# Bought a 3D Printer Tonight...  Anyone Else Out There With One?



## Lewdog (Sep 27, 2018)

So I had a 15% off coupon from eBay today and decided to go ahead and take advantage and buy a 3D printer.  I had been wanting to get one for awhile, so I pulled the trigger.  This one is pretty big and isn't supposed to take too much to set it up.  

Anyone else out there got one?  Any pointers on some good shareware?  Good places to find .stl files?

NEW Alfawise U20 Large Scale 2.8" Touch Screen Aluminium Alloy DIY 3D Printer US  | eBay


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## AsianTrumpSupporter (Sep 27, 2018)

I don't have one, but the only reason I'd buy one is to 3D print a lower receiver as a Californian.


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## Natural Citizen (Sep 27, 2018)

What are you gonna print?


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## Lewdog (Sep 27, 2018)

Natural Citizen said:


> What are you gonna print?



I have a product I designed, and I also plan to print custom figures for people who play board and role play games.  Also own a site for custom pieces for Funko products.


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## Natural Citizen (Sep 27, 2018)

Lewdog said:


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Oh, I see. That'll be good for that kind of thing.


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## Lewdog (Sep 27, 2018)

Natural Citizen said:


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Well it has a pretty large printing surface compared to a lot of others I found in the same price range.  Most were 5.9" all around, while this one is 11.9"x11.9"x15.8".  So I shouldn't have problems printing anything I have in mind.


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## MisterBeale (Sep 27, 2018)

I got a buddy that downloaded the plans for those guns before our evil freedom loving overlords took away our freedom of speech.  Want 'em?


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## Lewdog (Sep 27, 2018)

MisterBeale said:


> I got a buddy that downloaded the plans for those guns before our evil freedom loving overlords took away our freedom of speech.  Want 'em?



Almost every person I have talked to in the 3D printing and with guns, have said they would NEVER fire one of them, and even if they did, they wouldn't be worth trying to fire a second time.


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## HereWeGoAgain (Sep 27, 2018)

Lewdog said:


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   Interesting ya wanted the ability to print something in the twelve inch range.
  Have fun......


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## Lewdog (Sep 27, 2018)

HereWeGoAgain said:


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Well yeah... if I am going to sell prints of a mold of mine it has to be that big...

But seriously, get your mind out of the gutter.  The most important thing is my product has a 6 inch diameter base and all the other printers at 5.9" wasn't large enough.


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## BULLDOG (Sep 27, 2018)

Lewdog said:


> So I had a 15% off coupon from eBay today and decided to go ahead and take advantage and buy a 3D printer.  I had been wanting to get one for awhile, so I pulled the trigger.  This one is pretty big and isn't supposed to take too much to set it up.
> 
> Anyone else out there got one?  Any pointers on some good shareware?  Good places to find .stl files?
> 
> NEW Alfawise U20 Large Scale 2.8" Touch Screen Aluminium Alloy DIY 3D Printer US  | eBay



What software are you using?  I use grbl.


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## Lewdog (Sep 27, 2018)

BULLDOG said:


> Lewdog said:
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> > So I had a 15% off coupon from eBay today and decided to go ahead and take advantage and buy a 3D printer.  I had been wanting to get one for awhile, so I pulled the trigger.  This one is pretty big and isn't supposed to take too much to set it up.
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I don't know yet.  This is the first one I will have owned.  How much did your program cost?  I have a buddy in Sweden that does a lot of 3D printing that has offered to help me out some.


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## fncceo (Sep 27, 2018)

Lewdog said:


> So I had a 15% off coupon from eBay today and decided to go ahead and take advantage and buy a 3D printer.  I had been wanting to get one for awhile, so I pulled the trigger.  This one is pretty big and isn't supposed to take too much to set it up.
> 
> Anyone else out there got one?  Any pointers on some good shareware?  Good places to find .stl files?
> 
> NEW Alfawise U20 Large Scale 2.8" Touch Screen Aluminium Alloy DIY 3D Printer US  | eBay



I built my own Prusa-style printer a year ago.  It's great.  I'm constantly taking it apart and making improvements on it, a lot of those improvements made with the printer itself.

You're going to find a learning curve, so start slow and don't get discouraged.  Here are some recommendations that I all learned the hard way.

1.  Join a support group for your specific printer.  If you can't find one for your printer, try a general Prusa printer group (your printer is a Prusa design).
2.  Watch all you can on Youtube.  Many people have done what you've done and you can learn from their mistakes.
3.  Start simple.  Pick a material that's easy to work with -- I suggest PLA -- and stick with it until you have enough experience to go to more complicated materials like NinjaFlex and PTEG.
4.  It's tempting to design your own stuff and if you're good with a CAD program don't hesitate.  But, there are literally hundreds of thousands of ready to print STL files for free on sites like Thingiverse and MyMiniFactory.  Download them, slice them to create G-Code and print away.
5.  Pick simple prints at first, little or no support material.  Support material can be problematic to remove after a print is finished and who needs the frustration when you're first learning.
6.  Start with a free slicer program -- Cura or Slic3r are the most popular.  Learn about how to tweak those settings before investing money in a more powerful, and costly, slicer application.
7.  Have fun ... there is so much you can make and many ways to use your prints in much more complicated manufacturing like metal casting.


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## Lewdog (Sep 27, 2018)

fncceo said:


> Lewdog said:
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> > So I had a 15% off coupon from eBay today and decided to go ahead and take advantage and buy a 3D printer.  I had been wanting to get one for awhile, so I pulled the trigger.  This one is pretty big and isn't supposed to take too much to set it up.
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I'm in a couple 3D Printer Facebook groups at the moment.  I had someone already create the .stl file for my product but there hasn't been a print of it yet.


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## BULLDOG (Sep 27, 2018)

Lewdog said:


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All my stuff is open source-----FREE. I don't have a printer. I built a 3D router instead. Basically the same machine, but I cut material away with a bit while you add it with an extruder. I suppose it's nice to buy the complete package because they have already worked out most of the glitches, and you can get started quick, but don't ignore all the free stuff on the internet. With a little research,  you'll probably find something that works as good or better.  Get a good Gcode simulator, and a list of Gcode commands. A few simple Gcode edits can sometimes cut your machine time down drastically. It's a fun hobby, and you can do a lot more than you think you can.


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## fncceo (Sep 27, 2018)

BULLDOG said:


> Get a good Gcode simulator, and a list of Gcode commands. A few simple Gcode edits can sometimes cut your machine time down drastically.



I don't know why anyone would manually create G-Code when even the free slicer apps can manipulate any parameter in the G-Code you could do manually AND give you a preview of how it will affect the print.

The 11th Commandment... Thou Shalt Not Make Yourself Crazy.


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## Lewdog (Sep 27, 2018)

BULLDOG said:


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Well this says it should be set up in 5 minutes.  Who knows how true that is.  With the coupon is saved me $45.  I own a website call popsaccessories.com but haven't set it up yet or anything because I hadn't bought a printer yet.  I have someone working on my retail site for selling comics, Funko Pops, and a few other things.  My site is hosted on go-daddy and my account include unlimited hosting, so I can set up the other site as well at no extra cost.  I'm just trying to make some extra money on the side to pay towards my school loans.


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## fncceo (Sep 27, 2018)

Lewdog said:


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Coincidentally, the very first thing I ever designed from scratch with a CAD program and printed was a stand to allow Pop Vinyls that won't stand up by themselves (looking at you Lemongrab) to be supported.


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## Lewdog (Sep 27, 2018)

fncceo said:


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.stl?


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## Lewdog (Sep 27, 2018)

fncceo said:


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I've got about 500 Pops and minis.


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## BULLDOG (Sep 27, 2018)

Lewdog said:


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Check out BlenderCam. Design your model and save it as Stl, Obj, or any one of dozens of formats and generate your Gcode with one program. Free.    Youtube is your friend.


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## BULLDOG (Sep 27, 2018)

fncceo said:


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Yep. My brain fart. When printing, you need to cover most of the model footprint with each pass. With my router, it makes no sense to pass over areas where no material is to be removed, and editing that part out saves lots of time.  
Never mind


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## fncceo (Sep 27, 2018)

Lewdog said:


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.stl ... stereolithography file.  Is a drawing generated from a 3D CAD program that is in a format that can be sliced into G-Code.   Your printer can only read G-Code.  It doesn't know if your printing a duck or a dragon ... it just knows movement commands.

Most CAD programs allow you to export your drawing files to an .STL file which is what you will need for 3D printing.  Some will even slice your file and make the G-Code itself, but I've stayed off that path because A) I already knew how to use Fusion 360 which doesn't have that feature and B) even the free slicer apps will allow you much more control over your printing parameters than the same function integrated into the drawing app.

When you download files from sites like Thingiverse and MyMiniFactory, they are already to go in .STL format.  The downside to that, that makes them really difficult to modify.

But, I recommend to start simply, download a ready to print .STL file before venturing off into trying to modify other folks designs.


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## Lewdog (Sep 27, 2018)

fncceo said:


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No it is kind of a joke on the Facebook groups that every time someone posts something cool, people always asks for the .stl file.  So everyone will respond .stl??


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## fncceo (Sep 27, 2018)

Lewdog said:


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I've never seen that.  I'd be a bit surprised that someone's actually printed anything without knowing it.

It's like asking a Microsoft Office group what is a .doc file.


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## Wyatt earp (Sep 27, 2018)

Lewdog said:


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Lewdog said:


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Lewdog said:


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The people you talked don't know what the hell they are talking about


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## Wyatt earp (Sep 27, 2018)

Lewdog said:


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So what did you make?


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## MisterBeale (Sep 28, 2018)

bear513 said:


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Depends on the plans really.


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## Weatherman2020 (Oct 11, 2018)

Lewdog said:


> So I had a 15% off coupon from eBay today and decided to go ahead and take advantage and buy a 3D printer.  I had been wanting to get one for awhile, so I pulled the trigger.  This one is pretty big and isn't supposed to take too much to set it up.
> 
> Anyone else out there got one?  Any pointers on some good shareware?  Good places to find .stl files?
> 
> NEW Alfawise U20 Large Scale 2.8" Touch Screen Aluminium Alloy DIY 3D Printer US  | eBay


I’m making guns.


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## Lewdog (Oct 13, 2018)

First test print.  A rifle bullet I am turning into a keychain.


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## BULLDOG (Oct 13, 2018)

Lewdog said:


> First test print.  A rifle bullet I am turning into a keychain.



Cool. Looks pretty smooth. Planning anything practical yet?


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## Lewdog (Oct 13, 2018)

BULLDOG said:


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It could use some more sanding around the bottom, but the surface is actually pretty smooth.  My buddy's family works for the local schools and they are already interested in getting some stuff done.  We were talking about making custom cookie molds for the team mascot.  And making the same kind of molds for sheet cakes.  My printer can make almost a 12x12 size print and up to about 15 inches high.


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## BULLDOG (Oct 13, 2018)

Lewdog said:


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Sounds fun. I have a cnc mill, and will get a printer as soon as I can either find a model or some parts to scan to replace some plastic parts on my project car.  400.00 for a 6x5x1.5 piece of plastic is more than I'm gonna pay.


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## MaryL (Oct 13, 2018)

Lewdog said:


> So I had a 15% off coupon from eBay today and decided to go ahead and take advantage and buy a 3D printer.  I had been wanting to get one for awhile, so I pulled the trigger.  This one is pretty big and isn't supposed to take too much to set it up.
> 
> Anyone else out there got one?  Any pointers on some good shareware?  Good places to find .stl files?
> 
> NEW Alfawise U20 Large Scale 2.8" Touch Screen Aluminium Alloy DIY 3D Printer US  | eBay


You are now the coolest person ever.


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## Lewdog (Oct 14, 2018)

Benchy test passed!  Just needs a little sanding.


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## Lewdog (Oct 14, 2018)

Here is my next project today.






  It is a dice roller.


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## Lewdog (Nov 11, 2018)

Got my printer to do a tough one tonight... part of a DNA strand.  Not bad results for a $300 printer.


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## fncceo (Nov 11, 2018)

I built my own open-source printer a couple years ago, based on the Prusa design.  Love it.  Just be prepared for the learning curve that comes with it.  Join a user group and YouTube will be your best friend.


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## fncceo (Nov 11, 2018)

Lewdog said:


> Benchy test passed!  Just needs a little sanding.



That's a pretty good Benchy right out of the box.  Just a touch of banding.  But overall a good print.  What slicer are you using?


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## Lewdog (Nov 11, 2018)

fncceo said:


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I have the free version of Cura.  Sometimes however when I put the .stl file into GCode the printer doesn't recognize it.  At first I found it was because I was taking the thumb drive out before doing the "safe ejection" button.  But even tonight I did it the right way and didn't read it.


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## fncceo (Nov 11, 2018)

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Thumb drives and SD cards are notoriously unreliable.  At a couple of dollars per SD card, if I have issues, I just chuck it and use a fresh one. Does your printer have the option of reading the file by USB from the computer?

Also, where are you getting your STLs?  If there are any unrepaired 'holes' (incomplete faces) on the original file Cura would not be able to create a complete G-Code File.  I use Slic3r and not Cura (I could never get Cura completely tuned to my printer) but it should work the same.


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## Lewdog (Nov 11, 2018)

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Well my buddy has a newer version on his laptop and the printer read that one fine.  I just was in a hurry and didn't take the time to update mine before putting it on there.  The issue however, is the bottom layer for the larger print was not sticking to the hot bed, and it ended up catching and clogging up around the extruder nozzle.  So I cleaned it up and tried again, and it did the same.  I'm going to need to lower the bed, and try putting down painters tape to see if that works.  I tried the elmers glue stick and that didn't work, and the time I tried painter's tape before, the nozzle dragged on it.


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## fncceo (Nov 11, 2018)

This Starlord Helmet is about ten different pieces, fiber-glassed together and covered with several coats of spray putty to make smooth.  The surface is air brushed with metallic paints and their about 24 LEDs in the eyes.

Remarkably, I can see pretty well while wearing it.


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## fncceo (Nov 11, 2018)

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Painters tape was sent from heaven for that very task.  Also, and I can't stress this enough, level ... level .. level ... the bed.  Then level it again.  I use a feeler gauge.  Level it between prints.  Level it when you change filaments.  If the bed is the slightest bit un-level across the entire bed, you're going to have 1st layer problems.


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## Lewdog (Nov 11, 2018)

fncceo said:


> This Starlord Helmet is about ten different pieces, fiber-glassed together and covered with several coats of spray putty to make smooth.  The surface is air brushed with metallic paints and their about 24 LEDs in the eyes.
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> Remarkably, I can see pretty well while wearing it.



Sweet!  3D printers are freaking essential for cosplay people these days instead of going through the trouble of making fiber-glass molds and stuff.


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## Lewdog (Nov 11, 2018)

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yeah I bought a level tonight, plus the printer has an auto-level function.


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## fncceo (Nov 11, 2018)

Lewdog said:


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I've been making cosplay props for my daughter for years.  Used to make my patterns from balsa, foam, putty, and bondo.  Took months.  The printer is so much faster and I'm finally getting the hang of post-processing.

My next frontier is lost-wax, lost PLA casting in aluminum and brass.  Make my parts in metal and plate them.


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## fncceo (Nov 11, 2018)

Lewdog said:


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Just my opinion ... I had an autolevel on my printer, took it off.  It's not reliable.  I can level a print bed in a couple of minutes with practice.  I printed huge thumb wheels for the leveling knobs to give me greater control.


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## Lewdog (Nov 11, 2018)

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Yeah... they have the filament that looks like wood now too.  Do you recycle your misprint filament?  How do you do it?


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## frigidweirdo (Nov 11, 2018)

Lewdog said:


> So I had a 15% off coupon from eBay today and decided to go ahead and take advantage and buy a 3D printer.  I had been wanting to get one for awhile, so I pulled the trigger.  This one is pretty big and isn't supposed to take too much to set it up.
> 
> Anyone else out there got one?  Any pointers on some good shareware?  Good places to find .stl files?
> 
> NEW Alfawise U20 Large Scale 2.8" Touch Screen Aluminium Alloy DIY 3D Printer US  | eBay



I'd love one, but they're too expensive for me, I'd want either a high quality one or nothing at all.


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## fncceo (Nov 11, 2018)

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Mostly I just throw it in the bin.  I have a box of stuff I've printed that didn't come out quite right.  You can reprocess PLA into new filament but with the cost of filament as low as it is, it's not worth the effort.  Plus, the different between cheap filament and better filament is the tolerance of the filament width.  I can't equal factory tolerance by recycling at home.


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## Lewdog (Nov 11, 2018)

frigidweirdo said:


> Lewdog said:
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> > So I had a 15% off coupon from eBay today and decided to go ahead and take advantage and buy a 3D printer.  I had been wanting to get one for awhile, so I pulled the trigger.  This one is pretty big and isn't supposed to take too much to set it up.
> ...



Well I had an eBay coupon and saved a good bit off of mine.  It is only a $300 printer but it prints a large surface area, and honestly many people tell me it is better to learn on a cheaper one before spending a lot on a more complex one.


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## fncceo (Nov 11, 2018)

frigidweirdo said:


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> ...



Build it ... there are plenty of youtube tutorials on how to do just that.  All the software you need is open source.  The controller cards and part can be sourced from China.  Build it simple then add upgrades as your skill increases.  Many of the upgrades on my printer were made with the printer itself.

Added bonus, after you've done it, you understand how the printer works.  That is essential for being able to troubleshoot the inevitable issues you will encounter.


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## Lewdog (Nov 11, 2018)

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Well I've heard of people that will melt it all together for something cheap... not necessarily to make it into new filament, but to make things like a poker ch1p (Just found out poker ch1p is a banned word here.  lol)   or something simple out of it.


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## fncceo (Nov 11, 2018)

I just bought some ferro-magentic filament (contains actual iron powder) that I'm using to make the core of a 3/4 horsepower electric motor with the printer.  If successful, it will be the spindle for a large bed CNC I'm planning to build.


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## fncceo (Nov 11, 2018)

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Sounds VERY messy.  If I want to cast something in plastic, I just use 2 part polyurethane and a silicone mold -- I've been making props that way for years.  PLA is very difficult to get liquid enough to cast with.  It would harden too quickly.


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## Ridgerunner (Nov 11, 2018)

God, I love capitalism...


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## fncceo (Nov 11, 2018)

Ridgerunner said:


> God, I love capitalism...



Totally!


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## Lewdog (Nov 11, 2018)

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Have you seen the 3D printers that can do metal, and have been used to make replica engine blocks?


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## fncceo (Nov 11, 2018)

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No printable filament would be suitable for making an engine block.  Remember, it melts at around 200C, even the metal infused filament. Metal filaments are merely PLA plastic with metal powder infused.  The metal gives it no additional structure, just the appearance of metal.

That is why I laugh whenever someone inevitably brings up the subject of 3d printed guns.  I can't think of a WORSE way to make a gun than with a 3d printer.  Unless you want to find a novel way to remove one of your hands.

It would be however, be ideal for making an engine block pattern, which is molded in green sand, and then cast in aluminum and machined.


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## Lewdog (Nov 11, 2018)

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Yeah a 3D printed gun is only good for one shot if that... and as you said that is if it doesn't blow up in your hand like holding an M80 fire cracker.

They are however making 3D printers that can make metal parts that can be used in engines, even jet engines.

Building The World's Largest 3D Laser Printer For Metal Parts - GE


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## fncceo (Nov 11, 2018)

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Laser CNC is a much older technology.  CNC machining is ideal for building firearms, that's how they're made commercially.  It's a subtraction process ... like most metal and wood working.  It takes material away from the stock.  Our 3d printers work by adding material to build the object. 

Both 3D printing and CNC use numerical control of stepper motors to move the cutting tool / print head accurately to where it needs to be to do the work.


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## Yarddog (Nov 11, 2018)

Lewdog said:


> So I had a 15% off coupon from eBay today and decided to go ahead and take advantage and buy a 3D printer.  I had been wanting to get one for awhile, so I pulled the trigger.  This one is pretty big and isn't supposed to take too much to set it up.
> 
> Anyone else out there got one?  Any pointers on some good shareware?  Good places to find .stl files?
> 
> NEW Alfawise U20 Large Scale 2.8" Touch Screen Aluminium Alloy DIY 3D Printer US  | eBay




Nope, I suggest you take a course in SolidWorks 3d programing though if you havent. It's great for 3D printing and a lot of fun.


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## fncceo (Nov 11, 2018)

Yarddog said:


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Dude, Fusion 360.  It's from AutoDesk and  -- it's free


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## Lewdog (Nov 11, 2018)

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I'd like to find a program I can get that makes 3D models of objects for me using a camera taking pictures at multiple angles.  A buddy told me they take a TON of RAM to do however... and it can get pretty expensive to get a good enough camera to do it.


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## fncceo (Nov 12, 2018)

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For what I make, 3d scanning is more trouble than it's worth.  If you scan it, it will take a bunch of effort to repair the file and close up all the open vectors --- although there is software that does this.  If I already have a shape I want to recreate, I will typically cast it --- so much faster.  

For me, 3d printing is all about making unique prototypes of things you create in your own mind.  It's not the best technology for copying items you already have.

That being said, a lot of folks will 3d scan an item and use it as the basis for a new design.


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## Yarddog (Nov 12, 2018)

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I'll check it out. Free is great!    I did have a lot of fun though getting a solid Works Cert. It allows you to to rendering and simulated automation as well, along with analysis of parts wear and its pretty good for making assemblys.  However, its the only one I've ever tried so I'm not sure how it compares to auto cad or Auto Desk


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## fncceo (Nov 12, 2018)

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I'm teasing ... the best 3d modeling software is the one you know how to use.  Solid works, sketch up, Blender, Fusion, all will do what you need them to do in different ways and you will be at this for years before you get to the point where the software you're using makes any appreciable difference to your work --- I will never get to that point.

Use what you know, why re-invent the wheel?


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## Lewdog (Nov 12, 2018)

fncceo said:


> Lewdog said:
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> 
> > fncceo said:
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Well scanning is important to make... say replacement items like clips for a car, or other pieces like that are unique and hard to find an original.

I have an .stl file for an invention I created, it is two pieces... but I am waiting until I have my printer dialed in to print one.


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## fncceo (Nov 12, 2018)

Lewdog said:


> fncceo said:
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> > Lewdog said:
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Yea, there are applications. I've yet to go down that path.  Unless the part it insanely complex, I can probably draw it before I could scan it.   It's still pretty cool to be able to scan something and make it ... it's like a 'Star Trek' transporter.


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## Yarddog (Nov 12, 2018)

fncceo said:


> Yarddog said:
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> > fncceo said:
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I know. It takes time because there is always so much more to know. I took the course twice and really picked up on a lot of things I didnt even notice the first time... it just takes practice practice practice. Plus they update those programs every year as well.


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## Lewdog (Nov 12, 2018)

Yarddog said:


> fncceo said:
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> > Yarddog said:
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Kind of like watching a movie like Inception... or Memento.  You have to watch it multiple times to catch everything!


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## Yarddog (Nov 12, 2018)

Lewdog said:


> Yarddog said:
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> > fncceo said:
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Yeah,  and the thing I really noticed is that with solid works there are different ways to do the same thing when creating in 3D, but some ways are better than others and with time and screw ups you figure it out. Especialy if you are drawing things that you may want to make future variations of. 
Good luck with your printer! hope you have fun.


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## frigidweirdo (Nov 12, 2018)

Lewdog said:


> frigidweirdo said:
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> > Lewdog said:
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Yes, maybe. I'd print simple things but would want them at a good quality. I make stuff that is already small, I use cardboard for it. If I could save time by using something stronger and tidier than cardboard cut with a knife, and make it look better, I'd be laughing. 

But the reason I use cardboard in the first place is, it's usually free. Though the woman with the cat food boxes has moved to the other side of the country.


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## HereWeGoAgain (Nov 12, 2018)

Lewdog said:


> MisterBeale said:
> 
> 
> > I got a buddy that downloaded the plans for those guns before our evil freedom loving overlords took away our freedom of speech.  Want 'em?
> ...



  You can 3D print in aluminum.


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## Lewdog (Nov 12, 2018)

HereWeGoAgain said:


> Lewdog said:
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> > MisterBeale said:
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After all the issues I've seen with Ford's aluminum blocks and heads, no way in hell I'd ever make one or let alone buy one of those.


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## HereWeGoAgain (Nov 12, 2018)

Lewdog said:


> HereWeGoAgain said:
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  Dude,you're not building a car engine.

My FJ had an aluminium block and heads as does my Tundra and they have zero problems.


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## HereWeGoAgain (Nov 12, 2018)

Lewdog said:


> HereWeGoAgain said:
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   Oh....they dont 3D print engine blocks,they make them from billet aluminium.


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## Lewdog (Nov 12, 2018)

HereWeGoAgain said:


> Lewdog said:
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> > HereWeGoAgain said:
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No, I'm not with this one... but it was a discussion we were having about other printers.


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## tyroneweaver (Nov 14, 2018)

AsianTrumpSupporter said:


> I don't have one, but the only reason I'd buy one is to 3D print a lower receiver as a Californian.


I see someone has introduced some law about lowers in congress
Don't know to much about it.
Saw it posted over at ar15.com


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