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3D Printing: Getting a 3D Printer

 When I was getting started with 3D printing, of course the first big decision was "which machine will I get". It's one of those things where there's not necessarily a wrong answer, but there could be a best choice. 


I am very pleased with the machine I ended up with, but I think this was partially dumb luck. It's hard to know what you don't know! And therefore...it's hard to know where to start without a guide. (My guide was a YouTube channel dedicated to printing miniatures for Table Top games, not costumes.)

If by some cosmic coincidence this blog is your first exposure, then allow me to make some suggestions on where to start and some of the questions to ask. 

What do you want to 3D Print?

Oddly enough this will be a major decision factor into the machine (or machines) you decide to purchase. What kinds of things will you be 3D printing a majority of the time? While you can do pretty much all things with a 3D printer given some proper adjustments, some types of machines or sizes will prove to be ideal. 

It's helpful at first to think in terms of the size and detail of the things you will print: 

  • Small - Jewelry, Accessories, Mini-figurines
  • Medium - Props, Figurines, Costume Parts, 
  • Large - Large Props, Full size costume parts, 

For Detail think high to low. 

Low Detail - works for prototypes, simple shaped items, polygon shapes. 

High Detail - mostly natural looking things, animals, humans, figurines and such. 

What is your Budget? 


This refers not only to the tool itself but also the materials you will constantly need to get to make things. Some printers can handle many different types of materials while some specialize in ONE.

Is it worth it?

This may be a weird thing to ask yourself but it is important to make a "reality check" before taking off to the races. Some things I didn't really think about or assumed about 3D printing I really couldn't know. So consider this: 
  • Some mechanical, electronic, and technical skills are required to use the machine. Most machines need some form of assembly. If you don't have these skills, you should at least be resourceful enough to find places to learn online. 
  • 3D printing is mostly trial and error...well...mostly error in my case. Even experience won't save you from a print going wrong at the end and you need to start over and wait another 10 hours to finish. 
  • You work space needs to be appropriate. 3D printing is finicky! Some materials produce stinky fumes and need proper ventilation. Nearly all printing needs temperature regulation and a sturdy surface to print on!
  • Knowing how to at least manipulate a 3D model and edit it is one of the technical skills. 
  • It takes a long time for anything to print, so it's not instant. 
  • For most printed items, there is still tons of work to do after printing it. Finishing is probably the most tedious part. 
Despite all these things, 3D printing is rewarding. Once you've asked all these things, then consider my shopping tips. 

My Personal Experience and Tips

My original big debate with a 3D printer was whether or not to get a Resin printer (SLA or Stereolithography) or a FDM printer (Filament Deposit Machine...nope...Fused Deposition Modeling...I was close.) So my research went into the pros and cons of these two things. 
In my mind I wanted something under $400 (USD) that could print small to medium sized highly detailed things. For the longest time I was certain I was going to get an SLA machine to print mini-figs with. 

In the end, I learned I could still print pretty decent mini-figs with a filament printer (thanks to the YouTube channel) and ended up getting the Creality Ender 3pro (I feel like it's a very common first 3D printer.) I went with this machine in the end because after browsing some free 3D printing model sites that I could print some pretty neat props and such. Those props would not fit into the SLA printer I was considering. Plus the price of Filament is very different than liquid resin stuff. Not to mention I have poor ventilation so that smell yeeesh. 

Anyway, for scanability, here's my pro and con list for the printers I was considering: 

FDM Yay!
  • Cheaper, biodegradable, non-toxic material
  • Larger bed size for the low price
  • Versatility in printing projects
  • Well documented both officially and unofficially
FDM Boo...
  • Mechanical and Finicky 
  • Long post-processing (so much sanding!)
  • Need very specific glue to keep things together (depends on materials)
  • Time consuming to troubleshoot
  • Can only capture so much detail 
  • Obvious striation lines
SLA Yay!
  • Captures high detail
  • Less post processing
  • Hardened material 
  • Less assembly needed (usually)
  • Well documented
SLA Meh...
  • Stinks
  • Refills of Resin expensive
  • Very tricky mechanical and technical troubleshooting
  • Limited to fairly small projects

Recommendations:

Here are some resources for further learning by people who are probably more qualified than me to talk to you about this stuff. 
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