3D printing...

[rob.mwpropane]

I can't say what is the best, but I went with the Ender 5 Pro (refurbished to save some money) after talking with my sister and her husband who have been 3d printing for years. The only upgrade I found desirable out of the gate was adding a BLTouch for auto-leveling. I may do other things in the future, but for now it does all the stuff I need and it does it pretty well.

Be aware that if you want to do more than print what others have designed you're also going to need to learn to use some design software (I've used Fusion 360, 3D Builder, and Tinkercad so far myself).

A BL Touch is nice, but the only time I have to level is when I change to a different type of filament. And even then it's just a matter of printing a large square that you can "feel" as it prints to get the right level. Stop, remove and then print. I'm just saying all the "little things" aren't really needed to get decent prints. It's nice to be able to "read" the machine and see what's off as opposed to relying on the Touch.....(plus I'm cheap, lol).

I did a lot of research between the Ender 3 vs Ender 5. The Ender 3 seemed like it was preferred everywhere I went (but I have zero experience with the Ender 5, so take that with a grain of salt).

The newer Ender 3's have thermal runway protection (mine is a little older, I had to flash the eeprom to have this).

Creality Ender 3 vs Ender 5: The Differences | All3DP

This and then some! I myself use FreeCad (can't beat the price, and it will run on a potato). The infinite university of youtube provided the initial tutorials to get me rolling with it.

Respectfully,

James

Fusion 360 is free for personal / hobby use.

There's a pretty big learning curve, but what a great program. I've spent a lot of time with it and only just begun to scratch the surface.

Fusion 360 for Personal Use | Fusion 360 | Autodesk

 

[mc42]

I’m very impressed with my Ender 3 (Pro) as well. It’s printed everything I’ve thrown at it, including TPU 95, which I’d heard horror stories about needing a new extruder, etc. I upgraded to a silenced main board (worth it) and added a glass build plate for ABS printing. I’ve been tempted to add a leveler, but I don’t level often and get good results.

It’s a great starter printer that punches well above its weight. There’s lots of support for it, so it’s easy for a beginner like me to find relevant tips and videos. You do have to put it together yourself, but it was a good learning opportunity for me.

 

[emoreira]

In my personal experience, the whole process from an idea to the 3D printed object, going through the scketch in a paper, thinking how to desing and print, the use of the CAD software, the slicer, material selection, orientation, and printing is fantastic, it's a mind opener. Even better if there is a lovely application to what you are printing. I do not want to judge or criticize those who print benchys or dolls or nonsenses, but having a real life application is superb.
I also use FreeCAD. I've already tried Fusion360, but found that FreeCAD is more intuitive, and the learning curve is faster.

 

[The Chairman]

I haven't tried freecad... I tried Fusion360 and then OnShape.com. The tutorials for OnShape were awesome.

 

[Tracy]

Be careful having dive gear printed by friends.
Someone on the O2ptima rebreather group made this awesome tool for opening the DiveCan canisters on our rebreathers. They can be hard to grip when wet.

He shared the file with the group. I don't have a printer, so I asked my friend Nathan if he would print it for me.
This is what I received. It is functional, but not exactly the same.

 

[OTF]

That's excellent. Your friend would like the long hose retainers I've made.

 

[Tracy]

That's excellent. Your friend would like the long hose retainers I've made.

Gonna need to see one.

 

[WarrenZ]

Be careful having dive gear printed by friends.
Someone on the O2ptima rebreather group made this awesome tool for opening the DiveCan canisters on our rebreathers. They can be hard to grip when wet.
View attachment 651060

He shared the file with the group. I don't have a printer, so I asked my friend Nathan if he would print it for me.
This is what I received. It is functional, but not exactly the same.
View attachment 651061

If your squeamish just grab your side cutters and channel your inner mohel and perform a quadruple bris.

Just the tip as it were.

 

[OTF]

Gonna need to see one.

I might post the "other" ones later, not sure if they'd violate SB's puritanical TOS, but for now here's the 1911 hose retainer, guaranteed to escalate any confrontation unnecessarily.

 

[Tracy]

I might post the "other" ones later, not sure if they'd violate SB's puritanical TOS, but for now here's the 1911 hose retainer, guaranteed to escalate any confrontation unnecessarily.

I must have one.