitive to moisture/humidity, and filament that has soaked up enough of it will cause you issues. Living in Hawaii, you'll want an air-tight box to store your filament in, and you'll want a good amount of descant with it to keep the air relatively dry.

As different projects go, hard-bodies and such, the filament you use is really dependent upon what you are making. PLA is absolutely the easiest to print with, and new-guy friendly; but, it can be brittle, difficult to sand and finish, and decomposes in UV light (i.e.: sunlight). For application such as parts that take stress, or exposed to sunlight there is PETG, ABS, and a number of niche filaments; but some are particularly difficult to work with and to get good results out of.

As for as software and such....
CAD. Recommend Fusion 360, its very powerful, fairly easy to use, and free for us hobbyist.

Slicers: A lot of people use Cura, its free, and relatively does a good job. But, I have found Cura to produce inconsistent results. I went whole-hog about bought Simplify 3D, it is $150, but it solved a lot of the issues I was having early on.

I have a thread in the Chit-Chat forum that you might find useful:
3D Printers and Printing

Thank you Scott, all this info really does help. I would’ve never guessed PLA decomposes from sunlight. Definitely skipping over PLA. I will definitely get an airtight box to put my filament in, heck, we have to do a lot for moisture control, so I’m used to it. Just curious, what is descant? I’ve heard good with ABS, so I think I’ll get a roll or two of ABS.

You’re link takes me to a different thread, but no big deal, I can search for it!


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[Greatscott]

Don't over react to the PLA and UV comment, it isn't instant, it does to a good while for it to start to break down, and won't turn to dust as soon as it is exposed to sunlight. You REALLY want to start with PLA, then go from there, it is the easiest to print with. I design and print a lot of supporting parts, ESC mounts, winch mounts and such with PLA, and it holds up fine. But, if you are planning on making a chassis, body, or something like that, then you want to take a hard look at which filament would be best. ABS is particularly finicky to print with, and not what I would recommend just starting out. PETG is kind of the mid-point between PLA and ABS, but it still is finickier than PLA.

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by Greatscott

Don't over react to the PLA and UV comment, it isn't instant, it does to a good while for it to start to break down, and won't turn to dust as soon as it is exposed to sunlight. You REALLY want to start with PLA, then go from there, it is the easiest to print with. I design and print a lot of supporting parts, ESC mounts, winch mounts and such with PLA, and it holds up fine. But, if you are planning on making a chassis, body, or something like that, then you want to take a hard look at which filament would be best. ABS is particularly finicky to print with, and not what I would recommend just starting out. PETG is kind of the mid-point between PLA and ABS, but it still is finickier than PLA.

That’s funny, I was just reading a thread about filament and I was coming here to edit my post to put PLA or PETG. i plan to print a bed for my TRX4, probably a front bumper, and some scale accessories. From what I’ve seen PLA is brittle and won’t be good for a bumper, but yes, it seems everyone is saying it’s the easiest.

Should I get a roll of PLA and PETG then?

Sorry for all the questions, just want to ge5 everything correct before I place an order!


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[HumboldtEF]

Yes start off with some PLA and use it to learn with, Once you have something you want to print and use on a RC then switch to PETG. I usually get 2 rolls at a time (though thats because most of what I print is all the same color)

PLA does not handle heat well and it will warp if it gets too hot, PETG does not warp as easily and is a bit more flexible allowing it to take some abuse unlike PLA.

[Greatscott]

"Brittle", is a relative term, and it really depends on how the part is made/designed, the infill, and how it is used.

Here is one of my winch designs for the TRX series...

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

The bed plates are solid, they are 100% infill, and I am really not worried about them cracking, I have had my TRX6, TRX4, and Bomber all suspended from this one winch at the same time with no issues.

The problem is in the spool...
Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

This is the forth or fifth design I came up with because the setscrew just would not hold and would back out, stripping the PLA. I had to make the spool with a really wide shoulder with a really long course screw so there was enough meat in the spool to allow the screw to grab adequately. It is still the weak spot of this winch, and will likely be replaced with custom mill aluminum spools.

This is an example of understanding the limitations of the filament, and compensating for those limitations in the design.

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by Greatscott

"Brittle", is a relative term, and it really depends on how the part is made/designed, the infill, and how it is used.

Here is one of my winch designs for the TRX series...

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

The bed plates are solid, they are 100% infill, and I am really not worried about them cracking, I have had my TRX6, TRX4, and Bomber all suspended from this one winch at the same time with no issues.

The problem is in the spool...
Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

This is the forth or fifth design I came up with because the setscrew just would not hold and would back out, stripping the PLA. I had to make the spool with a really wide shoulder with a really long course screw so there was enough meat in the spool to allow the screw to grab adequately. It is still the weak spot of this winch, and will likely be replaced with custom mill aluminum spools.

This is an example of understanding the limitations of the filament, and compensating for those limitations in the design.

I really like that winch Mount! I’ve seen it in other threads before.


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[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by HumboldtEF

Yes start off with some PLA and use it to learn with, Once you have something you want to print and use on a RC then switch to PETG. I usually get 2 rolls at a time (though thats because most of what I print is all the same color)

PLA does not handle heat well and it will warp if it gets too hot, PETG does not warp as easily and is a bit more flexible allowing it to take some abuse unlike PLA.

Ok, thanks for that info! I’m going to get hatchbox PLA and hatchbox PETG when I get my Ender 3.


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[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Ordering now


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[ScaleLifeNewbie]

I just wanted to say thank you to Voodoo, GreatScott, and Humboldt for all of the juicy information! It really does help a lot, I’m glad I posted before I bought one, or I would’ve gotten one of the knockoffs. I really had no clue what I was looking for/at, but now i know the basics. Super stoked to put together my first kit Friday, and learn how everything works.


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[M J]

I know it's been a month, but I wanted to say that it's 'desiccant' - a moisture absorbing substance or drying agent. You can get them in small packets, or you can buy it in bulk and put it in a 3d printed container and store it with your filament spools.

How are things going so far?

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

Originally Posted by M J

I know it's been a month, but I wanted to say that it's 'desiccant' - a moisture absorbing substance or drying agent. You can get them in small packets, or you can buy it in bulk and put it in a 3d printed container and store it with your filament spools.

How are things going so far?

I’m waiting on my ptfe tube to get here, then I can continue fixing my problem. I’m having trouble with my print not sticking. It sticks, until it has to do a circle or curved line.


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[QuesoDelDiablo]

Originally Posted by ScaleLifeNewbie

I’m waiting on my ptfe tube to get here, then I can continue fixing my problem. I’m having trouble with my print not sticking. It sticks, until it has to do a circle or curved line.


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have you tried adjusting your Z height down a tiny bit?

9/10 times when a PLA print won't stick I've found that's a first layer height issue.