I've been pretty interested in the possibilities of 3D Printing for a while now, since I read an engineering magazine back in the early 2000's.  I figured now that I have a dedicated workshop space, it might be time to consider purchasing/building a printer.  I figure with ARFcom being such a wealth of knowledge, there might be a few guys (or gals) here that could give me a no shitter on the topic.  Most of the kids at the nearest 3D print shop are a bit too hipstery for my tastes, so my fingers are crossed that you guys can simplify it down for a commoner like me.  But enough about how curmudgeonly I can be with people, on to the meat of the thread.

I'm interested in 3D printing mainly for either prop making purposes (geek alert) or minor prototyping.  I don't plan on making any lowers.  I do not have any formal or informal knowledge of 3D/CADD software, beyond being a gamer and having done very minor mods/tweaks.  I did take several programming courses in college, so I'm familiar or at least not mortally terrified with the thought of doing some of that to get this thing up and running.  

Budget-wise, I'm looking to keep this under $5k, perferably in the ~$2,500 area.

So, the questions:

- Does 3D printing even sound like a good idea for me or am I too much of a simpleton?

- Assuming the last question didn't send this thread to a grinding halt, are there 3D printer models out there which would suit my budget/needs/novice knowledge level?

- Is in-depth CCAD knowledge essential, and should I begin learning it ASAP before I purchase a printer?  If so, which program(s) would be adviseable to pick up?

- How big a print area do you recommend?

- Are build-your-own kits the way to go, or is the precision and difficulty level involved something you wouldn't recommend to a guy who bases all of his hobbies and investments off of things he hears in GD?

- Is there anything else you want to add that is valuable information for a beginner, or are there easy-to-understand resources out there for guys like me that hang around the slow crowd?

Thanks in advance for any insight.  If there's any more info I can provide, let me know.

Cheers,

Spenny

I offer no real knowledge but am in for answers.

3D Printing without the ability to create your own models, ie learning a CAD / 3D Modeling application is extremely limited.  If you're serious about getting into it then learn the creation aspect first.

TAGGGGGG.










 

Tagged so I can answer alot of questions when I get home.

Until then, search for threads by me or fattymcnasty we've answered gone over alot of this stuff.

Ah!  I was hoping you'd show up.  I'd spent a while trying to search for you here, but could not remember your username for the life of me.  Did get some interesting hits on "steppingout" and "onthestep" in Googling .

I'll find the thread pronto and see if I can get learned!

Thanks!

I had zero 3d/cadd experience before starting, with so many models already out there, you might not ever have to learn. Custom stuff? Time to learn. However, modeling for printing is different than modeling for cad. Internal structures which are common/result from just about all non-print based modeling programs makes it so the part is unprintable. Essentially you have to make sure your model is a water tight outer shell, for it to print.  

Programming doesnt play into anything 3d printing. The most math you're gonna use is basic algebra for dialing in your stepper motors.



That is much more than it will take to get a nice 3D printer. I would go with a Prusa i3 variant on of the v slotted rail style ones. If you spent 2.5k, you're looking at a very nice kit with multiple extruders.



These were all very generic overview type questions. I can answer specific stuff as well.

yup we have..

and you want to look into a Rostock

linky

this will make larger props that you seek!

what ever you do add a print server to it.. OMG its way handy.. Im using Octopi on mine..

Get back to me when y'all start printing in the 4th dimension

XYZ vs polar movements? F that noise, I'll stick with XYZ.

Can you even use Slic3r or repetier with a delta? Or are the movements translated on the fly in firmware? I'm very ignorant of deltas.

Well... Since the part takes a long ass time to print. You could technically say you're printing/growing across the 4th.

on the fly,via firmware. regular g codes are used in the slicing.. just like what were using and used to.. he just gets one hell of a large work area. for props it would rock! I have a friend at work that made one..